Chapter 914 Outside Nagasaki Port 1

At the No. 1 berth of Nagasaki Port, a huge warship is docked at the pier. Just today, Japan's third Fuso-class battleship Hyuga officially joined the Japanese Navy's combat sequence, and the ship's registration is Nagasaki Port. It stands to reason that this is already the third ship after the Fuso-class, which the Japanese government calls "the world's largest and most powerful battleship." As the flagship, the Fuso-class attracted the world's attention when it was in service. Its huge tonnage and 10 15-inch guns aroused the amazement of the world's naval community. When this battleship first entered service, some people ranked it as the world's three heroes along with the German Bavaria-class battleships and the British Queen Elizabeth-class battleships.

But after this class of battleships entered service one after another, the world didn't pay much attention to it. After all, everything is new. Think about it, there are now 6 Bavaria-class battleships, and they are being built, outfitted and waiting. There are still 6 ships in service... The British Queen has 5 ships in service and 3 more are under construction, not to mention the R-class battleships. Although the current battleships with 15-inch guns are top-notch, they are just that... Everyone has seen too much and is no longer interested. Of course, it must be affirmed that the tonnage of the Fuso-class battleship is still the first in the world.

Not to mention that observers in the world's naval community are already a little tired, the Japanese Navy is also a little tired, after all, the fourth ship is about to enter service. The normal battleship commissioning ceremony is actually nothing special, but this time, the arrival of a special person caused some subtle changes in the entire commissioning ceremony. After the British special envoy David Lloyd George arrived here accompanied by Katsura Taro, the Japanese Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the warship service became full of political significance.

From the perspective of outsiders, this incident is full of weirdness. It is nothing if a foreigner participates in the commissioning ceremony of a warship, but it is different if the person who comes is a plenipotentiary representative of the United Kingdom! The Prime Minister of Japan even came here, which means even more extraordinary. Of course, the most interesting thing is that Katsura Taro was born in the army and actually accompanied the British to the navy's commissioning ceremony... This matter is originally a bit of a joke in Japan where land and sea are at odds...

Well, that last bit doesn’t really matter. Katsura Taro is not only a soldier, but as a politician, he can use the power of the navy as long as necessary. And now, Katsura Taro is wandering on the front deck of the battleship Fuso with the British envoy. The naval personnel on the side stayed away from each other, providing enough space for the two bosses to talk.

"What do you think of this battleship?" Katsura Taro stood next to the second turret of the Hyuga battleship and pointed at the huge turret.

"A very good battleship, as good as the Queen Elizabeth-class battleships of the British Empire, but the number is a bit small." Lloyd George frowned slightly and thought for a while.

In the eyes of this arrogant British envoy, Katsura Taro's statement was very unfriendly. In his view, this was no longer a matter of showing off, but a threat! The Japanese are not stupid either. They already know about Thomas's failure in the Indian Ocean encirclement and suppression campaign, and also the news that the British Royal Navy's fast fleet was severely damaged in the North Sea.

Although the specific situation is still unclear, the approximate losses are also known. There is no way. After all, the Germans are eager to publicize this matter to everyone around the world. There was even a photo of the sinking British battleship on the front page of every issue of the newspaper!

"The battle in the North Sea is the ultimate showdown between great powers. The Japanese Empire does not yet have the ability to participate, but if it is just to deal with the two fast battleships raging in the Indian Ocean, it will be easy for the Empire. The so-called ruler has shortened, There are times when the British Empire is beyond its reach. This is why there are alliances and alliances, and it is also the fundamental reason why the Entente emerged!" Katsura Taro did not care about the other party's attitude, but continued to talk.

"General Thomas is hunting the Su Xiong fleet. Our maritime transportation in the Indian Ocean has basically resumed. I believe that the victory report will soon reach Tokyo. When the time comes, I will inform you as soon as possible." Lloyd. .George said calmly.

"Can we put aside our political differences and discuss the current situation specifically? From a purely military perspective, although I am not a navy and you have no military experience, judging from the current situation, the situation in your country is very serious. Okay. Our Navy staff have deduced the future situation of both sides. If nothing unexpected happens, General Thomas's fleet will probably return to the North Sea soon, right? After all, the just-concluded Battle of Dogger Sands was what the Germans called In the battle for Thunder-Serbrus, the Royal Navy sank 6 battleships. There must be battleships to make up for this gap in combat power, right?"

"Of course, I know that the British Empire's slipways are working overtime to build new warships. But similarly, the Germans are not idle either. At the Blohm-Voss shipyard, at the Royal Wilhelm Shipyard, and at the Kiel Navy At the shipyard, the Germans are also building six more Bavaria-class battleships. Thinking about 12 Bavaria-class battleships appearing in the North Sea, it is really a shuddering sight!" Katsura Taro said with some yearning.

"The purpose of saying these things here is not to anger Your Excellency. I am just stating a fact, a fact that your country has to face up to. Maybe you are dissatisfied or even a little angry, but I have to say that it is precisely because of this If you have the opportunity, you can come here and discuss certain things with me on this battleship."

"As long as your country puts the Japanese Empire in a suitable position, then we can at least ensure the safety of the Indian Ocean route. Isn't this good for your country? Materials and raw materials from India and Southeast Asia, and soldiers from Australia and New Zealand can A steady stream of them are shipped to Europe through the Indian Ocean." Katsura said seemingly sincerely.

"Your country has always ignored one issue, that is, Japan is also a member of the Allied Powers. If we fail, will your country be spared? If the war does not go smoothly, we can at least negotiate with the Germans. After all, Britain, France and Russia are all The first-class country, Germany, is under tremendous pressure, and their material imports are completely blocked by us, but what about Japan? Without our support, how is Japan prepared to face the revenge and anger of the United States and the United States?" Finally, the British The counterattack begins!

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