Chapter 2: I Want Six

On June 15th, the Deguo delegation arrived first.

Leading them was Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz — the de facto head of the German Imperial Navy Department and the architect of the High Seas Fleet. The fifty-eight-year-old Admiral was tall and broad-shouldered, with his trademark handlebar moustache, and the decorations on his deep-blue uniform gleamed in the Persian Gulf sunlight.

Accompanying him were six naval officers, three shipbuilding experts, and one interpreter.

"Mr. Chen." Tirpitz's English carried a heavy Deguo accent as he studied the young Chinese man before him — around twenty years old, dressed in a simple white shirt and black trousers, looking neither like a merchant, nor an engineer, nor a warlord. "You say you have here such… battleships for sale?"

As he spoke, Tirpitz took from an officer beside him the simple warship blueprints Chen Feng had provided.

"Not ordinary battleships, General." Chen Feng made a "please" gesture. "Come with me."

The party boarded a small boat and headed for the warships anchored in the deep water. As the Distance closed, the outlines of those steel behemoths grew clearer and clearer.

"Mein Gott…" one of the Deguo shipbuilding experts murmured.

Tirpitz raised his binoculars; his hand trembled slightly. As a seasoned naval commander, he immediately saw what was unusual about these ships.

Uniform-calibre Main Gun turrets — five twin turrets, all of the same calibre. None of that messy secondary and tertiary armament. A long, sleek hull with high freeboard, clearly designed for high speed. A compact funnel arrangement, clearly employing a new type of propulsion system…

"All 305-millimetre?" Tirpitz lowered his binoculars and turned to Chen Feng.

"Yes, General. Ten 305-millimetre 45-calibre Main Guns, mounted in five twin turrets. Two forward, two aft, one amidships." Chen Feng answered calmly. "Projectile weight 386 kilogrammes, maximum range 18 kilometres. Using the latest Optical Rangefinder and mechanical fire-control computer, firing accuracy is improved by at least thirty percent over the current capital ships of any nation."

The small boat came alongside the gangway of the nearest warship. The hull number on the side was clearly visible: LF-01. "Lanfang One," Chen Feng recited silently to himself.

Stepping onto the deck, Tirpitz and his team were utterly stunned.

The broad deck was almost a flat expanse, free of the cluttered fittings found on traditional battleships. The turret bases were enormous, but the traversing mechanism was clearly the product of careful design. The bridge was enclosed, with large observation windows. Even more surprising, few crew were to be seen on deck — the degree of automation far exceeded anything of this era.

"Propulsion system?" Tirpitz went straight to the heart of the matter.

"Parsons steam turbines, four-shaft propulsion." Chen Feng led them toward the bridge. "Output 23,000 horsepower, designed speed 21 knots. In actual trials, we pushed her to a top speed of 22.3 knots."

"Impossible!" a Deguo engineer blurted out. "The fastest battleship in the world today is Yingguo's King Edward VII class, at most 19 knots! And that uses reciprocating steam engines, not turbines!"

Chen Feng smiled: "Herr Hans, you may go down to the engine room and see for yourself."

The party descended to the engine room. The massive steam turbines were running at low speed, emitting a low, steady hum. Four turbines drove four transmission shafts respectively, the arrangement so compact as to be scarcely credible.

"Fuel?"

"Coal-fired primarily, but the boiler design is compatible with heavy-oil injection, which can boost power output by fifteen percent." Chen Feng patted the turbine casing. "Range, calculated at an economical 10 knots, is 6,500 nautical miles."

Tirpitz was silent for a full minute. He walked to one of the turbines and reached out to touch its smooth metal surface. The temperature was moderate, the vibration slight. As an old sailor, he knew exactly what this meant.

Greater speed meant tactical initiative. Longer range meant being able to fire from beyond the enemy's reach. Uniform gun calibre meant simplified fire control and a higher Hit Rate.

This was not merely a new type of battleship.

This was a revolution in naval tactics.

"Armour?" Tirpitz's voice was slightly hoarse.

"All-or-nothing protection Concept." Chen Feng gestured for them to come to the midships section. "Main Armour Belt thickness 280 millimetres, inclined at 12 degrees, effective thickness exceeding 300 millimetres. Deck armour in three layers, total thickness 76 millimetres. Turret face armour 280 millimetres, conning tower armour 300 millimetres. Anti-torpedo bulkheads below the waterline."

He paused: "By our calculations, this ship can be immune to the Main Gun fire of every nation's currently active battleships at a range of 12,000 yards."

"Cost?" Tirpitz asked the most crucial question.

"Per ship, 2.8 million pounds sterling." Chen Feng quoted the figure. (The cost of the Dreadnought class was 1.8 million pounds sterling / 1906)

A collective intake of breath went up on deck. 2.8 million pounds sterling — in 1905, that was an astronomical sum. Yingguo's newest battleships cost roughly 800,000 pounds sterling. But considering the technological lead of these warships…

"Does that include crew training?" Tirpitz pressed.

"It does. We can train a full crew for each ship, over a period of three months. The training covers every aspect — navigation, combat, maintenance." Chen Feng added, "Or we can sell the ships alone, without training."

Tirpitz turned and conversed in low tones with his team. The German was rapid and heated; Chen Feng caught only a few words: "revolutionary," "better design than the Yingguo," "too expensive but worth it."

Five minutes later, Tirpitz turned back.

"Mr. Chen, I need to contact Berlin." He said solemnly, "But I can say personally that the German Imperial Navy has a strong interest in these warships. A very strong interest."

"How many do you have in stock?" another Deguo officer asked.

"Ten." Chen Feng said. "All in stock, fully fuelled and provisioned with ammunition, ready to sail at any time."

Ten!

Tirpitz's eyes lit up. The German Navy was executing a large-scale shipbuilding programme aimed at challenging Yingguo's maritime supremacy. But building ships took time — from design to laying the Keel, from launch to fitting-out, from sea trials to commissioning, at least three years.

And here and now, there were ten ready-made battleships, at least a generation ahead in technology.

"I'll take all ten!" Tirpitz nearly roared. "No, wait… six. I want six! Cash, instalments, any terms can be negotiated!"

Chen Feng smiled: "General, there are two other delegations yet to arrive. Are you certain you don't wish to wait until they have seen the ships before deciding?"

"No waiting." Tirpitz was absolutely firm. "I am cabling Berlin right now. Six ships, not one fewer."