Historically, early battleships and battlecruisers were equipped with torpedo tubes, and some people even proposed the development of torpedo battleships - battleships would not be equipped with main guns and modified torpedo tubes, and then rush up to release torpedoes during a war!
But that kind of torpedo battleship is just a fantasy and has not come true. In history, other battleships and battlecruisers equipped with torpedoes only installed a few torpedo tubes. How about the Wuzhong King equipped with 16 530 mm torpedo tubes at once?
Guan Tianpei saw Zhuge Weidao's reaction, but smiled and said: "Daozi, you are behind the times this time... In future naval battles, torpedo attacks must be the main method, so there must be more torpedo tubes." Pack!"
Who said that? Zhuge Weidao thought to himself: "The naval battles in the future will obviously be based on launching missiles. A 20,000-ton battle cruiser must have at least 200 lobes to be satisfied..."
Guan Tianpei went on to say: "The reason for this is because the range and speed of the latest steam gas torpedoes have made leaps and bounds... The compressed air torpedoes in the past were slow and short in range, capable of hitting 1,000 meters. That's already very good. But a steam gas torpedo can easily hit 4-5 kilometers. And the speed of a steam gas torpedo can easily exceed 30 knots! Daozi, think about it, a 30-knot torpedo can hit 4-5 kilometers Kilometers! This is only the first generation of steam gas torpedoes. Steam gas torpedoes with a range of 7-8 kilometers and a speed of 40-50 knots should appear in a very short time!"
Guan Tianpei said with excitement: "At that time, the battlecruiser Wuzhongwang will be very powerful... When its bow is facing the enemy, it can fire 8 530mm torpedoes at one time, and in 7 Torpedoes can be fired from -8 kilometers away. However, it is difficult for 240mm and 280mm naval guns to hit Wuzhongwang at this distance. Even if they hit, it will be difficult to seriously damage Wuzhongwang. And if the enemy ship If it was hit by a 530mm torpedo fired by the King of Mu, that would be the end!
Daozi, think about it, the Wuzhong King has a speed of 24 knots! The battleships, armored cruisers, and even second- and third-class cruisers known to the British were not as fast as it. When this 10,000-ton patrol encountered it, it took a long time to fire. The torpedoes will be gone in a moment! If we had a few of these battlecruiser torpedo boats, the British Royal Navy and the Indian Navy would not be enough to defeat our Nanyang Fleet! "
It really is!
When Zhuge Weidao heard what Guan Tianpei said, he actually thought it made sense!
Because the shell power, sighting, and rate of fire of the current large-caliber naval guns are still far from ideal. The accuracy is generally poor at a distance of 7-8 kilometers, and the distance for sea artillery battles is generally very close. 3000-5000 meters is the ideal distance for sea artillery battles of warships. At this distance, air compression torpedoes are useless, so both sides can concentrate on firing. But what if one side has a steam gas torpedo first?
The main guns of most of the current capital ships of the British and Indian Navy are basically not enough to pose a threat to the 20,000-ton Hachiko-class battlecruisers, so the Hachiko-class can completely withstand their firepower and rush to a distance of 3,000 meters to fire steam. Gas torpedo!
Moreover, the Hachichuou-class are very fast. All enemy ships targeted by them, except for those "Unyielding"-class ones, do not even have the strength to resist. They cannot escape or defeat them, and they can only eat torpedoes!
Even if it is not surrendered, can the 9.2-inch main gun really break through the armor protection of the Bazhong King class?
In addition, the Ming Navy also has a 4,000-ton "big drive" platform. In addition to four 120mm naval guns, it has not been equipped with other firepower... This "big drive" will not be reserved for " "Heavy Mine Destroyer" right?
Thinking of this, Zhuge Weidao asked again: "Brother Zhong Yin, our Nanyang Fleet will not only have the battle cruiser torpedo boat Wuzhong Wang, right? There must be other heavy torpedo ships, right?"
