Australian Storm 1876

  Chapter 275 World Card Table

  From the bottom of his heart, Li Fushou is still very optimistic about the two world's most advanced first-class armored warships ordered by the Qing court in 1880 at the Vulkeng factory in Germany. These two warships are the world-famous Dingyuan and Zhenyuan ships.

  The heavy cruiser in his mind is based on the Dingyuan ship as a template. On this basis, it reduces the displacement, and focuses on strengthening the speed and firepower (reducing the caliber, using a new type of hydraulic reclining artillery). It is a very good heavy cruiser.

  In today's era, these two ships are excellent in terms of firepower and armor, and can be ranked second-class battleships in the British Imperial Navy.

The first-class battleship is naturally a steam iron armored battleship of more than 10,000 tons. If the Qing court wants to buy it, there is no problem. Great naval powers such as Britain, France and Germany are willing to sell it, but the price is very moving, at least double the current level. More.

  Two warships can't turn over the sky, let alone build a naval power.

  In 1879, due to the shock of the Ryukyu Incident, the Qing government finally made up its mind. In response to the invasion of the Qing dynasty by Britain, France and Japan, it was determined to spend a huge amount of money to purchase warships from the great powers, make practical preparations for coastal defense, and set out to form the Beiyang Fleet and the Nanyang Fleet.

The "Dingyuan" ship and the "Zhenyuan" ship were first-class ironclad ships of 7,000 tons built by the Vulkeng Shipyard in Tanterbury, Germany, commissioned by the Qing court. Among them, the Dingyuan ship cost about 1.4 million taels of silver. Zhenyuan The cost of the ship was about 1.42 million taels of silver, and both ships were outfitted in May 1882 and completed soon.

Germany attaches great importance to the relationship with the Qing court. The prices of the two ships built for the Qing court are very sincere. The price is almost the cost price. If the battleship of the same grade is customized in the UK, the price will increase by 40% on this basis. .

  Here must be focused and clear;

Entering the era of steam iron-clad battleships, the world’s naval powers are in the new naval tactical exploration stage. The classification of iron-clad battleships is very vague. It is only roughly divided into 4000 tons. There has not been a detailed division of destroyers, cruisers, and battleships. It has everything called.

   More than 1,000 tons of iron-clad warships are willing to call light cruisers, or ocean destroyers, or ocean cruisers. They are easy to listen to, and there is no internationally recognized subdivision standard.

  For example, battleships have first-class armored battleships, second-class armored battleships, third-class armored battleships, and cruiser battleships. Anyway, what is your love? The United Kingdom has not yet issued a unified authority standard.

  The seven-thousand-ton class Dingyuan ships belong to the category of second-class iron-clad ships, and those with less than 6,000 tons and more than four-thousand-ton belong to the third-class iron-clad battleships, and they are roughly divided in this way.

  The difference between a steam iron armored battleship and a heavy cruiser lies in the caliber of the artillery, and there are different opinions on the specific criteria for the division, and there is no conclusion.

  It won’t take long for the navies of various powers to form a unified consensus to classify battleships with main gun calibers below 280 mm (including 280 mm) into the ranks of heavy cruisers. If the armor belt meets the standards of battleships, then it is a battle cruiser.

   So, the combat effectiveness of the powerful heavy cruisers at this stage is not inferior to the battleships.

  There are many doorways in the construction of ships, mainly the balance of protection, firepower and speed. According to the needs of various countries, it is more important. It cannot be simply said which is better. The right one is the best.

The main task of British battleships is the decisive battle in the ocean. Therefore, the first focus is on firepower, the second is on protection, and the third is speed. British steam armored battleships generally have large-caliber artillery, with very strong firepower and thick armor, but the speed is universal. not tall.

  German battleships are slightly inferior in their large-caliber naval guns. First, they focus on protection, second, speed, and third, firepower. This is a helpless choice.

  The topic is back to the Dingyuan-class battleship. Li Fushou’s heavy cruiser is based on the Dingyuan-class battleship, with appropriate modifications and enhancements.

  Dingyuan-class battleship data, performance, weapon equipment data are as follows;

  Length is 94 meters, width is 18 meters, draft is 6 meters, normal displacement is 7220 tons, full load displacement is 7670 tons.

  The ship uses 2 horizontal three-cylinder reciprocating steam engines, 8 round coal-fired boilers, and a maximum coal load of 1,000 tons. The Dingyuan ship has a power of 6,200 horsepower and a speed of 14.5 knots; the Zhenyuan ship has a power of 7,200 horsepower and a speed of 15.4 knots.

