Australian Storm 1876

   Chapter 887 Submarines and Seattle

   October 26, 1908

  Kauai, also known as the Hawaiian Islands; Kauai.

The nearby sea area is a military restricted area. Cargo ships and foreign ships are strictly prohibited from entering. There are three Seagull II-modified destroyers stationed on Kauai Island, which are responsible for cruising the sea. These old destroyers, which have served for nearly 30 years, although they can no longer serve as front-line services, However, the task of maintaining the safety of the warning waters and escorting and protecting fishing is still loyal to their duties and exerting their residual heat.

   On Kauai's Small Pier

   Admiral He Fang, dressed in a white general uniform, accompanied by a group of generals and colonels inspected the seven submarines that successfully arrived at Kauai. This is the first submarine detachment belonging to the Pacific Fleet, with hull numbers T101 to T107.

  "T" is the pronunciation of the first letter of the Pacific Fleet's Hanyu Pinyin, 1 stands for the first submarine detachment, followed by the submarine serial number.

   At present, in the entire Royal Navy, there are only these 7 ocean-going submarines that took the lead in service. The other submarines are experimental models and do not have regular naval service serial numbers.

Each of the seven submarines is equipped with 4 torpedo tubes, which can be reloaded. The whole boat is equipped with 8 torpedoes, which can dive to a depth of 60 meters. The bow deck is equipped with a 95mm long-barreled howitzer, a 20mm rapid-fire gun.

  T-class submarines use a hybrid power of diesel engines and electric motors. The maximum surface speed is 13 knots and the underwater speed is 6 knots. The submarines of this era need to sail on the surface most of the time, and only enter the snorkel sailing state when encountering enemy conditions.

   The real diving time is very short, only 3 to 5 hours, and it must be recharged again.

   Compared with contemporary submarine technology, the performance of T-class submarines is not outstanding.

The K-class submarine developed by the United Kingdom has a water displacement of 1,980 tons, an underwater displacement of 2,700 tons, a surface speed of 22 knots, and an underwater speed of 12 knots. The cost is about 350,000 to 380,000 pounds. Or equivalent to the "Dingyuan" ironclad ship 20 years ago.

   The K-class submarines built at such a huge cost are not perfect. Sir Fisher, the British Secretary of the Admiralty, strongly opposed the construction of K-class submarines for three reasons;

First, in order to pursue high speed, the K-class submarine uses steam turbine power, which causes great trouble when diving. Not only is it extremely cumbersome to close up the chimneys and close many inlets and drains, but it also has to release a large group of steam, the entire descent. The diving process lasted for more than 30 minutes, and the target was extremely obvious, which was a disaster for a submarine with extremely high concealment requirements.

   Second, for obvious comparison factors, K-class submarines are planned to be equipped with 203mm large-caliber artillery, because the French have installed double-mounted 203mm large-caliber artillery on their submarines, and the British certainly cannot lag behind.

There were even radical British who wanted to install a 305mm large-caliber naval gun on the submarine (the proposal was rejected), and fantasized about sneaking into the depths of the enemy's port and bombarding it with artillery, which made Sir Fisher angry in the office. ; "A bunch of idiots who only know how to dream in the office. They just don't care."

   Third, the construction cost is too expensive and the technology is immature. It is better to build a few more cruisers with this money.

   Although Sir Fisher, the British Secretary of the Admiralty who presided over the construction of the Dreadnought-class battleship, was very repulsive of submarines, he couldn't stand the high-level liking of the London government!

   Therefore, the plan to build K-class submarines was successfully approved. In the end, the Royal Navy was rich and rich, built 8 ships at one time, and reserved additional orders for the subsequent 8 ships.

   The same is true of the Ocean Empire. Admiral He Fang himself is not very interested in T-class submarines, but the king who can't stand on the throne of the dragon chair likes it!

   Today's sage once said;

  Submarines seem to be assassins on the bottom of the sea, representing a new direction in the development trend of naval technology in the world today, and it is worthy of great attention and persistent research.

  There... This sentence characterizes the submarine and thus becomes an integral and important part of the Royal Navy.

   Those who dare to oppose those who are big ships and big guns, just look at Admiral Geng Baobao who is currently in the noble senate.

   Those who go against the will of the Sacred God today can all stand aside.

   The detachment leader of the 1st Submarine Detachment is Colonel Chen Mantun. He is wearing the unique dark blue naval uniform of the submarine force. He walks step by step next to the Minister of the Admiralty and the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Fleet, Admiral He Fang, so that he can inquire at any time.

