Chapter 533: Eve before the storm

Scheer’s report was soon sent back to China, but it did not cause much impact in a short period of time. First of all, Germany is building the first batch of dreadnought ships, and the emperor’s budget is not allowed to continue to expand in a short time. The number of naval capital ships has increased, not to mention, what kind of submarine project the navy has to add now. The army is also not quiet. After Xiao Maoqi comes back, he has to build an armored force, which is another sum of money. This troubles His Majesty the Emperor very much.

And Prince Ruprecht in Munich was also busy with his wealth, because he knew that the Russo-Japanese War was about to start. Earlier, it was 1903, and the latest was 1904. This is the prince’s last chance to make money from Russia... At the same time, the creation of the Prince and Princess Mary must be stepped up. His dad-the current King Ludwig III of Bavaria is urging him!

"It seems that the Russo-Japanese War is about to come. After it is over, it will be a war." Ruprecht muttered to himself while looking at the sky outside the window. The final preparations for the Second German Empire are coming!

During this time, the prince didn't plan to do anything more. Because in his opinion, the space for the operation of the Russo-Japanese War is very small. The warring parties are in the Far East far from Europe. And they are all fighting in large corps. The two armies together with millions of people are fighting on a large scale. At this time, you will send a small blue army up, and you will be beaten up by accident. Let alone the navy, neither the Russian navy nor the Japanese navy was provoked by the German Far East Fleet.

The Japanese fleet of this era is much stronger than in history. By the second half of 1903, the Japanese Navy will have a total of 8 battleships, including 2 second-class battleships, Fuji and Yashima. These two battleships equipped with twin 10-inch guns are the earliest battleships of the Japanese. Although their performance is lagging behind, they are still in the first-line fleet because of their speed.

Then there are 2 Katori-class battleships and 2 Satsuma-class battleships. The four battleships were ordered in 1898. The former were four 12-inch main guns and four 10-inch secondary main guns. The latter’s firepower is 4 12-inch guns and 12 10-inch guns! The maximum armor thickness is 9 inches. The top speed is about 20 knots. In 1901, the Japanese navy believed that its main fleet was not enough, so it added two Satsuma-class battleships. The two warships named Hatsase and Kashima became the third and fourth ships of the Satsuma class. This makes the prince who is a traverser have to feel the powerful inertia of history!

As for the armored cruisers, the Japanese also increased. Four Asama-class armored cruisers constitute the main force, (the Asama, Yakumo, Kasuga, and Asahi), the armored cruiser Carlos V that captured the Spaniards was named Tsukuba. In 1900, Japan also ordered a sixth armored cruiser from Britain. This armored cruiser can be regarded as the British version of Asami, and its basic performance is similar to that of Germany. This battleship was later named Sagami.

If nothing else, this would be the case for the battle group of the Japanese Navy's capital ships before the war. The main fleet consisting of 8 battleships and 6 large armored cruisers can almost be called the first fleet in the Far East! In addition to the main fleet, the Japanese did not forget to build their own auxiliary fleet. According to the Japanese plan, by the second half of 1903, the Japanese Navy will have 4 4000-ton second-class cruisers and 6 3000-ton second-class cruisers. The third-class cruiser, plus 64 destroyers and torpedo boats. There are also some notification ships and camouflaged assault ships. Generally speaking, this is a very balanced maritime strike force. And the ship age is very young!

At the same time, the Russians are also stepping up to expand their fleet! Among them, the most powerful battleships are naturally the 4 fast battleships ordered from the prince. They are called the Rurik class, and the British also called them the Rurik 2 class in order to distinguish this class of battleships from the previous Rurik class. The four warships were Rurik, Russia, Grom Bowie and Warrior. These four powerful battleships are stationed in Vladivostok.

On this plane, the fleet stationed in Lushun is relatively small, with only three old battleships, namely the Peter Papulovsko, Poltava and Sevastopol, and the Prince. A very important reason for this is that Russia has spent a considerable part of the shipbuilding funds on the order of these four warships from Bavaria. According to the law of conservation of gold coins. Russia currently has only these eight battleships in the Far East. The cruiser aspect is similar to the history, this is because the Russians think that their main fleet is enough, and just add some **** warships.

So what makes the Russians so confident? The fundamental reason lies in another fleet that will arrive in the Far East at the end of 1903! This is a huge fleet of 6 battleships and 2 armored cruisers. Four of them are Borodino-class battleships. The Borodino-class battleships on this plane are also stronger than in history. On the surface, they can be regarded as a simplified version of the Rurik-2 armored cruiser, but the Russians It is privately admitted that it is quite different from the original version in some hidden aspects such as defense area and water tightness.

The other two battleships are the older and great Siesos and Navalin. These two battleships are the same as in history, equipped with four 10-inch guns~www.wuxiaspot.com~ and two armored ships. The cruiser was produced by the Americans for Russia at a preferential price! The two cruisers named Varyag and Aurora can be regarded as the pinnacle of American armored cruisers.

The two battleships are equipped with six 10-inch guns and 12 six-inch secondary guns in a central axis layout. It has an 8-inch main armor belt and a 6-inch upper armor belt. It uses a new type of steam turbine with a maximum output of 25,000 horsepower and a displacement of 12,000 tons. The maximum speed reached an astonishing 23 knots or more! It can be said to be the fastest warship among the two warring parties! And in order to adapt to the winter freezing of Vladivostok, the two battleships also installed icebreaking bows and reinforced them. It can sail in the sea with thin ice.

In general, although the number of Russians is less than in history, their combat power is far greater than those of old warships in history, and what the Russians can do in a shorter period of time than in history to build a batch of A strong fleet is inseparable from the support of the Americans. The Americans have provided Russia with at least US$50 million in various loans and assistance! And undertook the construction of the Russian battleships Eagle, Borodino, 2 armored cruisers and other protective cruisers. The full support of the Americans is to let the Russians clean up the hateful Japanese!

Before this fleet arrived in the Far East, the Japanese Navy had a crushing level advantage, but if it arrived, the Russians believed that under the command of Admiral Makanov, the Russian fleet could easily crush its opponents!

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