Chapter 27: Pride and Frustration—A Portsmouth Voyage

Port helm hard left, set course 275, reduce speed to eight knots.

On the bridge of the Westfalen, Admiral Tirpitz's voice was as calm as a weather report. But through the portside window, he could clearly see the densely packed crowds on the hills on both sides of Portsmouth—thousands of Yingguo people silently watching the two Deguo battleships enter the Royal Navy's proud mother port.

The Rheinland followed at two hundred yards astern, the two ships maintaining a perfect Column formation.

"The Yingguo's welcome ceremony is still decent," Colonel Von Trotha, the captain of the Westfalen, said, lowering his telescope, a faint smile at the corner of his mouth. "At least the harbor is festooned with colorful flags."

"That's courtesy, Colonel." Tirpitz took the cap from his adjutant and adjusted it carefully. "Beneath courtesy lies humiliation and fear. Can you feel it? The whole harbor is trembling."

On the dock, the Royal Navy's reception detail had already formed ranks. Leading them was Sir William Meyer, a sixty‑plus, neatly white‑bearded old‑fashioned officer, the Third Sea Minister of the Navy. Beside him stood the Portsmouth Naval Base Commander and a dozen officers of various ranks.

Further away, camera flashes in the press area flickered back and forth.

"Drop anchor!" Von Trotha ordered.

The clatter of iron chains rang sharply in the silent harbor. The Westfalen settled steadily at the designated deep‑water berth, less than fifty meters from the pier—close enough for those on shore to see every detail of the hull.

Tirpitz smoothed his uniform, turned, and said to the officers behind him:

"Gentlemen, remember three things. First, maintain the highest professional standards—we must show the Yingguo what German Navy sailors are like. Second, when answering technical questions, you may demonstrate advantages but must not reveal core secrets. Third…"

He paused, his gaze sweeping each face:

"Enjoy this moment. In three hundred years, this is the first time a foreign warship has visited here as a technological leader. History will remember today."

The gangway lowered.

Tirpitz was the first to step down; his boots struck the Yingguo soil with steady, powerful steps. He approached Sir William Meyer and performed the standard military salute.

"Sir, Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz of the German Imperial Navy, by order of Your Majesty the Emperor, leads the Westfalen and the Rheinland on a friendly visit to your nation."

William Meyer returned the salute, his smile formal yet stiff: "Welcome to Portsmouth, General. The Royal Navy… it is an honor."

At the moment the two naval commanders shook hands, the shutters in the press area reached a climax.

But Tirpitz keenly noted that Sir William Meyer's gaze lingered on the massive battleship behind him for at least five seconds.

In that gaze there was curiosity, assessment, and a deep sense of powerlessness.

The welcome ceremony was held in the base commander's hall. Along the long oak banquet table, German and Yingguo officers sat on opposite sides. Champagne glasses were already filled, but the atmosphere was subtly almost awkward.

Sir William Meyer raised his glass and spoke:

"The Royal Navy and the German Navy share a long… tradition of cooperation. Together we safeguard freedom of navigation and trade security on the seas. This visit by General Tirpitz with two of the latest battleships will further deepen mutual understanding and friendship between our navies."

Very official wording.

When Tirpitz raised his glass in response, he decided to add a bit more:

"Thank you, Sir, for the warm hospitality. The Emperor has specially instructed me to convey his sincerest greetings to our Royal Navy counterparts. He often says the British Empire's Royal Navy is the world's naval exemplar, and the German Navy has learned many valuable experiences from the Royal Navy during its development."

The words sounded flattering, but every Yingguo officer present knew—your era is past, we are the future.

A young Yingguo lieutenant colonel whispered to his nearby comrade: "Learned experience? Learned how to build ships better than ours, I suppose."

The voice was low, yet enough for the few German officers across who understood English to hear.

Tirpitz pretended not to hear, continuing to smile and converse with William Meyer. Yet his adjutant, a thirty‑something major proficient in English, spoke in turn:

"Sir, may I ask how the afternoon schedule is arranged? Our sailors are eager to exchange ship‑handling experiences with their Royal Navy counterparts."

William Meyer looked at the base commander.

The commander cleared his throat: "According to plan, this afternoon we will first invite your officers to tour our 'Dauntless' construction dock—though still under construction, its basic outline is visible. Then…"

"Then," Tirpitz took over, his tone warm yet unrefusable, "if convenient, we would also be pleased to invite Royal Navy officers aboard. The Westfalen's steam turbine system and Main Gun control room might provide some… reference value."

The hall fell silent suddenly.

The Yingguo officers exchanged looks. Visit the Germans' new ship? What would that mean? It would mean publicly acknowledging the other side's technological lead, meaning the Royal Navy's pride would be ground down.

