Since the beginning of the navy twenty years ago, the navy has entered the era of dreadnoughts. It has solved the shortcomings of armored protected ships in artillery caliber in one fell swoop, and finally allowed warships to possess the final weapon. The development of the navy is almost a straight line, heading towards the era of big guns and giant ships. Finally, the emergence of the first-class battleships after the European War gave the navy extremely powerful firepower. However, the huge construction costs of the same-class battleships and the huge military expenditures made it unbearable for the world's naval powers. After Japan's two Nagato-class battleships completed sea trials, the cost before being incorporated into the fleet was as high as 9,000,000 yen; the British Nelson-class, because it is technically more mature than Japan, is cheaper than Japan's Nagato-class. ; The American Colorado-class battleships had to reduce part of the hull protection due to the need to take into account the navigation of the Panama Canal. The cost was the lowest, and the actual combat effectiveness was the lowest. Regardless of the fact that there are three battleships, if the United States brings out all the Colorado-class battleships and the two Japanese Nagato-class battleships in a real-life battle, the Americans may lose this competition. Because of the sneaky character of the Japanese, the Nagato class is much more terrifying than their announced combat capabilities. The voyage has been reduced by 4 knots, and the tonnage has been reduced by an unknown amount. It is conservatively estimated to be at least 4,000 tons. If all this weight is used for protection, the Nagato class will have an absolute advantage in the competition of the same level. No matter what kind of battleship it is, it is supported by high cost and almost unlimited military expenditure. Before the Washington Conference, Britain, the United States, and Japan all began to worry that unlimited battleship construction would bring down a country's economy. As soon as Japan's naval military expenditure exceeds 1% of the national fiscal revenue, the problem has already been explained. In comparison, life in the UK is also very difficult. On the contrary, the United States' industrial strength and national tax revenue are the most abundant. However, the fact that Americans do not want to stand out is a secret at the top, even in Congress, government departments, and Wall Street. Moreover, after the United States experienced a period of high-pressure war taxes, the United States generally does not want excessive military spending, which will affect the implementation of low-tax policies, investment confidence and economic development. But no matter what, the battleship became the symbol of a country's navy in the early twentieth century, especially after the end of the European War. But less than five years after this class of warships became the pride of a country's navy, the status of the giant ship with a 41-centimeter caliber gun was seriously threatened. What is ridiculous is that the crisis was not caused by a traditional naval power, but by the Republic of China, a military weak country. What is even more difficult to accept is that this was not a technological innovation led by the Republic of China government, but was the work of a warlord from the local government of the Republic of China. No matter what a miraculous past and limitless future Wang Xueqian has, his current status is that of a popular political figure who is not popular in the eyes of the great powers. Of course, in terms of strength, he may be one of the top warlords in the Republic of China. The Republic of China? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? For the arrogant British government, that's all. The same is true for the arrogant Japanese government. ??For the United States, which does not care about outside the Americas, they do not care about the rise of Wang Xueqian, but there is a debate in Congress. Some people believe that Wang Xueqian has an American educational background, is a beneficiary of American education, and can become the most ideal support object in the United States. However, this view is not unanimous, but there are many opponents who firmly disagree with the US government¡¯s support policy for Wang Xueqian. , and even extreme people believe that the territory occupied by Wang Xueqian should set extremely high thresholds in terms of technology, high-precision machines and other precision equipment, and even talent training. There is only one reason. Wang Xueqian¡¯s actions indicate that he is a complete eagle. group. Everyone knows that the hawk is difficult to control. It is as difficult to control a hawk as it is to establish diplomatic relations with an enemy country. But the environment of the Republic of China was very special. Without the emergence of a hawkish figure, the unification of the Republic of China would become an unresolved outcome. It is unrealistic for the United States to rely on overseas allies to shake Britain's dominance in Asia and restrict Japan's overseas development. Therefore, although the U.S. Congress does not have a definite answer, there are obviously more