The total weight of the armor belts of the two ships is 1461 tons. The armor thickness of the iron fort is 355mm on the waterline, 305mm under the waterline, the armor thickness of the 305 gun mount is 304mm, the gun shield thickness is 15mm, and the command tower armor thickness is 203mm.

  Equipped with 4 German Krupp 305mm breech guns, one twin turret on port and starboard.

  Please note that this is a double-mounted 305mm turret on the port forward side and the starboard center side. It is not arranged along the center axis of the hull, and uses hydraulic transmission to transport shells and gunpowder packs.

The secondary guns are equipped with 2 German Krupp 150mm breech secondary guns (one at the end and one at the end), 4 75mm Krupp cannons, 8 37mm five-barrel Haqikes cannons, and 1 57mm Haqikes rapid-fire gun , 1 47mm Haqikas rapid-fire gun, 3 14-inch torpedo tubes (one on each side and one on the stern, equipped with 21 torpedoes).

In addition, it is equipped with 2 ship-borne torpedo boats. The torpedo boat has a displacement of 16 tons, a length of 19.5 meters, a boat length of 110 horsepower, a speed of 15 knots, a 37mm Haqi Kas gun, and 2 14-inch torpedo tubes (each on the left and right of the bow). one).

  Seeing these paper data, we can know that the Dingyuan and Zhenyuan ships are indeed very strong, and the German-made 305mm breech main gun is strong enough and powerful.

  Although so much has been said, only by comparing it with the most advanced first-class battleships in the world can we understand the true level of the "Dingyuan" class iron-clad battleship.

Take the "Indomitable" class ironclad ship with the most innovative style, the thickest armor, and the largest caliber of the main artillery that was listed in the Royal Navy in 1881 as an example. Compared with Dingyuan and Zhenyuan in the Qing Dynasty, it was a few years earlier. Of the first-class battleship.

  The ship is 104.85 meters long, 22.9 meters wide, has a draft of 7.77 meters, a standard displacement of 10,880 tons, and a full-load displacement of 11,880 tons.

The power adopts 2 steam engines with a power of 8407 horsepower and a speed of 14.75 knots. It has 12 coal-fired boilers and is equipped with 4 main guns with a caliber of 406 mm. It can fire 764 kg of shells, and its power can penetrate 914 meters and reach a thickness of 584 mm. Armor.

The speed of the two is similar. The 406 mm main gun of the British "Indomitable" class battleship is compared with the German 305 mm main gun of the "Dingyuan" class. .

  "Inflexible" class battleship secondary guns are equipped with 6 20-pound breech guns, 2 355mm underwater torpedo tubes and 2 torpedo launchers of the same caliber.

The "Unyielding" class has the most tightly protected armored fort in the world today. In the middle of the warship, an armored fort with a thickness of 508 to 609 millimeters is used to enclose an iron fort with a length of 33.5 meters and a width of 22.9 meters. Vital parts such as compartments and ammunition compartments are all wrapped in it.

  What kind of level is this?

   Use the "Indomitable" class battleship 406 mm main gun to bombard its armored fort frontally, which cannot penetrate from kilometers away, and has a high probability of being able to block it within kilometers without causing serious damage.

  Because the "inflexible" class battleship also has an armored deck that penetrates the entire ship, which is located below the main deck below the waterline, and has a thickness of 76.2 mm.

The 406 mm main artillery shell must first penetrate the armored deck of the entire ship, and then break the 508-609 mm thick armored fort located below the waterline, before it can cause serious damage to vital parts such as the engine room, the boiler room, and the ammunition room. It can be seen that the protection is so tight that it's as solid as gold.

Compared with the "Unyielding" class, the second ship Dingyuan and Zhenyuan is a small brother. No matter in tonnage, weapons, or armor protection, the difference in displacement of three to four thousand tons is not for fun. Doubling the cost and turning around are also worth the money.

  You get what you pay for, and you’re not foolish.

  It must be known that the "Indomitable" class is not the strongest iron-clad ship in the West. The Italian "Durio"-class iron-clad ship is even stronger than the Indomitable.

  This is because Italy’s poverty is weak, and the "Durio"-class iron armored ship is built as a treasure of the town, and it would rather spend a lot of money.

But the British Empire is not the case. The "Indomitable" class battleships and similar ships of the same class have been built, and the local fleet alone has been lined up to as many as 6 battleship squads, spreading densely on the sea. It has to make the back spine chill.

