"Oscar, how many 'Invincible-class' battlecruisers will the British construct?" suddenly inquired Wilhelm II.
"Father, according to our information, the British will build three 'Invincible-class' battlecruisers: the first, HMS Invincible; the second, HMS Indomitable; and the third, HMS Invincible," Qin Tian replied.
"Since the British are set to build three 'Invincible-class' battlecruisers, we must match them with an equal number of our own," declared Wilhelm II, gesturing grandly.
In Qin Tian's view, this was merely the posturing of a newly wealthy individual. The German lottery company provided substantial funds to the royal family each year, and with Qin Tian's promised loan to the navy, their financial situation had eased significantly. This naturally gave Wilhelm II the confidence to engage in a naval arms race with the British. After all, constructing battleships and battlecruisers is a formidable task, requiring both considerable time and resources. Besides a few of the world's top powers, most nations lack the financial and technological capabilities to build such imposing vessels.
"Three? That is simply splendid!" Marshal Tirpitz exclaimed, nearly bursting into cheers. Four Nassau-class battleships, five Helgoland-class battleships, and three battlecruisers would grant the German navy a total of twelve new capital ships—all of the finest dreadnoughts. This would undoubtedly elevate the German navy's strength to nearly match that of the British, possibly even surpassing them in combat capability. Such a feat had not been achieved by the German navy in many years!
Qin Tian wore a broad smile; if three battlecruisers were constructed, the three remaining large dry docks at the German shipyard would be perfectly utilized. Previous Helgoland-class battleships had been allocated to other shipyards, but these three battlecruisers would remain under their purview.
"Your Majesty, constructing three battlecruisers at once will increase our financial burden significantly," Marshal Tirpitz reminded, despite his elation. The navy had many smaller ships to build alongside these capital vessels.
"I will find a way to secure the funds; the royal family will provide a loan to the navy, just as Oscar has suggested. We'll provisionally set it at one hundred million marks per year. After the war, we can repay it with war profits," Wilhelm II replied.
He understood clearly that even with abundant wealth, sustainability was not guaranteed. To achieve lasting success, they must strive to win the forthcoming war. Only then would he be a true emperor; failure would render him nothing more than a king of a fallen nation.
Moreover, the substantial wealth provided by Qin Tian's lottery company each year further bolstered Wilhelm II's resources, allowing for more support of naval development.
"Thank you, Your Majesty! With your and Prince Oscar's support, the navy will undoubtedly flourish. In the coming war, we shall emerge victorious!" Marshal Tirpitz declared confidently. Given the support they received, if the German navy were to lose in the future, they would have no face left to show.
"Father, what shall we name this class of battlecruisers?" Qin Tian inquired.
Wilhelm II pondered briefly before responding, "I recall that the navy intended to name a large cruiser after Marshal Blücher, correct?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Marshal Tirpitz nodded.
"Then let us designate this class of battlecruisers as the 'Blücher-class'!" Wilhelm II announced decisively.
Both Qin Tian and Marshal Tirpitz voiced no objections.
Thus, the class of battlecruisers was officially named, with the lead ship being HMS Blücher, the second ship HMS von der Tann, and the third ship HMS Leopold.
"Father, let us construct the 'Blücher-class' battlecruisers at my shipyard. We conveniently have three large dry docks available for these vessels," Qin Tian suggested with a smile.
Wilhelm II contemplated, looking at Marshal Tirpitz.
"Of course, that is perfectly acceptable. All of our new capital ships have been designed by Prince Oscar, and the navy has received substantial loans from him. It is only fitting to assign the construction of the 'Blücher-class' battlecruisers to his shipyard," Marshal Tirpitz wholeheartedly agreed. It could be said that Qin Tian had become a great benefactor to the navy. Handing over the battlecruisers to any other shipyard would be less favorable than giving Qin Tian this opportunity.
"Very well, Oscar, the 'Blücher-class' battlecruisers will indeed be built by the German Shipyard. However, for future vessels, we will not allocate so many orders to them. The German Shipyard must pursue more commercial orders to remain profitable; they cannot rely solely on military contracts," Wilhelm II cautioned.
"Understood, Father," Qin Tian nodded.
Constructing commercial vessels was inevitable. Once this batch of warships was completed, the shipyard would free up some docks to build large merchant ships and cruise liners, preparing for future endeavors.
The discussions between Wilhelm II, Marshal Tirpitz, and Qin Tian lasted throughout the day, even continuing into dinner in the office, which inevitably raised eyebrows and sparked speculation among others.
Particularly, Crown Prince Wilhelm was thoroughly displeased. As the heir to the German Empire, he questioned why matters were being concealed from him. He suspected that Qin Tian and the others were deliberating on the construction of the next class of capital ships. The British navy's HMS Dreadnought had taken them by surprise, and the naval technical committee's experts had been publicly embarrassed.
Indeed, Crown Prince Wilhelm felt humiliated. When Qin Tian's design had been rejected, he had reveled in schadenfreude. Now, however, he too had been dealt a harsh blow. This, of course, ignited the ire of the often petty Crown Prince.
"Damn it! I am the heir to the German Empire; are they disregarding my existence?" he raged.