I Have A Martial Dao World-Chapter 514 - : 514. Jie Shuangyu号
Chapter 514: 514. Jie Shuangyu号
At this moment, the soldiers of the Zhenhai fleet crowded at the ship’s railings, vying with each other to gaze at the towering steel fortress in the distance.
Its massive size was clearly visible even from 10 kilometers away.
Without the need to scramble for binoculars, individuals like Lin Zhongqing and Deng Boxiang, who were at the Blood-Exchange Realm, could even make out the details on the ship.
“Is this our new battleship!?”
“It’s huge…”
The Zhenhai fleet’s former flagship, the “Dingyuan Ship,” only has a displacement of 7,400 tons and is less than 100 meters in length.
...
The “Sea Boundary” transport ship they were currently on had an even smaller displacement of just 1,300 tons.
Whereas Lu Yao’s ship had a displacement of 45,000 tons and a length of 270 meters.
The difference in size between the two was like that of an adult and a child, and as they drew closer the disparity became even more pronounced, requiring them to look up to behold the colossal vessel.
The crowd first shouted “Long Live!” in salute; after which, Admiral Ding Xianda led a thousand officers aboard, while the ordinary soldiers could only watch with envy.
Upon boarding, their eyes immediately lit up:
“406mm naval cannons, my goodness~ nine triple-mounted guns!”
“And there are anti-aircraft guns! These have only recently been developed by the Western Powers to shoot down airplanes, and we even have those!”
“There are 30 large-caliber guns and countless smaller ones! The firepower is extremely formidable; one sweep could match our entire fleet!”
While they were whispering among themselves, the chatter suddenly ceased, and everyone hurriedly stood at attention.
It turned out that Lu Yao and Li Pei had come over.
Lu Yao made a beckoning gesture, and Li Pei stepped forward to say, “Gentlemen, this ship, the ‘Jie Shuangyu,’ is your new battleship.”
An uncontrollable cheer erupted from the crowd.
Only a few people felt the name was too gentle, as battleships usually bear more powerful names.
In those days, those who had studied abroad were well-educated, and someone immediately explained:
“The name comes from Zhu Bian’s ‘Old Stories of Quwei’ from the Song Dynasty—the buckwheat is most afraid of frost when it is bearing fruit. Rain at this time is particularly good for the crop, which the farmers call ‘Jie Shuangyu’ (Frost-Dispelling Rain).”
“It not only implies timely rain but also the sweeping away of frost with a heavy rain. Naming the battleship thus has a profound meaning!”
“Our lord and His Majesty have great expectations for us; we must not let them down!”
Ding Xianda swiftly led the officers in bowing to express their thanks.
Li Pei continued, “Next, our forces will set sail for the expedition to Goryeo in 20 days.
You must master this battleship in these short 20 days and firmly grasp sea control! Can you do it?”
The crowd promptly responded with loud cheers, “We will give it our all, sparing no effort or even our lives!”
The morale of the Zhenhai fleet, from top to bottom, was high—they were determined to conquer this towering steel fortress.
Lu Yao also had full confidence in them!
Although the “Iowa” class battleship was a product of the World War II era and was not far ahead of the Otherworld,
mastering it in just 20 days was no easy task.
But the naval officers and soldiers before him were no ordinary people!
They all had cultivation, some even at significant levels of Spirit Refinement Realm, and moreover, they possessed the courage and determination to sacrifice their lives.
Mastering an antique battleship should not be too difficult.
After all, they could even calculate atomic bomb equations on an abacus!
~~~~~~~~
Subsequently, 3,000 soldiers boarded the ship to familiarize themselves with the battleship as quickly as possible.
The entire process went smoother than expected.
Most of the officers had overseas experiences, especially those who studied in countries like Menes, for instance, Deng Boxiang’s deputy, Chen Jinkui.
The Western text on the ship was clear at a glance for them, and the design style of the battleship was coherent with what they knew. Even for the things they did not fully understand, they could make educated guesses that were often correct.
