Chapter 410 The largest maritime expedition in history has begun

In the Subic military port, the four dry docks are full of busy blue figures. Unlike the unified white uniforms in other countries, the Xinhua Navy not only has white formal military uniforms, but also this marine blue work uniform.

Although Luzon lacks heavy industry, it does not hinder the usual maintenance of the fleet. After the four Jinghai-class ships enter the dock, the first thing to do is to drain the water, and then let the bottom of the ship be exposed to the sun for a few days. Then the sailors are busy with the workers to eradicate the thick shells and shells attached to the bottom of the ship, and then paint it with a red background, and finally Brush a layer of waterproof paint for protection. This kind of work is extremely important for light patrols who rely on speed, because if these small things are not cleaned up in time, even if the power is strong at a strong speed, it will inevitably drop several sections.

In addition to the external cleaning, the deck and the internal maintenance are also not easy. They also clean the deck, scrub the barrel, replace the parts, drill into the narrow oil tank to clean up the accumulated thick oil residues, and finally use newly developed lubricating oil for steam turbines and other mechanical parts for maintenance.

As the head light patrol, the Jinghai class is epoch-making. Even if it has been designed nearly a decade ago, it is still second only to the eight latest capital ships in terms of electrical applications, and even higher than the defense-class destroyers launched in the past two years.

Ship generators, electric loaded hoists, electric motors that drive turrets, ship-borne pumps, etc. These inconspicuous places are full of traces that Xinhua is about to enter the electrical era from the mechanization era. Training and fighting in a long-term salt fog humid environment also makes the navy through eight Jinghai-class ships and even The country has trained a large number of high-quality electrical maintenance personnel, and even the eight newly commissioned capital ships have been transferred from the eight Jinghai class to supplement the needs of a large number of electrical non-commissioned officers from the eight Jinghai class.

At the same time, the four Jinghai-class ships have been maintained, in Guam, Hawaii, Ryukyu, Truk and other bases. Such maintenance work is being carried out at the same time. In order to ensure that Russia tries not to figure out the real strength of the Xinhua Navy before the war, the navy has opened almost all more closed and easier to control overseas bases. And almost no domestic military port has been put into use.

In the eyes of outsiders, this kind of busyness seems to be nervous about the upcoming war, but the sailors do not admit it. In fact, warships have to do such comprehensive maintenance every three months. Otherwise, why does the navy have a saying, "It's easy to build a ship and it's difficult to maintain a ship?" Such a process may not be eye-catching, but it is a huge expense to concentrate.

In fact, half of the navy's annual budget is used in this kind of conservation, which makes some Chinese, especially those from the inland who have just emigrated to Luzon and Borneo, don't understand why these big guys come here every few months. It's too wasteful. It's better to reduce the size of the fleet and save money. For land construction.

But these words only dare to nagging in their hearts, but dare not say them, because if such words are heard by the Chinese in both places, even the Luzon people, they will be stabbed in the backbone, because in their eyes, the navy is the biggest backer and protector.

However, when the news that the Russian naval fleet, known as the third in the world, was coming a few days ago, spread, those skeptics immediately changed their views, because at this moment, in the face of the potentially huge Russian fleet, they really understood that the huge warships in front of them would be the last steel in front of them. Barriers.

Standing beside these steel beasts, Lefei, who deliberately came to check the progress, still had no smile on his face. It was not that he didn't love these big guys, but that he loved them too much, because they gave him another unique sea battle choice.

Firepower and speed, this is almost a pair of hostile brothers in the navy. The battleship needs to emphasize the firepower, but the thick armor limits the speed, and the light patrol needs speed, but the survivability makes it have to find a way to increase every inch of muscle.

After last year's upgrade, the speed of the eight Jinghai-class light cruisers has increased to an astonishing 28 knots. Although there is still a gap of two knots from the 30 knots of the defense-class destroyer, the destroyer cannot be compared with the Jinghai-class. At the same time, the upgraded L52/152mm gun has a range of more than 20,000 meters for the first time, and the burst and muzzle velocity have increased significantly. With the new armor-piercing shells, it is not weak in the face of the heavy patrol of the Vladivostok-class.

