The survivability of ships is of very important value. Just like in the great sea battle of Jutland, the British ships were larger and faster, but after fighting together with the German warships, the losses were much greater than that of Germany. Had it not been for the strong foundation of the British Empire, maritime hegemony would have been surrendered to others.
For German warships to achieve excellent results, strong survivability is a crucial factor. Shen Honglie has experienced the war in Europe and has personal experience in this regard. Wu Yulin and others also considered survival when building the ship. Ability, this is a very remarkable thing.
"Well, the main combat areas of this kind of submersible gunboats are offshore and inland rivers. These are indeed complex hydrological environments and full of reefs and shoals. As long as you are not careful, collision accidents will occur. Starting from the Beiyang Fleet, there are no warships sunk due to collisions. It's a pity that there are only a few. It's really remarkable that we can focus on survival from the beginning!"
Shen Honglie said with great admiration, and Zhang Tinglan was also very satisfied. He asked with a smile: "Director Wu, we can still produce large-caliber howitzers. I'm afraid this large-caliber naval gun is still a bit difficult. How did you do it?" of? "
"That's true. Naval guns are more difficult than field guns. A gun barrel requires a lot of effort. Fortunately, we got the shipyard in Vladivostok, which has a maintenance workshop that can repair large-caliber artillery. In addition, we have Hailanpao also captured several fortress guns. With these as the basis, we jointly developed them with the Jilin Arsenal and have overcome the technical problems. However, the current problem is that the output is limited, and we can only build six at most every month!"
"This is already very good. You can eat it one bite at a time." Zhang Tinglan said with a smile: "First solve the problem of availability, then solve the quantity, and finally solve the quality. And there is an opportunity in front of us. As long as we grasp it, our industry will Your level will be greatly improved.”
"Commander-in-Chief Zhang, what opportunity are you referring to?" Shen Honglie asked in confusion.
"Mr. Shen, you have just come back from Europe and the United States. The situation in the world should be very clear. The Germans are at the end of their strength, and their defeat will not be too far away. Although they were defeated, their industrial technology level is there, and their technical capabilities are far behind those in the West. The world is second to none. If we can take advantage of Germany's failure and get some key technologies from Germany, wouldn't we be able to soar into the sky?"
Listening to Zhang Tinglan's words, Shen Honglie's eyes became brighter and brighter. Many people in China were paying attention to the war in Europe. Their biggest hope was to gain the status of a victorious nation by joining the Allied Powers, and then regain China's sovereignty.
But Zhang Tinglan's idea was completely different. He actually planned to use this opportunity to obtain German technology. It was a bit beyond imagination. But if you think about it carefully, it really makes sense. After Germany's defeat, it would definitely end badly. Originally, he was The technologies that the Germans regard as treasures will also become cheap. As long as you can afford the money, you can definitely get the key technologies.
Shen Honglie couldn't help but give Zhang Tinglan a thumbs up, and said with great emotion: "Commander-in-Chief Zhang, now I finally understand why Fengjun has such strong industrial capabilities. It turns out that you are all focusing on these real things." It’s really amazing that it’s on real things instead of imaginary things!”
"Mr. Shen, abolishing the privileges of the great powers is also a very important matter, but I have always believed that the truth lies within the range of the cannon. Even though we are tied to the Allies, we also have the hope of becoming a victorious country, but we do not have enough With our strength, the major powers will not think highly of us at all, and betraying China's interests is commonplace."
Whether it was World War I or World War II, China was very lucky to be on the side of the winner. However, after the two wars, China's interests were betrayed. This was true for the Shandong issue after World War I and the Outer Mongolia issue during World War II. , in the final analysis, it is because one’s own strength is not enough.
Zhang Tinglan was familiar with history and could make such a categorical assertion. Shen Honglie still couldn't accept it. He asked doubtfully: "Commander-in-Chief Zhang, I have heard that someone is asking the government to take back Shandong's rights. This is completely reasonable and reasonable. , Germany is a defeated country and should be handed back to China. If the great powers refuse even this request, they would be bullying others too much!"
"Mr. Shen, let's make a bet on whether the great powers will handle this issue fairly."
Shen Honglie said with a smile: "Let's bet, but I don't have any bets!"
"No need to bet!" Wu Yulin said with a smile from the side: "If Mr. Shen can stay and serve in Fengtian, the Commander-in-Chief would be very happy. I brought you here this time to find a captain for my warship."
Wu Yulin's words made everyone laugh. He looked at the time again, and then said: "Commander-in-Chief, it's time to launch the warship."
Zhang Tinglan and the others watched carefully as seawater poured into the dock. Gradually, the warship floated steadily. The first warship built by Fengjun was officially launched amidst the cheers of everyone. A small step, a giant leap for the navy. Zhang Tinglan was very satisfied. He encouraged all the workers present and issued a commendation order. All those involved in the construction would receive an additional two months' salary bonus.
