William II's speech was remarkably inspiring. After hearing his words, everyone was filled with confidence about the future of the German Navy and the German Empire. Although the enemy remained formidable, they believed that victory would undoubtedly belong to the German Empire.
Subsequently, QinTian officially delivered the battleship *Nassau* to the German Navy on behalf of the German Shipyard. Count Tirpitz presented the ship's colors and appointed its first captain. From that moment on, *Nassau* became a mainstay of the German Navy.
The attendees then ascended the gangway to tour the magnificent battleship. For most, this was a rare opportunity to engage with a battleship, especially one of such modern design. Everything onboard was novel to them, particularly the three colossal triple-mounted 305mm guns, which elicited endless admiration.
"Oscar, when will the other three *Nassau*-class battleships be commissioned?" William II inquired.
"Father, the other three *Nassau*-class battleships are currently undergoing sea trials. They are expected to be fully operational by the end of this month, or at the latest, before Christmas," QinTian replied, maintaining a keen interest in the mainstay vessels constructed by the German Shipyard.
"Excellent! Although the expansion of the German Shipyard occurred quite recently, its performance has been most satisfactory. Even the larger shipyards could hardly match this efficiency," William II nodded in approval.
"Father, this is due to the fact that we have the most diligent workers in all of Germany, along with an exceptional general manager," QinTian smiled. He was well aware that the remarkable performance of the German Shipyard was largely attributed to the recruitment of numerous skilled technicians from other shipyards. Without that, the newly expanded German Shipyard could hardly achieve such high efficiency.
"Mr. Bruth, you have done exceptionally well. The Empire will not forget your contributions," William II said warmly to Bruth.
"Your Majesty... this is merely my duty," Bruth replied, overwhelmed with emotion. As an ordinary man, receiving the Emperor's praise was an unparalleled honor.
William II nodded and refrained from saying more.
"By the way, Oscar, when can we expect our *Blücher*-class battlecruisers to enter service?" William II asked, recalling that aside from the *Nassau*-class battleships, there was another class of battlecruiser that also served as a mainstay of the German Navy.
"Father, the construction of the *Blücher*-class battlecruisers is progressing more slowly. They are expected to complete sea trials by mid-next year before joining the Navy," QinTian explained.
"Your Majesty, this construction timeline is already quite rapid. By mid-next year, we will have four *Nassau*-class battleships and three *Blücher*-class battlecruisers, all of which are first-rate vessels. The strength of the German Navy will consequently rise to new heights," Count Tirpitz said with great enthusiasm.
"And what about our adversary, the British? How many dreadnoughts will they have by mid-next year?" William II asked.
"Your Majesty, according to our intelligence, the British *Bellerophon*-class battleships should be completed by mid-next year, along with their *Invincible*-class battlecruisers. After all, under our pressure, the British are racing to accelerate their construction," Count Tirpitz replied with a smile. Forcing the world's leading Royal Navy into such a frantic pace was, without doubt, an honor for the German Navy.
"Will it only be four battleships and three battlecruisers?" William II frowned.
"Yes, Father. However, even if both sides have an equal number of new battleships, our main vessels are fully capable of outperforming the British counterparts in performance. Given the British's deeper shipbuilding heritage and more robust financial resources, it would be unrealistic for us to compete with them in sheer numbers. Thus, we must prepare for a situation in which our battleship numbers are fewer than those of the British," QinTian continued.
William II nodded. Although he felt some reluctance, he understood the reality. The British possessed vast colonies to extract wealth and did not have to expend resources on a powerful army, enabling them to focus their financial power on naval development. In this regard, Germany could never truly compete with Britain. Therefore, challenging the British Navy was exceedingly difficult.
"Your Majesty, although the British have a greater number of main vessels, they require global deployment, while we only need to defend our homeland. In certain circumstances, we will not be at a disadvantage compared to the British," Count Tirpitz stated.
Upon hearing this, William II's expression brightened considerably.
"Your Majesty, Crown Prince, since our Navy will hold the advantage by mid-next year, if we were to engage the British in war at that time, could we secure victory?" General von Moltke interjected.
"War next year?" Everyone was taken aback; this was undeniably an exceedingly reckless notion.
"Chief of the General Staff, waging war next year is impractical. We are far from prepared. Moreover, while we may hold an advantage in new main vessels, the British still maintain overwhelming superiority in pre-dreadnoughts. Over fifty pre-dreadnoughts are not to be underestimated. While dreadnoughts are superior to pre-dreadnoughts, they cannot engage ten foes at once!" QinTian shook his head.
"We still need to continue building our strength and prepare thoroughly before engaging in war," William II concurred, suppressing his earlier fervor.
General von Moltke shrugged, choosing not to press the matter further.
The group then proceeded to inspect the *Blücher*-class battlecruisers and *Helgoland*-class battleships currently under construction. After lunch, they headed to the shipyard's conference room.
Today, in addition to inviting everyone to the commissioning ceremony of *Nassau*, QinTian also intended to promote the next class of main vessels to the Navy, particularly the follow-up design of the *Blücher*-class battlecruiser—the *Moltke*-class battlecruiser.