But to refuse? Would that not appear petty, cowardly?

Sir William Meyer's expression shifted, then forced a smile:

"Of course. Mutual learning, mutual progress."

Tirpitz raised his glass: "To mutual progress."

The clink of glasses rang crisp and sharp in the silent hall.

At two o'clock afternoon, the 'Dauntless' construction dock.

The massive hull had taken its initial shape; the Keel was being welded with the upper structure. Thousands of workers bustled on scaffolding, the sounds of steam hammers, Rivet guns, and crane roars interweaving.

Sir Philip Watts, the Royal Navy's construction director, personally gave the briefing. This chief designer of the 'Dauntless', now standing on the viewing platform, pointed at the hull below, striving to make his voice sound confident:

"As you can see, the 'Dauntless' will have a standard displacement of eighteen thousand tons, equipped with ten 12‑inch Main Guns, all using the latest 45‑caliber barrels. The power plant is a Parsons steam turbine, designed for a speed of 21 knots…"

The German officers listened politely, nodding from time to time.

But Tirpitz noted that the few technical experts he brought—especially Chief Engineer Lieutenant Colonel Schmidt and Artillery Director Major Hoffmann—exchanged a meaningful glance.

That glance held no mockery, no contempt, only the professional regret one feels when seeing a… outdated design.

After the briefing, both sides' officers used tea in the dockside lounge. German officers were surrounded by their Yingguo counterparts, questions coming one after another.

"General Tirpitz," a Yingguo captain could not help asking, "I noticed the Westfalen class's funnel arrangement is very compact; is this to reduce the wind‑exposed area of the superstructure?"

"Partly," Tirpitz sipped his red tea—British tea is indeed good—"mainly to optimise boiler and engine‑room layout. Our design Concept is that every cubic space of a battleship should serve combat power."

"And the Main Gun salvo control?" another Yingguo fire‑control expert pressed, "Five turrets, ten guns, how do you ensure hit rate at long distance?"

This answer came from Major Hoffmann. The forty‑something German artillery expert, wearing gold‑threaded glasses, spoke in fluent but accented English:

"We employ a central fire‑control system. The rangefinder atop the bridge transmits target data to the fire‑control room, where a mechanical computer calculates firing parameters, then transmits them via synchronized circuits to each turret. In theory, ten guns can fire as one."

A low inhalation sounded in the lounge.

Mechanical computer? Synchronized circuits? The Yingguo are not unfamiliar with these concepts, but integrating them into a warship and actually using them…

Sir Philip Watts's complexion grew a shade paler. His design for the 'Dauntless' also embraced similar ideas, yet the degree of implementation and integration, from the German description, seemed a tier below.

"May I ask the Effective Range?" another asked.

Hoffmann glanced at Tirpitz, saw his superior nod slightly, then said, "In good sea conditions, against a ten‑thousand‑ton target, a fifteen‑thousand‑yard range yields a hit rate of twenty‑five to thirty percent."

"Fifteen thousand yards?!" a senior Yingguo colonel blurted, "God, our active‑service battleships' maximum Effective Range is only twelve‑thousand yards, and at that distance the hit rate is under five percent!"

"The times are advancing, Colonel," Tirpitz said gently, "artillery technology, optical technology, computing technology… are changing day by day. Perhaps in five years, twenty‑thousand yards will become the standard engagement distance."

He said it lightly, but every Yingguo officer caught the implication: in five years, your Dauntless might be obsolete as soon as it enters service.

The tea gathering grew increasingly heavy.

At that moment, Lieutenant Colonel Schmidt— the engine specialist— asked a seemingly casual question:

"Sir Waz, I've noticed that the Dauntless's boiler room design still appears to use a traditional coal‑fired boiler?"

"Yes, coal boiler technology is mature and reliable…"

"What about the heavy‑oil injection system?" Schmidt interrupted, his tone purely technical, "We tested heavy‑oil assisted injection on the Westfalen‑class, boosting power by fifteen percent and cutting boiler crew by one‑third. Coal boilers… require too much manpower."

Sir Waz opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

What could he say? That the Yingguo Navy thinks heavy‑oil technology is immature? That the coal empire has a stable supply chain? Faced with technology the Deguo already employ, any explanation sounds like an excuse.

Tirpitz rose at the appropriate moment:

"Thank you, Sir Waz, for the excellent briefing. I think it's now our turn to extend hospitality—if any of you are interested in boarding for a tour."

No Yingguo officer refused.

They were eager to see, eager to know how great the gap truly was, eager to understand—how exactly the Deguo managed it?