After the fleets from the Thai and Western countries passed through the West Sea Canal and officially entered the Red Sea, they immediately encountered a new "surprise".
According to the notification they received, a fleet of the Ming Navy would escort and accompany them to Yingtian Mansion.
This fleet is waiting for them in the Red Sea, and then joins them and moves together.
The elites of various countries in Europe and the West have long been mentally prepared for the power of the Ming Navy.
But when I actually encountered it, I immediately had a new feeling.
The size of this fleet is slightly larger.
Four 60,000-ton high-speed battleships, eight 40,000-ton class battleships, and eight 40,000-ton class aircraft carriers.
The sheer tonnage of the capital ship directly exceeds the size of the entire Thai-Chinese fleet.
Coupled with the cruisers in the fleet, the overall size is more than twice the size of the Thai-Chinese fleet.
The admirals and crew members of the fleets from various countries in Europe and the West exchanged radio call signs with the Ming Dynasty fleet in astonishment and established a communication channel.
Then according to the Ming Navy's suggestion, both sides lined up in one column and jointly formed two columns to move forward.
As a result, the size of the Ming Dynasty fleet was much longer than the Taixi fleet.
The royal families, officials, and generals of various countries in Europe and the West stood on the deck of their own ship, looking at the Ming Dynasty fleet not far away, and they were filled with emotions.
King George IV of England, looking at the Ming Dynasty fleet opposite, couldn't help but ask Nelson, the naval commander next to him:
"Sir Nelson, do you think this fleet of the Ming Navy is here to protect us, or is it here to monitor us?"
Nelson has been holding a telescope to carefully observe the situation of Ming Dynasty's battleships, especially the aircraft carrier.
Four of the eight Ming aircraft carriers have been modified with angled decks, and they continue to be used as light aircraft carriers.
The other four ships have not been extensively modified on the surface, but the internal cabin structure and configuration of the aircraft have been adjusted accordingly.
The number of fixed-wing aircraft has been greatly reduced, and the number of various helicopters has been greatly increased.
The main mission now is anti-submarine and ground attack, which is a combination of anti-submarine aircraft carrier and amphibious assault ship.
Of course, there are no jet carrier-based aircraft on the decks of these two aircraft carriers.
The fixed-wing aircraft used are all turboprop aircraft.
Nelson is carefully analyzing the design logic of the Ming Dynasty aircraft carrier according to his current thinking.
"The role of that inclined deck... This is really a genius design... The take-off and landing efficiency of the aircraft will definitely be higher, but... the cost will also be higher..."
At this time, Nelson's expression and mood were helpless when he heard the king's question.
The new king of England is not stupid, just a little more simple and straightforward.
Nelson put down the telescope and explained to the king next to him:
“My lord, they are both protecting us and monitoring us.
"If we attend His Majesty the Ming Emperor's coronation ceremony normally, then they will indeed protect us sincerely.
“If our fleet has any extra thoughts, it is surveillance.
"After all, regardless of whether they are good or bad, we have quite a lot of capital ships from various countries here.
"So Ming Dynasty arranged for such a larger fleet to come over."
King George IV sighed leisurely:
"So Lord Nelson, if, I say if, our navy's fleet breaks out in battle with this Ming Dynasty fleet.
"Let your Excellency command the fleet. Our fleet has a chance to win...should I say...a chance to escape unscathed?"
Nelson realized that his Majesty the King had realized that the possibility of winning this battle was infinitely close to zero.
So when the words about winning came to my lips, I temporarily changed the question.
Nelson smiled bitterly and said:
"If it were fifteen years ago, I can guarantee you that even if we cannot win, we still have a great chance of escaping unscathed.
"Even if the battle is actually defeated, I can bring all the main force of the fleet back to the port.
“But now... we can only say... that the defeated side has basically no possibility of escaping unscathed.
“There will inevitably be a large number of capital ships sunk or severely damaged on the battlefield.
“According to my understanding of aircraft carrier operations, when there are enough aircraft carriers in the fleets of both parties involved in the war, neither side can avoid it.
“Because the speed of aircraft carrier-based aircraft far exceeds the speed of battleships.
“Once discovered by an enemy aircraft carrier, it will be directly attacked soon, and it is basically impossible to escape the opponent’s attack range by sailing.
