King of Beiyang

After discussing with Beiyang Fleet Admiral Ding Ruchang and others, Li Jingyuan decided to first improve the two "Chaoyong-class" ram cruisers.

These two "Super Yong-class" ramming cruisers each had a standard displacement of just over 4 tons and were equipped with two 254mm main guns with a 26-caliber barrel, four 120mm secondary guns, and four 37mm rapid-fire guns.

The plan at Dalian Shipyard is to add four 88mm rapid-fire guns and four 37mm rapid-fire guns to further enhance the firepower of the two "Super Yong-class" ramming cruisers.

According to this plan, the upgrades to the two "Super Yong-class" ram cruisers will not take much time at all, less than a month.

Furthermore, Dalian Shipyard plans to conduct a comprehensive overhaul of the power systems of these two warships.

When the Super Yong-class ram cruisers entered service, their maximum speed was 16 knots.

However, after more than a decade of service, the ship's hull had aged, and its propulsion system also suffered from these problems. As a result, the warship's speed had dropped to only 12 knots.

Such a speed would undoubtedly be a significant disadvantage in the upcoming naval battles.

Most of the Japanese warships were quite fast.

If the war goes badly, the Beiyang Fleet may not even be able to escape.

After the upgrades to the two "Super Yong-class" ram cruisers are completed, the upgrades to the "Zhiyuan" and "Jingyuan" will be carried out.

Next, it was the turn of the Jingyuan and Laiyuan, the Jiyuan and Dingyuan, and the Zhenyuan and Pingyuan.

In this way, all ten main warships of the Beiyang Fleet underwent improvements.

In future naval battles, when facing the combined fleet of the Japanese invaders, the Beiyang Fleet will have a more formidable force to confront them.

  

The officers of the Beiyang Fleet were very satisfied with the improvement plan provided by Dalian Shipyard.

With the installation of more rapid-fire cannons, the firepower of these warships will obviously be greatly improved.

That evening, Li Jingyuan hosted a banquet at Dalian for a group of Beiyang Fleet officers.

After a satisfying meal, everyone went back to rest.

However, Li Jingyuan secretly met with Ding Ruchang, Liu Buchan, Lin Taizeng, and others.

Currently, only Ding Ruchang, Liu Buchan, and Lin Taizeng in the Beiyang Fleet know that Li Jingyuan has ordered six "Sea Sky-class" protected cruisers from the German Empire.

"Admiral, General Liu, General Lin, you must all have a fairly deep understanding of the strength of the Japanese, right? In recent years, the Japanese have been sparing no effort to enhance their military strength."

Their goal, needless to say, is clear to everyone.

Li Jingyuan said.

Ding Ruchang and the others had extremely solemn expressions. They were all soldiers, and based on what they knew, they were certain that the Japanese were coming for them.

"Two of the 'Three Views' warships that the Japanese purchased from the Gauls have already entered service. The last one will also enter service next year. In addition, they have also purchased two cruisers from the British, which are expected to enter service by next year or at the latest by the beginning of the year after."

At that time, the strength of the Japanese will increase greatly.

Even with the Ding and Zhen ships at our disposal, we still can't match the Japanese in terms of total fleet tonnage!

Liu Buchan sighed.

"Not only in terms of total tonnage, but also in the number of naval guns, especially rapid-fire guns, we are inferior to the Japanese. Even with this upgrade that increased the number of naval guns, we will likely still be at a disadvantage in the event of future conflict."

Lin Taizeng was also deeply worried.

Originally, according to the Beiyang Fleet's plan, starting from the sixteenth year of the Guangxu Emperor's reign, they would continue to purchase several warships from overseas.

However, the funds for purchasing the ship were diverted to build a garden.

As a result, the strength of the Beiyang Fleet has hardly increased in recent years.

On the other hand, the Japanese have already overtaken us.

This undoubtedly posed a huge threat to the Beiyang Fleet.

"The Beiyang Fleet also had a fatal weakness, which was that its warships were generally in service for too long. As the ships aged, their speed was greatly affected, and they were generally inferior to the newer warships of the Japanese."

This will present a very serious problem. Once war breaks out, the Beiyang Fleet will very likely face a situation where it can neither fight nor escape.

Li Jingyuan reminded him.

Immediately, Ding Ruchang and the others looked even more grim.

"Vice Admiral Li, don't we still have six other 'Sea Sky-class' protected cruisers?" Ding Ruchang asked.

Liu Buchan and Lin Taizeng also looked at Li Jingyuan.

It can be said that Li Jingyuan's six "Haitian-class" protected cruisers had become the last trump card of the Beiyang Fleet.

With the Japanese growing stronger, they have placed all their hopes on these "Sea Sky-class" protected cruisers.

"According to the plan, in the first half of the year after next, those 'Sea Sky-class' protected cruisers will visit the Beiyang Fleet under the guise of a visit. However, it is obvious that the Japanese will not start a war during this period."

Moreover, the Japanese have the British backing them. The British Far East Fleet alone is something we cannot handle.

Therefore, once the Japanese decide to go to war, they will inevitably choose to leave after the "Sea Sky-class" protected cruisers depart.

Therefore, once war breaks out, initially, the Beiyang Fleet will have to rely on its own strength to resist the combined fleet of the Japanese.

The "Sea Sky" class protected cruisers will only join the battle after the outbreak of war.

And this will take time.

The Beiyang Fleet had to hold on during this period.

Li Jingyuan said.

"I suggest that once war breaks out, the Beiyang Fleet should prioritize its own survival and not try to defeat the Japanese in one fell swoop. We should wait until the six 'Sea Sky-class' protected cruisers arrive on the battlefield before launching a pincer attack on the Japanese."

Only in this way can we eliminate the Japanese invaders in one fell swoop with minimal cost.

At the same time, we still have enough power to deter the British, so that they dare not act rashly.

Li Jingyuan continued.

Ding Ruchang and the others nodded repeatedly.

If we were only facing the Japanese, the Beiyang Fleet's current strength, plus the six "Haitian-class" protected cruisers, would be enough to completely overwhelm them.

But the fact that the Japanese had the British as their backers made it an extremely difficult problem.

The Japanese were easy to deal with, but the British were an opponent that could make people despair.

At least in today's world, no other country's navy can rival the Royal Navy of the British Empire.

The Beiyang Fleet was even further behind.

"Then let's do it this way! At that time, the Beiyang Fleet and the secret fleet need to coordinate well," Ding Ruchang said.

The six "Sea Sky-class" protected cruisers, which are currently kept in secrecy, have been given the codename "Secret Fleet".

"We can contact each other via wireless telegram. If we seize the opportunity, there shouldn't be any problem," Li Jingyuan replied.

Since the war had not yet broken out, Li Jingyuan and the others could only do their best and leave the rest to fate, making the necessary preparations as best they could.