Chapter 477 The Future of the Royal Navy

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The design of the combat-class destroyer has been controversial from the beginning, starting with the ship's weaponry.

It was originally planned to be equipped with 119mm guns and a small amount of minesweeping equipment, but when the final plan was drafted, the Admiralty decided that all ships would be equipped with 114mm guns and install sufficient minesweeping equipment.

The 114mm artillery is installed on a closed turret. Perhaps this is the mainstream in modern society, but during World War II when observation equipment was not advanced, this design made the artilleryman blind.

Maybe this was a problem during the war, but for the current peacetime, this can no longer be regarded as a shortcoming. Alan Wilson does not believe that Newfoundland fishermen will go to the dark to find trouble for fishermen from other countries.

Although the ship was equipped with a variety of artillery, the Royal Navy's generals still felt that the artillery firepower was insufficient.

This is also not a problem. It may not be enough to deal with a fleet. If it is to deal with poaching fishing boats, insufficient firepower is not a problem at all. The living environment on the warship is also very harsh, but it will be enough to have fewer crew members.

It was originally planned to have a crew of three hundred, but after it was handed over to Newfoundland, half of the crew would be staffed, and the problem of living environment would be solved. In the final analysis, shortcomings during war are not shortcomings in peacetime.

There are now at least five fighter destroyers that can be released at any time. Alan Wilson, who was recognized by Norman Brooke, went directly to discuss with the Newfoundland representative.

As for the boast, Alan Wilson said that the biggest advantage of this destroyer is its beauty. When he arrived at the shipyard with Hankey and Boris, Alan Wilson gushed, "What a beautiful ship. , which is very consistent with the image of Newfoundland. In fact, the combat effectiveness is a trivial matter. The key is to match the temperament of Newfoundland’s paradise on earth.”

The "Battle" class destroyer has a generous and beautiful appearance. It is the first batch of Royal Navy ships equipped with stabilizing fins. It is very stable when sailing, with almost no vibration, and has good maneuverability and can withstand sea waves.

What data and caliber we talk about are secondary, not even whether it has combat effectiveness or not.

As a British crown territory, Newfoundland is definitely protected by the Royal Navy. As for its two close neighbors, Canada and the United States, there is no need for conflict at all. Even if there is, it cannot be resolved by the performance of warships.

Let’s just talk about appearance. Although there is a saying that a beautiful fighter is a good fighter, the meaning is the same. For example, the Nelson-class battleship looks awkward, but the combat-class destroyer will not be any worse no matter how bad it is.

Sure enough, when Hankey and Boris saw the battle-class destroyer in a state of mothballing, they recognized the beauty described by Alan Wilson. Among the warships of this era, the battle-class destroyer was indeed beautiful.

Of course, the two of them didn't know that Alan Wilson's praise was not sincere. He was already used to the layout of stealth destroyers in later generations. The layout that was eye-catching in this era was just an ordinary thing in his eyes.

But this does not stop him from being a sincere salesman. He hopes that the five destroyers will be taken away quickly. Now the Royal Navy is suffering from the sequelae of being choked during the war. As long as these destroyers are mothballed now, it is almost impossible for them to appear in the Royal Navy. In the Navy sequence, it is better to sell it than to do this.

"Sir Allen, I wonder how much these destroyers cost." Boris was very interested and asked eagerly. Boris used to be a soldier, but he didn't become very famous. Now he still misses the military life. .

"Newfoundland is a Crown Territory and we certainly cannot burden Newfoundland's finances like we do with other countries."

Alan Wilson pondered for a moment and said, "Let's see, each destroyer costs one hundred thousand pounds, including all weapons. It would be completely impossible to drive away five destroyers for five hundred thousand pounds at someone else's price. Only New York Finland's special status within the British Empire was the reason for this price.

"

Although it sounds high-sounding, there is no loss, at least not in terms of the cost of the hull. As an old naval power, Britain has the leading shipbuilding industry and a large number of skilled workers in Europe.

To put it bluntly, an important reason why the United Kingdom was able to adopt the two-power standard in the first place was because the cost of shipbuilding was lower than that of other countries, including the United States.

The cost of a British battleship is equivalent to the cost of an American heavy cruiser. If two destroyers of the same size in 1938 are taken, the British destroyer is even only one-fifth of the American destroyer.

On the one hand, this is because of the mature shipbuilding industry. On the other hand, Alan Wilson believes that the United States has already begun to use money to build combat power in this era.

A Benson-class destroyer costs US$6.5 million. Those shipyards in the United States really dare to quote the price, and the US federal government really dares to allocate funds. You must know that the original cost of a British destroyer of the same class will not exceed 200,000 pounds. Even at an exchange rate of one to four, it was less than one million US dollars.