   "Listen to what you mean, do you want to lead a submarine formation to the Port of Seattle, participate in the port blockade, and look for fighter planes?"

   "Yes, Your Honorable Lord." Colonel Chen Mantun replied respectfully.

He and Rear Admiral Bian Chunsong have been friends for decades. When he was a high-spirited second lieutenant in the Navy, Bian Chunsong was just a technical researcher under Professor He Zuguang, and Li Zhong and Wu Baoli, two little guys, saw him one by one. "Brother Mantun", called that affectionate...

   Now 20 years have passed, Bian Chunsong is now a major general of the Army's Honorary Armored Division, and he is about to lead his troops to land in North America to gallop on the battlefield and make another contribution.

  Li Zhong was promoted to deputy commander of the Armored Tiger Cavalry Division, with an armored tank regiment and an infantry regiment in his hands, earning a hereditary noble title for his family was almost a certainty, which was really enviable.

   Wu Baoli served as the deputy commander of the 4th Armoured Division of the Royal Guards, and the future is bright.

Bibi these old brothers from the past, Colonel Chen Mantun was almost submerged in the Royal Navy where the elites gathered. The last captains here are all outstanding students who graduated from Citi Naval Academy, studying in the UK, Germany, France and the Empire. There are many elites trained by the Naval Academy, and it can be said that a small group of the most elite people in the empire has been brought together.

   Entering the submarine force was the most important decision in his life history. No one was optimistic about this force, so he was lucky enough to be appointed as the detachment captain.

   Colonel Chen Mantun replied solemnly;

   "The humble opinion;

  The submarine force has high concealment and can sneak into the strait quietly and wait for an opportunity when it is not noticed by the U.S. defense forces.

  Our submarines are equipped with high-power radio stations with an effective coverage of 300 kilometers. It can be used as a forward reconnaissance post in the outer waters of the strait exit and the Pacific coast, and transmit information to the main fleet in time.

  The radio operators of the submarine detachment have all been trained in relay transmission of telegrams. A few submarines can form an effective surveillance network with a wide area. As the eyes, eyes and vanguard of the main fleet of the empire, they will play an active role in this sea battle for supremacy.

   Therefore, the low post is only asking you to fight on behalf of a team of submarines. "

   "Well, that sounds good."

Admiral He Fang could not abandon the submarine force, which is the favorite of today's saints, and he had to make a gesture of liking and paying attention to it. He seriously considered and said; "The port of Seattle is deep in the inland of the strait, and the Great White Fleet hides in it and refuses to accept it. Come out. A strong attack is completely inadvisable, if you can send out a strange soldier to make him ruthless all of a sudden, and play the role of stunning the grass, it might not be a solution."

  Speaking of this

   Admiral He Fang stood down, turned his head and looked at Colonel Chen Mantun and asked, "Although the US military has not set up anti-submarine nets, it has widely laid mines in the outer waters. How are you going to solve this problem?"

"Reporting to the commander, the subordinate plans to arrange most of the submarine forces in the outer area of ​​the strait to form a tight surveillance pocket array. As for infiltration into the strait, only two or three skilled submarines are dispatched, and enemy freighters are selected to follow at the right time. , sneak into the Puget Sound."

   "Won't it be found?"

"Report, sir, the parts above the depth of our submarine's vents are painted light blue. According to the experiment, it can no longer be recognized by the naked eye at a distance of 300 meters. It can penetrate into the track of the freighter, and the probability of being discovered is extremely high. small."

   "It seems that you have made a lot of preparations. If that's the case, then let go and do it boldly.

   I agree with this battle plan. "

   "Thank you for the cultivation of the superior, and I am grateful for the humble post, and I will never forget it."

   "Do things well, and don't live up to the expectations of today's Holy Admiral and the Royal Navy." Admiral He Fang waved his hand casually and didn't take it to heart.

In his bones, he is a staunch supporter of the doctrine of large ships and cannons. He is not interested in these submarines and planes. However, the former Minister of the Navy, Geng Baogui, was sluggish in responding to the new military wave, and was severely reprimanded by the world today. Fan, thus losing the important position of the Minister of the Navy, the lesson is profound!

   Admiral He Fang, no matter how tough he is, doesn't dare to fight with the current saint, isn't it a big death?

   OK, since you think the submarine force is OK, then I will also give you this opportunity to show it. As for whether you can get a satisfactory answer, you have to use the facts to speak.

Colonel Chen Mantun had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. Now that the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Fleet was relieved, he immediately took action and led a submarine detachment of seven submarines and two submarine support mother ships. direction forward.

