Chapter 909: The Vast Ocean is a Casino (First Update, Please Subscribe)
In war, many incredible things always happen. Some people may become rich overnight, while others may lose everything overnight.
In fact, this is the charm of war.
Of course, for most people, war is just war. They will neither become rich nor poor because of the war. They are just participants in the war.
As a naval engineer, Zhao Yujiang came here by boat on the third day after the military captured Montevideo. Not only him, but also more than a dozen engineers came with him. They personally stepped onto the sunken Brazilian warship in the port and surveyed the bombing effect on the spot. After all, this was an extremely rare practical experience, and they analyzed the damage of aerial bombs by analyzing the damage to the warship.
However, while others were concentrating on evaluating the destructive effect of the bomb, Zhao Yujiang's mind was more focused on the warship.
"The damage to the ship is not great!"
"It's really not big. It's mainly the damage to the superstructure and boiler room. Overall, the damage is relatively limited."
His colleague's answer made Zhao Yujiang turn his attention to the other three ironclad ships. They were all "Riachuelo" class battleships, and without exception, they all had ten-inch armor and ten-inch main guns.
As battleships, they are just second-rate battleships, but second-rate battleships are still battleships!
Walking to the position of the turret amidships, Zhao Yujiang muttered to himself as he looked at the turret that had been blown away.
"Perhaps we can salvage them,"
"What?"
Lieutenant Commander Qiu Shiwei, who passed by him, asked curiously.
"What did you say? Engineer Zhao? Salvage them?"
"Yes, salvage them. This way we can not only better understand their damage, but also..."
After a pause, Zhao Yujiang expressed his thoughts.
"If it can be repaired, we can repair it. If only the superstructure and boiler are damaged, it will take only half a year at most to repair it. By then, we will have four more battleships. Although they are only ten-inch naval guns, they are still battleships after all!"
It must be said that Zhao Yujiang's suggestion immediately aroused Qiu Shiwei's interest. He looked around at the warships that were half exposed on the sea and seemed to be seriously damaged, and muttered to himself.
"This seems to be a good idea!"
Of course it’s a good solution!
It is well known that repairing a warship that is not seriously damaged is faster and more cost-effective than rebuilding it.
Find it there quickly, efficiently and cheaply.
"Can it be salvaged?"
“Salvage should be no problem.”
Zhao Yujiang said affirmatively.
"But after they are salvaged, they need to be towed to the dock for inspection. If they can be repaired or are worth repairing, they can be repaired simply first, and then towed to the Yingtian shipyard for repair. Based on the current basic survey, I think there is still hope to repair them, and the cost is probably only half of building a new one."
"Engineer Zhao, you guys study it and come up with a plan first, and then I'll report it to the Navy Department."
Qiu Shiwei said directly that as a naval officer, he believed that as long as these four warships could be repaired, the navy would definitely be willing to do so. After all, there was not a single battleship of the Ming Dynasty on its home soil - all the battleships were in the Mediterranean.
Even in the navy club, they were telling a joke that now the Ming Dynasty's sea borders only needed to be protected by airships. Even though a few senior officials knew that the Ming Dynasty's killer weapon for coastal defense - submarines - was on the mainland, there was no need to worry about foreign invasions. But without battleships, they couldn't sleep well!
"So, these warships have a chance to be repaired!"
The newly appointed Minister of the Navy Li Nanlin, the Earl of Yingchuan of the Ming Dynasty and also the earliest naval commander of the Ming Dynasty, after receiving the report from his subordinates, he immediately approved it and then came to the palace to report in person.
"Yes, Your Majesty. The Navy Department estimates that the repair cost is 1.6 million to 2 million. If the damaged main guns are not replaced, or only the damaged main guns are replaced, the cost can be reduced by at least 30%. In other words, with more than one million, the Navy can have four battleships."
Li Nanlin's answer made Emperor Zhu nod slightly.
"Now that you put it that way, it's a good deal!"
It is indeed a great deal. Spending more than one million to own four battleships, such a good thing can be found nowhere else. This is completely a trophy!
"It's really a good deal. According to tonnage, a battleship of the same level would cost at least 1.4-1.5 million yuan. Now we only need to spend the money of one to own four. And if we are fast, it may only take two or three months to complete the repair. Not only does it save money, but most importantly, it can ensure that the local fleet will not be without a battleship."
While speaking, Li Nanlin looked at His Majesty with a complicated look, because His Majesty had sent all the navy's main battleships to the Mediterranean to fill the void for the Quadruple Alliance.
"Ah, in the final analysis, it is because our navy is too weak! On the one hand, we have to fight against Britain in other regions, and on the other hand, we have to consider the maritime security of our homeland, um, the two oceans."
Emperor Zhu said casually.
"Once the Youzhou-class ships are put into service, the problem will be almost alleviated. However, it seems that it is not going to work. Has the United States passed the budget for the new fiscal year? Aren't they planning to build four battleships, four armored cruisers and six cruisers next year? Does the Navy have any response plan?"
Facing challenges from abroad, Emperor Zhu's response was always direct. The vast ocean is a casino. If you want to get on the gambling table, you must at least make your own capital stronger first.
"Your Majesty, what the navy is worried about now is not the expansion of the US Navy, but the threat posed to us by the maritime forces of Britain and the United States after the Anglo-American alliance!"
Although Li Nanlin has faded out of the navy in the past few years due to health reasons, it does not mean that he does not care about the construction of the navy or external threats.
"Before this, the threat posed by the US Navy to us was not great, and our maritime power far exceeded that of the US. However, with the further expansion of the US Navy, especially the US-UK Alliance that is now being discussed in Congress, if the navies of the two countries act together, then how should we fight against them? Your Majesty, I think that in order to fight against the Anglo-American alliance and the threats they bring to us in the Atlantic and Pacific, we must formulate a new round of naval expansion plans to expand our maritime power to fight back against their challenges!"
(End of this chapter)
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