Australian Storm 1876

  Chapter 391 Encounter

  "Hello, Mr. Officer, I have noticed that you have been standing here for a long time." The speaker was a blond young white lady with an elegant manner and looking in her early 20s.

  Li Shuanzhu turned his head and saw this young and beautiful white lady walking along the gunwale. She smiled and replied; “Don’t you think the scenery here is beautiful?”

  "Do you mean..."

  "In just a few years, beautiful cities have risen along the Brisbane River. The changes in the vicissitudes of life are amazing and fascinating. By the way, I would like to introduce myself. I am Li Shuanzhu, an officer of the National Guard."

   "Oh, what you said makes sense." The woman's eyes swept across the medal ribbon on the chest of Li Shuanzhu's military uniform. She obviously didn't understand the meaning of this medal, so she said with a smile; "Sophia, from France."

   "Very nice to meet you."

"Me too."

  After a brief greeting

  Li Shuanzhu chatted with Ms. Sophia from France, knowing that her husband is French expert Mr. François, who was hired by General Machinery Company to work in Songjiang City with a high salary. This time, the two are traveling together.

  It can be seen that Sophia is a cheerful and talkative woman, with the romantic and unrestrained personality of the French, and they chat very speculatively with each other.

  Huangpu Military Academy is located on the bank of Huangpu River in Songjiang City, which is a coincidence.

  Queensland is a standard immigrant society, the customs of the East and the West are blended, and different ethnic groups are treated fairly here and can communicate on an equal footing.

"I really like the climate here. It is warm as spring and sunny all year round. It seems to be the early summer of Marseille. The fields are full of unknown flowers and green grass." Sophia's face showed joy. She is wearing a light cyan skirt, which outlines the young woman's figure exquisitely.

Chatting with such a beautiful lady makes people happy, and Li Shuanzhu is naturally no exception; "You are very right. In such a beautiful day, you can hunt for wild animals with three or five friends on the outskirts. It is really life. A great pleasure."

   "Mr. Li also has such a hobby?"

   "Usually, military affairs are busy, and it is difficult to spare time to have fun, but horse safari is a favorite of men. It is natural to be a common man in the lower area."

   "Mr. Li is overly modest, I think you are young and promising!"

   "Mrs. Xie praised."

  Between words

The passenger ship galloped down the river and was close to the outskirts of the Red River Valley. From a distance, you could see the Hongshan Shipyard Base on the north bank. Several new ships were lined up along the riverside wharf. A huge warship was particularly eye-catching. That was the "Qinglong" heavy cruiser that was launched into the water at the end of the year.

  According to the outfitting plan, the ship will enter the Borneo fleet at the end of June.

   Against the backdrop of the blue sky and white clouds, the "Qinglong" heavy cruiser docked quietly by the dock, with the muzzle of the black hole pointing into the distance, looking like a monster with infinite power.

This class of ship is equipped with thick Harvey bullet-proof iron armor. Compared with traditional iron-clad battleships, the hull is slender. From front to back, three double-mounted 280 mm high-magnification naval guns are installed, and the newest ship of Azure Weapon Company is used. The gun hydraulic recoil technology, the main gun firepower is extremely fierce, unmatched among heavy cruisers.

  The whole ship has a displacement of 8,800 tons, which has surpassed the British Empire’s second-tier main iron-clad battleship with a displacement of about 8,000 tons. Its combat effectiveness is second to none in the entire South Pacific.

  Since all three 280mm twin-mounted main guns are arranged along the central axis of the battleship, they are designed with high freeboards and the sail masts are eliminated, so the hull appears simple and clear, and the layout is neat.

Due to Queensland’s unique naval needs, the “Qinglong” heavy cruiser first pursues high speed, long range, and emphasizes the comfort of sailing officers and soldiers. Therefore, every sailor has his own bed, which is very humane in this era. the design of.

  Due to the ship’s ample displacement, its heavy armor protection reaches and slightly exceeds the level of a 10,000-ton battleship (standard for the British Empire’s first-class iron-clad battleship), and it adopts a multi-layer anti-sinking design under the waterline, which is amazing.

The only shortcoming is that the caliber of the three 280mm twin-mounted main ship’s guns is severely small and the firepower is weak. This has become a ridicule of the public opinion of the European powers. It is called by the British "The Times" as "the poor of the backward era." insect".

  The Germans ridiculed that this was "a giant ship carrying a small cannon", showing that "Queenslanders are cautious, or simply want to spend less money."

  Such main gun caliber equipment is indeed incompatible with the trend of the times, and it seems out of place.

To know;

  The caliber of the main guns of the first-class battleships of the Royal Navy of the British Empire has generally reached 340 mm. Germany is slightly inferior. The caliber of the main battleships of 5000 tons or more is generally 305 mm.

  The two 7600-ton warships "Zhenyuan" and "Dingyuan" exported to Manchuria from Germany are equipped with twin 305mm heavy artillery, one at the front and one at the front.

The British Randal shallow water heavy gunship with a displacement of 440 tons is equipped with a 280 mm heavy gun. Except for the shorter barrel, there is no more advanced hydraulic reclamation technology and semi-automatic hydraulic filling technology. The other "Qinglong" heavy cruiser main guns No different.

  But, is the heavy cruiser "Qinglong" really that bad?

  In the vast South Pacific region, the Qinglong heavy cruiser is a cruel role that can be lined up into the battle line for combat. Thanks to the new hydraulic reclamation technology, it can pour more fierce firepower per unit of time.

