In the 19th century, no region had to consider invasion and the threat of national subjugation and genocide from the very beginning, but for South China, war was almost inevitable.
The threat of war has never been far away.
From the Mapuche people when the city was founded, to the Argentines, to the Chileans, and to the British in the future.
It can be said that the cloud of war has always been hanging over this place.
The shrouded body of Zhu Xianhai made him breathless. To a certain extent, he understood why "Loving Father Steel" and others went to develop heavy industry and military industry at all costs.
Without him!
Just survive!
In order to survive, individuals can still exchange children for each other.
And what will a country do in order to survive?
Of course, it is to strengthen armaments. In fact, in the past four years, strengthening armaments has been the top priority for Nanhua's development.
From making grenades to making grenade launchers, from imitating Enfield P1853 muzzleloading rifles to imitating and improving Spencer rifles, from casting bronze cannons to imitating and improving Armstrong cannons, Nanhua's military industry started from scratch in one step.
step by step laid a solid foundation.
Among all weapons, the most popular is probably explosives - both silica explosives and picric acid explosives are famous for their power. The latter is Nanhua's secret weapon, and the former has long been widely exported.
It is widely used in mining and military applications all over the world.
But even so, Zhu Xianhai never stopped demanding armaments, especially after confirming that the British man behind the scenes would personally go into battle, he even set his sights on Britain and the country that might have direct conflicts with Nanhua in the future.
Conflict among the “superpowers”.
What does Britain have in this era?
Of course, the British are proud of their industry, which is the envy of other countries, and their powerful navy!
It is the British navy that achieves its reputation for never setting the sun!
"Our goal is to defeat the British Navy!"
"Don't think this is impossible! Don't think that the French have failed, how can it be possible for us?"
This is nothing but a dream!
When Zhu Xianhai proposed using Britain as a potential imaginary enemy in 1862, he even put the navy, no, South China does not have a navy until now, and the coast guard as the British Royal Navy.
No one thought this was a dream.
Because dreams are also valid.
And this is simply daydreaming.
Off to England!
What is the current situation of the Royal Navy?
Since modern times, its naval construction and its overseas colonial undertakings have relied on and promoted each other, and together they have become a strong cornerstone of the British Empire. In view of this, the United Kingdom attaches great importance to the construction of its navy, and has always placed it as more important than its army.
position. Moreover, the British government’s naval construction goal is to “make its navy capable of confronting the
"The strength of a nation's navy is the strength of a nation", which means that the British navy is more powerful than the navies of the second and second largest countries combined. To this end, it has invested in naval funds, expanded the fleet size, improved ship technology, etc.
Relatively effective measures have been taken and achieved practical results.
In other words, the British Royal Navy is more powerful than the current second-place France and Russia combined!
For Nanhua, which has not even established a navy, what is it but a dream to challenge such an opponent?
Even the instructors of the naval school on Panshi Island in Nanhua Bay were British. For Nanhua, who was determined to follow in the footsteps of the Royal Navy and build a powerful navy.
When you haven't learned how to crawl, you should treat Britain as an imaginary enemy. This is simply digging a hole to bury yourself - courting death.
However, for Zhu Xianhai, he does not think it is impossible!
There is nothing impossible in the world. You must first dare to think, and then what?
Of course we have to create conditions!
How to defeat the Royal Navy?
This is a very important topic. Fortunately, Zhu Xianhai has the shoulders of a giant with history to step on.
Speidel is an Irishman, and he is full of hatred for the British, both from history and race, and from the current famine in Ireland. Although he went to university in London, his national sentiments have never faded away.
A mechanical engineer, he can't do much for Ireland.
As a machinist, he has been in charge of the confidential work of the Tenth Research Laboratory for three years after immigrating to South China.
"This weapon should be cylindrical, fired from an underwater or above-water launch tube. The navigation depth adjustment is completed by a hydrostatic valve controlling the elevator, and the navigation orientation is controlled by fixed fins..."
In October 1862, at a confidential meeting in the research laboratory, Speidel received the mission letter. The mission letter not only briefly proposed the concept of "Special Product No. 13", but also gave some technical details of the concept.
Since then, he has been responsible for this job, and the person directly responsible for this job is the chairman of the company.
"...d0 is the preset depth,
One force is used to offset the negative buoyancy, and the other is used to push the product forward. When the product is disturbed by the outside world and the navigation depth is greater than the preset depth, the lifting navigation should increase the elevation angle of the product so that it can return to the normal depth..."
In the chairman's office, when Paidal was explaining the working principles of the "pendulum depth setting mechanism" to an exquisite brass model, Zhu Xianhai did not need him to introduce these principles, because this principle was "proposed" by him.
Including the so-called "Special Product Mission Statement No. 13", which was also proposed by him.
And Special Product No. 13 is actually... a torpedo!
What is the most complex structure on a torpedo? It is the water pressure-adjusted depth-fixing mechanism. This mechanism seems to have a simple principle, but it is actually a miracle of engineering. It was invented in the late 1860s and has been used ever since.
By the end of World War II, it was known as "a miracle of Victorian engineering."
It was this so-called "Robert Whitehead's secret" that took more than a dozen mechanics three full years to design.
"Success?"
Zhu Xianhai's brows jumped, with a happy look on his face.
After waiting for three years, I finally saw the results!
Speidel replied.
"Yes, we started testing half a year ago. After adding damping limiting factors, the depth error has been reduced from plus or minus 40 feet to less than plus or minus two feet, but we are confident that it will be reduced to within one foot. However, considering the current
The results are sufficient, and the tests at the launch test site have achieved many successes, so the research laboratory hopes to conduct a target practice!"