members who support Wang Xueqian. Under this situation, any news interview about Wang Xueqian will become a hot spot for the American media. Not only the United States, but also Japan and the United Kingdom, and even France and Italy have joined this group. Studying every word Wang Xueqian said, they really wanted Wang Xueqian to show a responsible attitude for every word he said. Unfortunately, this is absolutely impossible. Even Wang Xueqian himself could not guarantee that what he said was correct. But there is no doubt that Wang Xueqian has talked about an important piece of information in many interviews. Battleships are not indestructible super weapons. This kind of weapon has a fatal landing point. And the person who holds the secret of this weakness, none other than Wang Xueqian. As a qualified diplomat, analyzing useful intelligence from a large amount of information is a quality that a diplomat should have and is the standard for measuring whether a diplomat is excellent. Wang Xueqian¡¯s seemingly disorganized news interviews are still able to allow diplomats from various countries to find some content that they want to read, fear and pay attention to. For example, the means of attacking battleships, questions about the shortcomings of torpedo attacks, prospects for future technology, etc. All of these made Wang Xueqian become a famous figure in various countries in the world. It seems that all of a sudden, the president of the Republic of China has become a thing of the past, and Wang Xueqian is the representative political figure of the Republic of China. The interview content of the Times was not only transmitted back to the United States, but also allowed the British to get the news immediately. It has to be said that the communication equipment of the British Intelligence Department is the best in the world. Before the headquarters of Times Newspaper Group in New York had received the exact information, the content of this interview was handed over to the Military Intelligence Headquarters in London, word for word, without any omissions. and allowing the Admiralty to obtain backup documents. Especially after the video data captured by Rear Admiral Augustine were transmitted to the British mainland by the highest aircraft at a speed that was almost as fast as a drumbeat, the Navy began to study the naval battle that took place 20,000 kilometers away. And try to restore the image data and gain practical experience. Therefore, the British Royal Navy used the Havilland-9 multi-purpose fighter as a test aircraft to act as the attack formation of the Zhejiang Army. This aircraft, which was improved in the late World War I, has become more reliable in performance, especially this aircraft. Being able to carry 500 pounds of aerial bombs can solve the problem of insufficient attack power of aircraft against warships to the greatest extent. Of course, the British Navy did not have the luxury of using the Nelson-class battleship as a target ship for the test. Instead, it took out a Radeck-class heavy cruiser that was ready to be scrapped. This old-fashioned battleship with a displacement of 15,000 tons is no longer suitable for the naval treaty. Due to the restrictions, the British decided to dismantle them all and build a new class of treaty ships. Unlike other heavy cruisers, the Redeker-class armor protection is so strong that it is almost equal to that of the Dreadnought-class battleship. Because this is a heavy cruiser based on the design concept of an armored protected ship. If the caliber of the artillery were not too small, this could no longer be regarded as a cruiser in the traditional sense, but a warship with fearless level protection. However, although the 9-inch gun is not too small, it is just a little smaller compared to its huge body. Compared to the Dreadnought-class 12-inch cannon, it is compact. Another flaw is that there are too few main guns, only two. With the signing of the new naval treaty, except for the same type of warship that was sunk in the European War, the other two Redecker-class warships will suffer the fate of being demolished. The Royal Navy is very good at using a warship as a target ship and violently dismantling it on site. The Royal Air Force brought out its best Second Flying Squadron to test the rumors of aircraft fighting warships that have plagued the British Navy for a long time According to the British way of understanding, unconfirmed intelligence is just rumor level. information. The test was conducted in the sea near the outer port of Liverpool. Compared with the ports in northern England, the wind and waves will be smaller, which will increase the reliability of the attack. Twenty-four Havilland-9 multi-role fighter jets took off from the Birmingham Military Airport and attacked the USS Cape of Good Hope battleship anchored 150 kilometers away. This battleship on the demolition list was quietly waiting for the violent storm. A similar attack, but now there is no one on the ship, and the surroundings are calm. Soon, a low roar came from the sky, and then the roar got closer and closer, and a not too large fighter formation appeared on the flank of the battleship. After the commander issued the attack order, the