Chapter 271 Nelson, India depends on you! (Please subscribe, please vote)

Historically, early battleships and battlecruisers were equipped with torpedo tubes, and some people even proposed the development of torpedo battleships - the battleships would not be equipped with main guns but would be modified with torpedo tubes, and they would rush up to release torpedoes during a war!

But that kind of torpedo battleship is just a fantasy and has not come true. Other battleships and battlecruisers equipped with torpedoes in history were only equipped with a few torpedo tubes, so the King Wu Zhong was equipped with 16 torpedo tubes in one go.

With a 530mm torpedo tube?

Guan Tianpei saw Zhuge Weidao's reaction, but smiled and said: "Daozi, you are behind the times this time. In future naval battles, torpedo attacks must be the main method, so more torpedo launch tubes must be installed!"

Who said that? Zhuge Weidao thought to himself: "The naval battles in the future will obviously be based on launching missiles. A 20,000-ton battle cruiser must have at least 200 hanging hair to be satisfied."

Guan Tianpei continued: "The reason for this is because the range and speed of the latest steam gas torpedoes have improved dramatically. In the past, compressed air torpedoes were slow and had short ranges. It was good to be able to hit 1,000 meters.

But a steam gas torpedo can easily hit 4-5 kilometers. And the speed of a steam gas torpedo can easily exceed 30 knots! Daozi, think about it, a 30-knot torpedo can hit 4-5 kilometers! This is just

The first-generation steam gas torpedo, with a range of 7-8 kilometers and a speed of 40-50 knots, should be available in a very short time!"

Guan Tianpei said with excitement: "At that time, the battlecruiser Wuzhongwang was so powerful. When its bow faced the enemy, it could fire 8 530mm torpedoes at once, and it could fire 8 530mm torpedoes at a distance of 7-8 kilometers.

It can launch torpedoes. It is difficult for the 240mm and 280mm naval guns to hit the Wuzhongwang at this distance. Even if they hit it, it will be difficult to seriously damage the Wuzhongwang. And if the enemy ship is hit by the Wuzhongwang

If hit by a 530mm torpedo, that would be the end!

Daozi, think about it, the Wuzhong King has a speed of 24 knots! The battleships, armored cruisers, and even second- and third-class cruisers known to the British are not as fast as it. When this 10,000-ton cruiser encounters it,

It takes a long time to fire the cannons. The torpedoes will be gone after a while! If we have a few of these battlecruiser torpedo boats, the British Royal Navy and the Indian Navy will not be enough to fight our Nanyang Fleet!"

It really is!

When Zhuge Weidao heard what Guan Tianpei said, he actually thought it made sense!

Because the current large-caliber naval guns' shell power, sighting, and rate of fire are still far from ideal. The accuracy is generally poor at a distance of 7-8 kilometers, and the distance of naval artillery battles is generally very short, and 3000-5000 meters is the limit for warships.

The ideal distance for an artillery battle at sea. At this distance, air compression torpedoes cannot be used, so both sides can concentrate on firing. But what if one side has a steam gas torpedo first?

The main guns of most of the current capital ships of the British and Indian Navy are basically not enough to threaten the 20,000-ton Hachiko-class battlecruisers, so the Hachiko-class can completely withstand their firepower and rush to a distance of 3,000 meters to fire steam.

Gas torpedo!

Moreover, the Hachichuou-class are very fast. Any enemy ships targeted by them, except for those "Unyielding" class, do not even have the strength to resist. They cannot run away or defeat them, and they can only eat torpedoes!

Even if it is a non-compliance class, can the 9.2-inch main gun really break through the armor protection of the Hachichu King class?

In addition, the Ming Dynasty Navy also has a 4,000-ton "big drive" platform. In addition to four 120mm naval guns, it has not been equipped with other firepower. Isn't this "big drive" reserved as a "heavy mine destroyer"?

?

Thinking of this, Zhuge Weidao asked again: "Brother Zhong Yin, our Nanyang Fleet will not only have the Wuzhong King, a battlecruiser torpedo boat, right? There must be other heavy torpedo ships, right?"

