Su Shu was sleeping in the dormitory when a rapid alarm woke him up immediately.
He quickly put on his military uniform, put on his pistol holster, and ran out of the dormitory.
He looked at the darkening sky. It was dawn and the ship's electric lights illuminated the decks.
All the officers and soldiers on the battleship Taishan ran to their positions.
Su Shu also ran towards the staff headquarters.
He knew that this was an assault training conducted by the fleet's top brass.
War can break out at any time.
All officers and soldiers on the battleship Tarzan must arrive at the designated location within ten minutes after the alarm sounds.
Because according to the staff's calculations, they were confronting opponents of the same level at sea.
The people on duty on the battleship Qin Shihuang could only hold on for ten minutes.
You must strive for excellence and train to the highest standards so that you will not appear panicked when a war breaks out.
Su Shu ran into the staff headquarters. He was not late and immediately participated in the work.
Advisors are rating each system.
"Boiler workers need to be more trained. This position is extremely important. If the boiler pressure is insufficient, the warship will lose power."
"The artillery responded quickly and deserves praise."
"The two officers Liu Bing and Guan Yangwei were dismissed from their posts.
Not taking training seriously, this kind of indifferent mentality will harm everyone in the fleet if there is a war.
The black sheep must be eliminated resolutely. "
Su Shu listened to the comments of Chief of Staff Cao Zhengyuan, and he also recognized what Chief of Staff Cao said.
The work of the staff department ended soon, and staff officer Lu Yuanqi took Su Shu to dinner.
"Xiao Su, everyone has been busy all morning, let's go have breakfast.
I heard that the logistics team used a trawl to catch a few tuna, and we were in for a treat. "
When Su Shu heard about eating fish, his stomach cramped.
Only now did he understand what Staff Officer Lu Yuanqi meant before.
In the first few days when Su Shu went to sea, he felt that everything on the sea was fresh.
For the first time, he saw swarms of seagulls landing on the deck to rest, not afraid of people at all.
For the first time, he saw a huge whale in the sea, swimming out of the water to breathe and spitting out high jets of water.
For the first time, he saw an approaching typhoon, with high wind and waves crashing onto the deck.
The huge battleship Taishan shook violently on the sea.
They soaked dozens of tons of anchors into the sea to stabilize the rocking of the battleship.
Su Shu was very happy at first. These were things he had never seen before.
He felt like a canary in a cage, suddenly flying into the vast world.
This feeling of breaking the shackles made Su Shu feel relaxed and happy.
Su Shu was very happy at first, but after the fleet floated in the Pacific for a long time, he felt very boring.
The fleet repeats the same training every day, especially the food is just the same.
The vegetables and meat stored by the army were all used up, leaving only shelf-stable cabbage, radishes, bean sprouts and various seafood.
In order to ensure high-intensity training, seafood must be eaten and full.
In order to prevent sepsis, fresh vegetables are cooked at low temperature.
Especially the cold dishes, there is no shortage of them at every meal.
After Su Shu got rid of his impatience, he realized that to be a qualified naval officer, one must endure loneliness.
He picked up the cold mung bean sprouts in front of him, which was the food he hated the most, and ate it with all his heart.
As Su Shu, no one would stop him from eating some food stored in the refrigerator.
But these precious foods are provided to the wounded.
Su Shu didn't want to be the most special one in the fleet.
The only special thing about him is that he can enjoy the tea leaves of Advisor Lu Yuanqi.
In the navy, only officers can drink tea.
Because fuel and fresh water are limited on the ship, boiling water is at a premium.
The core steam engine of the Qin Shihuang battleship is a large consumer of fresh water.
Steam engine boilers must use fresh water.
If seawater is used, the boiler will quickly become obsolete.
Su Shu finished his meal quickly and asked Staff Officer Lu Yuanqi: "Officer Lu, I understand that many merchant ships traveling to America use ocean currents.
This can reach America quickly and save the consumption of ships. "
Staff officer Lu Yuanqi explained: “Our warships are different from merchant ships.
Merchant ships can choose the safest and most economical route.
Warships have to adapt to any harsh sea conditions.
The main goal this time is to train the battleship fleet, not to visit the Americas.
The fleet cannot put the cart before the horse, and everything should focus on military training. "
After Staff Officer Lu Yuanqi gave the official explanation, he expressed his own thoughts.
"We can also choose to take the ocean current, but I think there are at least two reasons why the Admiral vetoed this route.
The first reason is that there are a large number of merchant ships on the ocean current route, which affects the normal training of the fleet.
The second one is in front of this route, there is Honolulu Island, an important naval base in the Pacific.
The shipyard there can repair minor problems encountered by warships.
The Admiral is worried that the battleship Qin Shihuang will have problems midway.
At that time, towing the warship to Honolulu Island by barge was the best solution.
