Chapter 724: "Tianlong" Class Light Cruiser
Charles politely invited Ming Yuanjiro into the conference room and asked the orderly to serve coffee and fruit.
"Excuse me, Mr. Mingyuan." Charles leisurely stirred his coffee and asked Mingyuan Jiro who was sitting across from him, "Are you in the navy or the army?"
The military attaché of an embassy is usually an officer who understands military affairs, and of course there is a distinction between the navy and the army.
"Navy, Vice Admiral." Ming Yuanjiro replied respectfully, "Belonging to the First Fleet."
Charles said "Oh", then his face darkened: "So, that's why you contacted the Minister of the Navy? Mr. Mingyuan looks down on me, a soldier in the army!"
Ming Yuanjiro was startled and quickly stood up and bowed: "I am very sorry, Your Excellency Vice Admiral. I contacted the Minister of the Navy to discuss the Navy's shipbuilding plan. I didn't mean to look down on you... I am very sorry! Please forgive me!"
Ming Yuanjiro maintained his bowing posture and didn't dare to breathe.
The Japanese Navy looks down on the Japanese Army, so how dare they look down on the invincible and world-famous French Army?
A few days ago you crossed the Ardennes Mountains and surrounded hundreds of thousands of German troops!
Charles' tone turned calm: "Don't worry, Mr. Mingyuan, I don't mean to blame you. This is indeed the responsibility of the Minister of the Navy. My current identity is not the lieutenant general of the army, but the investor of the warship. Do you understand?"
Charles only warned Ming Yuanjiro to make him feel that he was rude first, and then it would be natural for him to make some requests, even if these requests were a bit excessive.
"Uh, yes, Your Excellency Lieutenant General, no... Mr. Charles!" Ming Yuanjiro bowed again, breathed a sigh of relief, and nodded repeatedly to express his gratitude.
"Sit down!" Charles raised his eyebrows and gestured.
"Yes, thank you very much!" Ming Yuanjiro sat down carefully.
"As the investor of the warship," Charles asked, "I should be qualified to discuss the shipbuilding plan with you, right?"
"Of course, Mr. Charles." Ming Yuanjiro hastily smiled and said, "You are our customer, so of course you can make requests of us."
At this time, Ming Yuanjiro had already determined his position on Charles.
"Where is your proposal?" asked Charles.
Ming Yuanjiro quickly took out a document from his briefcase and handed it to him with both hands: "Please take a look, sir."
Charles opened it and saw that it was still the "birch" type that was sold to France in history.
"Mr. Mingyuan." Charles pointed at the data on the document with an unhappy look on his face and said, "I purchased a warship with a displacement of 2,000 tons, but you plan to replace it with a warship with a displacement of 750 tons?"
"No, no, sir." Ming Yuanjiro hurriedly explained: "What we mean is that we will use this Birch-type destroyer as a prototype and enlarge it according to your requirements. I guarantee that you will be satisfied."
Charles ignored him and continued, "Mr. Mingyuan, since you come from the navy, you should know that the status of destroyers is being improved, right?"
"Yes, of course." Ming Yuanjiro replied: "For example, the role played by your country's destroyers in anti-submarine and escort is refreshing."
Ming Yuanjiro cunningly avoided the topic while praising Xiaer.
Charles knew what was going on.
When the world's major powers were frantically competing in battleships, Japan, knowing that its resources were insufficient and its production capacity could not compare with the first-class powers in Europe and the United States, began to seek other tactics to defeat the big with the small during World War I.
Neon's idea was similar to the direction Charles gave to Wells, both of which relied on the number and speed of destroyers to use torpedoes to besiege enemy battleships.
More than a dozen destroyers, with a speed of about 33 knots.
The battleship has a slow speed and its guns lack accuracy. Once a destroyer gets close to it, it can be destroyed with just one or two torpedoes. This is definitely a cost-effective and practical tactic.
At this time, Japan not only had this idea but also implemented it. They established a torpedo warfare team in 1913.
(Note: Neon's mine warfare team does not refer to laying mines. It is also called the torpedo warfare team, which means attacking with torpedoes.)
But a problem arose when organizing the mine warfare team:
The destroyer itself has a small displacement, and after carrying artillery, torpedoes, and anti-submarine equipment, there is no extra space to carry command and communication equipment, so it cannot serve as a flagship.
Although cruisers have a large displacement and large space, their speed cannot keep up with destroyers and they cannot coordinate with them.
Therefore, in 1917, the construction of the Neon "Tenryu" class cruiser began.
(The picture above shows the Japanese "Tianlong" class light cruiser, with a displacement of 3230 tons and a maximum speed of 33 knots, serving as the flagship of the mine warfare team)
Charles' target is this "Tianlong" class cruiser.
With a displacement of about 3,000 tons and a speed of up to 33 knots, its firepower can crush most enemy destroyers, which perfectly meets Charles' needs to build an air defense fleet.
Charles didn't want to get too entangled with Ming Yuanjiro, so he took a sip of coffee:
"I want you to understand one thing, Mr. Ming Yuan."
"The difference between me and the secretary of the Navy is that the secretary of the Navy doesn't know much about the Navy, and I don't."
"Or it can be said to be the future development and expectations of the Navy."
"I think this can be proved by the naval battles I commanded."
Ming Yuanjiro quickly sat up straight and nodded:
"Yes, sir. Mr. Charles sank seven German Navy ships, including a battlecruiser, in the Battle of the North Sea."
"This has been incorporated into our navy's teaching materials."
"In addition, there is your country's anti-submarine capability. It is said that German submarines no longer dare to attack your escort formation."
France's "echo sounder" is still top secret at this time, and Japan still doesn't know what kind of mysterious equipment can achieve such a level.
Then Ming Yuanjiro said with a flattering look on his face, nodding his head respectfully, "Sir, your tactics are amazing, both the navy and the army. We really hope to have the opportunity to learn from you."
This is true. Japan has an instinct to admire the strong, a desire for advanced technology and a strong learning ability.
What Ming Yuanjiro didn't know was that Charles had seized upon this psychological bargaining opportunity of his.
"So." Ciel threw the document in his hand heavily on the table, his eyes filled with anger and his voice became rough:
"You plan to use something like this to communicate with us and learn from us?"
"Change a 700-ton warship to 2,000 tons? Is that what you call enlarging it?"
"They may be warships in the eyes of the Navy Minister, but in my eyes they are just a few fishing boats. What makes you think I will cooperate with you over this garbage?"
Eating soft rice.
It was obvious that France needed Neon's production capacity during the war, but it unknowingly turned into a condescending cooperation.
The point is that Ming Yuanjiro has developed an inferiority complex under the pressure of Charles's combination of punches.
Yes, they are a country with advanced torpedo attack aircraft and mysterious anti-submarine devices, and can easily defeat the country with the second largest naval fleet in the world.
Even the number one-ranked British Navy may lose its position in front of them.
Why would you be interested in this 700-ton "Birch" type warship?
Even if it is enlarged, it is still shoddy.
It's simply an insult to them!
This is so embarrassing. There should at least be a few plans that Charles would like, right?
(End of this chapter)
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