Rise of the 1630s South America

Chapter 302 War Ready Ships ([-])

June 1641, 6, sunny.Dongfang Port, the second floor of the administrative building of the executive committee, in the office of the Ministry of Communications.

"What? You want ship timber from me? Are you embarrassing me? Whom should I go to? Now that timber is so tight, I don't know how to do tricks. How can I get you extra timber?" Xiao Bailang Rubbing his forehead, he said to Ding Canlin, the boss of Nanhai Transportation Company sitting opposite him, with a bitter face.

"Minister Xiao, the ministry is too biased this time." Ding Canlin said with some gloom, "The 2000 cubic meters of marine timber that was originally scheduled for us was not left at all, and all of it was diverted to the timber processing plant in the north. I went to process sleepers. I just want to ask, when will we be able to build merchant ships for us? The newly established Railway Administration is my own son, and our Nanhai Transportation Company is raised by my stepmother."

The General Administration of Railways that Ding Canlin was talking about was a newly established deputy-ministerial unit, also under the leadership of Transportation Commissioner Xiao Bailang.The Bureau manages domestic railway transportation, maintenance, and maintenance, the production and repair of rail carriages, the daily operation of the Southern Vehicle Factory (which has been officially allocated from the Ministry of Communications to the General Administration of Railways), and the research and development of new railway locomotives (steam trains), etc. It is the second Ministry of Economy in China besides the General Administration of Textile Industry.In the eyes of many cross-travelers who are familiar with the development potential of the railway, it is a great piece of fat. Therefore, many soy-sauce cross-travelers who have been hanging around in the ministries and commissions and have no ambitions have begun to show their talents and go their own ways. The post almost broke his head, and the scene was extremely tragic for a while.

"What are you talking about?" Xiao Bailang patted the table dissatisfied, and raised his voice, "Didn't the Dayuhe Naval Shipyard already build a flute-shaped transport ship with a standard displacement of 650 tons for you? What else do you want?"

"My chief minister, you also said that only one ship was built." Ding Canlin pulled off the top hat on his head and said anxiously: "The Ministry of the Navy is rich and powerful, so they built a fast cruiser and a ship in one go." An order for a gunboat escort, I heard that the executive committee is still lobbying the leaders to approve the appropriation of funds and start building a battleship to complete that shitty '4500' fleet plan. Fuck, I don't expect to be with the Navy Those **** lunatics can't be left behind so much anyway. At present, I only have seven flute-shaped transport ships with a total transport tonnage of just over [-] tons. Looking at our current economic scale, this is completely unacceptable Proportion. At least add two more flute-shaped transport ships of this kind to me, so that my fleet size will reach ten. Otherwise, as it is now, the transport tonnage is always tight, and I have to hire a large number of French, Shipping ships from Spain, Portugal, and even the Netherlands came to help with the transportation, and the annual rent would go to sea, which is not economical at all.”

The Admiralty's "Fourth Four" fleet plan mentioned by Ding just now was recently proposed by Wang Qinian, that is, four "August [-]th" class battleships, four "Yangwu" class prototypes and their improved versions (namely " Chaoyong" class quasi-flying clipper ships are then enlarged in aspect ratio, and the horizontal sails are changed to vertical sails) fast cruisers are the main battleships, supplemented by a large number of "Madao" class escort gunboats, as the main body of the country's sea power.

The east coast naval fleet configured according to this standard, at least in the South Atlantic Ocean, has no opponents.Of course, a fleet of this size has also brought extremely heavy financial pressure to the country. After all, the navy has a total of hundreds of artillery pieces there, and it costs about [-] yuan to fire a training round for all of them.Coupled with the daily maintenance, repairs, personnel salaries, etc. of the ship, the annual cost is extremely huge.This is still in peacetime. If it is in wartime, the cost will still be rolling upwards, which is even more of a bottomless pit.It can also be seen from this that the navy is really an aristocratic military branch and a gold-swallowing behemoth. If the country's finances are not sufficient or the industrial production capacity is not strong enough, it is best not to play the big navy. I really can't afford it.

"I also know that it's not cost-effective to rent other people's boats all the time, but this is not an emergency." Xiao Bailang sat up a little and said, "I know that the rent is expensive, not cost-effective, and not safe, but this road also needs Step by step is not. I will not say anything else. Can the more than 600 pirates recruited by the United Front Work Department near the Caribbean Sea in the first half of the year be distributed to you? I think you should stop wishful thinking. These are given to you by the Navy. The warships that are about to launch are prepared, and it has nothing to do with your Nanhai Shipping Company. I think you should think about killing those Malay slaves more, it’s more realistic.”

