Reborn as King of South America

Chapter 375 Navy Ship Purchase Plan
In March 1880, Dalman, a French ship expert and shipbuilding consultant for the Han Kingdom, declined repeated attempts to retain his country and returned home with more than 3 ship experts whose contracts had expired. In the following six months, Li Mingyuan ordered the officials of the Han Kingdom's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stationed abroad to look for suitable ship experts in Europe to replace the vacancy left by Dalman. In mid-September 1880, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs successively selected more than ten experts from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Italy, and submitted them to Li Mingyuan for a decision.

The main combat areas of the navies of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Kingdom of Italy were in the Mediterranean Sea. In order to meet combat needs, the warships built by the two countries also had the disadvantages of short range and slow speed. Britain and France, because of military conflicts with the Han Kingdom and fearing the uncontrollable naval power of the Han Kingdom, liked to hold back in things. Li Mingyuan was worried that even if he invited ship experts from the two countries to the mainland, they would not wholeheartedly teach the local technicians of the Han Kingdom to improve the level of shipbuilding.

Excluding Britain, France, Austria and Italy as alternative options, Li Mingyuan finalized the selection of foreign ship experts in October 1880 and appointed Kraugan, a ship engineer from the German Vulcan Shipyard, as naval adviser to the Han Kingdom.

Born in East Prussia in 1840, Kraughan had nearly thirty years of experience in shipbuilding. He had led the construction of the Ariadne-class ironclads and the Leipzig-class ironclads. He was a ship expert with rich construction experience. In order to express the importance of the Han Dynasty and invite him to serve in the Han Dynasty, the government offered him a high annual salary of 2.4 Han Yuan, which was more than ten times higher than the salary standard of ordinary ship experts.

Thanks to the ample preparations made in advance by the Chinese side and the communication with the German government, Kraughan accepted the invitation from the Chinese side and immediately led a technical team of about 100 people to the South American mainland.

In November 1880, Claugn took on the position of Chief Inspector of the Royal Dockyard. In February 11, he put forward four improvement suggestions for the 1881-ton light cruisers built locally. After their implementation one by one, the construction period of the 2-ton light cruisers was shortened by 1350 days. At the same time, after slight improvements in construction technology and processes, the service life of the 1350-ton light cruisers was also increased by about half a year.

Claugen demonstrated his professional and technical capabilities and did not receive a salary ten times higher than that of ordinary experts in vain. Later, seeing the achievements made by Claugen's team hired with high salaries, Li Mingyuan continued to appoint him as the director of naval ships, awarded him the rank of honorary naval colonel, and specifically responsible for warship construction, warship technical evaluation and other tasks.

While the shipbuilding work in the Han Kingdom was progressing smoothly, changes in external conditions interrupted Li Mingyuan's original naval development plan.

At the end of the Argentine War in 1879, the Brazilian Empire was divided into two. Although the Chilean Republican government gained four or five provinces of new territory from Peru and Bolivia, it also lost the Patagonia region west of the Andes. Its national security was threatened by the Han State from both sea and land.

In order to defend the security of its homeland, in addition to continuing to build permanent fortresses in the Temuco front line area close to the Han-occupied area and deploying about 7000 army soldiers to garrison the area, the Chilean government continued to use the abundant funds obtained from the sale of saltpeter, copper, iron and other mineral resources to place large orders for ironclad ships from Britain. In November 1879, the Chilean government ordered two 11-ton cruisers from the Portsmouth Dockyard in the UK. In April 2400, in response to a strong application from the navy, the Chilean government ordered two 1881-ton battleships and an armored cruiser with a displacement of 4 tons from Britain.

According to the construction schedule given by the British, the three ironclad ships were all completed in early 1884. After being delivered to the Chilean government, Chile would become the largest naval power in South America. At the same time, the Republic of Brazil, which occupied about three-quarters of the original Brazil and had core cities such as Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, inherited most of the debts left by Brazil. With the support of the British government, it also invested a lot of borrowed funds to develop its land and naval armaments. It planned to launch a war against the Brazilian Empire and complete the unification of Brazil once again after its armament expansion was ready.

