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Chapter 1208 Ironclad ship, launch!

The secret-class steam ironclad ship is the same as the giant ship Dongfang, and it is launched by sliding sideways and dragging with iron chains.

In addition to dozens of mid- and senior-level officers from the Ministry of the Navy, hundreds of naval soldiers were watching the launching ceremony.

If the secret-class steam ironclad ship can float on the water smoothly, they will also board the ship to operate the steam ironclad ship for trial voyage.In addition, although the artillery loaded on the steam ironclad ship has passed the test of the Imperial Arsenal on land, it is necessary to check the impact of the recoil force on the entire ironclad ship and the hit rate when shelling on the ironclad ship.

The residents of Dalian Port were unable to see the launching ceremony of the steam ironclad ship at close range, because the area near the shipyard was controlled by the soldiers of the Ministry of the Navy.

The worker operating the winch was a little nervous, with sweat on his forehead.

The director and engineers of the shipyard, the officers and sailors of the Admiralty are all looking forward to the smooth launch of this secret-class steam ironclad ship.

Creaking—the harsh sound of steel rubbing against the rails and the contraction of the iron chain. The thick iron chain stretched straight, dragging the Secret-class steam ironclad ship slowly sliding along with gravity.

The distance from the dock to the water surface is 71 meters. It is quite strenuous to let the heavy ironclad ship slide down to the water surface.

Fortunately, the shipyard had already had the experience of launching the heavier steam ship Vostok before, so it had a clear estimate of the launching speed of the ironclad ship, and it would not make a group of big bosses of the Admiralty spend a lot of time waiting.

Seeing the Secret-class steam ironclad ship slowly sliding down, almost all the naval officers and sailors were overwhelmed.

Warships made of steel, who dared to imagine before!

Traveling across the sea on such a warship, even when fighting the enemy, it makes people feel more at ease, at least you don't have to worry about the enemy's artillery penetrating your armor!

Boom!The steam ironclad ship finally fell into the sea under the drag of the iron chain, splashing countless waves.

Everyone present held their breath, worried that the ironclad ship would sink into the water.

After all, it is a medium-sized steam ironclad ship made of steel...

The Secret-class ironclad ship shook a few times on the sea surface, and did not sink as everyone feared, but floated firmly in the harbor.

"Long live!" A burst of enthusiastic cheers broke out among the navy soldiers.

Regardless of the cost of spending money, the Ministry of the Navy has the first steam ironclad ship!

"According to the original plan, board the ship for trial voyage, and there must be no mistakes. Factory manager, you send your engineers to board the ship together for guidance. Our navy soldiers are used to the operation of sail and gun ships, and it is very important for steam iron armor ships After several months of impromptu drills using the Yongchang, I am really afraid that they will drive this ironclad ship into the dock or run aground." Nelson said.

At present, the Admiralty does not have crew members who are proficient in operating steam iron-clad ships. They can only use the civilian steam ship Yongchang as a training ship for temporary training and learn the basic operating skills of steam ships.

There is still a big difference between the secret-class steam ironclad ship and the Yongchang used by passengers. It requires the crew of the Ministry of the Navy to learn to operate this long, narrow and heavy ship.

Excited naval officers led the soldiers to board the ironclad ship from the ship's ladder, and they entered the wheelhouse, artillery deck, and coal burning room according to their respective duties.

Nelson, Zheng Zhilong and other senior officers of the Admiralty came to the uppermost deck. There are three masts that go straight to the sky and two thick chimneys.And the bow has a ramming angle, even if the shells are exhausted, the iron-hulled warship can still rampage among the enemy's sailing fleet.

In addition, a 68-pound gun was installed on the bow and stern.

As for the 20 40-pounder guns used as the main firepower output, the armor layer between the top deck and the bottom waterproof layer is protected by the wrought iron armor layer.When dealing with enemy warships, you can attack without any scruples.

"The artillery is powerful, the armor is strong, and the speed is comparable to the fastest sailing ship, regardless of the wind direction. Such a gunship is simply the most ideal ship."

After boarding the ironclad ship, many naval generals couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

It’s like sailing battleships restricting their imagination of steam ironclads, at least it’s hard for them to imagine that the steam ironclads they now feel are invincible are just an excess, and there are even more terrifying eras of dreadnought battleships and aircraft carriers...

The naval soldiers operating the Secret-class ironclad ship were both excited and nervous. The sailors who acted as workers rolled up their sleeves and added coal to the hot boiler, so that the reciprocating steam engine as the "heart" slowly started to operate.

The two thick chimneys and several ventilators on the deck began to emit black smoke, and this steel giant seemed to be awakened from a deep sleep.

"Notice, everyone pay attention! The ship is about to set sail!"

The secret-class ironclad ship started slowly with the sound of the whistle, and almost everyone on board felt the vibration of the ship when it started.

Naval officers, ship engineers held their breath.

Being able to float on the water and being able to sail normally are two different things.If it can sail normally, it means that the power system of this ship has passed the test.

The secret-class iron-clad ship without raising its sails carefully turned a small circle in Dalian Bay, drawing a white wave mark.

"Steam ship!" Some careful people in the Dalian port wharf area exclaimed when they discovered this iron-clad ship that was undergoing trial voyage.

"Yongchang or Dongfang?"

"It doesn't look like the Yongchang or the Dongfang. It seems to be much bigger than the Yongchang and a bit smaller than the Dongfang."

"Could it be that there are new steamships?"

The residents of Dalian Port are very familiar with the two steamships built before, and they appear in Dalian Port from time to time.At this time, they saw the third steamship, which was between the two sizes, and they were all a little curious, and the news of the new steamship's appearance spread unknowingly.

"Is there enough fuel on board?" Nelson asked the factory director, who was also on the deck of the Secret-class ironclad ship.

"It's enough to sail two hundred nautical miles." The factory manager replied.

"Then set off to the depths of the sea. Let's try to fire the artillery on the sea surface to see the power of the 40-pound gun and the 68-pound gun. This 68-pound gun should be able to adjust the shooting angle?" Nelson said in the bow of the 68-pound gun. Next to the pounder gun.

"The Imperial Arsenal originally wanted to design a mobile armored turret, but unfortunately they haven't completed the design yet. This cannon can only adjust the angle within a small range." The factory manager replied.

"This is enough." Nelson was not discouraged when he saw that it was a rotating fort that was not even a defective product. Such a configuration was already terrifying.

(End of this chapter)