The workers also cheered, and it was as lively as the New Year. Then Zhang Tinglan invited Wu Yulin and Shen Honglie to the office. The three of them sat across from each other. Zhang Tinglan said with a smile: "Although the warship has been launched, it is just to build a strong navy. As the first step, in addition to having warships, it is more important to have a mature naval strategy. What is our naval mission, which direction should it develop, and how should we focus on it. This is before we establish a navy. It’s something that needs to be clarified, do you have any ideas?”
Whatever you do, you must have a top-level planning and design, especially the navy's equipment. Each item is made with a lot of money. It must meet the overall strategic needs. It cannot be some advanced equipment. The key must be Useful. Moreover, with the financial resources of Fengjun, it is impossible to invest a large amount of money in the navy at will. The limited funds must be used rationally. This is why Zhang Tinglan wants to determine the development strategy.
Shen Honglie lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said: "I think the gap between the Chinese navy and the world's navies is already too big. Before the Sino-Japanese War of 1894, Zhenyuan and Dingyuan were known as the most powerful warships in the Far East, but now, large battleships have At 30,000 tons, there are even larger ones. Looking back at our navy, not only has there been no progress, but it has retreated across the board, with almost nothing left. I think that to develop the navy, we must be based on the long term, catch up with the world's most advanced level, and gradually build Large warships, safeguard China’s maritime rights and interests!”
"In fact, according to my observation, the situations of China and Germany are relatively similar. Both countries are countries with both land and sea. However, on the road leading to the sea, both countries face the blockade of a powerful island country. We may be able to absorb the German navy. It is very important to build a huge maritime fleet based on the experience and lessons of development, and at the same time strengthen underwater power, especially the development of submarines. The biggest headache for the British is the German submarine, and we cannot relax."
After Shen Honglie had almost finished speaking, Zhang Tinglan asked: "Mr. Shen, according to your idea, how much investment will be needed to build a large fleet? How long will it take? Can our financial resources be able to bear it? In a country where the industrial level is very backward. Under the circumstances, can we outperform our opponents?"
Zhang Tinglan kept asking questions, and Shen Honglie suddenly felt a little embarrassed. Indeed, his idea was good, but the gap in reality was too big. According to his idea, even if he bought the entire Fengjun army, he would not be able to build it. Moreover, even if it was built, Whether he can defeat his opponent remains a question mark.
"Commander-in-Chief Zhang, I know this requires huge investment, but if we don't use this method, how can we maintain maritime power?"
Although Shen Honglie knew the navy very well, it was precisely for this reason that he limited his vision and focused entirely on the navy's calculations, without really looking at the big picture.
"Mr. Shen, I think there are two problems that China has to solve right now, beating and starvation. What do you think?"
Shen Honglie listened carefully and then nodded sharply: "Commander-in-Chief Zhang hit the nail on the head. Although it is popular, it goes straight to the core."
"That's right." Wu Yulin also said: "Being beaten is actually a sovereignty issue, and starvation is a people's livelihood issue. This is the crux of China's current situation. If we want to solve the beating, we must strengthen the army, develop maritime power, and start from the Qing Dynasty. Our threats have always come from the sea. Is there any problem in developing a strong navy?"
Zhang Tinglan said with a smile: "Mr. Shen just mentioned Germany and said that China and Germany are similar. We might as well look for lessons from Germany. The Battle of Jutland showed that Germany's shipbuilding technology and the quality of its soldiers are world-class." Yes, but unfortunately, their naval strategy was wrong. William II did not understand the mission of the navy at all. The huge high seas fleet was his luxury toy. Apart from wasting precious national power, it had no actual value. "
Zhang Tinglan refuted Germany's strategy mercilessly. Shen Honglie and Wu Yulin were both a little surprised. They didn't know what the commander-in-chief was going to say. They all listened attentively.
"The mission of the navy is to attack, especially large-scale main warships, which are built to conduct decisive battles in the open sea and seize maritime hegemony. It can be said that when a country begins to build large-scale warships, it is the beginning of a country's expansion and maintenance of maritime power. The navy is the great offensive, and the German High Seas Fleet is a freak developed at the wrong time and under the wrong guiding ideology!"
Big navy! Big attack! Zhang Tinglan's words were heard in Shen Honglie's ears, and he felt a sense of enlightenment. The core of the big navy was broken at once. The navy is not a cosmetic thing, but a thing to safeguard national interests. Vanguard, just like Germany, has turned the High Seas Fleet into an existing fleet, which is simply an insult to the navy!
Shen Honglie couldn't help but stand up and bow deeply to Zhang Tinglan: "Shen has studied the navy for a long time, and it was only today that he understood the role of the navy. I am really ashamed!" (To be continued...)
