Rise of Australia

Chapter 344 Submarine Technology

As time entered April of 1913, Arthur also entered a relatively relaxed and pleasant leisure time.

With the arrival of batch after batch of aid from the UK, Australasia has once again entered a stage of rapid development.

With the support of talents from the UK, Australasia has a very fast control over the newly acquired British and French technology and technology.

Among them, one of the technologies that Arthur paid more attention to was the submarine technology from France.

With the efforts of a group of British experts and Australasian experts, the Royal Dockyard quickly conquered the French submarine technology, and even planned to build one or two for experiments.

France's submarine technology was ahead of other European countries in the early days, but because of many detours, the current leading advantage has shrunk a lot.

One of the more important items is the vacillation of the French in the choice of submarine power.

In terms of submarines, France is one of the first countries to use a combination of diesel engines and electric motors, but it has been in a state of vacillation and is also using steam engines and electric motors.

Although this seems to be an exploration of the diversification of submarine power, it actually wastes the advantages that France has always maintained in submarines, and was later overtaken by Britain and Germany, which came from behind.

In contrast, British submarines and German U-boats established the torpedo-carrying method based on torpedo tubes early on, canceled the Jevitsky hanger that would break the outer shape, and the shape development was more reasonable. The selection of the power system is relatively specific, and it has been ahead of the French submarine for a long time in terms of the important speed of the submarine.

As for the French submarines before and after World War I, the most impressive one should be the "cannon-carrying" cruiser Sucouf. This type is equipped with a 203-ton submarine with dual 4330mm turrets. Although it seems to have powerful firepower , but it is still of the "wrong technology tree" type.

On the one hand, the turret turns slowly in combat, and there is a sealing problem that also destroys the appearance of the submarine. On the other hand, the vibration and recoil generated by the huge artillery make the hull unbearable, which is far inferior to that of small and medium-caliber deck guns. It belongs to the standard flashy existence.

However, for the current Australasia, there is still a lot to learn from French submarine technology.

Australasia currently masters the German submarine U-3 technology and is the last of seven groups of submarines.

You must know that when Germany built submarines, it adopted the method of group construction.

This also makes the seven groups of submarines that are also U-3 have a larger gap in actual performance than one group.

Germany began to equip submarines with diesel engines, starting with the seventh group of U-3 submarines.

After a total of seven groups of 22 submarines evolved, the performance of the current U-22 submarine is already very advanced.

Because it is equipped with two eight-cylinder two-stroke diesel engines, the total power has reached 1700 horsepower, which also makes the displacement of the submarine reach 837 tons, the maximum surface speed has reached 15.4 knots, and the maximum underwater speed has reached 9.5 knots.

In addition, the submarine's main weapon was also replaced with a 500 mm torpedo tube.Such a large-caliber torpedo tube is a fatal blow to cruise ships and transport ships that lack armor protection.

This also endows submarines with unique strategic significance. Under the deep sea, submarines are elusive assassins for cruise ships and transport ships.

Of course, because the performance of submarines is not very advanced now, there is no room for submarines to resist when facing regular main battleships.

Compared with the German submarines with a relatively single class and series, the series and classes of French submarines currently developed are more diverse.

As one of the founding countries of modern submarines, France has so far had more than ten levels of submarines. There are various large, medium and small submarines, which can be described as varied.

At present, the world-class submarine models in the hands of France include Gustave Zedd-class submarines, Amphitrite-class submarines, Veron-class submarines, Dupuy de Lemer-class submarines, Diana Class submarines, Amed class submarines, Jossel class submarines, Lagrange class submarines.

Except for the Amphitrite-class submarine, which has a battery life of only 2400 kilometers, all other types of submarines have a battery life of more than 4000 kilometers and can perform long-distance combat missions.

Even the latter two Jossel-class submarines and Lagrange-class submarines have a terrifying cruising range of 11 kilometers at a speed of 8000 knots, which greatly increases the combat range of the submarine and strengthens the strategic position of the submarine.

These two classes of submarines can be described as ocean-going submarines in the true sense, expanding the threat of submarines to the Atlantic Ocean.

The cruising range of German submarines is only more than 2000 kilometers. Compared with French submarines, the gap is not a little bit.

Except for the Gustav Zeider-class submarine, which began construction in 1911, other types of submarines were built or planned to be built this year.

From this point, it is enough to see the sincerity of the French, at least these submarine technologies, the French really give it!
However, this does not mean that the French are generous. According to Arthur's estimation, the French should have a more advanced submarine design, but the current construction plan has not yet started.

But in any case, the performance of several levels of submarine technology that France has handed over to Australasia is indeed more advanced than that of German submarine technology.

