MTL - Black Iron’s Glory-Chapter 536 Armored Fleet Deal
Chapter 536 Trade of the Iron Armored Fleet
On January 18, 602 of the Holy Light calendar, Claude quietly boarded the Iron Armor fleet's new flagship, the Angry Shark Iron Armor cruiser, and returned to the overseas dominion. It would have been another month before the members of the overseas dominions of the capital would return to the overseas dominions after completing the ceremony of granting territories by His Majesty the King. Claude really didn't want to stay in the king, so he took his aides and guard squadrons on the pretext that he was busy in military affairs and took a step ahead.
A squadron of Fury Sharks, a swordfish Destroyer and a flying fish Destroyer, as well as the Bullhead Whale Armored Transport Ship form a small team galloping at sea. In the distance, more than a dozen sailing ships with black flags appeared, but the Iron Armored Squad sounded twice as if not seeing, spitting black smoke, passing by in front of this sailing fleet, very You will soon leave this sailing fleet with a black flag behind ...
"That's the Blacksail Pirate?" Claude asked.
"Yeah, they should be heading to the waters of the Nubari Islands," Murray replied, still holding a thick cigar in his hand.
Claude had previously heard Colonel Bockal say that the leader of the Blacksail Pirates was Eriksson, one of their young friends. At that time, Eriksson set up the Blacksail Pirates in order to find his father and return from the Storm Fleet. And, in the depths of the silent ocean, an unmanned archipelago was found. This archipelago with three large islands and more than ten small islands was regarded as the old nest of the black sail pirates.
It is said that Eriksson's parents and the families of members of the Black Sail Pirates live on this archipelago, which can live more than 200,000 people. Ericson also wanted to rely on this archipelago to establish an independent country. To this end, he also plundered the kingdom's coastal areas during the period of civil unrest in the kingdom, and collected technical talents such as craftsmen. Black sail pirates are usually robbed in the pirate paradise of the Nubari Islands. Every three months, they rotate their batches and return to the old nest to rest ...
Because of the line of Colonel Bokal, the relationship between Blacksail Pirates and the Overseas Dominion is neutral and friendly, and it has not violated the coastal areas of the Overseas Dominion. Sometimes black flags were dropped to pretend to be smuggling merchant ships to buy supplies and resell the loot they robbed.
"Does Blacksail Pirates still buy supplies from our Dominion?" Claude asked.
Murray Ed shook his head: "I don't know about this. Their business should be responsible for Colonel Bokal of the Ministry of Military Intelligence. Basically, they come to buy resale materials and contact the bison firm. Even if they go ashore, they are in Kabiko. Port, will not run to our Patras military port.
But three years ago, the Bison Commercial Bank once asked us to buy iron armored warships. I rejected them, and then I heard that they asked the Bison Commercial Bank to buy a lot of steam engines and fire engines from our Dominion. They probably wanted to develop iron armored warships on their own. .... "
Claude nodded. He believed that with Eriksson's keen eyes, he would naturally discover the role of the armored warships early on. He also understood that it was impossible to buy the armored warships from the Autonomous Leadership Zone, so he tried to be rejected. After that I decided to develop it myself.
However, with the power of a black sail pirate, it was simply an impossible task, at most it was a sheet of iron on his sail ship. As for the acquisition of so many steam engines and fire engines, it is a huge and difficult technical improvement project to change to a marine type and use it on his pirate ship. Claude is not optimistic about Erikson's success unless he has three or four five-ring grade rune mages.
"You often meet Blacksail Pirates at sea?" Crowd asked again.
"Not often, but occasionally." Murriet laughed. "When I went to the ocean cruise fleet, I met them while performing missions and training at sea. Sometimes the warships were parallel, and their pirate members would laugh at us loudly. But they are not malicious, just out of boredom, they even ask us for a few packs of cigarettes.