Although the impact of the Chilean government's expansion of its navy still needs time to be verified, the Republic of Brazil's actions to strengthen its army and navy and intend to unify Brazil again are something that the Han side cannot tolerate.

The Han State was surrounded by the sea on three sides, and the country's development and expansion direction was only in the north. If a unified Brazil appeared in the north of the Han State, it would undoubtedly block the expansion channel of the Han State.

The South American market is too small to allow the existence of only one big country. The actions of the Republic of Brazil and Chile have obviously hindered the development plan that Li Mingyuan has formulated for the Han Kingdom.

For this reason, when Germany expressed its willingness through Kraugern to build a battleship of the same level as the Dingyuan ship of the Qing Dynasty for the Han Dynasty at a suitable price, Li Mingyuan decisively expressed his intention to purchase the ship, and linked the ship purchase incident with the reorganization of the naval organization and sent it for internal discussion within the navy.

"Your Majesty, before 1878, the Imperial Navy had a total of six main battleships, three of which were captured from the Brazilian Imperial Navy. One was severely damaged and dismantled in November 1879. The other two were old and damaged many times in naval battles. According to the opinions of ship experts, they are expected to be retired in January 11. If the three ironclad ships are removed, the main ironclad ships of the local navy will only be two cruisers purchased from the Mediterranean Shipyard in France with a displacement of 1883 tons. Even if the four 3200-ton light cruisers independently built and produced in the country are included, the strength of the navy is less than half of that in 1350.
Therefore, I ask Your Majesty to approve the restart of the ship purchase plan to add new combat warships to the navy to deal with the maritime threats from Chile and Brazil. "

After the annual development report, more than 20 major naval officers gathered in the Zhongji Hall. Commander Chen Sen of the First Fleet represented everyone and made the first suggestion.

"If the Navy has any suggestions on the ship purchase plan, please bring them forward so that we can discuss them together."

"I heard that Li Hongzhang, the minister of the pseudo-Qing Dynasty, ordered two large battleships from Germany. Therefore, I think that although the Han Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty are irreconcilable, since the Qing Dynasty is determined to purchase armored warships, the Han Dynasty cannot fall behind.

I think the court should order one or two battleships and two or three 4000-ton naval ships from Germany. In this way, the maritime security of the mainland will not be threatened by Chile and Brazil.

"What's your opinion?"

"Ironclad ships are the most important weapons of our country and are indispensable. I agree with General Chen's opinion."

"Money is spent everywhere in China, and every penny must be spent wisely."

Li Mingyuan explained without comment, and continued, "The other two railway ships in service, one with a displacement of 6500 tons and the other with a displacement of 3500 tons, are more than 1886 years old. The Brazilians were cheated by the British when they bought them, and there are many unreasonable designs on the ships. But it would be a waste to retire them after just one or two years. Let the German ship engineers think of a way to repair the two ironclad ships and try to keep them in service for another two or three years, at least until after , and then serve as training ships for the Naval Academy to train new naval officers. What do you think?"

"Your Majesty is wise."

After more than 20 officers and generals complimented him, Chen Sen respectfully asked, "Then, does Your Majesty approve the purchase of new ships?"

"It is imperative to add new warships to the navy, but the ship purchase plan you submitted needs to be revised."

Li Mingyuan nodded in agreement and gave everyone a positive answer.

"Since we want to vigorously develop the navy, we cannot just add large warships. We also need communication ships, frigates, supply ships, transport ships, and other auxiliary ships.