  Seattle

There is not only one port in the Greater Seattle area, but more than a dozen ports, large and small, from Port Nierbe, Port Angeles, Port Everett at the entrance of the strait, to Victoria Harbour on the other side of the strait, and then go inside. There are also Port Essen, Port of Sequim, etc., all the way to the Port of Seattle in the depths of the Puget Sound. out.

  In the middle of the 19th century, Seattle was just a small town that gradually prospered because of lumber. The lumber here was exported to San Francisco and was widely welcomed.

   By the end of the 19th century, Seattle's lumber business had begun to take shape, becoming the center of the lumber industry in Citiland. And relying on the lumber business, other industries in Seattle also developed rapidly. The town gradually grew from 1865 to 1867, until it officially became a city in 1869.

   On June 6, 1889, a sudden fire razed Seattle to the ground.

   The so-called; Sai Weng loses his horse, how can we know that it is not a blessing.

The fire destroyed not only the original low wooden buildings in the city of Seattle, but also the corrupt bureaucracy and poor urban planning. The first city meeting was held on the street behind the ruins, and the citizens were all offering suggestions for the development of Seattle. .

   In order to avoid the recurrence of fires, the meeting decided to use masonry structures in all future buildings. Before the fires, the city was built on a very wet beach, and there were frequent problems with sea water intrusion.

In the process of reconstruction, the city construction experience of the Ocean Empire was actively referenced. All streets were 3 meters to 11 meters higher than the original ground level. Perfect sewer facilities were built, and urban gardens and green spaces were built to completely prevent seawater intrusion. ills.

   Since then, the whole city has taken on a new look,

  In 1893, the transcontinental railway of Citiland extended to the northwest of the country, and Seattle became an important terminal of the Great Northern Railway. It was not only a port on the Pacific coast, but also an important transportation hub for land-sea combined transportation in the northwest of Citi.

Continue 174 kilometers north to the U.S.-Canada border, cross the U.S.-Canada border and continue north for more than 50 kilometers to reach Vancouver, Canada’s second largest city. The traffic between the two places is extremely convenient. Vancouver has regular liner ships to Seattle, which only takes 10 hours. can be reached.

   In view of Britain's neutral position in the "Wool War", Canada followed, and the fleet of the Ocean Empire could not use the Vancouver port for supplies, which was also widely criticized by the Empire.

   Li Fushou silently wrote down another piece of black material in the small notebook.

  Leave that aside

  The third large-scale population migration triggered by the Western Development Movement of North America also came at this time. Seattle ushered in a new wave of immigration and industry, the city expanded rapidly, and the economy developed rapidly.

  In 1896 and 1897, gold was discovered in Alaska and the Klondike River in Canada, and the gold rush quickly swept the United States.

Countless people who dream of getting rich overnight have traveled thousands of miles to Alaska to pursue their wealth. Seattle, known as the "Gateway to Alaska", is the only way to Alaska from the North American continent, and has become a transit point between Alaska and the Yukon River. It provided various provisions for gold diggers and played a very important role in the gold rush.

  Seattle played an important role in those crazy times. Gold diggers often traveled here and there to buy the necessary supplies on the way to gold digging, and squandered the hard-earned gold, which greatly promoted the rapid development of Seattle's business.

   In the 20th century, Seattle’s population has exceeded hundreds of thousands, making it an uncompromising northern town.

  In a beautiful two-story Victorian white building in Seattle, Vice Admiral Doug, the Secretary of the Navy who arrived here not long ago, is holding a military meeting. The atmosphere at the meeting is extremely dull, and it can be seen that the admiral's resistance is not small.

   said a thousand words and ten thousand, finally found a stable life in Seattle, who would like to risk their lives at sea?

   Those ships of the Ocean Empire were blocked outside the strait like wolves, which had become a nightmare for the officers of the Great White Fleet.

Lieutenant General Doug said with a firm look at the moment, an unquestionable order; "This is the personal order of President Roosevelt, the Supreme Commander of the Army and Navy of the United States, and is jointly issued by the Department of the Navy. Any behavior that does not implement the order will be punished as treason, please gentlemen. Do it yourself."

   "Sir, I would like to ask you something. We had to come here all the way from the east coast, and now we are told to go back. Isn't this a real child's play?"

   "Yes, we can train our troops in Puget Sound. This is the front line of the battle at sea! Why must we return to the east coast at the huge risk of being chased and intercepted by the enemy's powerful fleet?"

   "There is no such reason, it's pure blind command."

   "In my opinion, Mr. President thinks that we didn't die clean enough, so put another noose around our necks?"

   The officers below are excited and full of slots.

   (end of this chapter)