What was more unexpected was that this “Missouri” had become a tourist attraction, and the souvenirs provided on board turned out to be of great help.
Just as a celebrity’s former home would always sell biographies, someone found a book in a corner, titled:
“The Glorious Twilight of the Era of Heavy Battleships—The Iowa-class Battleship Operating Manual”
It roughly explained everything about the battleship, truly a godsend.
Although it was in foreign languages, 99% of the people present could understand it, and they were suddenly enlightened.
Two hours after the boilers were heated, this steel fortress that had been submerged for decades once again spewed black smoke and slowly started to move!
Although this was just the most basic first step, it was enough to make everyone cheer with excitement.
Li Pei was quite satisfied and nodded, saying to Ding Xianda:
“If you need anything, go directly to the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, they will prioritize and meet all your needs.”
Ding Xianda bowed and said, “Thank you, Your Majesty! The warship currently does not lack fuel or cannonballs. Next, I will lead the soldiers in naval exercises to familiarize themselves with the warship quickly. However…”
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He hesitated slightly, then asked, “May I know if the selection for the captain has been decided?”
The deployment of the Jie Shuangyu was bound to be of great importance.
As Ding Xianda was an admiral, he needed to be stationed at the Zhenhai Guard base on Liugong Island and could not always accompany the ship, so a captain was needed.
Li Pei immediately announced the appointment of the captain for Jie Shuangyu:
“Lin Zhongqing shall serve as the captain with Deng Boxiang as the deputy captain.”
This battleship was of significant meaning, and Li Pei chose Lin Zhongqing, who had known Lu Yao for a very long time.
Lin Zhongqing quickly stepped forward and knelt to express his gratitude.
Everyone envied him. Only Deng Boxiang felt a little melancholic… after all, who wouldn’t want a ship of their own?
It was then that Lu Yao spoke loudly, “Everyone, familiarize yourselves with the battleship quickly. The Imperial Navy will not have just one ship.”
His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone’s ears!
The morale of all the soldiers soared! This meant that everyone present had more opportunities for promotion and development!
It was then that Ding Xianda proposed with a smile, “In that case, I request His Majesty to allow the merger of the Zhenhai Fleet with the Yangtze River Navy to make up for the shortage of personnel.”
Li Pei generously said, “Not just that, you can pick anyone you want from the Ship Administration Academies across the land.”
The Zhenhai Fleet had already shown its extraordinary resolve and determination in the naval battle against Izumo, winning the trust of Lu Yao and Li Pei, and thus receiving full support.
~~~~~~~~~
With the major matters settled, the Lu Yao family rode the Spiritual Sparrowhawk back home.
The officers respectfully saluted and bid farewell, only standing straight again when they could no longer be seen.
They continued studying everything about the battleship, and after a while, they were able to operate the gun turrets, adjusting the angle of the ship’s guns.
The good news kept coming—
This battleship boasted an extremely fast cruising speed of 33 knots. It was considered a high-speed ship, yet it packed such fierce firepower!
Moreover, several chief engineers exclaimed that, after seeing the internal structure of the warship, they had an epiphany and were confident in repairing several lightly damaged warships.
In this way, the strength of the fleet even exceeded that of when they were completely victorious!
Ding Xianda gathered several senior officers to discuss:
“The news of the new battleship must be kept strictly confidential! The Imperial Court is mobilizing for war. Izumo must have already gotten wind of it and will surely send warships to provoke us in the coming days.
Last time, they ambushed us, and now is a great opportunity for vengeance!”
The officers were excited at the news, and Lin Zhongqing said, “You mean—we also set up an ambush for them!”
“Exactly that!” said Ding Xianda,
“The warship’s arsenal contains many cannonballs, enough for a battle.
We won’t dock or enter a port; we’ll have supply ships bring us the necessary food and fuel.
Izumo won’t be aware of this ship’s existence, and they’ll surely fall for a big trap!”
The officers all said in unison, “Admiral, you are wise!”