Sometimes the most convenient route may not be the most suitable route. "
After Su Shu listened to Staff Officer Lu's analysis, he finally understood why the fleet didn't take a shortcut?
"Commander Lu, I haven't learned how to use a sextant yet. You are an expert in this area.
How far is Sandalwood Island from us?
I can't wait to go to the island to see what's going on. "
Staff officer Lu Yuanqi said excitedly: "You see the small island in front of the fleet.
These are the islands that make up the Sandalwood Islands, the real big island of Sandalwood, which can be felt in a day or two.
Don't say you can't wait, I also want to see the beautiful scenery of Sandalwood Island. "
When Su Shu heard that he would be able to see Tanxiang Island in one or two days, there was a look of longing in his eyes.
I hope that the situation on Honolulu Island can match its reputation. The most important thing is that vegetables and meat must be abundant.
…………………………
Admiral Zhan Tie and Chief of Staff Cao Zhengyuan looked at the big island ahead.
Chief of Staff Cao Zhengyuan lamented: “This island is the island discovered by Chief of Staff Zhou Qianxue.
After reporting it to the Navy, Honolulu Island immediately attracted the attention of the Navy.
This island is at the center of the Great China Empire and the North American continent.
As long as we control this island, with the current scope of naval activities, we can project our forces to the west coast of North America.
As the combat range of warships expands, the navy will continue to radiate influence outwards.
Honolulu Island is an important fulcrum of the Imperial Navy's sea power strategy.
The First Fleet specially dispatched a squadron to be stationed on Honolulu Island in rotation. "
Admiral Zhan Tie agreed: "Tanxiang Island is an important warning island.
The forces from the Americas want to threaten the empire, and they must prioritize removing the threat from Sandalwood Island.
As long as there is a force that captures Sandalwood Island, it is a declaration of war on the empire, and the navy can respond quickly. "
After the two of them talked about the situation on Tanxiang Island, Chief of Staff Cao Zhengyuan said an interesting story.
“When Chief of Staff Zhou Qianxue was exploring Sandalwood Island, he was attacked by the local indigenous people.
When Chief of Staff Zhou Qianxue led the army to occupy Tanxiang Island, he directly arrested all the indigenous people.
He sold all these natives to Zhao and other countries as slaves. "
Admiral Zhan Tie said loudly: "It's a good sale for such an important strategic island for the empire.
The people on the island are all our own, so we can rest assured. "
As soon as they finished speaking, a small boat came under the battleship Tarzan.
"Reporting to the Admiral, we have communicated well with the garrison on Honolulu Island.
The island has allowed our troops to enter the military port to rest and recuperate. "
After Admiral Zhan Tie listened, he waved his hand and ordered: "Call the entire army to park in the military port in an orderly manner according to the other party's instructions."
Under the command of the officers, the battleship fleet entered the port in an orderly manner in cooperation with the management personnel of the Honolulu Island military port.
Admiral Zhantie looked at the good harbor where battleships could easily dock, and he sighed: "No wonder Tanxiang Island has attracted so much attention, just this good harbor deserves the attention of the navy.
There are so many good ports in the empire, and the number of military ports that can dock battleships is also very limited. Many of them are not as good as the Honolulu Island military port.
There is a big island in the Pacific, which can store a large amount of supplies and has an excellent port. This is really a chosen place. "
Chief of Staff Cao Zhengyuan saw that the warship was stable, and he immediately notified the engineers accompanying the army to conduct a comprehensive inspection of the fleet's warships.
As a new warship, the battleship Taishan must undergo more detailed inspections.
If there is a problem with the accessory, remove it and replace it with a good accessory.
The cargo ship carries a large number of wearing parts to ensure the condition of the warship.
This was the first time a steam-powered ironclad sailed around the world.
This voyage went smoothly and there were not many accidents in the fleet, which proves that the ironclad ship technology has matured.
On the battleship Taishan, Chief of Staff Zhou Qianxue was soon welcomed.
He looked at the warships in the fleet with envious eyes.
The Royal Navy of the Great China Empire was the first fleet composed entirely of ironclad ships. Any naval general who saw it would be eager to take command of this fleet.
On the ship, they communicated with each other about the situation in the empire and the situation in the American continent.
Admiral Zhan Tie also informed the fleet that the soldiers could disembark and move around freely.
Staff officer Lu Yuanqi took the same approach as the Japanese province and took the eldest prince Su Shu to visit Tanxiang Island.
As Su Shu walked on the port, he felt like he was down to earth.
The first thing I saw was the roadside stall near the port. The rich aroma of meat attracted everyone's attention.
Many of the soldiers who got off the warship stopped at roadside stalls, and several friends gathered at a table to have a good meal.
Su Shu immediately pulled Staff Officer Lu Yuanqi and walked towards the roadside stall.
More and more people are getting off the boat. If we don’t compete for seats, there will be no seats left.