fighter planes divided into attack formations. After forming in the air, they did not attack, but began to climb. Soon the fighter planes had passed an altitude of 4,000 meters, and the first wave of attacks was about to arrive. If the ghost-like sound roars like tearing through the sky and tearing apart the clouds. And many senior Royal Navy generals on the British Royal Navy observation ship a few kilometers away were nervously holding their glasses, not daring to take a breath, staring intently and breathlessly, waiting for the appearance of the fire. Woo hoo But a surprising scene happened. When the attacking aircraft encountered an unexpected situation, it deviated after entering the attack position. The moment the aircraft tried to adjust, its wings broke, just like an airplane. The discarded newspaper let the naughty wind play with it for a while, then spun around a few times and fell to the sea, causing a splash. "This is a normal phenomenon! The Zhejiang Army also had accidents in which aircraft were damaged or even dismembered in the air." The Royal Navy general's light explanation made the air force general feel angry with the veins on his forehead beating, and he said in his heart: The feelings are not yours, they are dead. Not distressed either. But then there was a naval general who added fuel to the fire and said: "With live ammunition attacks, rescue ships cannot be dispatched. Fortunately, we are providing support for the Air Force."My friend prepared a life jacket. "Well, the Navy's conscience is worth the price of a life jacket. But when more and more aircraft malfunction in the air, sometimes even inexplicably, the Navy's senior officials are dissatisfied. The Zhejiang Army is better than The elites of the Royal Air Force do a much better job, but the British stubbornly believe that their equipment is the most advanced, so there is only one problem: the generals of the Royal Air Force are in trouble, and they want to shift the blame to others. On the plane, unfortunately, the navy generals would not believe this. Fortunately, the attack was finally on track, and the Royal Air Force, which had learned a certain lesson from the failure, finally showed its extraordinary ability to slow down the dive. A moderate dive can not only increase the aiming time, but also allow the aircraft to complete the bombing mission within the maximum load. The only disadvantage is that the bombing distance is too long and the accuracy is not very high. Boom A cloud of smoke. Rising from the deck of the Cape of Good Hope battleship, the violent explosion almost blew away the battleship's chimney. This was a successful aircraft dive bombing, although the speed was very slow and the attack efficiency was not high. But it gave people a real effect. After the second aerial bomb penetrated the deck and exploded inside the ship, the battle that simulated the real environment was over, because the hull of the Cape of Good Hope had begun to tilt, which showed that the battleship had begun to tilt. The water intrusion was serious. Without sailors to stop the leak, it was already a matter of time before it sank. The results of the test shocked the British Navy's senior officials. It seemed that what Wang Xueqian said was true. , the Zhejiang Army has the ability to defeat a fleet with aircraft. Of course, this is conditional. It is indeed possible for a fleet with ordinary battleships as capital ships, but if it is a battleship, I am afraid that the Zhejiang Army's aircraft will only be able to defeat it. There is nothing left to do. But for the British navy, if they send two battleships to the Far East, is it going to fight a warlord? What worries the British especially is that if the Zhejiang army suddenly uses another force, What about a crazy attack method? For example, if a plane with a powerful enough engine carries a two-thousand-pound bomb and hits the Nelson under certain control, what will happen? The Royal Navy fell into panic, because they found that they could not even deal with a small warlord of the Republic of China. It was like breaking a jealous dye vat, and all the paint was mixed, and no one dared to do so. Expected. Many people even thought that Wang Xueqian must have other unexposed means to deal with the huge fleet. This is also because there is a long attack gap between the torpedo attack boats and the air force, which is obviously the enemy. When the fleet was about to enter Wusongkou, there was no choice in time, so an air strike was used. At this time, if Wang Xueqian said that he had originally planned to use 6 artillery positions to ambush the British fleet, The British will definitely expose Wang Xueqian's 'trick'. You can deceive the British Empire because you won the war. But you must not insult the intelligence of the Royal Navy. Don¡¯t think we don¡¯t know the stuff! The British Royal Navy identified Wang Xueqian as the ¡®big killer¡¯ and submitted the conclusion report to the cabinet as soon as possible. The cabinet responded immediately, requiring the diplomatic negotiating team to make concessions within conditional limits. The news quickly spread like rumors among the navies of various countries. In Japan, two young mid-level naval officers