“So in the battle between aircraft carriers, we can only attack with all our strength at all costs.
"Only by destroying the enemy...even, even if the enemy's aircraft carrier is destroyed, our fleet may not be safe.
"As long as the enemy's carrier-based attack aircraft has taken off, the enemy that has been discovered will inevitably be attacked.
"The total number of aircraft carriers in the UK is not as many as the aircraft carriers of the Ming Dynasty fleet. These are obviously not all the aircraft carriers of the Ming Dynasty...
"The size of the single ship is even worse, and the design concept should be considered relatively backward.
“It may take two British aircraft carriers’ carrier-based aircraft to defeat one Ming Dynasty aircraft carrier’s carrier-based aircraft.
"If the command capabilities of our generals are not much different, the training level and fighting will of our soldiers are also similar.
"Then it's impossible for us to win...
“At this time, the distance between the British Navy and the navies of the European and European countries combined and the Ming Dynasty’s navy.
"Compared to the world war period more than ten years ago..."
When George IV heard these real comparisons and judgments, he immediately felt particularly lost.
I have just been officially crowned, I have just held a naval parade to celebrate my coronation, and I have just experienced the most satisfying moment in my life.
As a result, I now realize that even with the strength of my entire country, I am no match for a fleet of the Ming Dynasty.
This blow is really a bit big.
George IV had long known that the key to Britain, which had lost a large number of colonies, was that it was no longer possible for Britain to quarrel with it again when it could not continue to gather all the major countries in Europe and the West to fight against the Ming Dynasty.
George IV no longer had any intention of competing with Ming Dynasty.
It's just this gap in reality that really makes him, the king, feel stressed and lost.
Especially after experiencing the magnificent era of the anti-Ming war.
At that time, Britain, as the initiator and actual speaker of the Anti-Ming Alliance, even felt on an equal footing with the Ming Dynasty to a certain extent.
Unfortunately, many people later realized that that feeling was just an illusion.
George IV asked, slightly disbelieving:
“So, the gap between our navy and the Ming Dynasty’s navy has widened further compared to the world war period fifteen years ago?
"But according to what I have seen and the reports I have received, it has been said that our navy is making rapid progress!
"At the fleet review not long ago, someone told me that our fleet is much more powerful than before!"
Nelson also said very helplessly:
"Our British Navy has indeed made continuous progress and innovation in the past ten years.
“The combat capabilities of our naval fleet are indeed much more powerful than those of the British Navy in more than ten years.
“However, Ming Dynasty has made more progress and innovation, and Ming Dynasty is more powerful than it was more than ten years ago.
“Many of our own progress and innovations were achieved step by step following the Ming Dynasty.
“So our speed is slower than that of Daming, and our scale is smaller than that of Daming.
“So, the gap between us and Ming Dynasty is wider than it was fifteen years ago.
“This gap may continue to grow in the future.
“Because with the development of technology, continuous accumulation is becoming more and more important.
“As long as Ming Dynasty doesn’t stop and wait for us, we may never catch up with them.
"Unless we can master some kind of subversive power that can directly destroy existing warships and troops.
"Only in this way can the balance of power between the two sides be brought into a relatively balanced state again."
When George IV heard this, he felt extremely sad and couldn't help but said some discouraging words:
"That is obviously impossible. Even if there is such a subversive power, it must be mastered by Ming Dynasty first.
"We, the British and the Westerners, can only follow behind and 'take steps in Handan'.
“In this case, what’s the point of our British Navy’s existence?
“Protect our homeland and colonies from interference and influence by other countries in the West?
"If we completely turn to the Ming Dynasty, can this be achieved even if there is basically no navy?"
Nelson didn't answer this time, but Charlotte on the other side couldn't stand it anymore:
“If Britain completely fell to the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty would require Britain to maintain a certain size of navy...
“Otherwise, what conditions will Britain offer in exchange for the protection of the Ming Navy?
“Besides directly handing a certain percentage of tax revenue to Ming Dynasty, I can’t think of anything else that can really impress the Ming Emperor.
“There is no free lunch in the world, and the Ming Emperor was originally the biggest businessman in the world.
"He will not spend his own money to support the army and help the British protect their homeland, trade routes, colonies and other properties for free..."