At that time, everyone was a sailing ship. They would show us in front of us what side sails were hanging and chasing each other. It seemed that we were just a rookie at sea. At that time, we were very unconvinced. But to be honest, if we really conflict with them, we are indeed not their opponents in the sailing ship's handling and combat capabilities.
But after our ironclad warships began to enter the fleet and met them again at sea, we could see the strong envy and jealousy in the eyes of their pirate members. As our Dominion's Iron Armored Fleet took shape, they avoided us far away when they saw us at sea. Because they are very clear, even if their sailing battleships are even more powerful in manipulating tactics, they are not our opponents of the armored fleet. "
This is probably the so-called technical crushing. As soon as the armored warships are out, the sails are outdated. Claude immediately frowned when he thought of the deal with the kingdom's iron armored fleet. What method should be used to fool the deal ...
Murray did not notice that Claude was worrying, and he continued to say with interest: "Yes, boss, you happen to be back this time. I have a report to apply to you."
"what's up?"
"That's it. Didn't Mrs. Sonia develop another batch of armor-piercing shells for our fleet? I want to retire several armored destroyers and use them as target ships. Try to see if this armor-piercing shell has any effect on the armored ships. It's a big hole, but now all the countries in Valeo are developing ironclad warships. We need to prepare in advance. If armor-piercing bullets are effective for ironclad warships, we don't have to worry about the enemy having ironclad warships in the future ... .. "Murray Ed shook the soot from the cigar.
Claude was surprised: "Sonia has also developed an armor-piercing projectile?"
"Yeah," Murray replied, "Last time I fought against the Neptune fleet, I found that our high-explosive shells were extremely destructive only to those exposed on enemy battleships, but to those thick ships. It is difficult for the board to have a cannon-piercing effect. So after returning, she reflected to Mrs. Sonia that she hoped that the power of the shell could penetrate those thick wooden boards and blast a large hole.
Mrs. Sonia promised to develop this kind of artillery, and sent us two hundred or so armor-piercing rounds a month ago. After we experimented, the sail ships were shot by us and broke the ship's wall, and a large hole was blown up and quickly sank. Now we want to try whether the armor-piercing projectile has effect on the iron armored warship, but Master Bird said that the retired iron armored warship requires military district approval, and I can't let me play around. "
"Master Byrd is right. The cost of building an ironclad warship in our Dominion is around several hundred thousand kronor, and an ironclad warship can serve more than ten or twenty years. Now the earliest ironclad destroyers have only served five. Six years, you want to retire it as a target ship so soon, you don't really use King Cron as money. It seems that I have to check the funds of your armored fleet, where are you wasting. "Clo Germany agrees with Master Bird.
"No, Boss. You do n’t know, after the sea battle on the island of St. Rusk, our iron armoured fleet was also seriously damaged. It took more than three months to reluctantly return to the Patras naval port. It took another half a year. Only repaired it. But this battle with the Hicks Kingdom's Neptune fleet has also benefited us a lot. The next type of armored destroyers has corrected many of the weaknesses we have exposed in the war. It can be said that the armored destroyers and The cruiser was improved.
Now the armored destroyers and cruisers produced by the four shipbuilding workshops of Patras Military Port can be said to be the third generation. You don't think that the Rage Shark you are riding now is faster than the previous Bald Eagle Faster and more stable? The swordfish destroyers and flying fish destroyers, as well as the bullhead whale armored transport ship, are the latest iron armored warships built in the same batch, so the speed can be kept consistent.
More than thirty warships of the Iron Armored Fleet, which are still patrolling the coast of the Kingdom, are built in the first and second generations. The second-generation stereotyped armored warships are still reluctant to keep up with our third-generation latest armored warships. However, after repairs, the first-generation iron armored warships are now desperate and cannot catch up with our third-generation warships. speed.
