Chapter 142: The Ongoing Sales Pitch
The coastal defense ships were naturally not much to discuss. With a tonnage of less than 3,000 tons, their primary role was to patrol the Australian coastline, detecting and reporting any potential enemy movements in a timely manner. Because of their tonnage, these small coastal defense ships could not be a match for medium or large warships. Even against ships over 5,000 tons, these small vessels would have no chance to resist.
Led by Tozawa Koichiro, the Japanese delegation did not show much interest in these small ships but still toured the vessels out of respect. After the small coastal defense ships, they moved on to the two armored cruisers under construction.
These two warships, compared to the previous coastal defense vessels, were much larger and appeared far more formal. With a tonnage of over 5,000 tons, the Duke-class armored cruisers were among the best mid-sized warships in the world, combining the strengths of both German and British ships. They were also the most powerful warships currently under consideration for the Australian navy.
The construction of these ships had not taken long. After nearly half a year of intense work, the shipbuilding process had entered its final stages. As Australia's distinguished guests, Tozawa Koichiro and Hino Toshiyuki were naturally given the opportunity to board these two ships. Although still in the construction phase, the main structure of the ships had been completed, with only the installation of the guns and other hardware remaining.
"Minister, the warship your country is building seems to differ from both German and British warships. Is this a ship independently developed by your country?" Tozawa Koichiro, while watching Australian and German experts guide workers in various stages of construction and testing on the Duke-class armored cruiser, asked the Australian deputy foreign minister with great interest.
"You could say that, Mr. Tozawa," the Australian deputy foreign minister smiled and explained. "These two ships, the Duke-class armored cruisers, were initially based on the British medium-sized frigates, and then modified by German experts. The result is a warship that combines the strengths of both German and British designs, while also addressing many shortcomings. Though this is just a medium-sized warship and may not have a decisive role in a large naval battle, it is still a very powerful vessel for smaller warships."
This brings us to the shipyard established by Duke Arthur. Because of his high standing in the British Empire, Arthur successfully recruited many shipbuilding talents from Britain, a country that at the time, and even now, led the world in both shipbuilding and naval power.
With these talents, it was not surprising that improvements were made to the existing British frigates. The German experts' contributions were also understandable, as the two countries had different approaches to naval warfare, and while some were beneficial, others could inspire improvements to the ships.
The Duke-class armored cruisers were a result of such collaboration. After numerous improvements from British and German experts, this medium-sized cruiser had become one of the top contenders in the medium-to-small warship category.
"That makes sense," Tozawa Koichiro nodded slightly, smiling. "Given the improvements on this armored cruiser, it seems that Australia could also master more advanced battleships without much difficulty. It's really enviable how much support Australia has received from Germany. Don't forget about us when you get the latest battleships."
"Hahaha," the Australian deputy foreign minister chuckled and said with a smile, "Isn't your country also supported by the British Empire? In just a few decades, your country has developed to this point, almost rivaling older powers like Italy and Spain. Given more time, I don't think it would be a problem for your country to produce its own battleships."
Although the rise of the island nation was due to significant support from the British Empire and the United States, it was undeniable that this East Asian nation had unleashed an incredible potential. The reason Germany quickly rose from its independent status to become the world's number one army and a top three naval power was partly because its predecessor, the Kingdom of Prussia, was a formidable nation in battle. Additionally, being located in Western Europe, Germany was able to absorb the world's most advanced technology and knowledge, which allowed it to become the world's second-largest power in a short period of time.
But the island nation? Due to its location in East Asia, it was initially forced open by the West. Before its reforms, its technology lagged behind neighboring countries, and it was far from comparable to the European powers that had colonized the world.
Yet, in just 35 years since its reforms began, this formerly backward nation had transformed into a regionally strong, industrialized and Westernized country, and had even begun to compete for regional dominance with powerful countries like the Russian Empire.
The islanders were proud of this achievement. They had pulled themselves from the brink of colonial subjugation and turned themselves into a dominant regional power.
As much as the island nation's rise was fueled by British and American support, it was still impressive. No other nation, not even the British Empire, could have predicted that their "puppy," a country they had fostered to counter the Russian Empire, would one day become a rival of the same stature as themselves.
After exchanging pleasantries, Tozawa Koichiro and the Australian deputy foreign minister reluctantly turned the topic back to the warships.
