The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 1020 Aircraft Carrier!

In April 1890, at the Calais port expansion site, red flags fluttered in the strong sea winds of the English Channel. Deng Shichang and Fisher stood side by side on the deck of the armored cruiser "Jinghai," gazing at this peculiar scene before them—thousands of workers were densely packed on the construction site, yet few were actually doing any work.

"3:45 PM." Deng Shichang took out his pocket watch, glanced at it, and said with a wry smile, "It's time for political study again."

Sure enough, as several cadres wearing red armbands blew their whistles, the workers put down their tools and gathered in twos and threes. Some began to recite "The Internationale," while others sat in a circle listening to the cadres explain the latest revolutionary theories. The entire construction site instantly transformed into a giant open-air classroom, with only a few guards still on duty watching over the materials.

“When I visited last week, they were still discussing ‘something about value theory,’” Fisher shook his head, then said self-deprecatingly, “Looks like they’re learning about ‘anti-colonialism’ today.”

Deng Shichang sighed: "The French are still arrogant. Even at this point, they still want to be self-reliant and are unwilling to depend on us completely. Otherwise, why would the expansion of the port of Calais have been delayed for two years and still not completed?"

Fisher nodded in agreement: “It’s the same in Dunkirk. The port expansion project is moving at a snail’s pace.” He paused, his gaze sweeping over the workers who were having a heated discussion. “But that’s understandable. France has always been a leading power in Europe. Although it lost to Germany twice in a row, its pride and ambition remain, and it will eventually rise again.”

The sea breeze suddenly picked up, whipping Fisher's coat wildly. He instinctively pressed his hat down and continued, "At this rate of construction, our 40,000-ton warships might not even be ready to dock in twenty years. The 16-inch and 18-inch coastal defense batteries might not even be completed. What if the Germans attack again?"

“It’s alright.” Deng Shichang suddenly interrupted him, a sharp glint in his eyes. “Twenty years from now will definitely not be the era of giant ships and cannons! Airplanes that can drop five hundred-pound or one thousand-pound bombs will dominate the oceans!”

Fisher narrowed his eyes, his wrinkles deepening: "So, your navy is preparing to vigorously develop aircraft carriers and aircraft?"

This is not a question, but a confirmation. The British Navy's intelligence services are not blind or deaf! Moreover, there has been a great deal of technical exchange between the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and Britain in the past two years, and both sides are aware of each other's key development projects.

Aircraft were undoubtedly a key investment area for the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's military industry!
Deng Shichang nodded frankly—this wasn't a leak, but rather something Luo Yaoguo had specifically instructed him to do. Britain's strength was limited; rather than letting them waste their limited resources building battleships like the Hood, which were certainly no match for the Bismarck, it would be better to guide them to develop their air power. The longer Britain could hold out in the next war, the greater the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's chances of winning would be.

Fisher frowned. In fact, the Royal Navy had been secretly developing aircraft carriers for some time, but it had encountered far too many problems.

First, there are the high sea states commonly seen in the English Channel, the North Sea, and the North Atlantic—when the wind and waves are strong, planes can't fly, and they might even fall into the sea!

Secondly, there are the long nights in the North Sea and North Atlantic during winter. At London's latitude, the longest nights in winter can exceed sixteen hours. Further north in the North Sea and North Atlantic, the nights can last even longer, reaching seventeen or eighteen hours. Add to that strong winds, high waves, heavy snow, and torrential rain. Battleships can barely operate, so how can aircraft carriers be used?
We can't exactly negotiate with the Germans to stop fighting on days when it's dark, windy, wave-filled, rainy, or snowy, and just pick a good day to start the war, can we?

Of course, just as there are long nights, there are also long days. There are also times when sea conditions are low in the North Sea and the North Atlantic. During these periods, aircraft carriers can indeed play a crucial role.

Therefore, for the British Empire, it was impossible to abandon the development of aircraft carriers, nor could it give up battleships. Moreover, both aircraft carriers and battleships needed to be capable of operating in high sea states. This required significantly more funding, and the British Empire was strapped for cash!
The sea breeze grew stronger, and the waves crashed against the hull of the "Jinghai" with a dull thud. Fisher, gazing at the French workers still engaged in their heated discussion in the distance, suddenly smiled bitterly: "The twentieth century will surely be the century of conquering the skies. The Royal Navy will never ignore the skies."

Deng Shichang didn't respond. He knew Fisher was speaking from the heart, but he also understood the admiral's inner struggle. In an era when battleships and cannons were still the norm, persuading the conservative British Admiralty to invest precious resources in such a "novel toy" as an aircraft carrier was no easy task.

Moreover, the sea conditions and weather in the North Sea and the North Atlantic are absolutely unfavorable for aircraft carriers and planes.

As the sun set, the crowds on the construction site began to disperse. The red flags remained conspicuous in the twilight, but all the machinery had ceased operation. Deng Shichang checked his watch—4:30 PM, the French workers had finished their shift precisely on time. Eight hours a day, not a minute more.
“It’s time to set off.” Deng Shichang extended his hand to Fisher. “I hope that when we meet again, we will both have real aircraft carriers.”

