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Text Chapter 170 The Navy¡¯s Ambition

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    Inspecting the ambassador's residence, Wang Xiao's study.  Originally, this was where Wang Xiao handled official business.  Now, Wang Xiao spends most of his time in bed recuperating, and this has become the place where Wang Yuze handles government and military affairs. It also shows that Wang Yuze has now taken over the power in western Sichuan.  In this regard, everyone in western Sichuan has basically agreed.

    On August 3, Wang Yuze summoned the deputy chief of staff of the General Staff Headquarters and several others. The main discussion was about the establishment of the Navy Department.  These people have already been reserved in Western Sichuan.  However, since there was no outlet to the sea before, it was impossible to build a navy in western Sichuan.  Now that the navy in western Sichuan is about to be established, these people will come in handy.

    Sitting in front of Wang Yuze are four middle-aged men. They are the main leaders of the new Navy Department.  They are Zhang Cheng, Minister of the Navy, Wu Dezhang, Director of the Equipment Department, Ye Longxiang, Director of the Munitions Department, and Wei Han, Director of the Shipyard.  The commander of the fleet is Deng Shichang, a famous naval general in the late Qing Dynasty. However, Deng Shichang is no longer in the country and is in Germany responsible for receiving the warships from Western Sichuan.  He originally served in the Beiyang Fleet, but was recruited by Western Sichuan in the past few years.  This time, there will be no more heroic sacrifice of his life at sea.  In addition, Fleet Chief of Staff Li Dingxin is also a talent poached from the Beiyang Fleet and is now also in Germany.  They will return home with the fleet next year.

    Zhang Cheng was originally the commander of the Yangwu ship of the Fujian Navy. He was also appointed as the deputy general of Min'an Town and was responsible for commanding the Fujian Navy.  However, in the Sino-French naval battle at Majiang, delays in fighter jets and improper handling caused the Fujian Navy to suffer huge losses and almost the entire army was destroyed.  Frankly speaking, although Zhang Cheng has certain responsibilities, in general, it is still related to the rotten and rigid system in the Manchu Navy.  Zhang Cheng himself was also very capable. He was an early general and the earliest fleet commander in the navy of the late Qing Dynasty.  After the Fujian Navy was almost completely wiped out, Zhang Cheng was also dismissed.  Wang Xiao, on the other hand, took this opportunity to recruit him under the banner of Western Sichuan.  Of course, there are also a large number of officers and sailors from the Fujian Navy.  These officers and sailors were all added to the Yangtze River Fleet in Western Sichuan for the future rise of the Western Sichuan Navy.  And now, the day has finally come.

    Director of the Equipment Department, Wu Dezhang, named Huanqi, was born in Minhou, Fujian.  In 1866, he was admitted to Fuzhou Shipping School and was a student in the first manufacturing class.  After graduation, he entered the shipyard of the Shipbuilding Bureau. Construction started in June 1875. The "Yixin", which was launched in March 1876, was designed and built under the supervision of Wu Dezhang and other students from the shipbuilding class of the Shipbuilding School. This ship was the first ship designed and manufactured by Fujian Shipyard.  A warship was hailed by Shen Baozhen as "the beginning of China's development".  In the spring of 1879, Wu Dezhang and others went to the Loire and Buchanmes sea and land gun factories to learn how to make cannons. In 1880, Wu Dezhang returned to China after completing his studies and served as supervisor and shipping director of the Fuzhou Shipping Bureau.  At Mawei Shipyard, he worked closely with Wei Han, Chen Zhaoao, Li Shoutian, Zheng Qinglian, Yang Lianchen and others to build the first modern patrol ship "Kaiji" and the first steel-armored cruiser "Longwei"  " (later changed to "Pingyuan"), large steel tube torpedo boats "Guang Yi" and "Guang Bing" and more than a dozen warships.  After the Mawei Shipyard was destroyed, he was recruited by Wang Xiao to Western Sichuan, along with a large number of Mawei Shipyard workers.  It is undoubtedly the most suitable for him to serve as the director of the Navy's Equipment Department.

    Ye Longxiang, director of the Munitions Department, was also a general in the Fujian Navy and was originally engaged in military supplies management.  After the Fujian Navy was destroyed, he also followed Zhang Cheng to western Sichuan.  This time, the Admiralty Department in western Sichuan was established, and he returned to his old profession.

    Wei Han, courtesy name Ji Zhu, was born in the eastern suburbs of Fuzhou, Fujian and is a famous shipbuilding expert in modern China.  In 1866, Wei Han was admitted to the first class of Fuzhou Shipping School to study shipbuilding. In the school, Wei Han worked hard and ranked among the best.  After graduation in 1871, he was assigned to work in a shipyard. In 1875, Wei Han went abroad to study. Due to his excellent studies, he was evaluated as "daring and diligent" by Li Fengbao.  After completing his studies and returning to China in 1879, he served as the Director-General of the Shipbuilding and Engineering Department in charge of shipbuilding.  In December 1880, he was ordered to go to Germany to supervise the construction of the "Dingyuan" ship. After returning to China in 1882, he participated in the construction of the "Kaiji" and later presided over the development of China's first steel armored ship "Longwei" (ie "Pingyuan").  Construction has made an indelible contribution to the development of China's shipbuilding industry.  This time, he will become the first director of the Beihai Shipyard under the Ministry of Navy, responsible for the construction of the warships of the Western Sichuan General.  Buying from abroad is faster and cheaper.  But if the navy in western Sichuan wants to become stronger, it cannot always rely on purchasing from foreign countries.  You must build it yourself, and you must build the most advanced and powerful warship in the world.

