Chapter 4, The Exorbitant Navy

Lin Haijiang understood that having his own fleet and establishing his own power sounded very simple, but in reality, it was incredibly difficult to achieve

Where is the clue? Where should I start? Lin Haijiang has no idea at all

Lin Haijiang feels fortunate to have been born into a relatively enlightened family. In order to protect their family's shipping interests in the South Seas, they sent their young members to England to study the most advanced naval technology. After completing their studies, these young members were integrated into the navy to safeguard the family's merchant ships.

After returning to the country, he hoped that the decayed court would spend money to purchase ironclad warships? Lin Haijiang knew that this was fundamentally impossible, so he felt very frustrated

Undoubtedly, behind the long-established shipyards in Europe lies a profound political background, with some even operated by members of royalty. During the era of political procurement, coupled with the updates and replacements of retrogressive artillery, as well as the unreasonable layout of the gun positions on ironclad ships, these factors limited the combat effectiveness and firepower output efficiency of the early ironclads. Consequently, it is entirely normal that the so-called new generation favorites, the ironclads, remained neglected and unrecognized.

Lin Haijiang briskly walked up to the dock. After the sailors presented arms, Lin Haijiang elegantly returned a salute. Upon boarding the Phoenix, he noticed that the sailors had already begun their daily cleaning tasks. Large pieces of deer hide were being used to polish the brass fittings and silver corners. To Lin Haijiang, the opulence of ships in this era was nothing more than a form of excessive European extravagance and wastefulness.

The morning in Dartmouth is immersed in air that carries a slight hint of freshness, with a significant amount of salt evaporating from the seawater quietly corroding everything it can corrode

A few seagulls soared in the distance, and their cheerful calls lifted Lin Haijiang's spirits!

At Dartmouth Harbor, there are approximately over 3,000 Chinese laborers working as dockworkers or sailors. They consume food akin to pig feed, yet they engage in exceedingly arduous work, all in order to repay the ever-increasing debts of their travel expenses.

However, a battleship costing as much as one million pounds, which is technically outdated, is not a target he can even imagine in terms of price, crew, and personnel. Even a tier three or tier four battleship can only be a luxury, as these large warships are not something that can simply be purchased with money

Even the best artillery can only be used for 2 to 3 years after being installed on a ship; the shining brass here will lose its luster completely in less than two days. It is hard for people to imagine how the bright brass handrails on warships manage to remain shiny and eye-catching.

Upon recalling the enormous costs incurred by the training, Lin Haijiang almost gasped in shock. For someone like him, who was nearly destitute, this was undoubtedly an astronomical sum, and his previous thoughts were nothing more than a pipe dream

I fear that apart from war, there is no other force that can drive the modernization of weapons. Lin Haijiang smiled wryly; even a 3,000-ton ironclad ship with a speed of 10 knots still costs around 600,000 pounds. Adding unique improvements and the upgrades of main and secondary guns, as well as the recruitment costs for sailors, one million pounds is merely the starting point. To truly form combat capability, at least three to five ironclad warships are needed.

This seems to seriously contradict the historical knowledge in his memory He has even heard that some medium and small shipyards in Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands can manufacture ironclad ships with a displacement of up to 3,000 tons and a cruising speed of around 10 knots

Just as during the mid-World War II, the U.S. military had the capability to equip a series of intermediate-caliber assault rifles, standardizing ammunition to alleviate logistical pressure, yet it still utilized the M1 Garand semi-automatic rifle, the M1 carbine, and the M1A1 Thompson submachine gun as the composition of weapons for tactical assault squads

Combining the unspoken rules of the arms manufacturing industry in later generations, Lin Haijiang suddenly understood that the ironclad warship had already been developed and that the mature technology had reached a level suitable for mass production and equipping. However, the existing large shipyards were reluctant to promote this new type of warship utilizing advanced technology. If the ironclad warship were to be quickly accepted, their monopoly position would be undermined, and they might even be eliminated in future competition.

To live a fulfilling day is to savor life, while to live a constrained life for a lifetime is to suffer! Lin Haijiang clearly belongs to the former category. Creating a fleet that belongs to the nation is undoubtedly a long-held dream of every Chinese naval officer throughout history. Even in the twenty-first century, the Chinese Navy is still pursuing its blue-water dream, being surrounded by numerous island chains at its doorstep.