Guan Tianpei nodded with a smile and said: "I really can't hide it from you. Now the steam gas torpedo is still our secret weapon, and the production has not increased, so it is impossible to use it on all the ship hulls. So there are only Wuzhongwang and Chengzhongwang."

And the latest 2,000-ton large-propelled 'Leizhou' class is equipped with this steam gas torpedo."

Zhuge Weidao asked: "Who is the Leizhou level?"

Guan Tianpei said: "The standard displacement is 2,000 tons, with a full displacement of more than 2,400 tons, four single-mounted 155mm main guns, two triple-mounted 530mm torpedo launchers installed amidships, and the power is 8 mixed-fired boilers plus 2 steam turbines. It can

Producing 21,000 horsepower, the Leizhou-class speed can exceed 30 knots!"

This class of destroyer sounds a bit like the historical torpedo destroyer designed by the Germans during World War I.

Zhuge Weidao thought to himself: "Three battlecruiser torpedo boats plus twelve destroyer torpedo boats...it is really a Nanyang torpedo boat brigade!"

Guan Tianpei added: "Not long after, our Nanyang Fleet will have 3 Bazhongwang-class ships and 12 'Leizhou'-class ships. These 15 ships will form a battlecruiser detachment. Are you really not interested? This is

The main force of our Nanyang Fleet!

The war is about to begin, and if you become the admiral of this unit, you will have the rank of lieutenant general in your hands in the blink of an eye."

Guan Tianpei does have good intentions. His current position as admiral of the Nanyang Fleet has a lot to do with Zhuge Weidao.

Now even if he repays his favor, he still has to create an opportunity for Zhuge Weidao to be promoted to lieutenant general!

But Zhuge Weidao's interest is still in maritime navigation, and he has already served as a fleet admiral before (the admiral of the Persian Gulf Fleet and the deputy admiral of the Nanyang Fleet are the same level), and his military merit and maritime qualifications are enough to be promoted to lieutenant general (if not

He didn't get to fight that night battle, and he is now a lieutenant general), so he can just wait out the rest of the year.

However, Zhuge Weidao still felt that he should create some promotion opportunities for the people he encircled.

Thinking of this, he said to Guan Tianpei: "Brother Zhong Yin, I know someone who can definitely be the admiral of this battlecruiser detachment!"

"Really?" Guan Tianpei asked, "Who is it?"

"Chen Ruizhi!" Zhuge Weidao said, "It was him who sank one Blake-class ship and damaged two Blake-class ships in the Goa naval battle! And it was torpedoes that sank the Blake-class ships...it was compressed air.

Torpedoes, if they are replaced with steam gas torpedoes, the British will not be able to return to their three Blake-class ships!"

"Okay!" Guan Tianpei nodded with a smile, "I am familiar with Chen Ruizhi. He is indeed a talent. That's him!"

…

January 1830.

Portsmouth naval port, England.

Next to the pier of the port, an "Indomitable" class battleship was docked that was about to set sail. The boiler on the ship was already boiling, and billowing black smoke came out of the chimney.

Two elderly soldiers in military uniforms with the rank of marshal were walking side by side towards the huge warship. Behind them were a group of young officers and soldiers in sailor uniforms.

One of the older soldiers was a one-armed man, and he was Lord Horatio Nelson, the god of war in the British Navy.

The other person is the British Prime Minister, the Duke of Wellington.

The Duke of Wellington looked at the huge Indomitable and sighed softly: "Earl, I have to work hard for you again this time... However, only you can preside over this surprise attack."

Earl Nelson smiled and said: "I originally proposed this plan. If I don't go to India to take charge, who can go? Duke, don't worry... As the Minister of War of the Indian Empire, I will definitely lead the Indian people to the direction of

Of war!

The question now is when will the British people join? We cannot defeat this huge industrial empire with India's power alone."

"They will join!" said the Duke of Wellington. "As long as the navy can go out and win, the people's confidence will be greatly increased, and the members of Parliament who are opposed to the war will change their tune. So, Earl, everything depends on you!"
Chapter completed!