He saw that there were almost no seats left at the roadside stall, there were only half empty tables, and a man who looked like a fisherman was sitting on the other side.
Su Shu stepped forward and asked: "Uncle, we are officers of the Imperial Navy. It is rest time now. If we want to taste the delicious food here, can we share a table with you?"
The uncle smiled and said: "My son is also a navy, and most of the people on Sandalwood Island are family members and martyrs of the navy.
I know you are from other fleets, here to change the guard.
I didn’t expect that there would be a changing of the guard so soon this year. The changing of the guard was too frequent.
The seat in front of me is empty, you can sit down wherever you like.
If my son were alive, he should be as old as this young man. "
After the uncle finished speaking, he looked at Staff Officer Lu Yuanqi with a look of reminiscence on his face.
Su Shu knew that the uncle opposite him was a martyr of a naval officer. He cupped his hands and sat opposite him.
The dishes here are traditional Cantonese dishes, and a high proportion of people from Guangdong and Guangxi are included in the dishes.
Su Shu knew that his father's first coastal territory was the Guangdong and Guangxi areas.
The backbone of the Imperial Navy was formed based on the Danhu in Guangdong and Guangxi.
Su Shu finished his meal quickly. He had not eaten such a delicious meal for a long time. He was very satisfied with the meal.
While eating, he chatted with his uncle for a while about the situation on Sandalwood Island.
Honolulu Island makes a living by fishing and growing sugar cane.
In particular, the sugarcane industry is extremely developed, and Sandalwood Island is suitable for sugarcane growth.
Sugar cane is initially processed into brown sugar and white sugar, which are sold throughout the Americas.
Merchants then brought the grain, vegetables and livestock purchased from America and transported them to Honolulu Island for sale.
In addition to being a military port, Sandalwood Island also uses the sugar industry as a hub to connect to the American continent.
Su Shu also learned from his uncle that the American continent has developed rapidly in recent years.
Sugar and fish from Sandalwood Island are sold in large quantities to the American continent, and demand continues to rise every year.
How America develops needs to be observed by Su Shu himself.
But from this detail, he can already roughly describe the scene in America.
There are very few entertainment facilities on Honolulu Island. After all, the main population here is the family members and martyrs of the navy.
Apart from restaurants and hotels, there are basically no other entertainment facilities.
It is prohibited to drink alcohol while on duty in the Navy.
Even people who are greedy for drinking don't dare to drink at this time and ruin things.
The scenery on Sandalwood Island is the same, and there are no scenes that make people forget to leave.
After the naval officers had satisfied their appetites, most of them chose to return to the ship and wait.
Su Shu was no exception. He returned to the battleship Taishan with Staff Officer Lu Yuanqi.
A large amount of materials are stored in the warehouse on Sandalwood Island.
Su Shu has been assisting in the transportation of supplies these days.
He saw a large amount of supplies and buckets of fresh water being constantly moved to the ship, with a happy smile on his face.
There are indeed many benefits to having a supply base halfway through the Pacific route. The fleet will no longer have to worry about shortages of supplies.
Su Shu heard that the engineer representative went to the staff headquarters to report on his work. He immediately returned to the staff headquarters to observe the situation.
As soon as he walked into the staff department, he heard the engineer in charge of fleet maintenance reporting the fleet's situation to Chief of Staff Cao Zhengyuan.
“After careful inspection by our team, the pipelines of Minshan and Yanshan were damaged, and the damaged pipelines have been replaced in time.
The Taihang Mountain and Dongting Lake propellers, blades and bearings had problems and have been replaced.
Other warships have some minor problems, and all have been resolved.
The battleship Taishan had some problems with the sealing of its power system because the pressure in the boiler was too high.
We have carried out a detailed inspection of the steam pipes.
It was finally decided to reduce some non-main valves and reduce the leakage points of the steam pipeline.
At the same time, the pressure of the boiler is reduced, the warship's ultimate speed is reduced by 20%, and the normal cruising speed is reduced by 3%.
But this improvement can lead to a longer life of the power system.
The wear of the propeller and its bearings of the battleship Taishan was not serious, but for safety, we also replaced it.
No problems were found in the keel and hull structure of the battleship Taishan.
Its most vulnerable point is its power system, and we will continue to pay attention to it.
The fleet warships have completed maintenance and are ready to continue their journey at any time. "
Chief of Staff Cao Zhengyuan was very satisfied when he heard that the engineers had completed the maintenance work on the warship.
The fleet as a whole was not damaged, but some missing parts were replaced.
Chief of Staff Cao Zhengyuan praised: "You have done a very good job. You made the right choice to lower the boiler pressure. We must ensure the stable operation of the warship.
This overhaul has made great achievements, and I will personally ask for credit for you. "
He looked at Su Shu and said: "Xiao Su, go and inform Admiral Zhan Tie that the fleet has been repaired and can continue its journey." (End of Chapter)