Li Hongzhang just placed an order with the German Vulcan Shipyard to build two battleships this year. A month ago, the Germans took the initiative to come to us and wanted to build two more warships of the same level and sell them to us. One reason was to use the same construction drawings and docks to reduce construction costs. The other was to use the warships sold to us to promote the reputation of the German shipbuilding industry and expand its market share in the world.
It just so happens that there is a need to purchase warships in China at this time, so since the Germans have offered economical and affordable conditions, we cannot waste this opportunity.
Buying one battleship is one thing, buying two battleships is also one thing, the mainland waters are vast. Just one main battleship is a bit monotonous, so it is better to order two large ironclad ships at once, and then discuss with the Germans in advance, and let the Germans send ship experts to start building two armored cruisers with a displacement of about 1884 tons in the mainland in 3500. "

"Captain Claugn proposed a week ago whether the construction plan of the two battleships should be slightly changed. He believes that installing a twin 305mm main gun at the front and rear ends of the Saxon-class (Western name for the Dingyuan-class) battleship may have a better effect." The performance indicators designed by the German Vulcan Shipyard for the Dingyuan-class battleship are:
The ship is 94.5 meters long, 18 meters wide, and has a draft of 6 meters. Its normal displacement is 7335 tons or 7430 tons, and its full load displacement is 7670 tons. It is powered by two horizontal three-cylinder reciprocating steam engines and 8 circular coal-fired boilers with a power of 6200 horsepower and a speed of 14.5 knots (the "Zhenyuan" has 7200 horsepower and a speed of 15.4 knots). Its endurance is 4500 nautical miles/10 knots. It is equipped with one searchlight with an illumination of 8 candlepower and one searchlight with an illumination of 2 candlepower. Three generators (the "Zhenyuan" has two generators) provide 3 kilowatts of electricity. The total weight of armor is 2 tons. The armor thickness of the ironclad fort above the waterline is 70 inches (1461mm), and the armor thickness below the waterline is 14 inches (365mm). The armor thickness of the 12 gun mount is 305mm, the gun shield is 305mm, the armor thickness of the conning tower is 304mm, the coal cabinet has a coal capacity of 15 tons and a maximum coal capacity of 203 tons. The establishment is 700-1000 people.

There is a twin turret on the port and starboard sides, powered by hydraulic pressure. Each gun weighs 31.5 tons and has a caliber of 305 mm.

克虏伯150mm后膛副炮 2门（艏、艉各一门，每门炮重4.75吨，35倍口径）、75mm克虏伯炮4门、37mm五管哈乞开斯机关炮 8门、57mm、47mm哈乞开斯速射炮各2门，14吋鱼雷发射管3具（两舷各一具、舰尾一具，备有21枚鱼雷），加上主炮总炮数22门。

The performance of Dingyuan and Zhenyuan in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 exposed the design flaws, so Li Mingyuan asked for the opinions of ship experts such as Claugn and combined with some opinions of later generations, and decided to increase the number of artillery on Dingyuan and enhance the warship's attack performance.

"The performance of the warships designed by the Germans for the Qing government is not suitable for the local navy and needs to be partially changed."

Li Mingyuan replied, "After discussions, Colonel Claugn and local ship experts proposed to change the position of the main guns and install two high-caliber 305mm guns at the front and rear of the ship to expand the warship's maneuvering attack angle.
The main mast is located in the middle of the ironclad ship, separating the two sets of twin main guns to prevent the muzzle wind from affecting each other.

The number of secondary guns at the bow and stern increased to 4, using 4 single-mounted 210mm guns, 8 155mm Krupp guns, 8 75mm howitzers, and 8 37mm rapid-fire guns. …………

The improved battleship has 32 guns of various types. Compared with the prototype ironclad ship, its weapon performance and quantity are more advantageous. In actual combat, its attack power against enemy warships will be stronger. "

The improvement plan proposed by Li Mingyuan was not much different from what Claugn had revealed to the naval generals. After listening to it, Chen Sen, Li Han and others all responded, and no one raised any objections.

