My Italy

Time has entered winter unknowingly. Winter in Italy is not cold, and is roughly the same as that of friends living in the south. So Carlo didn't feel the chill at all. Of course, if you ignore the fur coat he was wearing, you can take what he said to be the truth.

However, in winter, the Andoshal Shipyard is still bustling with activity. The steady flow of orders keeps the factory's workers motivated. Because they all know that only with a steady stream of orders can they receive generous salaries.

Unlike ordinary workers who only focus on orders, the management of the shipyard is more concerned about the two warships built in the No. 34 Dockyard.

These two warships are a manifestation and symbol of the strength of Andoshar Shipyard, and they enable the shipyard to become the main supplier of the navy. Therefore, after finalizing the order for two Venice-class armored cruisers, Andoshar Shipyard immediately organized elite troops to build these two warships.

After more than two months of construction, half of the hull has been built, and the outline of the hull can be initially seen.

"Thank you for your hard work."

At the No. 3 dock, Carlo watched the workers driving rivets into the ship's planks one by one, and thanked the people around him.

"Your Majesty, you're welcome. This is what our shipyard should do."

Aika Lugni, the head of Andoshar Shipyard, accepted Carlo's words and expressed that he did not dare to be disobedient.

This Aika Lugni is incredible. Under his hands, the Andosal Shipyard has gained a new lease of life. It has transformed from an unknown shipyard in Italy into one of the largest large-scale shipyards in Italy. Now it is taking advantage of the opportunity to obtain more shipbuilding orders from the navy.

After all, everyone knows that the profit of civilian ships is not as high as that of military ships, and the construction of military ships is also a reflection of the strength of the shipyard, and they are very keen to make Andosaer Shipyard a supplier to the navy.

Therefore, everyone at the shipyard attaches great importance to Carlo's visit. Although this king does not have a regent due to his age, as long as you know a little bit, you will know that this man is young and mature, and even the powerful prime minister will think twice about his speech.

In addition, who doesn’t know that the two Venice-class cruise ships under construction were paid for by His Majesty. You don't need to think about it to know that this is the goodwill expressed by the king to the navy. The navies of various countries have always had a deep trust in the monarch and have become a good hand in restraining the army.

It is Italy's blessing that our own monarch can think of this at this age.

Okay, let’s stop chatting and turn to the present.

Carlo was chatting with General Manager Lugni for a few words and immediately turned the topic to others.

"Your Excellency Brin, I am very satisfied with the design of your factory this time. I heard that many designs were proposed by you."

The Brin Carlo asked was none other than Benedetto Brin, the chief designer of the shipyard. Brin, who is in his fifties, does not look old at all. He wears very little than Carlo. He works in the shipyard and design desk all year round. Busyness makes his skin dark and his hands rough.

"Your Majesty was joking. This is all Vittorio's credit. I was just making a few remarks."

At this time, the old designer began to support the younger generation, and Vittorio Cuniberti, who was named by him, smiled at Carlo with a somewhat embarrassed expression, looking like a later-generation programmer.

"It is said that Brin is one of the best ship designers in Italy. I wonder how you think Italian ships should be designed in the future?"

Although Brin was supporting his juniors, Carlo did not let the designer go. He planned to consider his vision.

After Carlo asked, the scene became quiet. Although others didn't know why Carlo asked this question, they also knew that the chief designer's answer should be very important.

Faced with the suddenly quiet environment, Brin was not affected by it. Instead, he frowned and thought for a while before answering.

"I think Italian ship design should take a high-quality route."

Facing Brin's answer, Carlo looked at the old man and waited for his further explanation. Because this is too simple, anyone can say this, but it does not show his level.

Sure enough, Brin explained it later. "Currently, technological innovation is changing with each passing day, making warships in various countries obsolete very quickly. This makes many designers unable to start. Sometimes the blueprints they have just designed seem a little unsuitable when they wake up the next day. Take the ones built in our country. For the Tulio-class battleship, when it was first built, it was the most powerful battleship in the world. But after the construction was completed, various countries had battleships more powerful than the Tulio-class. And this class The warships are no longer so advanced, but I heard that the Navy plans to build three improved models of this class, which is a bit puzzling. "

As soon as Brin opened his mouth, he talked about the proud work of his old rival. What he said next made everyone in the shipyard frightened. If this was known to the navy, it would offend someone.

Fortunately, Carlo also knew what they were thinking and gave them reassurance. "This is a discussion between myself and Mr. Brin, and I won't spread it everywhere."

Brin also knew that he had not paid attention to what he said just now, so he changed the topic to the aspect that Carlo was interested in. "Currently I believe that Italian ship design needs to serve the navy, and the threats facing Italy's navy mainly come from the pressure of the French navy."

The Austro-Hungarian Navy was directly ignored here. Of course, with the current strength of the Austro-Hungarian Navy, it could hit the knees of the Italian Navy even if it jumped up, let alone mention it.

"And I think that our navy should not be tit-for-tat with France in terms of scale, because our country's shipbuilding funds are not as good as France's. Instead, it should take a small step and build new warships at a speed of no more than two ships per level. Among them, new warships are the best. It also focuses on speed and firepower, which can delay its elimination."

Yes, in Brin's view, there are three important factors in warships, and firepower and speed are the most important. As for protection, when it cannot meet the three requirements, it should be given up first.

Although Carlo did not agree with what Brin said, it was best not to give up on firepower, protection, and speed. Of course, he was not a paranoid or a perfectionist. Of course, we also know that in this era of great development in shipbuilding technology, it is very good for a new ship launched to guarantee its main position for ten years. In many cases, they are transferred to the reserve force after serving for only a few years.

In fact, if you think about it, the time for Italian shipbuilding is really not a good time. In the 1980s and 1990s, warship technology was undergoing great development, and Italy built a large number of warships during this period. As a result, when the 20th century came, they would be immediately eliminated. On the contrary, in the war with the Ottomans, not a single battleship was able to take action.

Unlike Germany, they chose the right time to build their ships. They immediately followed up with the dreadnoughts as soon as they came out, creating a high seas fleet that even the UK was afraid of.

To say that Italy spends less money than Germany, it is not much less, but the gap between the two is too big.

And Brin's words made Carlo feel that he had learned something again. All situations must be combined with reality, and he still has a long way to go.