"Gradually, it became clear to me that we would need to overcome one final hurdle before facing our most powerful enemy. True to her policy of centuries, Albion threw her allies at us. Her latest scheme was to open a new theatre of operations, in the Far East."I was familiar with the Japanese way of thinking. This would require great care and meticulous planning, perhaps more than any other opponent we had faced in the past." -From the private writings of Herzog Johann Albrecht von Mecklenburg, Reichskanzler 1902-1920.
October begins with the opening of the new drydocks in Kiel and Tanga, followed by the launching of the new Blohm & Voss floating drydocks in November. Germany can now build ships up to 45k tons and
maintain them. There are no funds for any new capitals, at this point in time, but when the time comes, the new generation of German capital ships will be true behemoths.
In December, the French approach the
Admiralität and ask to purchase licences for the lightweight sloped deck armor schemes the Germans are experimenting with. Tirpitz puts the proposal on ice. The French are, technically, no longer Germany's allies; and it's a good idea to keep some bait in reserve, to ensure their full co-operation in the inevitable coming war.
In January, R & D introduces new quality control procedures into all German shipbuilding facilities. Armor is now more consistent, and german steel is of higher quality.
...And then immediately, Counter-intelligence reports possible breaches of security in R & D facilities. Tirpitz and Galster
rage. No-one has
time for this ****. It's
obviously the ****ing Italians sneaking around on behalf of the British, ****ing Spaghetti-gobbling mother-****ers.
Blohm + Voss helps defuse the situation, when they sponsor a further expansion of the Wilhelmsaven docks.
Oh God, yes,
please. Now our capital ships can kick ass in all kinds of weather, with both large and small caliber guns.
No more flooded casemates!
Well done,
Frau Zelle. Let's see what the Russkies are building...
Oooooh, an OTL Dreadnought-type!
Well, it's
slower than the
Wittelsbachs, it's got less guns per broadside, it has a thinner belt and, holy
****, the
conning tower has less armor than the
belt. Nicky, stahp. Nicky, what R U doin?
The German analysts immediately come to the conclusion that no sane Russian admiral would
ever seek to command such a ship. Any shot to the bridge or conning tower would turn them into charnel-houses.
Especially given the new explosives the Germans start producing. Estimates indicate that German shells now hit with comparable power to English shells coming from guns of 1-inch larger calibers. Who needs 13-inch guns, when 12-inchers are lighter and hit just as hard?
Germany does. Please, God, grant us larger guns
April - and the Rheinland booms. Mecklenburg completes the tax reforms that he's been working on for the last three years and German industry responds magnificently. A windfall of tax revenue means that the Navy enjoys an increased budget.
And the new quality control measures pay off, with lighter and tougher steel alloys being tested in the Yards.
This makes Tirpitz a very happy man. With the new materials, German naval engineers can start designing larger
Torpedobootzerstoerer, with the same or better capabilities than their lighter cousins. A preliminary eleven-hundred ton design is submitted for consideration, nothing more than a hull for now. Yet Tirpitz, ever a closet fan of the light craft is intrigued.
Especially when he learns of
this new breakthrough. Eight thousand yards range? Yes,
please.
He goes to congratulate the research personnel...
...and finds out they've been basing everything on stolen Russian designs.
What the ****. How can the
Russians be ahead of us in
anything, we've kicked their heads in
twice and their economy is in shambles.
Case in point. Potential for 47k ships, going to 49k next October, thank you very much.
Of
course the Italians should be well-advised to remember who won the last war. And they should damn well keep their agents out of our R & D facilities.
The Kaiser speaks the truth and his words are inspired. No, we don't care that Italy is the
one country which does not hate our guts.
July 1912: With
Derfflinger less than 5 months from completion and the two
Arconas almost ready to be commissioned, R & D plops out a new pump design. Work on this project had started since the report of
Marinesekretaer Michael Kohlhaas on the
Moltke flooding. The new high-capacity pumps should greatly assist with similar situations in the future.
And, with new pumps, Germany can also build new
U-Boote. Eleven new boats are laid down in Kiel.
****. Well, welcome to the navy,
Arcona and
Undine. Shame about the performance issues. Still, 28 knots is nothing to sneeze at. Galster certainly hails their addition to his scouting forces with great pleasure - and future light cruisers will be better built.
August 1912: and, shortly after the commissioning ceremony for the
Undine, Tirpitz holds the opening speech in the annual gathering of the
Flottenverein. He has spent
weeks preparing for this, in collaboration with von Mecklenburg and the Kaiser.
His speech is short, and to the point: the Far Eastern theatre of operations can no longer be ignored. Germany has interests in the area, interests that are now threatened by the ambitions of Japan. Germany
must be prepared to defend her holdings and the interests of her citizens in the Far East, and the Fleet stands ready to do so.
Then, the word is given. First, the five
Schwaben-class battleships, still patrolling the Mediterranean, are recalled and scrapped, to release the funds for a new terrifying new class of warship (more on that to come).
Following that,
Konteradmiral Maximilian von Spee is sent to take command of the East Asia squadron, based on Tsingtaou. He will be commanding a force of light cruisers, meant to patrol and safeguard the waters there.
YES. Semi-Armor-Piercing eats DDs for breakfast.
...we were
preparing. For
warWHAT ARE YOU
THINKING, YOU WARFH$#&(^gflasdrakkkkk...
Poll
