King William II, with a somber expression as if his face might drip water, brooded over the colossal blow dealt to the German Navy by the launch of the British Navy's "Dreadnought" battleship.
"Your Majesty, the battleship secretly developed by the British in recent years is probably the Dreadnought," sighed Marshal Earl Tirpitz.
"Your Majesty, the British have adopted many advanced design concepts on this new battleship. The most important point is to cancel the secondary main guns and adopt the deployment of full-heavy artillery. However, this is not the same as Prince Oscar's original design. The suggestion is exactly the same. On the British battleship 'Dreadnought,' five twin-mounted 305mm main guns were installed. One on the front and rear decks, and one behind the boiler room in the midship of the hull, arranged on the centerline of the hull. ; Between the two boiler rooms, one on each side is symmetrically arranged. The maximum firepower of the whole ship is 8 main guns, and the forward firepower is theoretically 6 main guns. But I personally think that the design of Prince Oscar seems to be better. The three triple-mounted 305mm main guns can all shoot to the side, making the firepower of the side more powerful. Moreover, the triple-mounted main guns are more compact than the double-mounted main guns, making the defense of the battleship stronger," said Prince Heinrich, commander of the High Seas Fleet.
Prince Heinrich's words cast a shadow over Count von Warren, chairman of the Naval Technical Committee. Their rejection of Qin Tian's plan now seemed a regrettable misjudgment, seeing the British adopt a similar design as their secret weapon. The entire Naval Technical Committee felt a metaphorical slap on their faces.
Count von Warren, beads of sweat on his forehead, recognized the gravity of their error. He knew that their rejection of Qin Tian's plan had led to this predicament. The atmosphere in the room became tenser as they faced the consequences of their oversight.
"Your Majesty, do the British really intend to use the battleship 'Dreadnought' as a model for the development of future naval capital ships?" inquired Chief of General Staff Xiao Maoqi.
"Judging from the information obtained so far, it can be confirmed. The British are already designing the next level of battleships based on the battleship 'Dreadnought.' This makes the battleships we have built and even those still on the berth already obsolete," sighed Wilhelm II.
The revelation struck deep, revealing the futility of Germany's substantial investment in shipbuilding plans. William II's aspirations for maritime supremacy had become a joke. The formidable enemy was now further out of reach, causing frustration and reluctance.
"Your Majesty, it is indeed the mistake of the Naval Technical Committee this time. Our thinking is too rigid to see clearly the future development direction of naval battleships," conceded Count von Warren.
"Your Majesty, the most important issue now is not to pursue the responsibility of the Naval Technical Committee but to think about how to make up for this serious mistake. The British battleship 'Dreadnought' has made all our battleships obsolete. If we don't think of a way, this will seriously damage our naval development," Prime Minister Bernhard von Bülow chimed in.
William II's harsh tone softened as he acknowledged their mistake. The ministers realized the urgency of the situation and sought solutions to rectify the error.
"Hmph! Let's talk about what we should do now? The gap between the Imperial Navy and the British Navy has not narrowed, but has expanded. This will be very detrimental to the Empire!" William II said with a serious face.
Count von Warren faced scrutiny as all eyes were on him. Although several major shipyards had close ties with the Naval Technical Committee, their influence waned after this glaring mistake.
"Your Majesty, from the current point of view, the design of His Royal Highness Prince Oscar is obviously the best choice for the next-level capital ship of the German Navy. His Highness has a far-sighted vision than us old fellows. This time, we must not dissatisfaction has also given us a deeper understanding of the future development of naval capital ships. When the British took the battleship 'Dreadnought' as a sample for the development of future naval capital ships, we can completely use His Royal Highness Prince Oscar's Design as the next-level capital ship of the Imperial Navy, and on this basis, design the future naval capital ship. In this way, we will not be left too far behind by the British in the navy," Count von Warren suggested.
Although he maintained a calm exterior, the weight of the situation bore down on Count von Warren. His recommendation acknowledged Prince Oscar's foresight, and everyone sensed the shifting dynamics within the Naval Technical Committee.
"Your Majesty, although this has delayed more than a year, if we catch up, we should be able to catch up. Moreover, it can even shorten the gap between us and the British. Design by His Royal Highness Prince Oscar from the performance point of view, the battleships of the British Navy seem to be a little more advanced than the battleship 'Dreadnought' of the British Navy," Prince Heinrich proposed.
The acknowledgment of Prince Oscar's contribution eased the tension in the room. The ministers and Naval Technical Committee had to swallow their pride, and Count von Warren's suggestion was their lifeline.
"Your Majesty, I have to admit that His Royal Highness Prince Oscar is extremely talented in designing warships. Now it seems that what he predicted has come true. Although, we wasted more than a year. But if we catch up, it is not impossible for us to catch up with the British," Marshal Earl Tirpitz concurred.
King William II nodded, satisfied that the stubborn Earl Tirpitz had acknowledged Prince Oscar's brilliance. The ministers, no longer holding on to pride, shifted focus to a pragmatic solution. The decision to utilize Prince Oscar's shipyard and the battleships under construction was seen as an opportunity to turn the tide against the British Navy.
As the head of the German navy, Marshal Count Tirpitz valued the interests of the German navy and hoped that the German navy could defeat the British navy in one fell swoop in future wars, pulling the British from the throne of maritime supremacy.
Although this matter is only spread in a small area, the Naval Technical Committee was reprimanded. At the same time, the news that the Navy received the new battleship built by the German shipyard as the capital ship also caused a great shock.
Of course, this also made Qin Tian, the prince of the German Empire, not only a business genius, but also a shipbuilding genius.