Chapter 155 Warship Docks

After Arthur's speech, the national flag was raised and the national anthem was played as a routine.

During this period, although some countries already had national anthems representing the royal family and the country, most countries still had a vague impression of the national anthem, and the songs used in large-scale ceremonies and celebrations were also different.

However, the song used by the British Empire in formal occasions and ceremonies was "God Save the King", which was also the only song that could represent the British royal family.

As a member of the British royal family, Arthur naturally had the right to play "God Save the King".

For now, the only song designated for large-scale celebrations in Australia is also "God Save the King".

Accompanied by the solemn song that sounded throughout the shipyard, under the escort of a team of guards, a huge Australian flag was slowly sent to the flagpole and then fixed on the pull rope for raising and lowering the flag.

"Long live Australia!"

As the national flag slowly rose on the flagpole, warm cheers rang out again over the nearby open space.

For the Australian people now, being able to see the national flag representing their country and royal family slowly fluttering in the sky is the best news for people who love their country.

After watching the national flag rise from the bottom of the flagpole to the top of the flagpole, and then gradually unfolding and fluttering above the venue, Prime Minister Evan slowly stepped forward and continued to preside over the National Day ceremony.

"Next, it will be the most important item of the entire National Day ceremony, that is, under the order of His Royal Highness the Duke, reviewing the Australian naval fleet!" Prime Minister Evan said slowly.

After Prime Minister Evan finished speaking, the people on the field looked at the distance of the port with expectation.

They could vaguely see that in the distance of the port, at the midpoint of the horizon, there were several small black spots that were gradually getting bigger, which were the Australian warships they had been thinking about.

The naval parade was the main project of this National Day ceremony, and it was also what these people expected to see.

Although it was known that the Australian naval fleet had no large warships, the largest was only an armored cruiser of more than 5,000 tons.

But this did not stop the enthusiasm of the Australian people to watch their own country's warships.

Since the colonial period, the navy has been one of the most important arms of a country. Even in some island countries, the importance of the navy has surpassed that of the army, and the country's financial investment in the navy is far greater than that of the army, such as the world's first powerful British Empire.

The British Empire's investment in the navy is not small, which is why the British Empire's Royal Navy has been able to maintain the world's first or even crush the second and third levels.

The famous two-power policy also reveals how much the British attach importance to investment in the navy. It can be said that maintaining the advantage of the Royal Navy is one of the most important policies of the British Empire.

At present, the vast majority of Australians are immigrants from the British Empire, and they naturally inherit the British tradition of attaching importance to the navy.

As colonial immigrants before, even if they have some sense of identity with their current hometown Australia, they have no way to expect Australia's investment in the navy.

Although Australia has a large land area, its population at the time was only a small three million.

Despite this, Australia is still divided into six colonies, each of which is independent and does not interfere with each other.

Under such circumstances, how can people expect Australia's navy? You know, at that time, the six colonies of Australia could not even afford the expenditure of 6,000 army personnel, and the construction of the navy was even mobilized from some retired warships and small warships of the Royal Navy.

Now it has finally been combined into a complete principality, and there have been certain investments and achievements in the navy.

This is why Australians attach so much importance to the navy. After decades of silence, they finally saw the hope of the rise of the Australian navy, although it is only hope and a small sign at present.

Seeing that everyone is looking forward to the arrival of the navy, Arthur did not hesitate, stepped forward, and solemnly announced to the loudspeaker: "Now, under the witness of the Australian flag and all the people, I declare that the 1903 Australian Navy Parade officially begins!"

With Arthur's order, some officials off the field also began to prepare.

The coastal defense guns next to it fired three shots at the uninhabited coast, symbolizing the third year of the establishment of the Principality of Australia.

At the same time, this is also a signal to the Australian fleet in the distance. The sound of the coastal defense guns also means that the naval parade has officially begun.

Leading the fleet were the newly launched Australian and Duke Arthur armored cruisers.

The launch of these two new warships was just before the National Day, and it was just in time for Australians to see Australia's latest warships during the National Day.

The fleet in the distance looked like a few black dots of varying sizes. Although these black dots were slowly approaching, they looked only the size of sesame seeds.

The Australians were full of expectations, concentrating, and staring at the coast.

As one warship after another approached the port, people gradually saw the full picture of the warships.

At this time, the sesame dots in the distance had gradually grown larger, slowly becoming the size of soybeans, and then the size of broad beans.

Because the port cannot accommodate all the warships, the review of the navy was conducted in twos.

The first to dock at the port were of course the two new warships, Australia and Duke of Arthur.

After the warships were fully docked at the port, the Australian people could clearly see the full picture and true size of the warships.

Although the Duke-class armored cruiser is only a medium-sized warship, its cost and performance are far inferior to the current mainstream battleships.

But in front of tiny humans, just an armored cruiser is already a behemoth.

The length, width and height of the Duke-class armored cruiser are 93.5 meters, 17.63 meters and 7.01 meters respectively. From a close distance, it looks like a building.

The port where the two armored cruisers docked seemed to have built two buildings on the coast.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the two warships you are seeing are the two Duke-class armored cruisers that our navy has just launched. The one on the left is called Australia, and the other is the Duke of Arthur." Below the reviewing stand, two officials from the Ministry of Defense were introducing the two warships to everyone at another place with a loudspeaker.

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