Due to the fact that the training of specialized personnel for roles such as deck officers, gun officers, and lookout officers cannot keep pace with the speed and scale of the Royal Navy's expansion, breaking this taboo has become the ultimate purpose of the Dartmouth Naval College

It is important to note that the ammunition used by these weapons varies significantly, which not only places immense pressure on logistics but also prevents the full utilization of the combat effectiveness of these weapons. The only explanation for this is that the government must consider the manufacturing capabilities and financial interests of several major arms dealers. Arms procurement is always conducted under the maximization of political and economic interests, and spending more money on subpar equipment is no longer a novel issue

In a moment of realization, Lin Haijiang found himself unexpectedly at the dock, where several sailors in the distance were gazing in his direction

Lin Haijiang did not wake anyone up, walking alone on Fielden Street towards the port. Recently, Lin Haijiang had been closely following all news regarding the armored cruiser and the ironclad warship. He was particularly shocked to learn that many shipyards in Europe could actually construct ironclads powered by steam engines driven by boiler combustion.

The opportunities and positioning of history have deeply moved Lin Haijiang. If he were born into a commoner's family, or even into a noble family, it would still be very difficult for him to realize his aspirations. One must understand that an individual, or even a group of people, or even the strength of an entire generation, is insufficient to contend with the entirety of an era. Although the wheels of time roll forward relentlessly, has anyone ever contemplated the cost of pushing those wheels forward?

As the steward said, after completing my studies, I would return to fill a vacancy in the Guangdong Navy? Lin Haijiang truly felt unwilling; since fate has brought him to this era that does not belong to him, should he continue to live in mediocrity? Or should he witness the rise and fall of the most powerful modern naval fleet in Chinese history, the Beiyang Fleet?

Countless people in later generations are calling for the construction of aircraft carriers to safeguard the nation's maritime rights and interests. Lin Haijiang, as a naval officer, feels immense helplessness and pain, as the entire Southeast Asia, Taiwan, and the Ryukyu Islands have strategically divided China's long maritime defense line.

During peacetime, the issues are manageable; however, once war breaks out, it is highly likely that aircraft carriers and large surface vessels could be trapped at their home ports and sunk in a tragic scenario. The aircraft carrier, as a long-range offensive vessel, may be attacked before it has a chance to fulfill its role, resulting in unprecedented losses for the People's Navy since its establishment

From the perspective of future generations, the main reason is that China at that time was indeed very affluent, characterized by vast territory and abundant resources. Moreover, according to Confucian doctrine, China was regarded as the center of the world, with the emperor's authority being overwhelming, rendering any concerns about maritime boundaries unnecessary

What did the tragically deceased Copernicus attempt to prove? He merely recognized that the Earth is round several hundred years earlier than others

Through inquiry and observation, Lin Haijiang determined that a small portion of these individuals still held potential for development. However, he was acutely aware that transforming a so-called sailor into a battleship sailor seemed to be a long and arduous journey. Just to become a chief mate or a deck officer required over a decade of experience and training. In Europe during this era, many professions were hereditary, passed down from father to son.

Throughout history, the concept of maritime power has not existed in the subconscious of Chinese emperors. Remarkably, even the Zheng He fleet, which was once a magnificent force leading the world, was merely intended to proclaim the prosperity and wealth of the Ming Dynasty. For the emperors of China, maritime power has indeed been a superfluous notion

Lin Haijiang wakes up very early. For a professional soldier, sleeping in is a deadly bad habit. Currently, Lin Haijiang is preoccupied with how to make money. If he returns to his country in the near future, he will need a substantial amount of money to purchase the ships he requires. Without ships, all his ideals and ambitions will remain mere fantasies.

As he strolls leisurely through the courtyard, Lin Haijiang quietly contemplates how much the costs would decrease if these unnecessary elements were removed. This modification undoubtedly represents a thorough trial for Lin Haijiang.

This made Lin Haijiang exclaim, what is the navy? Whether in the nineteenth century or the twenty-first century, the navy is destined to be built with money