"The price the Germans offered to Li Hongzhang was 142 million taels of silver per battleship, and the price they offered to the mainland was not much different from that of the Qing Dynasty, which was 286 million Han yuan per ironclad ship. However, we are doing a package deal with the Germans. In addition to the two battleships and the two armored cruisers to be built in 1884, we also need to purchase a communications ship, an ocean-going supply ship, a shipyard capable of producing medium-sized ocean-going transport ships, and the training costs for 700 naval officers and soldiers, 300 shipbuilding experts, and technicians... All the expenses added up should be around 860 million Han yuan, which is about 430 million taels of silver."

Li Mingyuan announced the total budget for the ship purchase project, and Chen Sen, Li Han and others in the palace were greatly excited.

"Your Majesty, the Pacific immigration transportation route is related to the foundation of the country. I request that one of the two battleships and two armored cruisers ordered be assigned to the Second Fleet to ensure the safety of the immigration route."

"The Atlantic coast is the strategic center of the country. The two battleships gathered in the Atlantic Ocean will have a greater deterrent effect. I request that the two battleships and two armored cruisers be deployed on the Atlantic coast."

As soon as the warship issue was decided, Li Han and Chen Sen started arguing over the allocation of the warships.

"Earthquakes frequently occur along the Pacific coast. The naval ports located at Yishui Port (Puerto Montt) and Baisha Island (Chiloe Island) are not well-equipped to maintain and repair large battleships. Therefore, after the warships were built, two battleships were assigned to the First Fleet for service, and two armored cruisers, one was delivered to the First Fleet and the other to the Second Fleet for use."

"But the total tonnage of the Chilean Navy far exceeds that of the Second Fleet. If the Second Fleet were to maintain its current size, once a war breaks out, it would be no match for the Chilean Navy."

Li Han explained.

"If a war breaks out, the army will be responsible for the fighting in Chile. The navy's task is to harass the Chilean army's maritime supply lines and contain part of the Chilean navy's strength while preserving its own strength. It does not need to take on the task of confronting the Chilean navy head-on."

Li Mingyuan added, "The Pacific direction is also the focus of the country's future development. However, due to the country's limited strength, the navy can only tilt towards the Atlantic direction. However, the construction work in the Pacific direction will not stagnate. At the latest in 1885, after the ordered ironclad ships arrive at the mainland, the government will withdraw the 3200-ton Victory (one of the two cruisers ordered from France) from the First Fleet and allocate it to the Second Fleet. At the same time, the 1350-ton light cruisers built by the three major shipyards, Xinjing Shipyard, Xinghe Shipyard, and Royal Shipyard, will be supplied to the Second Fleet first.

Warships and cadets graduating from the Naval Academy will be assigned to the Second Fleet, but the construction of ports and bases along the Pacific coast must also keep up with the progress. The speed of infrastructure construction in Yishui Port and Baisha Island must be accelerated, and the construction plan of naval bases in the Polynesian Islands must also be quickly implemented. If there are any problems in terms of manpower and material supply, they can be raised in advance to avoid being unable to solve them in time when difficulties arise in the future. "

"I plan to build a warship maintenance shipyard on Pahiti Island in the Polynesian Islands to provide warship maintenance and upkeep for the South Pacific Squadron."

"Can I approve it? Are there any others?"

"When I landed on Easter Island, I heard that the island used to be densely wooded and rich in animal and plant resources. Later, the local natives multiplied too much and cut down trees excessively, which led to soil erosion and soil degradation on the island. So I requested to collect palm trees, oak trees and other plants of the same type as those on the island in the mainland and transplant them to the island to improve the island's natural environment, so that the island can provide more food supplies for the garrison troops."

Marine Corps Commander Feng Guoan asked for instructions.

"The waters around Easter Island have abundant rainfall. If the damaged vegetation can be restored, the supply pressure on the soldiers stationed on the island will be greatly reduced."

Li Mingyuan agreed and said, "Remind the troops stationed on the island and the people who migrated there earlier to control the population and livestock on the island and not to allow the cattle and sheep to graze the vegetation on the island excessively."

"Yes, I understand."

(End of this chapter)