Chapter 260: New Artillery Technology and Submarines
On August 11, Arthur attended the opening ceremony of the New Zealand battleship, which had been delayed due to slow progress on the Russian warships, and encouraged the workers at the Royal Shipyard.
Since the launch of the first battleship, the Australasia, in January, the Royal Shipyard had already begun construction on three battleships, with the fastest, the Australasia battleship, expected to be completed by March or April of 1909, undergoing final tests.
This was good news for Australasia, as in just about six months, the ship would be ready. Although there was anticipation for the battleship's water testing, Arthur repeatedly emphasized to the shipyard manager and all the workers that they must ensure the quality of the warships. Australasia needed powerful, high-performance battleships that could withstand the test of war, not just ornamental vessels.
The good news was that Australasia's industrial and shipbuilding industries had been established with the help of the Germans, and the Germans' meticulous and serious character had deeply influenced the workers in Australasia. While Australasia's industrial products might not be as perfect as Germany's, they were certainly striving for excellence.
Currently, both Russian warships had passed their sea trials smoothly, with the fastest one, the Petropavlovsk battleship, expected to be delivered in October of this year. Based on the performance of the Petropavlovsk battleship in maritime trials, it was clear that the actual performance of the Monarch-class battleships was very close to the paper specifications. They were real "dreadnoughts," comparable in all aspects to the Invincible-class battleships.
It was worth noting that Germany's first Nassau-class battleship had been launched successfully, but its performance during testing was not satisfactory. Historically, this wasn't a huge issue as there were no comparisons at the time, and the Germans were somewhat confident in their Nassau-class battleship. However, after comparing it with the Monarch-class battleships and even producing sample ships for comparison, the Germans had to admit that the Monarch-class design was superior, with its 305mm main guns being far more powerful than the 283mm guns on the Nassau-class ships.
Even more importantly, Germany's closest ally, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, had just the right gun technology. After negotiations between the two governments, Germany quickly obtained the 305mm naval gun technology from the Skoda Works in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. As compensation, Germany would help the Austro-Hungarians acquire dreadnoughts.
This exchange wasn't a bad deal for Germany, since the 305mm main guns would significantly enhance Germany's battleships' firepower. Additionally, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, with dreadnoughts, would be able to strengthen its influence in the Mediterranean, threatening the southern French coast and the Strait of Gibraltar.
True to their word, after acquiring the 305mm gun technology from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Germans shared it with Australasia.
The Germans received the gun technology in July, and it was delivered to Australasia in mid-August, coinciding with the confirmation of the cabinet nominees.
After receiving the artillery technology from Germany, Arthur immediately gathered all the artillery experts from the national military factories and worked with the country's full capacity to master the 305mm main gun technology.
At this time, the number of German experts in Australasia had significantly decreased because the aid agreement with Germany, which began in 1900, was only for five years. However, due to the close diplomatic relations between Germany and Australasia, some experts stayed a few extra years.
From the signing of the aid agreement in 1900 to August 1908, Germany had sent 1,215 experts to Australasia, imparting advanced industrial and technological knowledge to the country. By now, only about 141 German experts remained in Australasia, a result of the government's eight-year effort.
Of these, many were experts in military factories and shipyards, comprising 93 of the total, while the rest worked in chemical, basic industries, and other sectors.
Most of these experts had successfully obtained Australasia's nationality, and the others were in the process of doing so. Arthur offered generous incentives to retain these experts. In addition to maintaining their salaries, he promised to invite their families to Australasia, grant them citizenship as quickly as possible, and provide them with land—at least a few dozen acres—to ensure their livelihood.
Wilhelm II, the German emperor, took a neutral stance regarding Arthur's recruitment of talent. Given the strong relations between Germany and Australasia, and the fact that Germany had plenty of talent, it was unlikely that the Germans would be upset about the loss of just over 100 experts.
Under Arthur's orders, and with the help of dozens of German experts, hundreds of artillery specialists from the military factories began to study the 305mm naval gun technology provided by Germany, striving to master the technology as quickly as possible and equip it on the Australasia battleship.
Since Russia's two warships had already gone through water trials, Australasia could only wait to master the technology before replacing the main guns of these ships.
The good news was that replacing the main guns wouldn't take long—at least not longer than one or two months. The replacement of the main guns would be completed in no time.
Moreover, the 283mm guns that were being replaced could be installed along Australasia's coasts as coastal defense gun batteries. This would prevent waste and simultaneously enhance the country's coastal defenses.
Additionally, Germany's submarine technology had also been largely mastered by Australasia. Currently, Germany's U-3-class submarines were still at the early stages, with only two ships, U-3 and U-4, built. The technology wasn't too advanced by European standards.
Germany had planned to build 20 U-3-class submarines, divided into seven groups, with each group being improved. This was why Germany's submarine technology had advanced so rapidly over time.
The U-3-class submarines had a displacement of 421 tons on the surface and 510 tons submerged. They were 53.1 meters long, with a surface speed of 12 knots and a submerged speed of 9.4 knots. Compared to the more mature submarine designs of France and Italy, these submarines were still lagging behind.
Knowing this, Wilhelm II generously shared the design plans for the upcoming U-5 to U-7-class submarines with Australasia. This was the second group of U-3-class submarines, which had higher specifications.
According to the design plans, the second group of submarines would have a higher displacement than the first, with each submarine being equipped with at least three engines to achieve a surface speed of 14 knots. Additionally, the range would be at least 2,000 nautical miles, with a crew of 20 and a continuous submerged endurance of 72 hours.
These submarines would be much more advanced than the first group, and they would meet the German Navy's requirements. The second group would be fully capable of combat, which pleased Arthur greatly.
Although the second group of submarines was still on the drawing board, Arthur had faith in Germany's technology, as Germany's submarine advancements were progressing rapidly.
Of course, relying solely on German efforts wasn't enough. Australasia's own research was just as important.
Since the cost of submarines wasn't too high, Arthur immediately ordered the shipyard to study the first group of U-3-class submarine designs, building one to familiarize themselves with the process. Afterward, they would fully study the second group's design and begin mass production once both Germany and Australasia confirmed the designs.
After handling this naval issue, the time approached the end of August, which was when Arthur had scheduled the cabinet meeting.
Although this was technically a regular cabinet meeting, it was important as it was the first meeting after the cabinet restructuring, and several new cabinet ministers were joining, making it an event of significance.
At this cabinet meeting, Archbishop Steed of Australasia, Lord Chief Justice Greg, and Minister of Defense Raul would make their first appearances. Sir Evan would return to the cabinet in a new capacity, and Kent, the former Minister of Defense, would now serve as Secretary of State.
With this change in the cabinet, there would surely be shifts in the power dynamics.
But for Arthur, the impact was minimal. After all, he controlled the crucial positions of finance and defense, and Kent, as Secretary of State, was a loyal and trustworthy individual, leaving no room for opposition within the cabinet.
On August 21, 1908, after half a month of preparation, the cabinet meeting was officially held.
The meeting was held in the largest and most formal conference hall of Sydney Palace, and by 7 a.m., cabinet ministers were already waiting outside. By 8 a.m., the meeting officially began, with all ministers in attendance, patiently waiting for Arthur's arrival.
(End of Chapter)
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