KEO.PLUS

Because of their tonnage, coastal defense ships cannot possibly be a match for medium-sized warships or larger. Even against warships over five thousand tons, these small coastal defense ships have no room to resist.

Headed by Yukichiro Tamura, the Japanese visiting group showed little interest in these small warships but still courteously took a tour.

After the three smaller coastal defense ships, there are two armored cruisers under construction.

These two warships look much larger and more formal compared to the previous coastal defense ships.

As a medium-sized warship with a tonnage of over five thousand tons, the Duke-class armored cruiser combines the advantages of German and British warships and is one of the better medium-sized warships in the world. It is also the most powerful warship that the Australian navy currently hopes to equip.

The construction time for these two warships is not very long. After nearly six months of continuous construction, the shipbuilding work is nearing completion.

As Australia’s current esteemed guests, Toshiyuki Hirano and Yukichiro Tamura naturally had the opportunity to board these two warships.

Although still in the construction stage, the main body of the warship is already completed, with only the actual installation of firearms and other hardware needed.

“Minister, your country’s warship under construction seems to be different from both German warships and those of the British Empire. Is this a warship developed by your country?” On Duke Arthur-class cruiser, Yukichiro Tamura carefully watched Australian and German experts directing many workers to carry out various construction and tests on the warship while asking the Australian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs with great interest.

“One could say that, Mr. Yukichiro Tamura. These two warships are called Duke-class armored cruisers, which were initially an improved version of British medium-sized frigates by Duke’s shipyard. After further improvements by these German experts, they possess the advantages of both German warships and those of the British Empire while also covering many shortcomings. Although it is just a medium-sized warship and may not play a significant role in the development of naval warfare, it is already a powerful warship in terms of smaller warships.” The Australian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs explained with a smile.

This brings us to the shipyard created by Duke Arthur. Due to Duke Arthur’s previous prestige and influence in the British Empire, many British shipbuilding talents were successfully recruited.

As the country with the world’s leading shipbuilding industry and navy at that time and even now, the strength of the British Empire’s thriving shipbuilding industry is evident.

Under the gathering of these talents, it is not surprising that improvements were made to the existing frigates of the British Empire.

The improvements made by the German experts are also easy to understand. The two countries have different ideas about warships, perhaps with advantages and disadvantages, but they can provide excellent inspiration and advancement for warships.

Such is the case with the Duke-class armored cruiser. With the improvements made by many experts from the British Empire and the German Empire, this medium-sized cruiser has gained considerable strength, at least ranking among the top small and medium-sized warships.

“Indeed.” Yukichiro Tamura nodded slightly admiringly and said with a smile, “Judging by the improved technology of this armored cruiser, Australia’s mastery of more advanced battleships doesn’t seem difficult. I envy your country for having such abundant support from Germany. Don’t forget about us when you get the latest battleships.”

“Hahaha.” The Australian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs laughed and said jokingly, “Doesn’t your country also receive the British Empire’s full support? In just a few decades, your country has developed so rapidly that it is not far behind traditional powers such as Italy and Spain in Europe. If given more time, achieving a completely domestic production of battleships should not be a problem.”

Although the rise of the Island Nation could not be achieved without significant support from the British Empire and the United States, one must admit that this East Asian country has shown astonishing potential.

One of the reasons the German Empire quickly rose to power after independence and became the world’s strongest military power, with its navy ranking within the top three, is due to its predecessor, the Kingdom of Prussia, being a brave and warlike nation.

Moreover, being located in Western Europe allowed it to absorb the world’s most advanced technology and knowledge, making the German Empire the world’s second strongest power in such a rapid manner.

But what about the Island Nation? Due to its location in East Asia, its connection to Western countries stems from forceful entry through ironclad warships and heavy artillery.

Before that, the science and technology level of the Island Nation was not even on par with its neighboring countries in the East, let alone in comparison to European powers that colonized much of the world.

Looking closely at the history of the Island Nation, how many years have passed since the beginning of the reform and modernization? It has been just thirty-five years at most.

But what kind of astonishing achievements did the Island Nation accomplish? From a remote island nation with extremely backward technology and knowledge, it became a regional power undergoing initial industrialization and Westernization, and even began to compete with old powerhouses like the Russian Empire for dominance in some areas.