Germanic Empire: Please call me Wilhelm III

“Battle cruiser?” The high-ranking officials of the Germanic Imperial Navy couldn’t help but frown.

They all seem to have some confusion about the need to build battle cruisers.

Isn’t it bad to continue to build battleships step by step?

“According to the information we have, the Royal Navy of the Sun Never Sets Empire has started construction of an ‘Invincible-class’ battle cruiser. This is a battleship with the firepower of a battleship and the speed of a cruiser. Once commissioned, we won’t have a single cruiser that can handle these battleships in future naval battles. Even the ‘Constellation-class’ heavy cruisers are very difficult.

Therefore, in the future, once a war breaks out between us and the Sun Never Sets Empire, our cruiser formations will be slaughtered by the battle cruisers of the Sun Never Sets. We had to have a battle cruiser that could compete with it, or even more powerful! ”

Liu Chuan explained to everyone.

The high-ranking officials of the Germanic Imperial Navy nodded repeatedly.

Since everyone who never sets has battle cruisers, then the Germanic Empire should have battle cruisers.

“What’s more, when a war breaks out in the future, the sun will definitely choose to block our coastline.” We can also send battle cruisers to form a diplomatic fleet to attack the sea transport lines that never set on the sun. Another purpose of developing battle cruisers was to ensure the safety of their sea transport lines. Liu Chuan continued.

“Your Majesty, then let’s build battle cruisers, we need battle cruisers that are more advanced than battle cruisers that never set on the sun!” Marshal Count Tirpitz said.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Our battle cruisers must surpass the battle cruisers where the sun never sets! Marshal von Boer also said.

The other admirals also had this opinion.

“It’s nature. The “Invincible-class” battle cruiser with a maximum speed of 25.5 knots and four twin 45 caliber 305 mm guns. Obviously, it has decent speed and firepower. However, the biggest problem of the ‘Invincible-class’ battle cruisers was in terms of armor. The armor of this class of battle cruisers was very weak. The waterline armor thickness was only 152 mm, the deck armor was only 63.5 mm, the turret frontal armor was only 179 mm, and the conning tower frontal armor was only 254 mm. “Liu Chuan knows the performance data of the capital ship that never sets.

“Your Majesty, the defenses of the ‘Invincible-class’ battle cruisers that never set are too weak, and even our ‘Constellation-class’ heavy cruisers are able to pose a mortal threat to them!” Marshal von Boer said.

Liu Chuan nodded: “Yes, but in the same way, our ‘Constellation-class’ heavy cruisers also can’t block the 305mm main guns of the ‘Invincible-class’ battle cruisers.” ”

“We wanted to design a battle cruiser that could withstand the Invincible class battle cruisers defensively, and could slightly exceed them in terms of firepower. In this way, once we engage the sun in a future naval battle, our battle cruisers will be able to kill these battle cruisers that do not set! Liu Chuan said.

Liu Chuan is very clear that the concept of building ships that never sets in the future will adhere to the importance of speed and firepower, and despise defense.

In this way, the capital ships of the Germanic Empire can take advantage of a lot in naval battles.

“This is a battle cruiser of my design, which I named the ‘Moltke-class’ battle cruisers in honor of our old Moltke Chief of Staff!” Liu Chuan continued.

The Moltke-class battle cruisers had a displacement of 24,000 tons and a full load displacement of 28,500 tons, armed with three triple 50 caliber 305 mm guns. In addition to this, there were six twin 55 caliber 150 mm secondary guns, eight single 105 mm rapid-fire guns, 12 single 88-mm rapid-fire guns, and 12 twin 40-mm rapid-fire guns. In terms of power, 16 oil-fired boilers and two high-power steam turbines are used, and the maximum speed is expected to reach about 28 knots. In terms of armor defense, the side main armor belt is 305 mm thick with a new armor steel, and the turret and commander tower armor are also 305 mm. The deck armor is 65 mm.

A total of four battleships of this class will be built, named Moltke, Goeben, Schlieffen and Von der Tann.

The top brass of the German Imperial Navy had no opinion on the construction of the Moltke-class battle cruisers. If construction begins next year, it is expected that these battle cruisers will be able to enter service by the end of 1710.

Time passed slowly, and soon it was June 1708.

Liu Chuan went to the Kiel Harbour Naval Base again. This time, he did not come alone, but also the top of the imperial cabinet and the top of the army. Of course, it is the top of the Navy that is essential.

Everyone gathered here for one thing.

That is, after more than two years of construction, the lead ship of the first dreadnought of the German Imperial Navy, the battleship ‘Nassau’, has completed various sea trials and can be officially delivered to the German Imperial Navy! The Germanic Imperial Navy, for this purpose, held a grand commissioning ceremony.