1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 789 Sing and Harmony

Gu Kai’s reasons for opposing the Navy’s fleet expansion are indeed old-fashioned, and Wang Tom’s explanation for this is also nothing new.The naval training cycle is long and the investment is high. When there is no war, there seems to be no obvious return. This is well known. The military has to debate this with anti-war people in the group every year to fight for a limited military budget.Over the past few years, even if there are no people directly involved, they have already memorized the defenses of both parties at a high level, and it is difficult to be easily aroused by the speeches of both parties.

But even for the opposition, it is difficult to deny the importance of naval control of key sea lanes.One of Haihan's first steps in taking down Qiongbei was to cut off the Qiongzhou Strait's waterway first, so as to prevent the possibility of Ming's increasing troops from the sea to Hainan Island.The control of the Pearl River Estuary allowed Haihan to successfully control the only channel for maritime trade in the most affluent areas of Guangdong and Guangxi.As for the importance of the waterway in the Fujian Strait, there is no doubt that Haihan invested troops thousands of miles away to fight in Fujian in order to control this important seaway connecting the South China Sea and Northeast Asia.

Of course, the rapid expansion of the military's armed forces is bound to cause uneasiness among some people in Haihan, and the military's performance in the Fujian waters in the second half of this year has further aggravated such perceptions.Regarding the Executive Committee's plan to continue to expand the control area northward, the military not only did not obey the arrangement and fully supported it, but insisted on taking Taiwan first, and "unauthorizedly" took reconnaissance and survey operations on the local area.After that, he strongly advocated the development of Kaohsiung Port as Haihan's next colony in the southeast sea area of ​​Daming.However, this action also made the base camp fail to make relevant preparations in time, resulting in the early development process of Kaohsiung Port not being as smooth as usual.It took a full month for the base camp to basically coordinate various related matters, so that the investment promotion and infrastructure construction of Kaohsiung Port can continue to be implemented.

In the eyes of Gu Kai and others, this is actually the performance of the military standing on its own hills.It is meaningless to argue about the right or wrong choice of the military, because the executive committee has recognized the military's approach and provided corresponding support. Even if the military chose Kaohsiung Port arbitrarily at the beginning, it is now a certainty The facts have changed.However, controlling the expansion speed of the military and preventing its self-expansion is still a necessary means for the opposition.If the military is allowed to continue to act on its own accord, the Executive Committee may be reorganized into a military government in a few years.

Although everyone is used to this kind of debate and lacks enthusiasm for participation, someone will stand up to help set the pace.The reason why the military can win more and lose less in discussions at various meetings is because they are not fighting alone, and there are still a few hard-core allies.

Schneider was the first to stand up for the military. After all, the Ministry of Commerce wants to expand the scope of trade, and it can be said that every step is inseparable from the support of the military.The rise and fall of the military is closely related to the interests of the Ministry of Commerce. As the head of the Ministry of Commerce, Schneider must take the initiative to advocate for the military.

Schneider said: "Gentlemen, our Ministry of Commerce has planned the trade route to Jiangsu and Zhejiang as early as 1630, but the plan is still on paper today, the reason is very simple, because we don't have enough Armed forces at sea can provide protection for our merchant ships in the East China Sea. If the navy’s fleet cannot be effectively expanded as soon as possible, it will be difficult to implement the northern trade and immigration routes that you have envisioned before.”

"But the Ming merchant ship that transports immigrants from the north does not have any armed protection." Some people immediately questioned Schneider's words.

Schneider nodded and said: "This is indeed true, but you only notice this situation, but you don't notice the risks and consequences it brings. In the past three months, a total of seven merchant ships transporting immigrants have been in Ningbo. Pirates encountered pirates in the waters of the Zhoushan Islands off the coast of Fuzhou. Four of them failed to escape, and even the boats and people were taken away. In addition, there have been small groups of pirates along the coast of Taizhou and Wenzhou. Japanese pirates here. It is indeed a lucrative business to transport immigrants from the north, but the risk is also very high. There are not many Ming maritime merchants participating in it at present, otherwise our current speed of importing immigrants can be several times faster."

"Perhaps we can change the model and send armed personnel to escort merchant ships. This will not only save the cost of building warships, but also reduce the operating costs of the entire navy. If we really encounter pirates, then the armed personnel on the ship can also rely on us. Effectively defend against the superiority of weapons.” Someone put forward another idea.

"The method you mentioned sounds okay, but it is unlikely to be realized in actual operation." Wang Tom shook his head and replied: "First of all, if the armed personnel escorting the ship are only equipped with light weapons, then the effect in combat at sea is actually not good. Obviously. On the undulating sea, if you want to use a rifle to hit an enemy ten meters away, it depends on luck. If it is equipped with military artillery, we don't have so many idle artillery to complete the deployment, and the structural strength of merchant ships is not as strong as that of warships. The deployment of military artillery also requires rebuilding the deck and side of the merchant ship, and the time and money required are also costs that cannot be ignored. The armed personnel escorted by the Golden Shield have also received the task of escorting the ship before, but To be honest, the effect is not ideal, it can only deal with sporadic small groups of pirates, and it is impossible to act as a deterrent like a naval fleet."

"Everyone, if armed bodyguards are enough to make it work, then why do we spend huge sums of money to build an army? Even if there is no war, the role of the navy is irreplaceable!" Yan Chujie waved his fists excitedly: "Have you all forgotten? How did our code name Haihan come about? Sea power! Sea power! Sea power is the foundation of our foothold in this era, the foundation for us to conquer the world in the future, and the premise for you to enjoy prosperity and wealth in the future! With a powerful navy , it is possible to realize the command of the sea we want!"