Nelson was stunned for a moment, and then said a little surprised:
"What Her Royal Highness the Princess said is very reasonable, so the British Navy must have it no matter what."
George IV was not stupid. He was speechless after hearing his daughter's words. He stopped looking at the Ming Dynasty's fleet and turned back to the cabin.
Charlotte also followed with a smile.
Nelson and the naval generals, the British nobles, bureaucrats, and businessmen were left to continue to admire and admire the Ming Navy's fleet.
On the warships and ships of other countries, the elites from all walks of life in each country felt a bit similar at the moment.
They all intuitively felt the gap between themselves and Daming again.
Then I began to wonder and sigh. After more than ten years of development after the war, the distance between the European and Western countries and the Ming Dynasty did not seem to narrow at all, but instead widened again.
The "latecomer advantage" that seems to be right and completely consistent with the logic of thinking does not seem to work.
"Is it just because Ming's scale advantage is too great? Plus... my dear friend... His Majesty's guidance?"
French King Louis Charles looked at his queen Liu Muyu.
Liu Muyu could only nod in agreement:
“It can only be thought that it is because of the Ming Dynasty’s scale advantage, coupled with the guidance of His Majesty the Emperor, that a new round of industrial technology innovation was born.
"This time the Ming Dynasty is at the forefront again, so the distance between it and the European and American countries has widened again.
“But technological innovation cannot be sustained forever.
“When the main technologies mature, the development speed will gradually stabilize.
"The latecomer advantage of the pursuer will be reflected."
Ciel muttered slightly uneasily:
"That's the only way I can understand it..."
But some people saw something different.
Prussian Chief of Staff Gneisenau analyzed his king and said:
“Unless Ming Dynasty deliberately concealed their new technology, we should be able to confirm a judgment.
“Da Ming has now entered a period of technological maturity.
"Fifteen years ago, the Ming Dynasty had already designed a high-speed battleship fully equipped with main guns, an aircraft carrier with full access to the deck, and the most important flying machine.
“But so far, the Ming fleet we have seen still uses these technologies.
“Ten years ago, these technologies were basically only mastered by Ming Dynasty.
“Whether it is aircraft, aircraft carriers or high-speed battleships, the Thai and Spanish countries, including us, Britain and France, are unable to produce similar products that are valuable.
“But now, we also have aircraft, we also have aircraft carriers, and we also have high-speed battleships.
“The Ming Dynasty’s aircraft are just faster than ours, and the Ming Dynasty’s aircraft carriers and battleships are just bigger than ours.
“But our aircraft and warships are already the same thing as Ming’s aircraft and warships.
"It's not that Ming Dynasty has it, but we don't have it anymore.
“So, from a purely technical perspective, we are actually closer to Ming Dynasty than we were ten years ago.
“Looking at it on the other hand, the biggest technological gap between us and Ming Dynasty was in the few years after the end of the world war.
"Our aircraft carriers, high-speed battleships, and aircraft have not yet been built.
“In the past fifteen years, no epoch-making weapons and equipment that can directly change the mode of warfare have been created.
“It is still a matter of continuous upgrading and optimization based on existing equipment.
“So, Ming Dynasty’s military equipment has once again entered a period of technological maturity.
“Although, even if we continue to work hard to catch up, it will be difficult to surpass Ming’s technical level in the short term.
“However, without the new technology developed by Ming Dynasty, other countries’ military equipment updates will also become stable.
"The uncertainty of war patterns is continuing to decrease..."
Following Gneisenau's analysis, King William III of Prussia also felt a sudden enlightenment:
"So, the time is really ripe now!"
Gneisenau thought about it for a moment:
"It should be mature, but we should continue to observe, at least until we return to the mainland from the Ming Dynasty.
"That's all we can do...
"Even if the development of military technology has entered a mature stage, even if our equipment is no longer fundamentally different from that of the Ming Dynasty.
“But the direct power gap between us and Ming Dynasty is still absolute.
“Even the generals of the army can see that the gap between our navy and the Ming Dynasty’s navy cannot be bridged by other forces.
“So we must try our best to ensure that Daming does not object.
"Only things can be done if Ming Dynasty does not object to it. This is a request made by the current Emperor Ming Dynasty during the world war peace talks."
William III hammered his table very seriously and seriously:
"I see."
(End of chapter)