Fisher squeezed his hand tightly: "May God bless the British Empire and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom."

As the armored cruiser *Zhiyuan* departed Calais, the waves in the English Channel grew larger. Deng Shichang stood on the bridge, gazing at the gradually disappearing French coastline, lost in thought. He knew that Fisher would push hard for the aircraft carrier program upon his return, but the British carriers were destined to be limited by geographical constraints. Meanwhile, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's carriers would roam freely across the warm Pacific and Indian Oceans.
The waves rose higher and higher, and the Zhiyuan began to rock violently. But Deng Shichang stood straight, like a sword drawn from its sheath.

Summer of the 40th year of the Tianli era.

As the armored cruiser "Zhiyuan" slowly entered the Vladivostok naval port, Deng Shichang stood on the bridge, gazing at the familiar harbor in the distance. Two months at sea had finally come to an end; the raging storms of the English Channel were long gone, replaced by the calm, azure waters of the Sea of ​​Japan.

On the breakwater of the harbor, Admiral Luo Xinhua of the North Sea Fleet had been waiting for a long time. Behind him, a peculiar warship was quietly moored at the dock—it was a converted aircraft carrier with a straight and wide bow, no gun turrets on the deck, only a few biplanes neatly arranged.

"Is that the 'Kunpeng'?" Deng Shichang stepped down the gangway, his gaze fixed on the new ship. Luo Xinhua nodded, a slight smile playing on his lips: "It has just been refitted and is currently undergoing sea trials."

As Deng Shichang walked, he listened to his former superior, Luo Xinhua, introduce the latest organization of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's navy.

"The North Sea Fleet is stationed in Vladivostok, responsible for the defense of the North Pacific, and also undertakes most of the navy's testing missions." Luo Xinhua pointed to several giant ships anchored in the distance. "The main warships include one 'Yinglong'-class battleship, two 'Qianlong'-class battleships, four 'Jinghai'-class armored cruisers, and this 'Kunpeng'."

"The North Sea Fleet is in charge of the North Pacific," Deng Shichang asked. "Then the East Sea Fleet must be in charge of the East Pacific, right?"
“That’s right, Pearl Harbor, our home port.” Luo Xinhua smiled slightly. “That’s the main force of our navy. Their mission is to ensure control of the seas in the eastern Pacific and the west coast of the Americas.”

"The South China Sea Fleet is in Zhennan Port—that is, Brisbane," Luo Xinhua continued. "The South Pacific and the waters off Australia are their territory."

Deng Shichang nodded: "The West Sea Fleet?"

"Stationed in Singapore!" Luo Xinhua said with a hint of pride. That was the sea area where he had made great contributions to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. "The Indian Ocean shipping route depends on them."

"What about the local area?"

“We have a home fleet, based in Qingdao.” Luo Xinhua stopped in his tracks. “The home fleet won’t be equipped with any large ships, because there’s no need for them anymore.”

Deng Shichang pondered: "Five fleets, covering the entire Pacific Ocean, and also able to take care of parts of the Indian Ocean."

“That’s right!” A sharp glint flashed in Luo Xinhua’s eyes. “Let’s go and see if the ‘Kunpeng’ ship is jointly managed by the Naval Aviation Administration and the North Sea Fleet.”

The two boarded the "Kunpeng" together, where sailors were busy inspecting the aircraft on the deck.

"Standard displacement is 15,000 tons, and speed is 22 knots." Luo Xinhua patted the deck. "It was converted from a high-speed transport ship, and the construction period was only ten months."

Deng Shichang crouched down and touched the teak surface of the deck: "Wooden deck? Not afraid of fire?"

"It's been coated with fire-retardant paint," Luo Xinhua pointed to the bow. "There's a ramp at the front to assist aircraft in short takeoff. Currently, it carries twenty-four aircraft—twelve 'Seahawk' fighters and twelve 'Torpedo' attack aircraft."

"Sea Eagle?" Deng Shichang looked at a biplane not far away.

“Yes, ‘Sea Eagle’.” Luo Xinhua walked over and patted the wing. “120-horsepower engine, maximum speed of 150 kilometers per hour, can carry 50 kilograms of bombs. Mainly used for reconnaissance and air defense.”

He then pointed to the triplane on the other side: "That's a 'torpedo' attack aircraft, 180 horsepower, capable of carrying a 450 mm torpedo, specifically designed to deal with battleships."

Deng Shichang squinted: "Has it been tested?"

Luo Xinhua laughed: "We just conducted an exercise in the Korean Strait last week, simulating an attack on the battleship 'Yinglong'. The torpedo bombers took off from 30 kilometers away, with a hit rate of over 60%."

"Sixty percent." Deng Shichang repeated in a low voice, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "It seems that battleships are really going to be phased out!"

Luo Xinhua shook his head: "Not that fast. A 60% hit rate was achieved when the Yinglong-class battleship stood still and took hits without any air defense. Tomorrow, I'll have the 'Kunpeng' show you!"

(End of this chapter)