were walking on the beach. One was Shitaro Shimada, a professor at the Naval University, and the other was Isoroku Yamamoto, an instructor of the Naval Air Force. . "Congratulations, Shimada-kun, you can finally enter the fleet and become a senior commander." "Yamamoto-kun, I am just the chief of staff of the fleet, and I am only responsible for the training of the fleet." "But at least, I can serve as a commander in the fleet. Isn't it an important job? On the contrary, I can only train those stupid duck-like pilots in this small place. The French instructors and the British are keeping their hands on it, and our people are simply trying to find a way in the dark room." Yamamoto. Fifty-six sighed, but there was no disappointment on his face, but he looked very confident. The Zhejiang Air Force's victory in the naval battle brought him widespread attention in the Navy, and his status rose. Shitaro Shimada is a classmate with him, so he naturally knows that his classmate is the kind of guy who can make a name for himself. Although I was ordered to form a naval aviation force, the initial stage was not smooth. Because aircraft are not as widely recognized by society in Japan as they are in Europe, especially since Japan has not participated in the European battlefield and lacks understanding of the combat characteristics of aircraft. It is quite difficult to set up Japan's naval aviation force. Its scale is as large as that of the Royal Navy.Xue Qian's Zhejiang Aviation School is similar in size, but it has not been able to achieve the training goal of actual combat. It can be said that the Zhejiang Air Force can already be included in actual combat mode, while the Japanese Navy¡¯s aviation is still in the process of theoretical research. If the two sides conduct an exercise, the likely result is that the Zhejiang Army will win. Yamamoto Isoroku is the person who pays most attention to Wang Xueqian in the navy, not even one person. He determined that Wang Xueqian's theory would be able to shine one day in the future. Of course Shitaro Shimada is a professor at Naval University, so he naturally knows something about the war that took place during the Republic of China, but he doesn't pay as much attention to it as Isoroku Yamamoto. After all, Yamamoto Isoroku is destined to be the soul-level originator of Japanese naval aviation, while Shimada is just for teaching needs. As the two of them talked, they talked about the British Royal Navy¡¯s speculation that Wang Xueqian had a hand. This speculation was not held by the British. This kind of controversy also exists in other naval powers, but the Japanese Navy does not pay much attention to it because it knows little about the air force. ¡°But Yamamoto Isoroku is not an ordinary naval officer. His keen habit of aviation and aircraft made him vaguely feel that Wang Xueqian really had a hidden agenda. Once he had this idea, he suddenly felt that Wang Xueqian was really terrible. "Yamamoto-kun, do you know? There is a guy in the Army who is jumping up and down asking the Empire to send troops to Shandong. However, the Army cannot do it alone. Tomorrow the Navy will have a hearing, which is a high-level meeting of the Navy about sending troops to Shandong. Are you ready? Want to go see it? " "Shimada-kun is going too?" Yamamoto Isoroku had the idea that Wang Xueqian, whom the British recognized, had a "big killer", and wanted to find someone to verify it, so he casually asked: "Shimada Sir, what do you think the secret weapon in Wang Xueqian¡¯s hand is?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say there is none?¡± Shimada said with a smile: ¡°Didn¡¯t the military department¡¯s documents already explain it? Wang Xueqian himself has repeatedly explained that there is no such thing. 'Secret Weapon'" At this time, Wang Xueqian was like Saddam who was believed to have a "big killer weapon". He just had one thought, what an injustice! If he really had such a secret weapon, why would he wait for diplomatic negotiations? He could just drive the British out of the concession, wait for Britain's largest fleet to come to the Republic of China, and then wreak havoc on these British guys. Just because he didn't have it, he had no choice but to admit it. What a coward! But the rumors don¡¯t think so. I carefully searched for clues in Wang Xueqian¡¯s dozens of interview records, so there are different opinions. Shandong Fifty-Six is ??a bit confused among the numerous information. I wanted to find someone to verify it, but Shimada might be about to enter the fleet and be promoted to general. He was in a good mood and joked: "I think it's a 'missile'." "A missile? It's the one mentioned in an interview with Time One of the most powerful air attack weapons, it is mysterious, has strong attack speed, and can decide the outcome in milliseconds. It is an incredible weapon." Yamamoto Isoroku nodded seriously and said, "Hey, it turns out to be a missile. '!" Shitaro Shimada opened his mouth. He just said casually, but he didn't expect Yamamoto Isoroku to be serious. If he asked him to explain and admit his mistake, it would be impossible. He could only smile in agreement, as if only he had understood the secret. (To be continued.) 8