The Rise of German empire

The room was filled with a tense atmosphere as Oscar stood before the Naval Technical Committee, presenting his design for the new battleship. His calm demeanor hid the immense pressure he felt; this would be the moment that determined his future within the German Navy. If he succeeded in convincing the committee, his name would be immortalized in naval history. But if he failed, his design would be forgotten, another casualty of the conservative traditions of naval engineers.

"My father has other commitments this afternoon, so he entrusted me with full authority to represent him and attend this demonstration meeting," Crown Prince Wilhelm began with a smile. "I am here to listen to your professional opinions, and I will report them back to my father." Despite the polite tone of his words, there was a clear undercurrent of reluctance in his voice. Prince Wilhelm, the heir apparent, had little interest in Oscar's success. In fact, he feared that if Oscar's design were accepted, it would elevate his standing within the royal family. The thought of a sixteen-year-old boy, with no military experience, having the potential to transform the German Navy was an unsettling one for Wilhelm II.

"Our navy has indeed made great strides, but the gap between us and the British Navy remains vast," Marshal Count Tirpitz continued. "Therefore, we must work carefully and avoid taking shortcuts in developing our fleet. Mistakes could set us back." However, Marshal Tirpitz was optimistic about Oscar's design. Despite the fact that some of the technologies in the battleship were relatively new, it was clear that the ship had the potential to enhance the German Navy's capabilities and help it compete with its major rivals.

It was now time for the demonstration of the design. Count von Warren, the chairman of the Naval Technical Committee, addressed the audience: "Ladies and gentlemen, Prince Oscar will now present his design. Let us listen attentively."

Qin Tian stood and gave a brief nod to the attendees. He walked up to the podium, where his battleship design was already displayed on the large screen. It was an imposing sight: the war machine of the seas, a new type of vessel, with an elegance that conveyed both power and technological advancement. The committee members looked at it with mixed emotions. It was clear that this battleship had the potential to dominate world fleets, but it was also so different from anything they had built before that it caused doubts.

Taking a deep breath, Oscar began to explain his design. "This is the battleship I have designed. It has a length of 145 meters, a width of 24 meters, and a draft of 8.6 meters. The standard displacement is 18,500 tons, and the full-load displacement is 20,500 tons. It is powered by twelve heavy oil burners and three steam turbines, with a total of 25,000 horsepower. The maximum speed is 21 knots, with an endurance of 12,000 nautical miles at 10 knots, and 3,000 nautical miles at 20 knots."

His explanation continued with the armament: "The ship is equipped with three triple-mounted 305 mm 45-caliber main guns, twelve 150 mm 45-caliber secondary guns, and sixteen single-mounted 88 mm anti-torpedo boat guns. As for the armor, the main belt armor is 305 mm thick, the deck is 45 mm, the frontal armor of the turret is 305 mm, and the armor of the conning tower is 305 mm."

Once he finished his explanation, there was silence in the room. Everyone was impressed by the numbers in front of them. The firepower, speed, and protection of this battleship far exceeded anything they had previously designed. It seemed to offer everything a navy would need to contend with the British fleet, and even against the increasingly powerful American and Japanese navies. But numbers on paper were just that: numbers. The real proof would come when the design was built, and that was a risk the committee members were not willing to take lightly.

Count von Warren broke the silence: "Are there any questions? Now is the time to voice any uncertainties."

Sir Dietrich, the oldest and most respected naval engineer in Germany, was the first to speak. "Prince Oscar, with all due respect, your design is indeed impressive. But I have a few concerns. You have chosen to use triple-mounted main guns instead of the usual secondary guns. What is the reasoning behind this decision?" Sir Dietrich looked critically at Oscar, his experience and pride as an engineer making him skeptical of such radical ideas.

Oscar anticipated the question and answered confidently: "Your Excellency, with the increasing power of the main guns, their range has also increased. In the near future, long-range naval battles will become the norm, and secondary guns will lose their effectiveness in such engagements. Instead of accepting that loss of power, I chose to concentrate the full firepower in the main guns, so that they can be effective at long range. Furthermore, modern naval battles often involve broadside combat, which means that all main guns must be capable of firing from one side of the ship. This will concentrate all the firepower and further enhance the combat effectiveness of the battleship."

Sir Dietrich nodded slowly, but his reservations remained. "It is an interesting theory, Prince Oscar, but without hard evidence, we cannot simply embrace this approach. We must be cautious with such radical changes."

Oscar felt a slight frustration. These old engineers were deeply entrenched in tradition, and convincing them of the benefits of his design would be a challenge.

Brigadier General Gusad, the weapons expert, joined the discussion. "Prince Oscar, no country in the world uses triple-mounted main guns on battleships. These guns are too heavy and will affect the stability of the ship. Additionally, the muzzle blast created when such powerful guns are fired will severely affect the accuracy of the shots. How have you addressed this issue?"

Oscar smiled. "The muzzle blast issue can be resolved by using a delayed firing mechanism. The central gun will fire 0.5 seconds later than the guns on either side. This ensures that the blast will have no impact on the accuracy of the shots."

Gusad's eyes lit up as he listened. As a weapons expert, he could immediately recognize the feasibility of this solution. It was a clever fix for a common problem in heavily armed ships.

The committee members exchanged looks of understanding and doubt. They were fascinated by the design and the detailed responses from Oscar, but the uncertainty about the practicality of his ideas still lingered. Most of the committee members were not ready to abandon their traditional methods so easily.

Count von Warren looked to the group and broke the silence. "This is an innovative design, but we must look beyond the numbers. It is essential that we evaluate the feasibility of this design. Let us begin a thorough technical assessment. We must weigh all the risks carefully."

Oscar knew that the road to approval would be long. But this was only the first step in a much larger plan. Whatever obstacles he had to face, he was determined to press forward. This ship, this monument to his vision, would change the future of the German Navy, and he would make sure it became a reality.