1850 American Gold Tycoon

Chapter 609 Atlantic Fleet

It is true that Liang Yao has an insider at the top level of the Mexican government. However, the news that the Mexican government repaid part of the interest on the debts of Britain and France last year due to diplomatic pressure was not provided by an insider in the Mexican government. It was British MP Lionel Rothschild who told him.

"Since you have already admitted it, you and your government must think that our American warships are not as strong as the British and French warships, and our American guns are not as sharp as the British and French guns, right?" Liang Yao? He said gloomily.

"It's nothing, absolutely nothing!" Hidalgo hurriedly stood up and waved his hands in defense, "It's not that we won't pay back the money, it's that we really can't get the money out."

Hidalgo didn't know very well whether the British and French guns were sharp or not, but he had experienced American guns in person, more than once.

Britain and France had to cross the Atlantic Ocean to get debts. California was just north of Mexico, so it was much more convenient for the British and French to get debts.

Liang Yao also knew that the Mexican government really couldn't come up with the money to repay him. If the Mexican government could come up with the money to repay him, he wouldn't be unhappy.

Due to geostrategic considerations, what Liang Yao wanted more than the $850,000 debt and interest was an Atlantic port to project the maritime power from the Pacific west coast to the Atlantic coast.

"It's not that we can't sympathize with your government's difficulties, but the $850,000 lent to you is also the money of all taxpayers in California. We also need to give an explanation to the taxpayers. We hope that your country can also sympathize with us. Difficulties." Liang Yao said.

"How should we sympathize with the difficulties of the California government?" Hidalgo asked uneasily.

"We need your country to use the Port of Veracruz as a mortgage to protect the taxpayers of this state." Liang Yao finally revealed his true purpose.

"But when we reached this loan, we had no relevant terms," ​​Hidalgo argued.

"But we didn't expect that it has been two years since we lent this loan to you, and you haven't even repaid one cent of interest." Liang Yao interrupted Hidalgo mercilessly, not giving Hidalgo a chance to defend himself.

"Consul Hidalgo, I summoned you here today to inform you that we want the Port of Veracruz as collateral for your country's loan. I am not here to discuss with you. You can just relay my words to your president. "

After speaking, Liang Yao ordered Cai Si to see off the guests.

After Zeiss sent Hidalgo away, Sven walked out of the tea room on the first floor and said with concern: "We are asking Mexico for a good Atlantic port so openly. What if the Mexican government asks Britain and France to mediate? We don't want to lose face. To give or not to give?”

"Then he must dare to ask Britain and France to mediate." Liang Yao said unconcernedly, "Mexico owes us US$850,000, but their foreign debt owed to Britain, France and Spain is as high as 150,000,000 pesos. Furthermore, Britain and France How can we help Mexico mediate in vain? I'm afraid that Britain and France will have a greater appetite than us."

According to the exchange rate in 1860, one US dollar was worth about 8 pesos. 150,000,000 pesos is equivalent to approximately 18,750,000 US dollars.

The foreign debt of 18.75 million US dollars, based on Mexico's current situation, can be exchanged for the head. The interest alone is enough to overwhelm the Mexican government.

"Yes." Sven thought about it and it was right. The creditor who owed 850,000 US dollars wanted a good port on the Atlantic coast as a mortgage. What would the creditors who owed millions or tens of millions of dollars ask for as collateral? I'm afraid Mexico The authorities couldn't even think of it.

"How are you preparing for the Atlantic Fleet?" Liang Yao asked Sven.

"It has been planned to mobilize 5 Pioneer-class ironclads, 18 Bold-class light cruisers, and 4 supply ships to form the Atlantic Fleet." Sven said, "This is already all the ocean-going ships that can be mobilized at present. If more Atlantic Fleet is added, ships will affect our patrol work in the Pacific region."

"With 23 large ships, as long as you don't make fatal mistakes, you can still maintain the route from Texas to Europe." Liang Yao roughly estimated that the total displacement of the Atlantic Fleet is about 45,000 tons. .

A fleet of this size is enough to sail sideways in any area except Europe.

At present, the federal government's navy has more than 90 ships of various types, including battleships, frigates, gunboats and other ships.

This number seems intimidating, but most of the more than ninety ships are small boats such as frigates and gunboats. The number of main battleships capable of ocean warfare is relatively small, only about 15.

These main battleships even include some old wooden sail battleships, and the overall steamization rate is not high. As for the cutting-edge armored ships, there is not a single one.

Therefore, in terms of quality, at least at the beginning of the war, the strength of the Atlantic Fleet was superior to that of the federal government's navy. As for the situation in the middle and later stages of the war, it is difficult to say. After all, the industrial potential in the north is still very large.

"But if we want to maintain our overseas interests for a long time, we need larger ships." Sven said worriedly, "Both French and British ironclads have been launched into service one after another. Their ironclads have a displacement of twice that of ours. above."

The first ironclad ship was launched at the San Francisco shipyard. The defeat in the Battle of the Pearl River Estuary deeply stimulated Britain and France.

Thanks to their strong shipbuilding heritage and industrial strength, Britain and France quickly produced larger ironclads.

In April 1859, France's first ironclad ship, the Glorious, set sail and officially entered service after three months of testing. So far, the French Navy has received a total of 3 Glorious-class ironclads.

The Glorious-class ironclad has a displacement of 6,626 tons, a length of 85 meters, a width of 7 meters, a draft of 7 meters, and a maximum speed of 13 knots. The ship is equipped with up to 30 164 mm caliber breech-loaded guns.

The British ironclads were launched a little later. It was not until the end of 1859 that Britain's first ironclads, the Warrior, were launched and entered service at the beginning of this year.

However, the Warrior class came from behind, and all parameters are better than the Glory class. The specific parameters of the whole ship are length: 418 feet (about 4 meters), width: 58 feet (about 7 meters), and draft: 26 feet (about 7 meters). 9 meters), the full load displacement reaches an astonishing nearly 10,000 tons.

The main weapons and equipment of the Warrior class are: 26 68-pound (approximately 31 kg) artillery pieces and 10 110-pound (approximately 50 kg) artillery pieces. The maximum armor thickness reaches 5 inches (about 114 mm), and the maximum speed can reach 14 knots.

Britain launched four of the world's giant battleships in just two days. In other words, the displacement of the Atlantic Fleet that Liang Yao devoted all his efforts to build was only roughly equivalent to the displacement of the four ironclad ships built by Britain in the past two years.