When Australasia fully understands the technology of French submarines, combines the respective advantages of German and French submarines, and independently develops Australasia's own submarine technology, it will be the time for Australasian submarines to show their prestige.

The French submarine technology currently mastered by Australasia is actually the Gustav Zed-class submarine that the French started building two years ago.

The Gustav Zeider-class submarine is 74 meters long, 6 meters wide, and has an underwater displacement of 1098 tons. It has entered the ranks of medium and large submarines and served as the pilot submarine in the French Navy.

虽然体型比德国潜艇大，但装备了包含2台1750马力蒸汽机和2台810马力电动机共计5120马力功率的动力系统，让航速达到了世界一流水平的水面航速17节，水下航速10-11节。

Gustav Zedd-class submarines also have excellent endurance, with a total mileage of 5780 kilometers/10 knots and can carry 47 officers and soldiers.

潜艇的主要武器为8枚450毫米鱼雷，2枚在鱼雷发射管中，6枚在双联装外部支架上。还有1门75毫米甲板炮和1门47毫米甲板炮，与其他国家中大型潜艇基本持平。

In general, the Gustav Zeider-class submarine is a submarine that can keep up with the world's advanced level, and its overall technological level is world-class.

Arthur quickly agreed to the application of the Royal Dockyard experts to build several Gustav Zedd-class submarines, and named the two Gustav Zedd-class submarines to be built Q03 and Q04 respectively.

Australasia uses submarines built by other countries, code-named Q, currently equipped with two, and is expected to build two more.

Although the current French submarine technology is very good, they are basically world-class or even leading.

But for Arthur, this kind of technology that other countries also know well can only serve as the basis for Australasian submarines.

Only when Australasia developed the same advanced submarine technology of its own would Arthur dare to use it with confidence.

Fortunately, the submarine technology of this era is actually not that complicated, and the technology is not as good as that of later generations.

As long as you master the submarine technology of Germany and France, and then take the essence and discard the dross, it is not difficult to develop advanced submarines belonging to Australasia.

After all, Australasia currently has the ability to independently design and build dreadnoughts and super dreadnoughts. Compared with dreadnoughts and super dreadnoughts, is submarine technology still difficult?

Even, if it wasn't for the experts in the shipyard to master the French submarine series earlier, Arthur would have given the task to let the experts start developing the idea of ​​​​a new submarine series.

The good news for Arthur is that although Australasia has joined the ranks of the Allied Powers, Australasia does not need to bear the naval pressure from Germany.

The naval mission of Australasia is only to help Britain maintain order on the west and north coasts of the Indian Ocean, that is, the east coast of Africa and the south coast of India.

Generally speaking, the German fleet would not appear in this sea area at all. After all, they would need to be chased and intercepted by the fleet of the Allied Powers to break through to this sea area.

What's more, the British will never allow the German fleet to appear in this sea area.

Because this sea area is not only an important transportation route from Australasia to Europe, but also related to the connection between the British mainland and the Indian colonies.

This also means that even if World War I breaks out in the future, Australasia still has a lot of time to build its own army.

And because of Australasia's excellent geographical location, it is almost impossible for Australasia to be invaded throughout World War I.

The only possibility of being invaded is that either the island country joins the Allied Powers or the United States joins the Allied Powers.

But neither of these two conditions is realistic. The island country was just a loyal little brother of the United Kingdom before the United Kingdom cut off its aid.

Their relationship with Germany is not that good. If the island countries want to join the Allies, they have to weigh the strength of the British Empire.

And the United States, in fact, is the same.Although it is already a real great power in terms of economy and industry, its military strength, especially the army, let alone the great powers, some of the second-largest countries cannot compare.

And throughout the First World War, the mainland of Australasia would be protected by the Allied Powers.

Whoever is an enemy of Australasia is equivalent to an enemy of the entire Allied Powers.

Even after World War I in history, the combined power of Britain and France was much stronger than the military strength displayed by the United States.

What's more, this status quo has already changed the world, and it is basically impossible for the United States to achieve rapid development in World War I as it has in history.

In this way, the strength of Britain, France and the United States will also increase after World War I.At least until World War II broke out and the strength of Britain and France was completely exhausted, the United States could not be the combined opponent of Britain and France.

Even as long as the British and French colonial systems do not collapse, the British Empire and France will always be old powers and one of the most powerful countries in the world.

Today, Australasia is also part of the world colonial system.The United States wants to easily destroy the colonial system of Britain and France after World War II as it did in history, and it depends on whether Australasia agrees.

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(End of this chapter)