As soon as Xiao Bailang's words came out of his mouth, he hit Ding Canlin's sore spot.That's right, those hundreds of pirates are all old sailors, who wouldn't be greedy?Today, Ding Canlin came to the Ministry of Communications, one is to get some benefits, and the other is to see if he can get some recruited pirates to serve as sailors on his merchant ship, but now it seems that it is obviously impossible up.Xiao Bailang is the leader of the central government, and he is more familiar with the inside story of many things than he is. If he says so, it will definitely be a waste of time. Those pirate sailors are reserved by the Ministry of the Navy for themselves, and no one else can get their hands on them.

It can be said that the people on the east coast have exhausted their brains in order to solve the problem of insufficient sailors.The only job of the United Front Work Department established last year is to recruit enough sailors for the warships and merchant ships of the East Coast Republic. They are all their "united front" targets.

From the beginning of last year to the present, the United Front Work Department has "united front" nearly a thousand European pirates. In addition, it has also set up a study class to train two hundred Malay (Bezimisaraka) slaves who were selected and sent over from the Hezhongbao area. Sailors - These are for the IWTC and the South Sea Transportation Company.But obviously, their work is not enough, at least the number of sailors of the South China Sea Transportation Company does not seem to be very sufficient.

"Damn, I'm really upset." Ding Canlin was still cursing in disappointment, "In the past, people waited for the boat, but now the mother's boat waits for people, what an evil way! Forget it, I'm here to complain today, nothing to do I will go back first. There are a lot of things waiting for me to deal with on the pier. A batch of weapons destined for Bristol will be shipped to the sea soon, and civil war will break out on the British side at any time. I have to go to the pier to urge me every day, and I’m so annoyed. Oh, I’m leaving now, Minister Xiao.”

"Hurry up." Xiao Bailang cursed, and then said: "All your messy things are left to your secretary. The British guy's ship of weapons is distributed to others, and we are the ones who support the king's party." The country's consistent policy, don't delay. Alright, now you go to pack your things, give some tasks, and then go on a business trip with me. Go to the north, Hekoubao! There are good things for you to see!"

Ding Canlin was stunned for a moment, then went out and explained to his secretary the work for the next few days.After explaining, he and Xiao Bailang walked out of the administrative building of the executive committee together.Soon, the two of them left Dongfang Harbor in a small passenger carriage surrounded by several police officers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and headed west.

The four-wheeled passenger carriage walked lightly on Highway 1. The asphalt-paved road was extremely smooth. Coupled with the shock absorbing springs installed at the bottom of the carriage, people sitting in the carriage could hardly feel any bumps.Well, it would be even better if the wheels were replaced with rubber tires. Unfortunately, no one in the chemical industry knows how to vulcanize rubber. At present, it is still trial and error. It seems that there is no hope in the short term.

It took more than an hour for the carriage to reach Dingyuan Township.After Xiao Bailang declined the lunch invitation from the township head Lin Youde, he, Ding Canlin and others borrowed a few miscellaneous horses from the township government, and headed north along Dayu Lake to cotton farmer township.After arriving in Miannong Township, I didn't stop there. I hurriedly ate a few meatloaf for lunch, then headed north again, and arrived in Zhenyuan Township in the afternoon.

Zhenyuan Township is the most remote town in the Capital Region.When the local head of Ouyang Township learned that Xiao Bailang and the others were going to continue northward, without further ado, he ordered the head of the township police station, Officer Ronald, to take several police officers from the police station along for protection.In this way, the team, which has expanded to more than ten people, went all the way north along the railway line under construction. After camping for one night in the field activity wooden house of the Fourth Bureau of Communications and Construction, it took more than half a day to arrive in Mi Merlin Port on the south bank of Linhu Lake.

Port Merlin, a port town with a population of less than [-] people, has now shown its vitality as an emerging city.Under the organization of cadres sent by the Dayuhe Youth Cadre School, the local residents are working hard to build the railway station and freight wharf.At the same time, a group of farmers in the slack period conscripted from the north also built residential houses, sewers, drinking water purification facilities, public toilets, warehouses and other living facilities for the city under the command of the construction team foreman.It is also under the hard work of these people that the East Coast talents have created one after another miraculous "East Coast Speed" compared to European countries in this era.

There is a southern vehicle factory in Port Meilin under the management of Xiao Bailang, but he has no intention to visit it. On June 6, Xiao Bailang and his party took a 23-ton inland river small steamer on a transport rail returning from Meilin Port to the north.After passing through the beautiful Milin Lake, the small steamer smoothly entered the two-lake canal with gentle currents, connecting Milin Lake and Duck Lake, and finally at the Hekou Fort near the exit of the Duck Lake in the northern section of the canal (later Pero near Tas) and disembarked from the pier.Here, the Hyundai Special Shipyard, which is also under his charge, is quietly sitting on the bank of the canal.

(End of this chapter)