Each time our armored warship formation cruises, it ’s like taking a tanker towing a tank. Whether it is performing two-wing containment or assault tactical training, we always lag behind. In addition, the steam turbines they are equipped with are very noisy and have thick smoke. They are easy to expose targets, so I want to retire them or transfer to the ocean cruise sail fleet to be **** warships ... "
"Why not replace the latest steam turbines with the first-generation iron destroyers?" Crowder asked.
He didn't now understand the extent to which the steam and fire engines that Master Bird had invented and improved. Anyway, it is said that the power workshop of the Dominion has now become a giant machinery manufacturing industry, and a variety of power machinery are emerging. Steam turbines, like Murray's, are warship-specific power machinery systems invented and manufactured by Master Bird and are not sold externally.
Murray Ed smiled bitterly: "It can't be replaced, because if you want to replace this steam turbine, you need to remove the entire bridge, and then open the battleship to break the belly, you can take out the old steam turbine, and then re-set the turbine cabin and the The steam pipeline is equivalent to the space adjustment of the whole battleship, which costs more than rebuilding a new iron destroyer ... "
"How many ships did the first generation of armored ships have?" Crowd began to touch the beard that just came out of his chin.
"Twenty-two, of which fourteen participated in the battle of the island of St. Rusk, just after major repairs." Murray as the captain of the armored fleet, the opponent's warships are still very clear.
"Maybe you can retire this first generation of armored warships, and then use the military funding to rebuild the third generation of armored warships." Crowd groaned.
Murray Ed was overjoyed: "Really? The Dominion agreed to grant us navy funding? The last five million kronor funding has been said to be the last batch of naval shipbuilding funding. One million of this is for Master Byrd to conduct technical tests. One million yuan was spent to upgrade the technology of four shipbuilding workshops, and one million yuan was the maintenance cost of the iron armored fleet in the next three years. The remaining two million gold crowns also extracted more than 400,000 as the last battle. The cost of repairing subsequent warships was only 1.5 million kronor for the manufacture of eight iron armored warships ... "
"The original plan of the Navy ’s Iron Armored Fleet was to have forty-eight Iron Armored battleships, which could be arranged into four fleets of twelve Iron Armored battleships. The plan was to have two Iron Armored cruisers, eight Iron Armored destroyers, and two Iron Armor Armed ocean shipping supply ship. Now your iron armored fleet has a total of 52 iron armored warships, are you still not satisfied? "Claude remembered the report submitted by the navy.
Murray yelled loudly: "Boss, you don't know. The first generation of armored warships had many problems, and often had to return to Hong Kong for repairs. It was difficult for a sub-fleet consisting of twelve armored warships to go to sea every time. There are always a few battleships paralyzed in the military harbor and need maintenance. Otherwise, I would not take only twenty ironclad warships to ambush the Neptune fleet. Even two sub-fleets should have twenty-four ironclad warships, but those four I can't do anything about the warship.
The second-generation iron armored warships were improved and shaped, which only increased duty rates, but they also needed to be overhauled every six months, and each overhaul required a month to come. The eight docks of the maintenance workshop set up by our navy have no free space in a year. There are always four or five warships in the military harbor waiting to enter the dock for maintenance.
It is said that there are four iron armoured sub-fleets, but an overseas armoured side needs an iron armoured patrol to patrol the coastal waters in case the pirates' coastal areas are attacked by pirates. There is also a sub-fleet to **** the ocean sail cruise fleet. The other sub-fleet is divided into two halves. Six iron armoured warships are stationed in Beibu Gulf, and six are patrolling the coastal waters of the kingdom. The remaining sub-fleet is waiting for repairs in the maintenance workshop. The repairs are completed with other warships. Rotate ...