    "Everyone, the navy in western Sichuan is almost blank compared to the army. However, my father and I both firmly believe that western Sichuan cannot live without a navy and must have a strong navy. We all have strong confidence in the navy. Next  , it¡¯s up to you. I assure you, the navy will be the top priority for the future development of Western Sichuan. I hope you can train a world-class navy for Western Sichuan!" Wang Yuze said solemnly.

    ? ?"Don't worry, Marshal, we will do our best to make the Western Sichuan Navy become a first-class navy as soon as possible!"  "Zhang Cheng and others said immediately. After the Battle of Majiang, those of the Fujian Navy had a very sad life. Fortunately, Western Sichuan extended a helping hand, otherwise they would have been impoverished. Moreover, these people are all generals.  People who have dedicated their lives to the navy can work hard for the strength of the Western Sichuan Navy. This is exactly what they hope.

    "Young Marshal, how many warships will we have this time?" Zhang Cheng asked.  Although they had just been appointed as the Minister of the Navy, Sichuan's order of warships from Germany and the United Kingdom had always been a secret, and they did not know about it.  After Zhang Cheng asked the question, everyone looked at Wang Yuze nervously.

    "Last year, my father ordered a group of warships from Germany, including Germany's two most powerful 'Brandenburg-class' warships, 4 armored cruisers and 10 destroyers. This fleet will return to China around next summer.  . In addition, some time ago we ordered two more 'Sovereign Class' battleships, three armored cruisers and six destroyers from the UK. This batch of battleships will return to China before the end of next year!" Wang Yuze said with a smile.  These warships will become the main force of the Western Sichuan Navy and will also become the guarantee for the Western Sichuan Navy and the Japanese fleet to compete for supremacy in the future.

    After Zhang Cheng and others heard Wang Yuze's words, they couldn't help but take a breath of cold air. At the same time, their eyes were full of surprise.  Originally, they thought that the battleships ordered by Sichuan West were probably a small number of cruisers.  I didn't expect it to be a fleet with four of the most powerful battleships in the world!  After these fleets return to China, the navy in Western Sichuan will probably surpass the Beiyang Fleet and become the most powerful fleet in the Far East!  Previously, Wang Yuze said that Western Sichuan would focus on the development of the navy, but they were still a little skeptical.  After all, Western Sichuan has not yet overthrown the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and this is the focus in the future.  But now, all their doubts have disappeared.  Sichuan is willing to invest huge sums of money to build such a powerful fleet, which undoubtedly shows its determination to develop the navy.

    "Everyone, we can spend money to buy back the fleet. But the fleet alone is not enough for the navy. The most important thing is the people. After the fleet returns home, I hope the Navy Ministry can step up training and strive to establish the navy as an army in the shortest possible time. Responsibility  Take up the important task of protecting the maritime borders of western Sichuan!" Wang Yuze said while looking at everyone.

    "Don't worry, Young Marshal! We will definitely live up to the Young Marshal's trust!" Zhang Cheng and others immediately assured.

    "Young Marshal! Although the shipyard has not been built yet, we have enough skilled workers. After the shipyard is built, we can start building warships. Although we have purchased the main warships, the supporting warships, such as  We still need to build gunboats and supply ships ourselves. When we were at Mawei Shipyard, we were already able to build 2,100-ton cruisers. When the equipment imported from Germany arrives, we will be able to build our own  Battleship!" Shipyard Director Wei Han said first.

    "This is natural. Blindly buying from abroad is never a long-term solution. The shipyard will not only build cruisers, but also build our own battleships in the future. I am very much looking forward to that day!" Wang Yuze said.

    Throughout the first two decades of the twentieth century, the navy was still dominated by giant ships and cannons.  If the navy in western Sichuan is strong, it will inevitably follow this path.  Compared with the great powers, Western Sichuan's naval journey has just begun and there is still a long way to go.  Among them, shipbuilding and battleship design are key.  Shipyards in western Sichuan not only need to hire foreign experts, but also cultivate their own talents.  This is the foundation of the navy.

    Next, everyone discussed some suggestions for naval construction, and Wang Yuze also adopted all the good suggestions.  Moreover, they were assured that after the navy grows, the army in western Sichuan will specifically establish a navy department and an army department, and the status of the two will be completely equal.  In normal times, the Ministry of National Defense is responsible for military expenditures, promotions, etc. of these two departments.  The General Staff is responsible for leading these two departments in wartime.

    Wang Yuze¡¯s attitude allowed these former Fujian Navy generals to see Western Sichuan¡¯s sincerity towards the navy.  It also made them more confident.

    After that, these admiralty generals immediately rushed to the North Sea to prepare for the construction of military ports and shipyards.  In order to speed up the progress, the General Staff Headquarters specially mobilized more than ten engineering battalions from various units below and rushed to the North Sea to build officers and shipyards.  At the same time, the General Staff Headquarters also began to establish the Navy's offshore garrison force and Marine Corps, responsible for guarding ports and shipyards, as well as landing operations that will be faced in the future.

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