The Rise of the Empire

Chapter 2646: Confrontation upgrade three



"These warships are too fragile. I can hardly imagine how long a warship that hits a torpedo or a bomb that could severely damage or even sink it will survive a high-intensity attack from the German Navy," Duff said.

"Well, General Betty at the front also disagrees with this. So we have to find a balance through experimentation, which can take into account the cost and construction cycle, and at the same time make the survival rate of this warship not so bad. So we need a lot of Battlefield data." Thomas said.

"Since you told me so much today, does it mean that if I will go to the Pacific after completing the mission in Italy? After all, Betty and the others may be understaffed." Duff said.

"Yes, our battlefield personnel will increase, and we must not only focus on Japan, but also the Americans. In addition to the Navy, there is the Air Force. We must collect as much information as possible to accumulate experience."

"Does our Air Force have any new projects?" Duff asked.

"There is one. The Empire’s current large aircraft research and development are strictly restricted, so we can only make a fuss on the twin-engine medium-sized aircraft. The Empire is now cooperating with the Japanese to develop a twin-engine fast multi-purpose bomber that can simultaneously Performing dive bombing and torpedo attacks, this aircraft will be the main tactical strike aircraft of the Imperial Air Force in the future." Thomas said.

"This is a bit difficult. Dive bombing has a high requirement on the structural strength of the airframe, and we also need to be equipped with special aiming equipment. Even if the aircraft is now built and put into the battlefield, it may not be able to achieve the results that we are satisfied with in the early stage. "Duff is not very good at aviation, but with years of experience in the military, he knows that it takes time and hard work for a new piece of equipment to go from the blueprint to the factory.

And if Thomas requires a combination of dive bombing and torpedo attack, then the size of this aircraft will not be small. After all, the volume and weight of the torpedo are now there. The weight of the current new aviation torpedoes is more than 450KG. . If high-speed requirements are added, then the requirements for engines will reach a new height, which is no small challenge for the British who are now restricted in the aviation industry. After all, the engine power of the British is limited.

"We are accumulating experience and ideas, and the empire's aviation research and development cannot be interrupted. Even though we will not be equipped in the end, we must maintain the necessary research and development capabilities." Thomas explained.

"I feel it would be better for me to be in charge of the navy, and leave it to professionals." Duff hesitated and said.

"Well, next question, what do you think of the future cruisers of the Imperial Navy?" Thomas asked.

"The cruisers are getting bigger and bigger now. I always think that the German 175mm artillery cruiser and the 190mm artillery cruiser we are going to build are already big enough. As a result, the Americans are now even installing 10-inch artillery. The large cruiser is almost the product of the high speed and fearlessness of the old large cruiser."

"To be honest, the cost-effectiveness of such large warships specifically designed to deal with the opposing cruiser is actually very low. Because of lightning strikes, they are not as good as light cruisers equipped with 6-inch artillery. In terms of fleet operations, they are far worse than high-speed battleships. They exist. Just to deal with the opponent’s cruiser, and the cost is quite high. If possible, I hope that the Royal Navy will not build one, and all the money saved will be used to equip other warships." As a veteran of the Royal Navy, Duff said The issue of large-scale cruisers is still very thorough.

"However, there are many things in this world that are unreasonable. What do you think everyone will do after the war is over? In order to maintain their own interests, the countries that have been exhausted must demand a treaty to restrict armaments. The navy, the capital ship The tonnage and performance will be severely limited, so everyone can only use their brains on sub-capital ships in order to ensure combat effectiveness. The Americans have already started, and the Germans may soon follow up. Well, in this In the world you have and I have, how do you let the Royal Navy choose?" Thomas asked rhetorically.

"This..." Duff couldn't answer this question.

"Well, this time we will not only pay attention to the heavy cruisers equipped with 10-inch guns, but also the mid-range cruisers with 7.5-inch to 8-inch guns, and the 6-inch light cruisers we are now equipped with, but in my opinion, The 5,000-ton cruisers we left during the war are no longer useful in the future. After all, the tonnage of destroyers is also increasing. In order to ensure absolute advantage over lightning warships, our light cruisers are both in tonnage and firepower. Must improve." Thomas said.

"Okay, but I don’t think there will be many battles with cruisers. At least the American armored cruisers equipped with 10-inch guns will not be very useful, because the Japanese cruiser detachment has been almost maimed, even if we sell it to the Japanese. To criticize the legacy during the war, there is no need to fight against these big guys with a full load and displacement of close to 20,000 tons." Duff said.

"Don't forget the old cruisers in the hands of the Japanese and the cruisers that Japan is preparing to purchase from the Italians~www.novelhall.com~ I believe that these cruisers will make the Pacific Ocean very chaotic for some time to come." Thomas meant a lot. Said.

"Then let's wait and see." Duff said.

Therefore, when the war on the island of New Ireland just ended, although the confrontation between the United States and Japan died out on the surface, it was just a short break between the wars. The major powers in the world were more or less involved here. In this war, the Americans and Japanese fought for the dominance of the Pacific, while the Germans, Austrians, British, French and Italians were considering what they could gain in this war. Under the influence of these factors, the fire of war will not only not be extinguished, but will intensify!

It was when Thomas planned how to make this war longer and more intense. The team represented by the US Secretary of State Lansing finally came to Germany to discuss the next issue of military cooperation between the United States and Germany, and this visit will undoubtedly open a new page in the US-Germany game. What Lansing did not expect was that this time, his main pressure did not come from politics, but because he didn't know anything about "military" profession. Even with the help of Colonel Leahy, he couldn't do many things!

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