Therefore, boss, there is no other way to promote the Iron Armored Fleet. I can only increase the number of warships to increase the rotation rate. Otherwise, if the enemy is suddenly attacked, I doubt whether it will be possible to draw two sub-fleets to form a mobile iron armored fleet to fight. Originally we had another plan to attack the Hicks Kingdom ’s naval port. It did n’t cease war with us anyway, but now there is no such mobile force and warship ... ”
Claude believed that Murray was telling the truth, and there was no need to exaggerate in these areas. Although iron armored warships have served in the navy of overseas autonomous territories for five or six years, the problem still exists. After all, this world is the first time to have a sea weapon like an iron armored warship. Many problems are inevitable. Otherwise, Master Bird will not reshape and destroy the armored destroyers and armored cruisers one after another in recent years.
"You need to call back the first generation of armored destroyers and armored cruisers back to Patras, and I will have Master Byrd to organize the refurbishment and decoration of this first generation of armored ships. According to our Dominion and the royal court The agreement reached requires us to provide the Kingdom with sixteen armored fleets within two years. These include two armored cruisers, ten armored destroyers, and four armored ocean-going transport supply ships ... "
Before Claude's words were finished, he saw Murray's complexion change, and he didn't even care about the cigar dropped on the floor: "Boss, who signed the agreement with the kingdom? He is simply We are betraying our Dominion Navy! Ironclad warships are the unique maritime weapon of our overseas Dominion. If the kingdom has ironclad warships, it will be equivalent to the countries in the coastal areas of Valeo soon to imitate the same ironclad warships ... "
Alas, Claude could only sigh and tell the story of the arms agreement reached between Marshal Bolognik and the Kingdom on behalf of the Overseas Dominion. The black and white words are a foregone conclusion, and the self-governing territories can no longer regret it. Because this arms deal is used to offset the Jin Jie fee and land selection fee, and now hereditary territories have been obtained, this arms deal can only be accepted.
Murray yelled ...
"Because it was stated in the agreement that these sixteen ironclad warships must be consistent with our current warships, I wanted to rebuild and repair the first generation of ironclad warships to the Kingdom, and let the kingdom re-establish the Navy's fearless fleet. Claude explained: "There are some key technologies that we do not want the Kingdom to know, such as the watertight tanks at the bottom of the ship. I plan to convert them into a ship bottom warehouse. I believe the Kingdom Admiralty will be happy because the habit of the predecessor of the fearless fleet is to use warships When a transport ship comes to make a deal to make extra money ... "
During the sea battle on the island of St. Rusk, seven or eight iron armored warships were subjected to the bombardment of the Neptune fleet's heavy guns, and several cracks were hit in the walls. Because of the watertight tanks at the bottom of the ship, these armored warships were still able to reluctantly return to the port of Patres for major renovations. Without this watertight tank, these seven or eight iron armored warships would have sunk to the bottom of the sea.
"We handed over the first generation of armored warships to the kingdom and re-funded for you to build the third generation of armored warships. This will also reduce your navy's maintenance efforts and costs and increase your actual combat capabilities. The sooner you can The first generation of iron armored warships will be delivered to the kingdom, the less they will be criticized. Otherwise, in two years, this first generation of iron armored warships will not be able to be delivered. "Claude made a decision.
"As the Admiral of the Iron Armored Fleet, you can cooperate with Master Bird to see what other key technologies need to be demolished without affecting the combat capabilities of the surface of the battleship. We try to provide the Kingdom with a frustrated Iron Armored Fleet. Letting this ironclad fleet serve for five or six years will be eliminated.
The remaining first-generation iron armored battleships can be used as target ships to test the effectiveness of our armor-piercing shells, so even if there is any change, we have the ability to destroy the iron armored fleet of the kingdom ... "
Murray Ed had calmed down, knowing that Crowd had said that it was a foregone conclusion. He thought about it and asked, "Can the newly approved appropriation of the military region meet the number of 22 third-generation iron armored warships? Because it is a new generation of third-generation stereotyped warships, the manufacturing cost has increased significantly. Previously, The cost of making two destroyers can now only make one ... "
Claude replied: "Rest assured that the funds allocated this time are sufficient, because in this arms deal, the overseas dominion reached an agreement reached at a high price of 380,000 kronor for an iron armored warship ... . "