"Minister, do you have detailed information about this armored cruiser? I'm very interested in it. It seems to be one of the excellent ships for patrolling the coastline," Tozawa Koichiro asked with a smile.
At first, Tozawa Koichiro had no interest in Australia's small warships. After all, the island nation had its own shipbuilding technology, much of it from the British Empire, which was also world-class.
However, after witnessing the construction of this warship in Australia's shipyard, his thoughts quickly changed. While the island nation had many small and medium-sized warships, the designs and technology were mostly outdated British models, which were now a bit behind Europe's mainstream.
The British Empire could offer no better designs to the island nation, just outdated ones that were discarded by the British. The small and medium-sized ships built from these designs were less impressive in comparison.
But Australia's Duke-class armored cruiser had changed Tozawa Koichiro's perspective. Despite being unable to match larger warships, it had a significant advantage over other smaller vessels. It could patrol the coastline and escort merchant ships with ease.
The island nation, being an island country with numerous islands and marine territories, needed many smaller warships to patrol its coasts and protect its waters, in addition to the larger fleets. It wouldn't make sense to send large warships on such missions; not only would it be an overuse of resources, but the cost of operating large warships for patrols was disproportionately high compared to smaller vessels.
"Certainly, Mr. Tozawa," the Australian deputy foreign minister smiled. "Although the information on the Duke-class armored cruiser is highly classified for Australia, as your country is an important friend, it's no problem for you to take a look."
Although it was a medium-sized ship, the Duke-class armored cruiser's data was still quite detailed, with dozens of pages of specifications, minus the design blueprints and some key data.
"Mr. Tozawa, here is the information you requested on the Duke-class armored cruiser. This is very important to Australia, so please keep it confidential," the deputy foreign minister smiled as he handed over the documents after they had been simplified.
"Thank you very much, Minister. Thank you and your country for your trust. Please rest assured, I will keep this information locked in my heart and will not share it with anyone," Tozawa Koichiro said, genuinely excited but also surprised and honored to have received the data on the Duke-class armored cruiser.
In truth, the documents Tozawa received were mostly already public or could be released without issue. They included basic details like the number of guns, types, displacement, speed, and some older specifications that were no longer relevant to the current cruiser.
But Tozawa Koichiro didn't know all these details. As a diplomat, he was only familiar with general designs and technology, not the specifics. However, the information was sufficient for his purposes. His goal was to evaluate the Duke-class armored cruiser and determine if the island nation should purchase several to enhance its coastal patrol and defense capabilities.
The data on the Duke-class armored cruiser was clear: it was an improved version of the British Orlando-class armored cruiser, further modified by German experts into the current design.
The cruiser had a length of 93.5 meters, a width of 17.63 meters, a height of 7.01 meters, and a power output of 6,500 horsepower. Its regular cruising speed was 18 knots, and its top speed was 19 knots.
This speed was already at the peak of current medium and small warships, and it could even rival some battleships. At least in terms of speed, the cruiser seemed flawless, especially considering its armor protection, which exceeded Tozawa Koichiro's expectations.
In terms of firepower, the Duke-class armored cruiser was equipped with two 234mm main guns, ten 152mm guns, and several smaller guns like six-pounders and three-pounders. Though its firepower wasn't particularly overwhelming, considering it was a medium-sized warship, it was a solid contender.
"A perfect vessel! Minister, how much is the Duke-class armored cruiser? If possible, I would like to order a few to strengthen our fleet's smaller warships," Tozawa Koichiro said, admiring the data and eagerly addressing the waiting Australian deputy foreign minister.
"Certainly, Mr. Tozawa. The price of the Duke-class armored cruiser is no more than 60,000 pounds, with a cost of around 40,000 pounds. Since it's your country placing the order, we can reduce the price to 52,000 pounds and guarantee swift construction," the deputy foreign minister replied after a moment's thought.
The actual cost of the cruiser was just over 30,000 pounds, with a profit of over 20,000 pounds per ship. If the island nation ordered more medium-sized warships, it might even help fund Australia's naval expansion.
Tozawa Koichiro nodded. He wasn't concerned about the slightly higher price for a medium-sized warship, given the ship's excellent data and performance. It seemed perfectly reasonable.
(End of Chapter)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Kira1997