"However, the shipbuilding budget submitted by the military has more than doubled compared to previous years' budgets. Although what you just said is reasonable, isn't it too much?" Ning Qi asked the military. The Navy budget has been questioned.

Wang Tom replied: "The budget increase is mainly because the next generation of warships will generally add a steam propulsion system on board, so that they can have stronger combat capabilities."

"The military steam engine is not so expensive, right?" Ning Qi continued to ask.

"The increased military expenditure is not just the manufacturing cost of the steam engine, it also includes the improvement of the hull structure, the increase in operation and maintenance costs. After all, the sail power used in the past did not have much operating cost, at most it only has depreciation costs and labor costs. But after steam propulsion is used, coal and fresh water must be added to the supplies. For this reason, we may also need to increase the number of supply ships in the fleet. Calculated in this way, the military expenditure will definitely increase compared to previous years But I can assure you that building a steam fleet will be a very worthwhile investment, and when our fleet crushes our opponents at sea in the future, you will agree with me without hesitation." Tom Wang patiently explained.

"About the new generation of warships proposed by the military, I also want to say a few words." Yue Zhiyun raised his hand and said, "Everyone knows that the appearance of steam warships is of epoch-making significance for the navy. We have installed a few "Majestic Class" hybrid battleships before this, but what we are going to do now is to install all the combat ships with the latest propulsion system, so that the entire fleet can speed up at sea. Everyone Don't think that this is just a matter for the military. In fact, the civilian use of military technology is the focus of our attention. Maybe in a year or two, we can start to install small steam engines on civilian ships on a large scale, allowing our maritime trade to enter to a period of real rapid development."

"This is not just a harvest for the shipyard. For the industrial sector, the mass production of steam engines is also a leap in productivity." Beks took over the words of Yue Zhiyun and continued: "In the past, when we used steam engines for shipbuilding, one batch often Only one or two units will be built, not to mention the high production cost, and it will be difficult to standardize the production process. But if we can increase the number of units manufactured in each batch to ten, twenty or even more, then the mass production The cost will be effectively reduced, and we can also train a group of industrial workers and technicians who really master the engine manufacturing technology. I don’t need to say more about how much this will promote the development of our industrial system. ?”

At least [-]% of the time-traveling group has a background in science and engineering, and industrialists have always been one of the most influential voices in this group, and they are even above the military most of the time—after all, the military’s armament They all come from the industrial sector. For the military, the industrial sector is something they can't afford to mess with.Of course, it’s a good thing that this uncle will speak on the side of the military most of the time. After all, the interests come first. The military’s orders have always been an important part of the income of the industrial sector. When it is time to support the military, the industrial sector will not be ambiguous. .

Whenever the critical moment comes, the industrial sector will come out to join forces with the military, and with the Ministry of Commerce playing side drums, the opposition is basically powerless against this combination, and basically can only stay in verbal veto.There were no exceptions at this meeting. In the end, the military budget passed the executive committee's voting resolution amidst the noise.

According to the military's proposal, all military combat ships built in 1633 will adopt hybrid power structures, and the pure sail-powered warships manufactured in previous years will be gradually phased out for use by judicial, commercial, shipping and other departments.The newly built steam fleet will adopt a separate organization and will not be allocated to the existing four major fleets.However, the specific deployment location needs to continue to observe the changes in the situation. After all, it takes more than three to five months to build an entire steam fleet, and it may take one or two years before it can really form combat effectiveness.

It is also worth mentioning that the navy's steam fleet has adopted a double-flagship arrangement, that is, two "majestic-class" warships will be included in this special fleet with epoch-making significance.Of course, this also means that the cost of the entire fleet will increase by about [-]% to [-]%.However, high-level military officials believe that the price is worth it. A fleet with two "majestic-class" warships is enough to deal with any competitor in the Far East at this time.

However, the financial burden that this will bring is not small. The military budget of the navy alone in the coming year is almost equivalent to half of the annual income that Haihan can obtain in the entire Hainan Island.However, Schneider, who is in charge of the financial budget, thinks that this price is acceptable, because after this fleet enters service, Haihan will have the strength to expand commercial routes to the north and provide sufficient armed protection, and will soon be able to open a route to the rich and prosperous central and eastern parts of Ming Dynasty. The region’s sea routes, and can completely control the Hangzhou Bay and the Yangtze River estuary in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions in accordance with the previous operation mode at the Pearl River Estuary, and use this to control most of the local maritime trade.The huge amount of money invested in the construction of the navy will soon be able to earn back through a huge trade surplus after Haihan officially enters the local trade system.

For the debate between the military and the opposition, Schneider has no idea of ​​who is right and who is wrong. His purpose is to expand the territory of the Haihan business empire he runs as much as possible.In his opinion, the military's method of establishing influence is too simple and crude without technical content. Through trade infiltration, while spreading culture and values, it gradually controls the economic lifeline of these areas, and in this way increases Haihan's local presence. Influence, this is what Schneider believes is a civilized and efficient approach.

Of course, Schneider is also very clear that on the road of external expansion, it is not enough to rely solely on "incentives" in exchange for the obedience of the outside world. The military's "coercion" is also a necessary weapon.And the most useless weapon is probably pure mouth cannon.Therefore, Schneider still supports the military's insistence on building a new fleet.

The military will also take measures to reciprocate this, such as continuing to support Schneider in the next executive committee reelection, and disposing of the old military ships that will be eliminated and replaced in the future at low prices to the Ministry of Commerce for use as special service ships, etc.Of course, these trading conditions will not be brought up on the table, but just mentioned during a private meal, everyone nods together, and it is usually tacit.Seeking a little benefit for themselves and the department without affecting the big political situation is also a normal move for the time travelers who have been in the officialdom for several years.

(End of this chapter)