African Nationhood

Chapter 165 Chagos Islands (please subscribe!!!)

Sir Bannerman nodded, "I do have good news for you. The War Department has decided to give you some artillery.

Including Armstrong 8-pounder and 12-pounder guns, RML 2.5-inch gun, RML 7-pounder gun, and Congreve rockets. "

After saying that, he continued to add, "This equipment is enough for you to equip a battalion. How about this news? Will you be happy?"

After hearing this, Shi Jintang was noncommittal. Among the equipment here, he should be most familiar with the Congreve rocket. This thing can also be called a Hale rocket.

Congreve rockets were inspired by ancient Chinese rockets and were later brought to India by the Mongols.

The Indians have expanded this technology. When the British colonized India in the 18th century, they suffered a lot from rocket bombs.

So British Army Colonel William Congreve built a new type of rocket in 1805, which was used to deal with Napoleon's naval landings and was a great success.

This rocket weighs 14.5 kilograms, has an arrow length of 1.06 meters, a diameter of 0.1 meters, and is equipped with a 4.6-meter-long balance rod. The range can reach 1800 meters. After continuous improvement, the range can reach 4500 meters.

This rocket became a weapon on the battlefield as soon as it was invented. Later, in 1844, William Hale upgraded this rocket.

He installed three inclined stabilizing spiral plates on the tail of the rocket. When the rocket is launched, the aerodynamic force causes the rocket to rotate itself and achieve stability.

This rocket has been widely used in the two Opium Wars. The Qing Dynasty also specially introduced the production of this kind of weapon. However, the technology was not in place and accidents always happened. In the end, nothing happened.

The Wanhu-83 type developed privately by Shi Jintang's artillery battalion is much more powerful and more powerful than this Congreve rocket.

But it is inconvenient to take it out. If you have this Congreve rocket, it will be much easier.

“Those artillery pieces were of little use to the Nanhua Company, and the natives couldn’t even resist a volley of gunshots.

Using artillery is a complete waste. The Congreve rocket can be given to my Nanhua Company. I need several production lines. "

Upon hearing this, Sir Bannerman realized that this requirement was easily met. Congreve rockets are now outdated military products due to accuracy issues.

"Well, I can ask the War Department to give you a few more production lines, as usual, and help you get more supplies, how about that?"

"Just take care of this. Our friendship is here. You shouldn't let me suffer. What are the other conditions?"

Sir Bannerman looked surprised, "What other conditions? These are all the conditions of the War Department."

Hearing this, Shi Jintang put the red wine glass in his hand on the table.

"Sir Bannerman, are you kidding me? For such a secret as 'smokeless gunpowder', which country won't give me tens or millions of pounds in licensing fees when I go to it?
  Just give me a few outdated production lines and be done with it? "

Sir Bannerman had long expected that Shi Jintang would have such a reaction. He walked up to Shi Jintang and said with a smile: "When we negotiated before, what was given to you was far more than several million pounds, right?

Now you have vast colonies under your rule. These are all given to you by our British Empire. How can you not count these subsequent benefits? "

Hearing this, Shi Jintang became even more angry.

"Millions of pounds, what millions of pounds, how many millions of pounds is a Walvis Bay port worth?
  What was this place like before I took over? It was a shabby place with only a deep water port and not much shit. How many millions of pounds do you call this?

I conquered the colonies in the back bit by bit. If you want, just come over and get them.

I will sell Walvis Bay to the British government for not more than 600 million pounds.

When you bought Cape Town, it was only 600 million pounds. This price is very reasonable! "

Sir Bannerman couldn't help but smile bitterly. Naturally, the British government would not want Walvis Bay.

As for those colonies, it is even more impossible to ask for them, if the British government dares to say so.

The Qing people in front of them will immediately run to Germany and France to find them as new backers.

With such a large colony coming to their doorstep, both Germany and France had to smile crookedly.

"Don't get excited. We are still negotiating now. What conditions can you put forward? Angry words will not have any effect."

Angrily, Shi Jintang took out his cigarette and lit it, swallowing the smoke in big gulps.

After finishing a cigarette, he said with lingering anger: "In addition to the Congreve rocket production line. I also need an iron-clad warship. It cannot be too old. It was launched after 1870 and has an overall displacement of more than 3000. Ton.

In addition, I also need an island to serve as a transfer station for transporting immigrants. "

After hearing Shi Jintang's conditions, Sir Bannerman immediately asked belatedly: "Have you already thought about the conditions, and were you acting in front of me just now?"

Shi Jintang ignored his question at all and said angrily: "You can consider whether to agree. If you don't agree, I will publish it in the newspaper tomorrow and announce that I have a new gunpowder formula. I don't believe that no one can meet my conditions."

These few sentences are so righteous!
  The more than 20 people under his command gave Shi Jintang the confidence to challenge the British. If it didn't work out, he would defect to Germany.

During his stay in Berlin, he got along very well with Prince William. As long as he listened to the young man's words, he was easy to coax.

Once he and his colonies fell into the arms of Germany, all British attempts on the African continent would come to nothing.

Sir Bannerman nodded, "I understand your requirements. The warships and rocket production lines are easy to coordinate. As for the island, what are your instructions?"

Shi Jintang said in a low voice: "Maldives Islands or Chagos Islands, preferably the Maldives."

After listening to Shi Jintang's request, Sir Bannerman said goodbye and left.

……

Sir Bannerman spent nearly a month communicating with the locals, and finally the War Department agreed to Shi Jintang's request.

The ironclad ship promised was the "Gorgon" launched in 1871, with a displacement of 3535 tons.

A Congreve rocket production factory, including 300 production line workers, including the church.

As for islands, the Maldives is my first choice.

Only the Chagos Islands are entrusted to the Nanhua Company for management.

With this result, Shi Jintang is already very satisfied. Among these things, the Chagos Islands are the most important.

The geographical location of this island is very critical. It is in the middle of the Indian Ocean. If you control this island, you will be able to easily control the entire Indian Ocean in the future.

After World War II, the United States established a naval base here. Several major battles after World War II used the naval base on this archipelago as a base camp.

……

Sir Bannerman signed a new secret agreement with Shi Jintang on behalf of the British government. The contents of the agreement are as follows:

Based on the principle of equality and mutual benefit, the two parties reached a deal on the patent issue of "new smokeless gunpowder".

1. Henry Stone, as the patent holder of "smokeless gunpowder", fully transferred the patent rights to the British War Department.

No person or force may use this patent without permission from the British War Office.

2. As a patent holder, Henry Stone is not subject to this restriction and can manufacture such gunpowder products on a small scale.

However, it is strictly prohibited to disclose this confidential patent to external forces, and violators will be severely punished!
  3. As a condition of the transaction, the British government promised to assist Nanhua Company in building a Congreve rocket production factory. The factory includes a rocket production line and a supporting gunpowder factory and 300 production line workers.

4. The British government handed over the management of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to the South China Company, but the territorial sovereignty of the islands still belongs to the British government.

5. In order to increase the coastal defense capabilities of Nanhua Company, the British government gave Nanhua Company an ironclad warship "Gorgan" free of charge.

The 113 naval officers on board the ship had to return to the mainland after teaching the sailors of Nanhua Company.

……

At this point, the patent case on "smokeless gunpowder" is over, and Shi Jintang's goal has been perfectly achieved.

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  (End of this chapter)