Overall

  At the level of naval equipment in the world today, although the Dingyuan and Zhenyuan ships are relatively powerful, they are not the strongest, and full-fledged can only be regarded as quasi-first-class.

  This quasi-class will not last long. After the birth of the Dreadnought-class battleship before the British Empire, the era of steam ironclad ships will come to an end.

  In order to accurately grasp the pulse of the steam age and make precise decisions, Li Fushou has supplemented a large amount of naval vessel knowledge and steam industry development related materials, and has a clear understanding of the current technical standards that can be achieved.

  The heavy cruiser construction plan submitted by Geng Baobao had a construction displacement of about 4,800 tons, which far fell short of Li Fushou's requirements. The plan seemed too conservative.

   "Oh...it's so difficult!"

  Li Fushou let out a long sigh, his stern face showed a calmness that was not commensurate with his age, and he stood up and walked to the window to look into the distance.

  Red River Valley City under the night has fallen into a deep sleep, with only a little light. The most dazzling thing is a river of bright lights that penetrates east and west, piercing the darkness and bringing light. It is the street lamp that never goes out all night on Central Street.

  It has been more than seven years since the rebirth, and finally created the huge scene now.

  In terms of wealth alone, Li Fushou can squeeze into the top 30 in the world today (the monarchs of feudal countries own the entire country, which can not catch up with the horse), can be regarded as success and fame, stepping into the pinnacle of life.

  In terms of the theory of personal influence, it can be said that it has a lot of influence in Queensland, and its influence spreads across the entire Australian territory, and it has many different important influences in each state.

  But that’s all

  In today’s world of poker tables, there is still no place for an earl. At best, he is a feudal aristocrat who plays a small role, bullying the old "sea coachman" in the sunset Xishan.

   can really attract the attention of the European powers and take it seriously. I am afraid that after the unification of Australia, this time...

  The cool night breeze blows, making Li Fushou feel comfortable from body to heart, and his mind becomes more active.

  If the world today is likened to a poker table, there are only a dozen countries that can sit on the poker table.

Among them, the well-deserved player in the British Empire at that time has been at the poker table in this world for more than 100 years. The rules on the table are all made by the British Empire. The cards played are controlled in his hands. All 4 2s are held in the hands of the dealer.

  The big trump card is the jewel of the British colony, the Indian subcontinent, which has inexhaustible products and human resources. In the current era of agricultural society, combined with the advanced technology and maritime hegemony in the hands of the British Empire, it can play a decisive role in the final word.

  The little trump card is the European marriage policy of the British royal family. Through it, a large group of young brothers in Europe can be mobilized to follow the British empire's buttocks and wave their flags.

  Four 2s are the Royal Navy's fleet that controls global sea power in the hands of the British Empire. This includes the local fleet, the Far East fleet, the African fleet and the Mediterranean fleet, which are used to exert global influence.

So this is an unfair card game. The dealer always controls the overwhelming power, playing the dual role of an arbiter and a rule maker. When necessary, he leads a group of younger brothers to gang up against players who can’t be seen, such as France, for example Tsarist Russia...

  The rules at the poker table are the European balance policy, and by extension it is the world balance policy. Anyone who violates this basic policy will be severely beaten by the dealer, regardless of whether it is a relative or not.

  On the poker table, there are 10 players from Tsarist Russia, France, Germany, Austro-Hungary, Italy, Manchuria, Ottoman Empire, the United States, Brazil and Fusang. As the countries with significant influence in their respective regions, they participate in the world competition.

some of

  The French just lost a big one. While silently licking their wounds, they stretched out their hands to the Indochina Peninsula, trying to exploit the colony to provide nutrition for themselves and recover as soon as possible.

  Germany was forced to enter the time of the sage under the dignified gaze of Britain, and there is no hope of continuing to participate in the game in a short period of time.

   can only sit there with a lot of grievances and draw small circles. There is no way to deal with this kind of predicament, William I, and the touted iron-blooded prime minister Bismarck. He is forced to enter the skill cooling time.

Tsarist Russia stud at the poker table consecutively, hitting the Ottoman Empire twice (the 9th and the 10th Russian-Turkish War), and the last time it was forced to spit out all the chips by the joint forces of Britain and France. This time, although He won the Ottoman Empire again, but was still ordered by the bookmaker, the British Empire, to spit out most of the proceeds, and took Cyprus as punishment. Tsarist Russia was beaten and swollen.

