Chapter 2436 Cruiser Planning One
"Actually, in terms of performance alone, I think fast cruisers with a full load displacement of around 20,000 tons have very limited meaning. Warships of this level require a speed higher than that of fast battleships, which means that the speed of this class of warships must be above 28 knots. .When the speed increases to a certain level, every increase in speed means huge power and cost. After all, the elongated power cabin not only means more boilers and stronger horsepower, but also the corresponding Hull structure and armor protection. And whether such a first-class warship is enough to pose any threat when facing capital ships, I think that if possible, there should be no warships of more than 10,000 tons with main guns below 15 inches in the future high seas fleet.” Hope Pell said.
In Hipper's view, if it is the same budget, building fast battleships is obviously better than building large armored cruisers. For example, the cost of 6 fast battleships may be similar to that of 10 new armored cruisers, but in terms of combat effectiveness, the latter Definitely not comparable to the former. And in this war, isn't the idea of the Germans just to add light cruisers to the fast fleet? It was used well. Of course, the 10,000-ton armored patrol also made a huge contribution to attracting the opponent's firepower in the final battle... This point needs to be affirmed.
"For small countries, they can take the route of fast capital ships and light cruisers, which is the most efficient, but for us, the Americans, the British, and even the French and Italians, this is impossible, because For all countries that can be called great powers, any slight change in the tonnage of capital ships of any other power will cause vigilance and anxiety in other countries. Therefore, if you don’t want to invest too much money in endless arms races If it is in the middle, then the update of capital ships will be very strictly restricted." Marshal Scheer said.
Although Scheer had explained to Hipper the necessity of building a large cruiser before, Hipper still expressed dissatisfaction with these existences that are not cost-effective. Even tentatively trying to make the crown prince change his mind. After all, in his view, future naval arms treaties are speculation rather than something that has already happened.
"If you don't talk about other countries, from the perspective of Germany, the increase in the tonnage and armament of cruisers is an inevitable trend. This is especially true for Germany, which is about to go to the sea." Su Xiong said.
"My fleet has been active in the Indian Ocean region for a long time. The long-term sea voyage and battle are completely different from our situation in the North Sea. The problems of personnel life and supply are very serious during the entire battle. The environment will seriously affect the morale of the personnel. The consumption of fuel, food and repair materials is even more incomparable in offshore operations. Back then, when the Russian Navy was on an expedition to Japan, coal was piled up in the cabins of soldiers. Although we did not Exaggeration. But when sailing, our battleships are also overloaded, and even so, it is still not enough."
"Even in the future, our cruisers will still use 6-inch guns. If 9 guns are the minimum standard, then in order to resist the armor-piercing shells of the opponent's 6-inch guns, to ensure that the officers and soldiers have a reasonable living condition and relatively sufficient battery life. Then our battleship will reach more than 8,500 tons." Su Xiong said.
"We can limit the light cruiser to 6-inch guns and a certain displacement. In this case, the cost of the light cruiser will be relatively low, and the function can completely fight against various destroyers and undertake our overseas colony patrol tasks. There is no reason for other countries to refuse .They have similar needs to us.” Hipper thought for a while and said.
"But the current situation is that many countries have broken this restriction. The Americans and the Japanese are developing cruisers equipped with 8-inch guns at the same time.
Even the Americans have cruisers with 10-inch guns. After spending a lot of money and supplies, you want them to be demolished? That's almost impossible. And I want to say that such a colonial cruiser is actually unnecessary for Britain and Japan. " Su Xiong said.
"Is it not necessary for Japan and the UK?" Hipper frowned slightly: "Maybe it is true for Japan, after all, their homeland is not far from the colony, and their requirements for battery life are average. But for the UK, the global Sexual colonial empire, don't they need light cruisers?"
"For the United Kingdom, the safety of the colonies is far more important than the safety of the mainland! The Royal Navy no longer thinks about ensuring the safety of the colonies and maritime traffic during wartime in the future. This task is estimated to be given to potential allies of the British. to be responsible, and the task of the Royal Navy is to ensure the security of the homeland. From the moment the war ends, our position has changed. The British are fighting in the near sea and in the middle distance, while we are going to fight in the ocean. The British will start to build Their decisive battle is for the fleet, and if cruisers must be built, then they will definitely build some heavy cruisers specially designed to suppress our light cruisers." Earl Spey spoke, his thoughts were very similar to those of Su Xiong.
After all, after the defeat of the Great War, the United Kingdom has lost the ability to fully compete with Germany in terms of sea power. Therefore, for the relatively weak side, it can only take a targeted route. This is like Germany before the war. The German High Seas Fleet is aimed at As for the decisive battle, as for the colonies and maritime transportation? The colony is thrown away first, and the sea transportation depends on the US emperor. And if the British still want to wrestle with Germany in the future, it is a necessary prerequisite for the United States to stand on the side of the British! The maritime transportation and colonies were handed over to the Americans, and then they devoted themselves to dealing with the German High Seas Fleet with the support of the British mainland!
"Also, you forgot about France and Italy. France is no longer a global empire, and the main target of their navy is likely to become Italy. And in the bath of the Mediterranean Sea, endurance and seaworthiness or something The requirements are very low, and when the tonnage of capital ships is limited, these two countries will definitely want to suppress their opponents in the field of second-tier warships." Su Xiong shot again.
So, the current situation has changed. If one day, the world powers sit together to discuss limiting the naval arms race, the British, Japanese, French and Italians. What they all need to consider is how to improve the tactical indicators of the cruiser. They don't need to consider too many factors such as endurance and living environment of personnel. As long as the battleship can be fought and resisted, it will be fine.
Two updates today~~~! Ask for a subscription and a reward~~~! ! ! !