It is conceivable that the huge military expenditure on the books of the United States will not be able to produce things of the same quality. Since World War II, various weapons in the United States have begun to break sales records.

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union’s military spending was said to be opaque. In the 21st century, China’s military spending is said to be opaque. Looking at it this way, it turns out that not just the slightest bit of U.S. military spending has been embezzled.

Alan Wilson personally compared the prices of destroyers from the two countries today, and found out that there is really a problem with U.S. military spending. I just don’t know if it will be as serious as in later generations.

At the same price, Newfoundland can only buy one warship from the United States. In the UK, you can buy five ships!

Alan Wilson's statement made Hankey and Boris very happy. Five hundred thousand pounds can drive away five destroyers. This absolutely proves what Chief Alan said that the locals value the status of the royal territory of Newfoundland. .

I just want to hold Alan Wilson's hand and say thank you, "This price is too considerate of Newfoundland. Thank you so much, Chief Alan."

"It's nothing, we are all a family, and I am still the chief executive of Newfoundland." Alan Wilson nodded with a smile, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart. It would be better to say that any weapons in the United States are ridiculously expensive.

In this way, it seems that the military expenditure on the books of the United States in the 21st century can be explained by the fact that it cannot produce many weapons.

Even military expenditures during the Cold War may be watery. Perhaps the public opinion about the Soviet Union's opaque military spending was created by the Americans to appease domestic citizens and conceal problems with their military spending.

After visiting the five destroyers that Newfoundland is about to install, Alan Wilson made his own suggestion, "Considering Newfoundland's geographical location and the status of the royal territory, it is better not to call it fleet. Call it the Royal Coast Guard of Newfoundland." Just use the team, and try not to open fire on fishing boats of unknown nationality. This will damage Newfoundland's status in the financial industry. No one wants a place that attracts funds with tax rates to always be in danger."

Maybe they were happy to get the warship at a low price. They both agreed with Alan Wilson's words. Hankey said directly, "We came to buy the warship only to threaten and deter some illegal fishing boats. The main purpose is to deter, not to weaken the uniqueness of Newfoundland." financial status.”

"That's good, that's reassuring. After all, it's a warship, much stronger than a fishing boat. If it doesn't work, it's easier to explain than a cannon." Alan Wilson said with a relaxed look, "Of course we still have to be firm. Maintaining fisheries resources is Newfoundland's top priority."

Hankey and Boris both nodded in approval, "Although Chief Allen has left Newfoundland, he still thinks of us all the time, which is very touching to the citizens of Newfoundland."

"Helping Newfoundland is what I should do, and there is no special reason." Alan Wilson smiled slightly, saying that for Newfoundland, he is considered one of our people.

Regarding the communication between the High Commissioners of Newfoundland and Malaya, and regarding the issue of the use of Chinese workers, the Chief Executive who has not yet resigned must also be present, but he only listened and did not express his opinions.

After some searching among British warships, Alan Wilson became very interested in some information about the current British Royal Navy, such as the angled deck.

The concept of the angled deck was born in the winter of 1944. The inventor was also a British naval officer named Dennis Campbell.

Aircraft carriers during World War II used direct access to the deck. If the aircraft failed to land, it could rush into the arresting net in the middle of the deck. However, jet fighters could not do this. Jet fighters were not only heavy and expensive, but once they missed the arresting line, they had to pull up and go around again.

However, so far, no aircraft carrier from any country has adopted an angled deck layout.

"The Malta-class aircraft carrier has not been completed yet, and I don't know if it is too late to add a beveled deck." Alan Wilson held his chin in one hand. He knew that he was not qualified to interfere with the aircraft carrier's construction blueprint.

However, he has a father-in-law with a criminal record, General Mountbatten who is serving in the Mediterranean Fleet, Mountbatten's fan, and the proposal to advance the ice aircraft carrier, etc. show that his father-in-law definitely does not lack the courage to make suggestions.

The only hidden danger is that Mountbatten's previous suggestions have been proven to be nonsense. If the suggestion of an angled deck is put forward through Mountbatten's mouth, will the big bosses of the Royal Navy be wary of it, and will not be adopted in the end?

"Alan? What are you thinking about?" Gerald Edward, who was chatting happily with the two Newfoundlanders, couldn't help but ask when he saw Alan Wilson's rare silence.

This is not the Alan Wilson he knows. When did he become so silent? Little did Gerald Edward know that Alan Wilson was envisioning the future of the Royal Navy.