In the internal exercises, a Jinghai class can easily kill four or more defense class, so in the navy, the Jinghai eight ships have the reputation of destroyer killers. Even Ji Rushan, who has always been more conservative, did not hide his love for the Jinghai class when facing this problem, believing that the Jinghai class is 3,000 tons of two countries. The nightmare of class cruisers and destroyers, and it is full of praise for its multi-purpose surname.

However, this data is still strictly confidential. The published data of the Jinghai class is still 24 knots. A European new generation of coal-fired boilers and reciprocating steam engines can also drive 10,000-ton warships to this speed.

Although the Jinghai class seems to be the most perfect light patrol in various countries, as a fleet commander, Le Fei is very clear that the Jinghai class is outdated. Nine years have passed since the beginning of the design, and countless technologies are being abandoned in nine years, so this kind of light patrol is inevitably getting old. .

But to his delight, the new generation of light patrol has completed the design, and it is said that the first keel will be laid next month, which means that the navy will fully welcome another stronger new partner.

But now it is obviously not the time to consider a new partner. The intelligence said that the Russian fleet will leave in two days at the earliest. When they cross the Suez Canal, it will take about 20 days to enter the Indian Ocean. Judging from the progress of maintenance, it should be completed when the Russian fleet passes through the Suez Canal, and then use the sea for a few days. Try to adjust it, and you can enter the state of readiness.

Le Fei hooked the corners of his mouth. Because this time, Boss Long shouted that he would personally command the last naval battle of his life, and then went home to concentrate on being a wet nurse for the navy cubs in his mouth, so he and Ji Rushan had to give up their positions. In addition, the two fleets would merge and concentrate on fighting, so he was once again rushed to lead the light patrol and drive. Ship-by-ship formation, and Ji Rushan became the commander of the heavy patrol formation.

Can you deal with the scene of the Japanese return fleet in the Daxia Islands again?

"Speed will change the naval battle!"

Le Fei muttered to himself that this was his biggest dream. When he was about to board the ship to see the specific maintenance progress, a jeep suddenly stopped not far away. Lan Jianshu jumped out of the car quickly. After running to his side, he smiled bitterly: "Commander, it seems that we don't need to finish it in a hurry to finish it. "

"Why?" Le Fei was confused. After he opened the latest information, he suddenly couldn't laugh or cry.

I really couldn't laugh or cry, and Emperor Li hugged Fang Xianqi, who had just given birth to his second son, in Xinhua Garden, and then let her go in the latter's shame.

Only Li Enfu is probably the only one who doesn't know the navy, but over the years, he always knows a general idea. No matter how bad it is, he also knows how exhausted the sailors will be after waiting for a fleet to drift for half a year. According to Long Guozhang, there is no need to fight, just find a thousand women to go to the Russian fleet. On the other side, those sailors who have green eyes when they see sows are absolutely willing to disarm and surrender.

"This old navy bastard!"

Fang Xianqi twisted her eyes, laughed and scolded secretly, handed over the work of delivering tea and water to the maid in a piece of dirty words and left, causing Li Mo to quickly throw Long Guozhang back to the Admiralty.

Long Guozhang does have a reason to be depressed, because the route of the Russian fleet is to take a detour to the Cape of Good Hope in Africa, so it will arrive at least half a year later, which means that the fleet that has just completed maintenance needs to do it again in a few months.

When Long Guozhang was worried about maintenance and maintenance, Roger Stern's face turned white. He just made a suggestion. Unexpectedly, His Majesty put himself directly on the sea of fire!

When he carefully and euphemistically said to Nicholas II that he was only a major general, the commander of the Baltic Fleet was a lieutenant general, so he could not command the expeditionary fleet with the Baltic Fleet as the main force in terms of rank.

But this question is too simple for the great and wise His Majesty the Tsar. An order crossed the military and directly promoted the Major General to a lieutenant general. Finally, he patted his shoulder with earnestly and said, "Do it well. Even if you occupy Luzon, I will make you a general and a marshal."

Now Roger Winster couldn't escape, so he had to listen to his scalp start preparing for the expedition, but when the news that the Russian expedition fleet needed to pass through the Mediterranean Sea to pass through the Suez Canal was conveyed to Britain, the British First Secretary of the Navy, Fisher directly threw the transit report into the trash can.

The British Prime Minister, the Marquis of Salisbury, refused the lobbying of the Russian ambassador. The truth was very simple. The total number of ships proposed by Russia from Suez to the Far East reached 45, of which 20 were 10,000-ton capital ships!