Guan Tianpei smiled and nodded: "I really can't hide it from you... Now steam gas torpedo is still our secret weapon, and the production has not increased, so it is impossible to use it on all ship hulls. So only Wuzhong The King, Chengzhongwang and the latest 2,000-ton large-drive 'Leizhou' class are equipped with this steam gas torpedo."
Zhuge Weidao asked: "Leizhou level is..."
Guan Tianpei said: "The standard displacement is 2,000 tons, with a full displacement of more than 2,400 tons, four single-mounted 155mm main guns, two triple-mounted 530mm torpedo launchers installed amidships, and the power is 8 mixed-fired boilers plus 2 steam turbines. It can Producing 21,000 horsepower, the Leizhou-class speed can exceed 30 knots!"
This class of destroyer sounds a bit like the historical torpedo destroyer designed by the Germans during World War I.
Zhuge Weidao thought to himself: "Three battlecruiser torpedo boats plus twelve destroyer torpedo boats...it is really a Nanyang torpedo boat brigade!"
Guan Tianpei added: "Not long after, our Nanyang Fleet will have 3 Bazhongwang-class ships and 12 'Leizhou'-class ships. These 15 ships will form a battlecruiser detachment... Daozi, you are really Not interested? This is the main force of our Nanyang Fleet!
The war is about to begin. If you become the admiral of this unit, you will have the rank of lieutenant general in your hands in the blink of an eye. "
Guan Tianpei does have good intentions. His current position as admiral of the Nanyang Fleet has a lot to do with Zhuge Weidao.
Now even if he repays his favor, he must also create an opportunity for Zhuge Weidao to be promoted to lieutenant general!
But Zhuge Weidao's interest is still in maritime navigation, and he has already served as a fleet admiral before (the admiral of the Persian Gulf Fleet and the deputy admiral of the Nanyang Fleet are on the same level), and his military merit and maritime qualifications are enough to be promoted to lieutenant general (if not He didn't get to fight that night battle, and he is now a lieutenant general), so he can just survive the rest of the year.
However, Zhuge Weidao still felt that he should create some promotion opportunities for the people he encircled.
Thinking of this, he said to Guan Tianpei: "Brother Zhong Yin, I know someone who can definitely be the admiral of this battlecruiser unit!"
"Really?" Guan Tianpei asked, "Who is it?"
"Chen Ruizhi!" Zhuge Weidao said, "It was him who sank one Blake-class ship and damaged two Blake-class ships in the Goa naval battle! And it was torpedoes that sank the Blake-class ships...it was compressed air. Torpedoes, if they are replaced with steam gas torpedoes, the three British Blake-class ships will not be able to go back!"
"Okay!" Guan Tianpei nodded with a smile, "I am familiar with Chen Ruizhi. He is indeed a talent. That's him!"
…
January 1830.
Portsmouth naval port, England.
Next to the pier of the port, an "Indomitable" class battleship was docked that was about to set sail. The boiler on the ship was already boiling, and billowing black smoke came out of the chimney.
Two elderly soldiers wearing military uniforms and holding the rank of marshal were walking side by side towards the huge warship. Behind them were a group of young officers and soldiers in sailor uniforms.
One of the older soldiers was a one-armed man who was none other than Lord Horatio Nelson, the god of war in the British Navy.
The other person is the British Prime Minister, the Duke of Wellington.
The Duke of Wellington looked at the huge Indomitable and sighed softly: "Earl, I have to work hard for you again this time... However, only you can host this surprise attack."
Earl Nelson smiled and said: "I originally proposed this plan. If I don't go to India to take charge, who can go? Duke, don't worry... As the Minister of War of the Indian Empire, I will definitely lead the Indian people to the direction of Of war!
The question now is when did the British people join? We cannot defeat this huge industrial empire with India's strength alone. "
"They will join!" said the Duke of Wellington. "As long as the navy can go out and win, the people's confidence will be greatly increased, and the members of Parliament who oppose the war will also change their tune. So, Earl, everything depends on you!"
Look at 1825 My New Daming.8.2...m. :