The main gun with a larger caliber can run faster without it. The main gun has a smaller caliber and no thicker armor. This is a standard ocean-going transportation line guerrilla ship, which poses a serious threat to the enemy's transportation line in wartime. It also poses a serious threat to **** ships, including Tier 2 and Tier 3 iron-clad battleships.

  In the dock of Hongshan Shipyard

  It can be seen that two huge ships are under construction, one of which is slightly larger, one of the three subsequent ships of the 10,000-ton class "Majesty" class built in tribute to the 50th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Victoria's accession to the throne of the British Empire.

A smaller ship is the second sister ship "White Tiger" of the "Qinglong" class heavy cruiser. It is also an 8800-ton heavy cruiser. Because of the addition of two 160-ton artillery speedboats on the stern, it is expected that the displacement will exceed 9,000 tons.

  Looking at the tall buildings of the shipyard lined up in Jiangbei, Li Shuanzhu's heart was filled with pride, and the headmaster's strategic discussion at the military meeting echoed in his ears, and he was deeply convinced in his heart.

  The main task of Queensland in the next phase is to vigorously explore overseas markets, sell Queensland industrial products to all parts of the world, establish an export-oriented economy based on both light and heavy industries and special agriculture and animal husbandry, and participate in international competition.

   Around the core of this policy

The army construction will focus on the expansion of the Coast Guard, focusing on the construction of a "fist force" (including 4 "Qinglong" class heavy cruisers, six 2200-ton Seagull Type II) as the main mobile fleet, focusing on the construction of "mosquito" class The coastal patrol fleet, which is dominated by patrol boats, deters the enemy on the basis of keeping good doors and guarding homes, protects ocean shipping routes, and safeguards Queensland’s foreign interests.

  The current task of the National Guard is mainly defense, hard training of internal strength, strict military discipline, deter and stop any southern separatist actions, and safeguard the interests of Australia's unified big market.

  "Mr. Major, the degree of industrialization here is really amazing. Since leaving the French port of Marseille, I have never seen so many modern ships anywhere."

  "Madam, Australia is rich in iron and gold mines and has the innate conditions for the development of steel manufacturing. Shipbuilding is a representative industry."

"Oh... It's boring. It's really disappointing to look at these cold big guys without a little artistry. In comparison, I prefer romantic poetry and art, beautiful melody and silk fabrics that are as thin as cicada wings. Life has become better."

The woman uttered the same emotion as an aria. Li Shuanzhu frowned calmly, but said in her tone; "I agree with you, madam, the machinery products brought by the steam industry are crude and direct, far from sophisticated. The art and textiles are so attractive."

   "Oh... God, do you think so too?"

"exactly."

  Li Shuanzhu’s answer aroused strong affection from Mrs. Sophia. She began to complain about her husband François' lack of interest and indulged in oily mechanical creations all day, which was simply unbearable.

  From her mouth, Li Shuanzhu knew that Mr. François was one of the heavy tractor designers. He has been experimenting with GM’s new tractor products on Longjin Highway for several months.

  Obviously, this could be a beautiful encounter if you like.

  Li Shuanzhu lacked interest in this. As the passenger ship entered the prosperous Red River Valley City, many passengers went to the ship's gunwale to admire the scenery of the tall buildings on the shore. There were also many officers.

Li Shuanzhu's gaze caught Duan Qirui and several other familiar officers, so he smiled apologetically and said; "Sorry, Madam, I was very happy to have a conversation with you today, but I have to leave. My companion may have something to do. talk."

  "Are they the officers?" Sophia looked back and saw several young officers, both sides saluted with their jaws far away, appearing extremely polite.

"Yes."

   "Well, today is a pleasant chat."

   "I think so too, I'm anxious, madam."

  Li Shuanzhu leaned slightly to salute, then walked away from the railing to meet his companions, and after a brief greeting, he pulled Duan Qirui aside.

   "Brother Shuan Zhu, what's the matter?" Duan Qirui smiled at the corner of his mouth, and his eyes deliberately looked at a beautiful shadow not far away.

  Just to congratulate Li Shuanzhu for his good luck. It is a double harvest for career beauty.

Although there are not many such things among Chinese Americans, they have always seen pigs run without eating pork. The former Deputy Governor and Director of Immigration, Mr. Wexford, has more than a dozen beautiful lovers. It's almost a well-known thing.

   "Ahem, don't think about it."

Li Shuanzhu coughed a little bit embarrassingly. He didn't think he was attractive to attract women, nor did he plan to have a romantic encounter. Instead, he looked serious and said; "Notify the person in the safe department and give this woman a secret. Screen and see if there are any other companions and intentions?"

   "Brother, isn't it that serious!" Duan Qirui was a little dumbfounded.

"Then be considered preventive. After all, the Longmen Security District is very sensitive. We officers must have a red line of precaution in their heads. Don't think about the good things that pie in the sky all day. I've been a teenager since I didn't believe it at all when I went out to beg."

   "Then...Could it be that this foreign lady has a good opinion of you?"

   "Bullshit, I grew up so that I was not favored by a lady or a female student. Suddenly a foreign lady said that she had a good impression, and the man had not been at home for a few months, so the possibility was infinitely close to zero."

   "Listening to you, I also feel that there are some problems. There is a safety officer on the passenger ship. I will notify them immediately."

   "Okay, try to investigate secretly."

"I see."

  (End of this chapter)