  Don’t ask why, Europeans, including the British, are so unwilling to see the East Slavs, and the winning chips have to be spit out.

The grumpy Russian Teddy Bear was beaten to his head, turned his head to blackmail the Man Qing who was sitting south of him, and succeeded in extorting four times without any effort, and bought more than 1.5 million square kilometers of land, which made him greedy. Desire is out of control.

  The Ottoman Empire in the West and the Man Qing in the East sat at the poker table from left to right, praying in their hearts that everyone would not see themselves, dreaming of self-deception.

  They neither understand the rules nor can they play this kind of cards, so panicked in their hearts, they can only half-sleep and close their eyes to pretend to die, hoping to pretend to be dead and escape the catastrophe.

  In fact, due to their huge size, all the European powers have their eyes on these two giants, including the secretly observing little Fusang Country and the unwelcome American cowboy, who have ulterior venomous thoughts on them.

As for the players of Italy and Brazil, who are neither strong nor internationally influential, they sit at the poker table just to make the scene look better. Their role is to peek at the cards of the people next to them, and then please tell the British Empire that they are sitting on the bank. Take a look at your own existence.

The Citi Cowboy sits on one side and draws circles. He has been isolated by most of the world. He can only wink at the British Empire desperately, and the British Empire is indifferent, and his heart can be imagined. NS.

  Other European second- and third-rate powers such as Spain, the Netherlands, Greece, and Norway do not have the right to sit on the poker table, and can only stand on the periphery of the poker table and occasionally press.

  Queensland is mixed among a bunch of spectators, among them Canada, Scotland, Australia, South Africa and a number of colonial countries, quietly silent, ready to follow the orders of the British Empire to stand up and gang fight a certain player.

  While watching the battle from the periphery

  Queensland stabbed the Dutchman secretly, and the British Empire sitting at the poker table put his eyelids on the table without saying a word, and proceeded to the next game, as if this had never happened.

  The British Empire was indifferent, neither encouraging nor punishing, as stable as an old dog like sitting in a village for more than 100 years.

  Other players heard the movement a little touched, but saw that the dealer was indifferent, and most of them chose to stand idly by.

  Only the French were a little bit excited, and grabbed all the Indochina Peninsula in their hands.

  This is today’s international reality, full of absurd tacit understanding.

  In it

In addition to feeling awe, Li Fushou ignited a fanatical ambition. He set a small goal for himself; within ten years, he would be qualified to stand on the periphery and watch the battle, occasionally overwhelming. Just a spectator.

  This means that Queensland must have the strength of a second- and third-rate country in Europe.

  Li Fushou is not sure about the true attitude of the British Empire towards Australia, so he dare not act rashly. His bottom line is that Queensland is the main state to form the Northern Federation, and he has all the power of a semi-independent state.

  Of course, the spiritual leader is the noble Queen Victoria. This land is still shrouded in the glory of the British Empire. There is no doubt about this.

  At this stage, I want to completely break away from the influence of the British Empire, ha ha ha... completely unrealistic.

   Really awakened the tiger, and dealing with the brave Queensland is just one bite.

  Not to mention, a little mobilization of the Royal Navy of the British Empire can halt the Red River Valley forces headed by Queensland and cut off all its foreign trade. This is the end of the world for the Red River Valley, which is extremely dependent on international trade.

   "Master, it's late at night, why don't you rest?" With gentle words, Mrs. Gu Liuyan came to her side.

Li Fushou woke up from his thousands of thoughts, holding his wife Gu Liuyan's jade hand apologetically, and said; "Oh, madam, why did you come to me late at night? You are now a month old with a child, but Don't move your fetus."

"Thank you, master, for your concern. I can save it in my heart. For the time being, I have insisted on taking a walk every day." Gu Liuyan's eyes were tender and watery, and her big pooping belly was already prominent. She happily touched her belly with her hand and said; "I know the master. Every day, you have to think about the livelihood development of millions of people. You shouldn’t have to do more beaks, but now you often stay up late and make people feel uneasy. Don’t hurt your body."

   "Thank you Madam, let's go to rest now." Li Fushou took Gu Liuyan's small hand and walked towards the back hall.

  The night is deep, Wan Lai is completely silent, it is late at night.

  　 This 5,300-character chapter is super difficult to write. It really took a long time. I finally got the courage to ask for a monthly pass, for a recommendation, and for your support!

  (End of this chapter)