Chapter 70

The Hai Qi was a protected cruiser (also known as a barbette cruiser) purchased by the Qing government from the British Armstrong company. It was launched in 1896 and entered service in 1898. Equipped with a two-shaft steam engine, it had 18,000 horsepower, capable of propelling the 4,300-ton ship at a high speed of 24 knots, making it a representative of fast cruisers.

The Hai Qi fully embodied the design philosophy of high speed and heavy firepower of its time. With a speed of 24 knots, it was considered very fast. The twin 203mm guns, even by the standards of the time, were not considered weak. Their firing rate was faster than the main guns of battleships, making them the backbone of suppressive firepower.

In the contemporary world, naval warships were developing rapidly. When the dreadnoughts appeared, almost all battleships, whether launched or under construction, became obsolete. In the era of dreadnoughts, battleships saw tremendous development. This ship, launched 12 years ago, was not only outdated in performance but also poorly maintained.

The navy is a highly technical branch, unlike the army, where conscripts can be trained for a few months and then sent into battle with decent combat effectiveness. The navy is different. A newly equipped warship is useless without a period of sea trials and training. Continuous cooperation and training are essential. Many countries around the world have the capability to build battleships, even small countries like Italy, which produced world-class battleships in the past, including the innovative triple gun turret. However, the reason they did not continue was due to financial constraints.

The cost of a battleship alone is daunting, but even more terrifying is the training cost. The annual training cost is almost equivalent to purchasing a new warship over several years. Therefore, even the world's strongest country, Britain, could not sustain a large fleet.

The Hai Qi was also in a similar situation. When purchased, it was considered a relatively advanced warship, but over the years, due to maintenance and training issues, it only barely functioned. Under the scanner, it was found that in the past year, the main guns of the Hai Qi had been fired no more than 20 times. Such a low training intensity could hardly produce a qualified sailor.

Yang Yuanzhao understood that building a strong navy was a long and arduous task. The people before him were, in a sense, the seeds of the Chinese navy. After the Beiyang Incident, the traditional Beiyang Navy had become part of the army, and the navy no longer existed. It was only through the efforts of people like Cheng Biguang that the seeds of the Beiyang Navy were not completely lost.

"Brother Biguang, this ship probably hasn't been used for a long time, right?"

Cheng Biguang's face showed a hint of embarrassment. As a naval officer, he was well aware of the significant difference in combat effectiveness between a well-trained and a poorly trained crew, or even an untrained one. However, without resources, it was difficult to do much. Given the financial constraints of the navy, where even salaries had to be self-funded, it was already a significant achievement to keep the warships operational.

"The navy is poor."

Yang Yuanzhao, seeing Cheng Biguang's sigh, asked, "Brother Biguang, how much would it cost to fully operate the Hai Qi for a year?"

"Well!" Cheng Biguang hesitated. Yang Yuanzhao's offer was clearly to fund the operation of the Hai Qi. A warship, especially one like the Hai Qi with 8-inch main guns, required substantial resources to operate and train. The annual cost, according to regulations, was at least 50,000 pounds, or 500,000 yuan, which was beyond the means of most people. The original purchase price of the Hai Qi was only around 380,000 pounds.

"I understand your concerns, Brother Biguang. However, I have some connections with the German-American Trading Company. In the future, we can provide 500 main gun shells, 20 gun barrels, 5,000 secondary gun shells, 100 secondary gun barrels, and 100 tons of gunpowder annually. How does that sound?" Yang Yuanzhao said, seeing Cheng Biguang's hesitation.

Cheng Biguang was taken aback. The most significant cost in training a battleship was the shells and gun barrels, especially the latter, which were extremely expensive. When a warship was in operation, it would incur wear and tear, and each shot fired would also cause wear. After a certain number of shots, the gun barrels, especially the main guns, would age, deteriorate, and become unstable. At this point, the battleship would need to return to the shipyard for major repairs, including replacing the gun barrels and performing necessary cleaning. This was a regular requirement for battleships, even for the so-called unsinkable nuclear-powered warships of the future, which still had maintenance periods.

Yang Yuanzhao's offer covered at least 70% of the annual training costs. The remaining expenses were mainly for personnel and coal, which were relatively inexpensive and could be raised through various means.

"I wonder what you require in return," Cheng Biguang asked, looking at Yang Yuanzhao. There was no such thing as a free lunch, and while Yang Yuanzhao was better than those who schemed for personal gain, it was still necessary to clarify the terms.

Yang Yuanzhao smiled and said, "Nothing much. I am just interested in the navy. At most, I might establish a long-distance fleet in the future and need Brother Biguang's help with training."

At this moment, Yang Yuanzhao did not dare to mention his intention to establish a navy. The Qing dynasty was still in power, and although Cheng Biguang had a favorable view of the revolution, Yang Yuanzhao lacked a strong background. A misstep could land him in prison.

As for the gun barrels and shells, he had already replicated them all after boarding the ship. With his advanced technology, the more expensive and complex the item, the less the cost. Gun barrels, like ordinary steel, only required the addition of trace elements or special processing, which his technology could bypass, producing items of great quality at minimal cost.

Yang Yuanzhao thoroughly inspected the Hai Qi and then moved on to other warships. The sister ships of the Hai Qi were similar, but there were also smaller warships, such as torpedo boats and gunboats. While these might not play a significant role in battles between battleships or ironclads, they had their uses in specific situations.

To avoid any omissions, Yang Yuanzhao meticulously replicated everything. Even the seemingly similar gunboats had significant differences internally, not just in armament but also in propulsion. The same two-shaft steam engines, in terms of total weight and performance, were far inferior to those of the Hai Qi.

For the entire day, Yang Yuanzhao was in high spirits. In total, there were over 20 ships, along with the coastal batteries near the naval base. While these did not have the large-caliber guns of the Hai Qi, they still enriched his artillery reserves. If he needed to, he could produce a large number of ship guns at any time.

The biggest gain, however, was the steam engines. Whether foreign-made or domestically produced, these engines were of military-grade quality, far superior to civilian versions.

After thoroughly inspecting all the ships in the naval base, which took most of the day, Yang Yuanzhao politely declined Cheng Biguang's invitation to dine together and left. The day's harvest was significant, but much work remained to make use of it.