Historically, early battleships and battlecruisers were equipped with torpedo tubes, and there were even proposals to develop torpedo battleships - battleships were not equipped with main guns and torpedo tubes, and when they were fighting, they rushed up to release torpedoes!

But that kind of torpedo battleship was just a kind of fantasy, and it didn't come true. And other battleships and battlecruisers equipped with torpedoes in history were only equipped with a few torpedo tubes, so the Wuzhong Wang was equipped with 16 530mm torpedo tubes in one go?

Guan Tianpei saw Zhuge Weidao's reaction, but smiled and said, "Daozi, you are outdated this time...... In future naval battles, torpedo attacks must be the main means, so torpedo tubes must be installed more! ”

Says who? Zhuge thought to himself: "In the future, naval warfare will obviously be dominated by the release of missiles, and a 20,000-ton battle patrol will have to take at least 200 vertical hairs to enjoy it......

Guan Tianpei continued: "The reason why this is the case is because the range and speed of the latest steam gas torpedo have improved by leaps and bounds...... In the past, compressed air torpedoes were slow and short-ranged, and it was good to hit 1000 meters. However, it is easy for a steam gas torpedo to hit 4-5 kilometers. And the speed of the steam gas torpedo can easily exceed 30 knots! Daozi, think about it, a 30-node torpedo can hit 4-5 kilometers! And this is only the first generation of steam gas torpedoes, with a range of 7-8 kilometers and a speed of 40-50 knots, they should appear in a very short time! ”

Guan Tianpei said excitedly: "At that time, the battle cruiser of King Wuzhong will be amazing...... When facing the enemy in the bow, it can fire 8 530 mm torpedoes at a time, and it can fire torpedoes from a distance of 7-8 kilometers. And the 240 mm and 280 mm naval guns are difficult to hit the Wuzhong Wang at this distance, and even if they hit, it is difficult to really hit the Wuzhong Wang. And if the enemy ship is hit by a 530-mm torpedo fired by the King Wuzhong, it will be over!

Daozi, think about it, the Wuzhong King has a speed of 24 knots! The battleships, armored cruisers, and even cruisers of the second and third rank, known to the British, were not as fast as it. This 10,000-ton loading patrol met it, and it took half a day to shoot. Hit the torpedo for a while and it will be gone! If we have a few such battlecruiser torpedo boats, the British Royal Navy and the Indian Navy Navy will not be enough for our South Sea Fleet! ”

Really!

Zhuge listened to Guan Tianpei say this, and he actually felt that it made sense!

Because the current large-caliber naval guns are still very unsatisfactory in terms of shell power, sighting, and rate of fire. At a distance of 7-8 kilometers, the accuracy is generally very poor, the distance of naval artillery battles is generally very close, and 3000-5000 meters is the ideal distance for naval artillery battles of warships. At this distance, the air compression torpedo is not used, so both sides can concentrate on firing the artillery. But what if one side had a steam gas torpedo first?

The main guns of most of the current capital ships of the British and Indian Navy are basically not a threat to the 20,000-ton Bazhongwang-class battlecruisers, so the Bazhongwang-class can completely withstand their firepower and rush to a distance of 3,000 meters to shoot steam gas torpedoes!

Moreover, the speed of the Bazhong King class is very fast, and all the enemy ships targeted by them, except for those "unyielding" classes, do not even have the strength to resist, they can't run away, they can't fight, they can only eat torpedoes!

Even if it is unyielding, can the 9.2-inch main gun really break through the armor protection of the Eight Loyal Kings?

In addition, the Daming Navy also has a 4,000-ton "big drive" platform, except for four 120-mm naval guns, it has not been equipped with other firepower...... This "big drive" will not be kept as a "heavy mine destroyer", right?

Thinking of this, Zhuge Weidao asked again: "Brother Zhongyin, our Nanyang Fleet won't only have the Wuzhong Wang, a battle cruiser torpedo boat, right?" There must be other heavy mine ships, right? ”

Guan Tianpei smiled and nodded: "I really can't hide it from you...... At present, the steam gas torpedo is still our secret weapon, and the production has not increased, so it is impossible to use it for all the hulls. Therefore, only the Wuzhongwang, Chengzhongwang and the latest 2,000-ton Daqi 'Leizhou' class are equipped with this kind of steam gas torpedo. ”

Zhuge asked: "Leizhou level is ......"