Get rid of it. God knows if you will hug the rabbit and fight the grass. In case you can't figure it out and stop at the Suez Canal, will the British Empire replace Li Mo?!

The second one who disagreed was the Ottoman Empire, the European sick man who got a Chinese-style battleship. In the past two years, he became the little overlord of the Suez Canal. Relying on the third European ship, or even the first new actual combat battleship, he strolled in the Mediterranean twice a day, according to the Caliphate II. According to the words of the world, it is time for the Ottoman Empire to show its strength.

But this force is obviously not suitable for facing the passage of the huge Russian fleet. Originally, the relationship between the two countries was tense, and it was difficult to lock the Russian Black Sea Fleet at home through an agreement. If it was vastly taken through the Suez Canal, in case Nicholas II exploded, he ordered to turn around and join hands with the Black Sea Fleet to capture. Istanbul, there is no place to cry.

Although there is a new battleship that knows that it is powerful, except for Xinhua, no one has really used it for actual combat except for a few shots, so the panicked Caliph II even refused to cross the border with the threat of war.

Eastanburg is a ** place. Britain, France and other countries have a headache. I heard that the Ottoman Empire actually threatened with war, and did not support the Russian fleet to walk the Suez Canal. Although Nicholas II was annoyed, he did not have the ability to offend the whole of Europe and the two countries to go to war, so he could only take this hatred. Keep it in mind.

If you can't go to the nearest Suez Galaxy, can you trap the powerful Third Navy? Obviously, it is impossible. His Majesty the Great Tsar immediately suggested to go to the Cape of Good Hope!

This scared Roger Winster. He set out from the Baltic Sea and bypassed the whole of Africa for more than 4,000 nautical miles in 10,000 years. Finally, he crossed the Indian Ocean to Luzon, up to 16,000 nautical miles. Let alone the problem of equipment, morale alone is difficult to guarantee!

But it was not difficult for the Tsar. He immediately ordered the recruitment of noble women, and also ordered that he should know the common sense of medical care, preferably know how to sing and dance, and be able to relieve the loneliness of the soldiers on the expedition. After the recruitment was ready, he immediately stuffed into a medical ship.

Well, the emperor is like this, and there is nothing he can do!

Roger Stern gritted his teeth and prepared. The first problem he encountered was fuel. After a half-year voyage, it was extremely difficult for battleships with a range of only 4,000 to 5,000 nautical miles, let alone destroyers!

So he ordered that the ship's places that could be filled should be filled with coal, and even the residential area must be stuffed with a few bags under each bed. He also cut a large amount of wood and piled it directly on the deck. Finally, even the turret was full.

But this is not enough. Fortunately, the great ally France sent comfort at this time. Although it could not provide a base in the Far East, Africa can, so it offered to provide a Malagasy base for Russia to replenish coal. Britain also promised to temporarily open several coal filling stations on the west coast of Africa, but this is not enough, because After Madagascar, Britain and France themselves lacked a base.

At this time, his cousin extended a helping hand, and Germany expressed its willingness to rent several large ocean-going cargo ships for the Russian fleet. Although the price was a little expensive, Roger Stern almost agreed without hesitation.

But the problem is that he did not know that China and Germany had signed a secret contract at this time, and William II did not really help Russia, but was afraid that the Russian fleet would be willing to leave the ship in case it would be difficult to take a detour to the Far East.

William II's plan is to let the Russian fleet leave Europe, so that it can concentrate on the naval competition with France and Britain without considering Russia's maritime threat. The second advantage is that if it can defeat Xinhua, Germany may be able to share the share. Even if it doesn't, Russia will lose a lot. Anyway, the more Russia loses. The more warships die, the more the national strength will be lost. In this way, we can use loans and other means to force Russia to its own side and completely break France's attempt to encircle Germany.

When the last 2,000 temporary recruits came, the boatmen and fishermen who had only been trained for two months were forcibly joined the navy and boarded the warship, Roger Stern Winster's huge New Far East Fleet finally set off.

To borrow the words of an American journalist who came to watch the expedition ceremony.

"Smoke covered the sky and steel covered the harbor. This is the largest maritime expedition in human history so far, because the total tonnage of all warships and transport ships has exceeded 400,000 tons!"

(to be continued)