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Chapter 1339 The Daqin-class Ironclad Ship in Conception

The Admiralty of the capital, tens of thousands of miles away, did not know that the Fourth Fleet was looting in the Mediterranean.Because the Fourth Fleet is overseas, it has certain independent decision-making power.

The naval headquarters and naval lecture hall established in Tianjinwei are peaceful, where many young naval officers are trained, providing a steady stream of fresh blood for the four fleets.

With the advent of ironclad ships, officers in the naval lecture hall also had to understand the structure of steam ironclad ships and how to operate ironclad ships.

At present, the iron-clad ships produced by the Kyushu Army are still hybrid ships of sail and steam, but the future of the iron-clad ships is all steam-powered, and they must learn new combat techniques and principles.

Secretary of the Navy Nelson is receiving a manager from Dalian Shipbuilding No. [-] in his office. Dalian No. [-] Shipbuilding, which specializes in steamships, is trying to seduce him, the Minister of the Navy, to build ships.

"Based on the experience of building the Secret-class ironclads, our ship designers are developing a formal first-generation capital ironclad, that is, a more advanced ironclad envisioned on the basis of the ironclad design shown to you initially. We intend to name it the Daqin-class ironclad ship. This is the design report of the first generation main ironclad ship, please have a look." The steward of the shipyard handed a report to Nelson.

"So the secret-class steam ironclad you produced isn't an official ironclad?" Nelson felt cheated.

He thought that General Fubo was the first-generation main ironclad ship!
"The displacement of the Secret-class ironclad ship is only 3000 tons. Of course, we don't regard it as the main ironclad ship. The Secret-class is a costly experiment in our shipyard's vision. It is the first time we have produced such a military warship. You should too. Know that there is a big difference between military warships and civilian steamships. For example, the secret class uses wrought iron-lined teak armor that can withstand solid bullets. Also, the current ironclad ships have limited displacement, even if they load 700 tons of coal, they cannot carry more than 2000 tons of coal. Ocean voyages in the sea...and so on, many technologies are not yet mature."

"The production of secret-class ironclad ships and the current order of steamships have given us a lot of inspiration for ship designers and trained us a group of skilled workers. We have also recruited a large number of experts in fluid dynamics and material science from the Imperial University. Let's study a more reasonable hull and a more powerful marine steam engine together..." the manager of the shipyard eloquently introduced.

As long as the Minister of the Navy is taken down, he believes that the first-generation main ironclad ship will definitely make the Navy Department crazy.

The Secret-class ironclad ship, which is invincible in the Mediterranean Sea, is an expensive experiment and a big toy for Dalian Shipyard No. [-]. The real first-generation main ironclad ship has not yet reached the assembly line.

Nelson looked carefully at this large ironclad ship that only existed in the ship designer's conception, and gradually showed a surprised expression.

This is not just a simple concept drawing, it covers almost all the cabins, structures, and artillery layout of this ironclad ship in the report!

"Perfect, it's a perfect work of art..." Nelson said slowly after reading it patiently.

"A total length of 128 meters, a displacement of 9200 tons, a draft of 8.2 meters, and two bilge keels. In terms of power, a two-cylinder single-expansion steam engine and 10 steam boilers are used. It is estimated that the speed can reach up to 14 knots relying on steam power alone. These They are all calculated by our ship designer, and there will never be too much deviation." The steward continued.

"The main ironclad ship close to [-] tons is good, but the price is too expensive. Our Admiralty has almost no competitors, and the demand for ironclad ships is not very great." Nelson said helplessly.

People from Dalian Shipbuilding No. [-] have approached him more than once to discuss the production of more steamships.

However, the various materials such as wrought iron and teak that ironclad ships need to use are quite expensive, as well as industrial components such as steam engines and steam boilers.

"And the coal capacity of this ship can reach 850 tons, so the overhead is too high." Nelson complained.

This nearly [-]-ton monster is simply burning money.

It is still in the 17th century, and the output of coal is not high to be honest. Even if the Kyushu Army began to use machines to mine coal mines in Shanxi Province and other places, the price of coal is still very high.

It is also an exaggeration to burn coal on a giant ship of [-] tons like the Dongfang, but the Dongfang has brought huge benefits to the government. It is mainly used to lay submarine cables along the coast of East Asia and integrate East Asia into the same telegraph network.

Dongfang is currently operating in the South China Sea. The goal is to connect important port cities in Nanyang, such as Angang, Brunei, Malacca, and Jakarta, to Guangzhou, and use Guangzhou as the center of the telegraph network in Nanyang.

The reason why he chose Guangzhou instead of other port cities in Nanyang was mainly because Chu Yun was still worried about the three newly established provinces. If there were turmoil or rebellion in some of the provinces, the communication in Nanyang would not be interrupted.

Of course, the laying of the telegraph network has nothing to do with Nelson. The giant ship Dongfang is operating in Nanyang, and it is not the Zhili Fleet that is responsible for protecting it, but the Nanyang Fleet.

"My lord, you can reflect to the above. Although there is no enemy that can resist our fleet, ironclad ships are the future! The Admiralty can phase out sailboats year by year and replace them with ironclad ships. We have already begun research on pure steam without sail power Power ships. If we can set up a supply station every 1000 nautical miles along the coast to the West, then even a purely steam-powered ironclad ship can sail at any time." The manager of the shipyard said.

"If you need to set up a supply station every 1000 nautical miles to supply coal, special circumstances must be avoided. From here to London, you must set up at least 10 supply stations. This cost is more than buying the Daqin-class ironclad ship you developed. It's huge, not to mention the deployment of personnel, supplies, artillery, and parts for the supply station." Nelson said with a headache.

Establishing overseas bases from East to West in the 17th century was much more difficult than maintaining traditional trade routes.

Historically, only the Empire on which the sun never sets in the 19th century and the Commonwealth of America in the 20th century were able to run unimpeded across all oceans.

"The fleet is a great cause that will cost a lot of money." The manager of the shipyard saw Nelson's heartbeat, but the cost of an ironclad ship close to 10000 tons and the more expensive maintenance costs later made him unable to make up his mind.

"Minister, someone is looking for you outside." The guard knocked on the door from the front hall and came in with a hurried expression.

"Who's coming to make you so flustered?" Nelson asked.

"It's the military master." The guard said in a low voice.

Nelson hurried out and found Chu Yun's big carriage parked outside the Navy Headquarters: "Master, why are you here?"

"Get in the car, I'll take you to see something good." Chu Yun said.

(End of this chapter)