Guan Tianpei said: "The standard displacement is 2,000 tons, the full row is more than 2,400 tons, 4 single-mounted 155 mm main guns, and the ship is equipped with two triple 530 mm torpedo tubes, and the power is 8 mixed-fired boilers and 2 steam turbines, which can produce 21,000 horsepower, and the speed of the Leizhou class can exceed 30 knots!" ”

This class of destroyers sounds a bit like the mine-strike ships designed by the Germans during World War I.

Zhuge thought to himself: "Three battle cruiser torpedo boats plus twelve destroyer torpedo boats...... It's really a South Sea torpedo boat brigade! ”

Guan Tianpei said again: "In the near future, our Nanyang Fleet will have 3 Bazhongwang-class and 12 'Leizhou'-class, and these 15 ships will form a battle cruiser detachment...... Michiko, you're really not interested? This is the main detachment of our South Sea Fleet!

Now that the war is about to start, you are going to be the commander of this detachment, and the rank of lieutenant general will be in your hands in a blink of an eye. ”

Guan Tianpei is indeed kind, he can now be in the position of admiral of the Nanyang Fleet, and it has a lot to do with Zhuge Weidao.

Now is to repay the favor, and we have to create an opportunity for Zhuge Weidao to be promoted to lieutenant general!

But Zhuge Weidao's interest is still in the navy, and he has already served as a fleet admiral before (this Admiral of the Persian Gulf Fleet and the Vice Admiral of the South Ocean Fleet are of the same rank), and the military merits and maritime qualifications of the promotion of vice admiral are enough (if it wasn't for the night battle, he would have been a vice admiral now), and then he would have survived for the next year.

However, Zhuge Weidao still felt that he should create a little promotion opportunity for the people in his entrainment.

Thinking of this, he said to Guan Tianpei: "Brother Zhongyin, I know that there is someone who will definitely be able to be the commander of this battle cruiser detachment!" ”

"Really?" Guan Tianpei asked, "Who?" ”

"Chen Ruizhi!" Zhuge Weidao said, "The result of sinking one Blake-class in the Battle of Goa and damaging two Blake-class ships was made by him!" And it was the torpedo that sank the Blake class...... It's a compressed air torpedo, and if you replace him with a steam gas torpedo, the three Blake classes of the British won't go back! ”

"Okay!" Guan Tianpei smiled and nodded, "I am also familiar with this Chen Ruizhi, he is indeed a talent, that is him!" ”

……

January 1830.

Portsmouth Military Port, United Kingdom.

Next to the dock of the harbor, there was a "Indomitable" class battleship docked about to set sail, the boiler on the ship was already boiling, and billowing black smoke came out of the chimney.

Two elderly soldiers in military uniforms and with the rank of marshal were slowly walking towards the huge warship, shoulder to shoulder. They were followed by a group of young officers and soldiers in sailor uniforms.

One of the older soldiers was a one-armed man, none other than Horatio, the god of the British Navy. Earl Nelson.

And the other is the British Prime Minister, the Duke of Wellington.

The Duke of Wellington looked at the huge Unyielding Class and sighed softly: "Earl, this time I have to work hard for you again...... However, you are the only one who can preside over this surprise attack. ”

Earl Nelson smiled and said, "This plan was originally proposed by me, if I don't go to India, who can go?" Don't worry, duke...... As the Minister of War of the Indian Empire, I will surely lead the people of India to war!

The question now is, when will the British people join? With the power of India alone, we will not be able to defeat this vast industrial empire. ”

"They'll join!" The Duke of Wellington said, "If the navy is able to win the war, the confidence of the people will be greatly increased, and the members of Parliament who oppose the war will change their ways." So, Count, it's all up to you! ”

Look at 1825 my new Daming.8.2... m。 ：