Although Germany had seven top-tier shipyards, with the addition of Qin Tian's Deutsche Shipyard, the number increased to eight. However, it was impossible to account for the interests of every major shipyard. Only those with closer ties would be considered.
Kaiser Wilhelm II nodded. Building five new battleships, while expensive, was manageable. With the loans from Qin Tian, the financial support from the royal family, and the navy's existing budget, the cost was not an issue. Moreover, the construction timeline of battleships was lengthy, so the financial burden would be spread across several years, making it less daunting.
After discussing with Grand Admiral Tirpitz, it was decided that the five next-generation capital ships would be distributed as follows: the lead ship would be built by Deutsche Shipyard, while the remaining four would be constructed by the Navy Shipyard, the Royal Shipyard, the Vulkan Shipyard, and the Weser Shipyard, respectively. In total, five ships would be built.
Qin Tian had no objections to this arrangement. After all, the Deutsche Shipyard only had eight large slips, four of which were already occupied by the construction of the Nassau-class battleships. The remaining four could not accommodate all the new battleships. Allocating some to other shipyards would also free up space for building other vessels.
As for the name of the new class of battleships, Kaiser Wilhelm II finally chose "Helgoland." Thus, the second class of dreadnoughts for the German Navy was officially named the *Helgoland*-class battleships. A total of five would be built, one more than in the alternate timeline. The lead ship was named *Helgoland*, followed by the *Ostfriesland*, *Thüringen*, *Oldenburg*, and *East Prussia*.
Seeing how the development of the German Navy had been completely altered by his own actions, Qin Tian felt immensely satisfied. With four *Nassau*-class and five *Helgoland*-class battleships, Germany would have only one fewer battleship than Britain, which possessed the *Dreadnought*, three *Bellerophon*-class, three *St. Vincent*-class, *Neptune*, and two *Colossus*-class battleships. More importantly, the *Nassau*-class and *Helgoland*-class in this timeline were far more powerful, capable of overwhelming the British Navy's battleships. Should war break out, the British would pay a heavy price.
"Oscar, when can the *Helgoland*-class battleships begin construction?" Kaiser Wilhelm II inquired.
"Father, it will likely be next year," Qin Tian replied.
"Next year? Why?" Wilhelm II was taken aback. He was eager to see these formidable battleships in the hands of the German Navy.
"Father, Krupp is currently dedicating all its resources to developing the 305mm 50-caliber guns. They don't have the capacity right now to begin work on the 343mm guns. It will likely be next year, after breakthroughs with the 305mm guns, that they can start on the 343mm. Increasing the caliber of the main guns is no small feat—it requires immense manpower and financial investment. Krupp's workload will increase as a result. So, beginning construction next year is the most reasonable option," Qin Tian explained.
Qin Tian was determined that all the guns on German battleships should be large-caliber, high-caliber-ratio guns, which would give the ships significantly more firepower, particularly in terms of armor-piercing capabilities. However, this made the development of the guns more challenging and expensive, and it shortened their lifespan. Yet Qin Tian believed that any measure to strengthen the battleships and help Germany win the war was worth the cost. Even if it meant spending vast sums of money, he was willing to do so—after all, he was rich, with little else to spend it on.
The Deutsche Lottery Company had brought Qin Tian immense wealth. However, if the German Empire were to lose the war, his fortune would certainly attract covetous eyes and could even be seized. In the worst-case scenario, his own life would be in danger. To safeguard both his fortune and his life, the best course of action was to help Germany win the war. Qin Tian was determined to do everything in his power to achieve this.
"Beginning construction next year and commissioning the ships two and a half years later—there's no issue with the timeline," Grand Admiral Tirpitz assured.
"Very well, we'll begin next year," Kaiser Wilhelm II agreed, not pressing the matter further.
"Father, during the construction of the *Helgoland*-class battleships, it's crucial that we maintain absolute secrecy. The British will undoubtedly do everything in their power to gather intelligence on our new ships. We must be on guard. According to the intelligence we've received, the next few classes of British battleships will still be equipped with 305mm guns. If they learn of the specifications of our *Helgoland*-class, it may provoke a strong reaction, which could upset the balance of power and hinder our efforts to surpass them," Qin Tian warned.
"Achieving total secrecy is nearly impossible, but we can make every effort to delay the British from discovering the details of our *Helgoland*-class battleships. That will buy us more time," Grand Admiral Tirpitz added.
In the ongoing Anglo-German rivalry, both sides had deployed a large number of spies to gather military intelligence. These spies were ubiquitous, and keeping secrets entirely was nearly impossible.
"Mobilize our covert units. Do whatever it takes to delay the leak as much as possible," Kaiser Wilhelm II commanded.
Qin Tian nodded. There was no such thing as a perfect plan. After all, man proposes, but God disposes. He had spared no effort in bolstering the strength of the German Navy. But if, despite all this, they still could not defeat the British and win the war, he could only conclude that the inertia of history was simply too strong.
Of course, Qin Tian hoped that through his efforts, Germany's military might would become even stronger, ensuring victory in the future world war. He had no desire to end up with vast wealth but in exile after Germany's defeat, living a life of anonymity, always fearful that his fortune would be coveted by others. Such a life was not one worth living.