After the wedding, Qin Tian and Princess Gundelinde embarked on their honeymoon journey, traveling south from Berlin, through the Kingdom of Bavaria, and into Switzerland. Although the Alps lacked the breathtaking beauty of winter during this season, they still possessed a unique charm.
Half a month later, Qin Tian and Princess Gundelinde returned to Berlin. It wasn't that Qin Tian wished to shorten their time away; rather, he found himself overwhelmed with duties. Coupled with the increasingly tense international situation, which hinted at an imminent war, he felt compelled to devote more attention to his responsibilities.
Though Qin Tian recalled that a few years remained before the outbreak of war, he was uncertain whether his alterations to history would still permit it to unfold at that time. Thus, a sense of urgency gripped him; he aspired for the German Empire to prepare thoroughly before any conflict erupted, in hopes of altering the war's outcome.
"My dear, tomorrow I must visit the German shipyard. I will be away for about two days," Qin Tian said apologetically, gazing at his beloved. It felt inappropriate to leave on official business so soon after their wedding.
"Don't worry, darling; attend to your affairs!" Princess Gundelinde responded generously. She understood that, given Qin Tian's status, he had many obligations and could not be by her side at all times. With a husband as exceptional as Qin Tian, she felt deeply content. After all, marrying a talented heir was far preferable to being wed to a frivolous dandy. Moreover, the prospect of potentially becoming Empress of the Empire was a dream many women cherished.
Accompanied by Count Tirpitz, Qin Tian traveled on a special train to the German shipyard. Along the way, Tirpitz attempted to extract information about the so-called secret weapon, but Qin Tian remained tight-lipped, frustrating the Count to no end.
"Your Highness, the strength of our navy is growing rapidly. However, the British are equally engaged in a frantic shipbuilding spree. The gap between us and them has not widened," Count Tirpitz expressed, concern flickering in his eyes.
Qin Tian nodded in agreement. "Indeed, it is unrealistic to compare our shipbuilding pace or the number of capital ships with the British. Our only recourse is to excel in individual ship performance. This way, we stand a chance of defeating them in future naval engagements."
"While that is true, if the British possess a significant numerical advantage in capital ships, our chances will be greatly diminished," Tirpitz countered. He believed that while quality was crucial, quantity could not be overlooked. Often, a quantitative shift could precipitate a qualitative change.
"Thus, we need to prepare some secret weapons for the navy, to enhance its combat capability as much as possible," Qin Tian replied.
He understood that Germany's capital ships could not outnumber those of the British. Therefore, he had to find alternative means to weaken the British navy's power, such as employing submarines or aircraft from aircraft carriers to attack their capital ships. This approach would significantly alleviate the pressure on the German navy during decisive naval battles.
Count Tirpitz nodded, his anticipation for the secret weapon growing.
At present, the German navy had already commissioned two classes of capital ships and one class of battlecruisers. The "Nassau" class battleships and "Wittelsbach" class battleships, along with the "Blücher" class battlecruisers, had recently entered service, while the "Moltke" class battlecruisers and "Kaiser" class battleships were under construction. Notably, the "Moltke" class battlecruisers were over halfway completed and were expected to be commissioned by the following year. Furthermore, the "Kaiser" class battleships would see large-scale deployment from late next year into the following year, greatly enhancing the strength of the German navy.
"Your Highness, do you have any thoughts on the construction plan for the next class of capital ships?" Count Tirpitz inquired.
After several successful shipbuilding projects, there was no longer any dissent within the navy regarding Qin Tian's designs. Even the experts on the naval technical committee had fallen silent.
Qin Tian pondered before nodding. "For the next class of capital ships, I propose to increase the displacement further, allowing us to mount larger-caliber main guns and provide thicker armor."
"Larger-caliber main guns? The 'Kaiser' class battleships and the 'Wittelsbach' class, along with the 'Moltke' class battlecruisers, are equipped with 343mm guns. Are we to mount 380mm guns on the next class?" Tirpitz asked.
Count Tirpitz was well aware of Qin Tian's preference for enhancing the main gun caliber of capital ships. Otherwise, the main gun caliber of German capital ships would not have increased to 343mm; it likely would have remained at 280mm or 305mm.
"Yes, 380mm guns are a certainty. Krupp has already commenced research in this area at my request. Breakthroughs are expected by next year. We can begin construction on our next class of capital ships then, well within the timeline," Qin Tian stated confidently.
Count Tirpitz nodded, fully agreeing with this direction. The stronger the navy became, the more comfortable he felt in his role as naval minister.
Qin Tian silently contemplated the implications of starting construction on capital ships equipped with 380mm guns. Should war erupt in 1914 as expected, the German navy would possess capital ships armed with 380mm guns. Even the subsequent class with 380mm guns would not take long to enter service. Meanwhile, the British navy might still lack capital ships armed with 381mm guns. This would afford the German navy a significant advantage.
Upon arriving at the German shipyard, Count Tirpitz headed straight for the docks, eager to discover what Qin Tian's secret weapon truly entailed. However, upon witnessing its true form, he found himself utterly astonished.
"Your Highness, this is a submarine, is it not? Is this what you refer to as your secret weapon?" Count Tirpitz exclaimed, caught between laughter and incredulity.