Volume 1: The Empire Awakens Chapter 16: The New Military Revolution (Part 1)
Soon, the topic of the three young men shifted to the new round of changes in military technology and military thinking that began after the end of the last war and reached a climax in the past five years.
"To be honest, sometimes we have to admire the courage and bravery of the Japanese!"
Hao Dongjue has a very straightforward personality. He can hate Japan to the core, but at the same time he will also acknowledge the enemy's advantages.
"With the lessons learned from the last war, Japan has realized that they can never be a match for the Imperial Navy in traditional fields.
In the Battle of Hachijojima, the First Fleet not only severely damaged Japan's most powerful home fleet, but also deprived the Japanese Navy of the opportunity to return to the ocean, forcing Japan to be the first to withdraw from the war, allowing the empire to concentrate its efforts on pacifying the South Pacific, and finally in the Battle of the Bay of Bengal, almost annihilated the multinational combined fleet, regained control of the Indian Ocean, and launched an expedition to the Atlantic Ocean, forcing the Western powers to sit down and sign an armistice treaty with us.
However, it is regrettable that the empire failed to win.
What is even more hateful is that the Imperial Navy is even more superstitious about those capital ships, and has not realized that future naval battles will no longer be dominated by battleships! "
Seeing Hao Dongjue's passionate and indignant look, Tan Renhao and Chang Jianxin couldn't help laughing, but both of them laughed bitterly.
Hao Dongjue's words not only reflect the problem that the Imperial Navy has become more dependent on battleships, a weapon for decisive battles at sea, after the last war, but also reflect the deep-rooted conservative thinking of the Imperial Navy for hundreds of years.
As the most powerful navy in the world and the overlord of the Eastern Ocean, the Imperial Navy's mission is mostly to safeguard the empire's maritime interests and the security of its overseas territories.
In order to protect the maritime interests of the Empire, the Imperial Navy introduced the "Two Powers Principle" more than a hundred years ago, which means that the strength of the Imperial Navy must be maintained above the total strength of the two most powerful opponents, and must be able to defeat the two most powerful opponents at the same time to ensure that it is undefeated! In order to achieve this "Two Powers Principle", the Imperial Navy has always maintained a huge scale. At its peak, the Imperial Navy had hundreds of main battleships, and the footprints of the Imperial Navy were left on every ocean in the world.
The Imperial Navy maintained this principle until the last war and became the main force that enabled the Empire to force the Western powers to end the war.
However, this also brings up a very prominent problem, that is, the Imperial Navy's thinking is extremely conservative. If any new technology or tactics cannot be fully proven to be correct, then the Imperial Navy will never adopt it.
Conservative thinking is fully reflected in the Imperial Navy, especially in terms of technological innovation. Relying on strong human resources and highly qualified naval officers and soldiers, the Imperial Navy will never easily adopt any new technology.
Almost all technological revolutions that had a significant impact on naval warfare did not start with the Imperial Navy. For example, breech-loading bolt-boring guns, steam-powered warships, and even aircraft carriers were not first invented and equipped by the Imperial Navy.
However, it is undeniable that the Imperial Navy has strong capabilities in technological research. Relying on the empire's powerful industrial strength, if any new technology is determined to be sufficient to determine the dominance of the ocean, then the Imperial Navy can catch up with and surpass any opponent in a very short time.
For example, the world's first modern battleship, the "Chang'an", was built by the empire, and the imperial navy also gained maritime hegemony for nearly half a century.
Unfortunately, the result of the last war made the empire more superstitious about battleships and battlecruisers, two kinds of sea giants , and missed the new round of naval warfare revolution that had already begun.
On the surface, the Imperial Navy also started building three fast fleet aircraft carriers, and they were brand new aircraft carriers built directly after the completion of the first experimental aircraft carrier, rather than modifying other warships.
However, after Tan Renhao learned about the "Emperor" class aircraft carrier in detail, he discovered that the first-class fast fleet aircraft carrier built by the empire had many defects, some of which were even fatal!
"Renhao, if it is the Japanese Southwest Combined Fleet that is coming, I'm afraid Marshal Sagittin will ask us to teach the Japanese a lesson!"
Hao Dongjue put his foot down and said excitedly, "Maybe, we will have a joint sea and air exercise with the Japanese. Then, we can let the Japanese know who is the most powerful!"
"It's possible, but I don't think the problem is that simple!"
Tan Renhao picked up a cigarette, but hesitated for a moment before lighting it. "Old Chang, what do you think of the exercise six months ago?"
Chang Jianxin was slightly stunned, then smiled bitterly.
"That was a shame for the First Fleet. Although the results of the exercise were not announced, the First Fleet was a complete failure. For the past six months, the First Fleet has been training in the Bohai Bay. I heard that the first thing the newly appointed General Pei Yuming did after taking office was to order hundreds of anti-aircraft guns and then had all the main battleships of the fleet return to the port in rotation for modification."
Tan Renhao nodded. This little bit of information was enough. It was obvious that the First Fleet was almost vulnerable in front of the Army Aviation bombers. Otherwise, Lieutenant General Bei Yuming would have no reason to spend money to buy hundreds of anti-aircraft guns to arm the First Fleet, which was already so powerful that it had no rivals.
"Old Chang, are you saying that the First Fleet was defeated by the Army Air Force?"
Hao Dongjue jumped up from his chair. "No wonder. Admiral Bu Xinghai was the greatest contributor to the Battle of Bazhang Island. Without his decisive command at the most critical moment, we might have lost the last war. However, transferring him to an idle position is too harsh a punishment, isn't it?"
Chang Jianxin smiled bitterly and shook his head.
“This is still considered good. Almost all the staff officers of the First Fleet were demoted, and even ordinary officers like us were implicated.
It is said that after attending the banquet held after the end of the exercise, Marshal Sagittin cursed when he returned to the headquarters, and then appointed Lieutenant General Bei Yuming to thoroughly investigate the reasons for the "disastrous defeat" of the First Fleet.
Why--"
Tan Renhao frowned slightly.
"So, those bastards in the Army are making fun of the Marshal again?"
"Is there any other possibility? However, this has caused great harm to the officers of the First Fleet. I heard that more than a hundred people were directly dismissed, and those who were left behind also lost the opportunity for further promotion. Otherwise, why would I come to the Fifth Fleet?"
The room fell silent, and Tan Renhao's mood became more complicated.
