Chapter 427: SMS Prince Hermann
After arranging the military's movements, Ernst's first stop in Trieste was the Royal Shipyard, where he met with Archduke Ferdinand.
"Ernst! What brings you to Trieste all of a sudden?" the Archduke asked, somewhat surprised.
"Father-in-law, I'm here to prepare for the wedding in advance, of course! And naturally, while I'm here, I thought I'd make time to source factories and equipment across Europe," Ernst replied with a grin.
"Heh!" Ferdinand scoffed. "The second half is the real reason, I'm sure. The wedding preparations could've waited a few more months."
"Alright, I won't argue. Since you're here, come and see the ship we've been building."
Just as Ernst had predicted a few months earlier, the economic crisis had led to canceled orders, freeing up production slots at the shipyard.
"The ironclad being built in this dry dock is one I personally selected from several proposals. It doesn't have a name yet, and her displacement is just over 6,990 tons. I made sure to keep it under your 7,000-ton limit," Ferdinand explained with a smirk.
Ernst chuckled. He had initially requested two warships over 5,000 tons but under 7,000. Ferdinand had clearly skirted the edge of that request with this design.
"Well, if you can build a ship over 7,000 tons for the same price, I wouldn't oppose it. Just don't go over budget," Ernst said. "Though I will say—if other nations see this, they might think we're triggering a naval arms race."
With this ship nearly matching the 7,000-ton benchmark and with the Archduke Ferdinand already launched, East Africa would soon have two top-tier warships. Outsiders might think Austria-Hungary was preparing for something big in the Mediterranean.
"You should've told me that earlier! At current prices, we could probably squeeze in a 7,000-ton ship within the same budget. Prices have dropped significantly—if it were a civilian vessel, it'd be even cheaper," Ferdinand said.
Ernst replied, "This one's close enough. Add a few extra weapons and we'd probably pass 7,000 tons anyway."
"More or less," Ferdinand admitted, then added, "The design was inspired by Britain's newest ironclad, the Devastation. But the Devastation displaces over 13,000 tons—this one is half that. The British really do throw money around."
The Devastation was the UK's first all-steam-powered ironclad, notable for its two smokestacks instead of traditional masts and sails. In contrast, East Africa's Archduke Ferdinand still used both sail and steam.
"So is this ship fully steam-powered as well?" Ernst asked.
"Of course not. We're not nearly as advanced as the British when it comes to steam engines. To be safe, we've stuck with the conventional dual-propulsion design," Ferdinand explained.
This was understandable. Britain was ahead in steam technology. Even East Africa's flagship was lighter by one or two thousand tons compared to some British ironclads.
"Don't underestimate this ship just because it still uses sails. In terms of speed, it could outperform the Devastation—and it's much easier to build," Ferdinand added proudly.
Ernst raised an eyebrow. "It's still in the dock—how do you know how fast it'll be?"
"We're basing it on the performance of Austria's recently completed 7,200-ton ironclad, which uses the same model of steam boiler," Ferdinand explained.
"Oh! You mean the Archduke Ferdinand," Ernst said, smiling meaningfully.
That name struck a nerve.
Ferdinand blinked. "Wait, the Archduke Ferdinand? That's… my name."
Now it clicked. "You mean the Austrian Navy's new ironclad?"
Seeing that Ferdinand still didn't get it, Ernst chuckled and said, "No, no. I mean the Archduke Ferdinand—the East African Navy's first ironclad, launched just last month right here in Trieste."
Surprise turned to disbelief. Then came the realization: he'd been had.
A few months ago, Ernst had dropped vague hints about a ship project. A month ago, Ferdinand himself had been aboard the ship now called the Archduke Ferdinand—and hadn't even realized it was named after him.
Back then, he had wondered why no other high-ranking officials had attended the launch, and why the ship had no name despite being more advanced than the Lissa. Now it all made sense—including the strange look Admiral Tegetthoff had given him.
"So I was the only clown in the room?" Ferdinand muttered.
Ernst tried not to laugh too loudly. "Ahem… Father-in-law, it was meant to be a surprise. After all, you're the soul of our navy—we couldn't let you go unrecognized."
"You should've told me," Ferdinand grumbled. "But now that I know, I really am happy. Still, when the Archduke Ferdinand returns to port, I expect to take her out again—this time as her rightful namesake."
Ernst smiled. "Only a ship like the Archduke Ferdinand is worthy of our naval commander-in-chief."
"Enough about that. The Archduke Ferdinand isn't back yet anyway. Let's get back to naming this new ship," Ferdinand said, turning the page.
Ernst thought for a moment. "Let's name her SMS Prince Hermann."
"Your grandfather?"
"Yes. During the Second Battle of Bassano, my great-grandfather fought under Marshal Alvinczi and helped repel Napoleon."
In fact, both sides suffered heavy casualties during that battle. It took place two months after the First Battle of Bassano and marked Napoleon's first battlefield defeat.
Ernst's grandfather, Prince Hermann of Hohenzollern-Hechingen, had been one of Austria's senior commanders—and his great-granduncle, Joseph Friedrich Wilhelm, had served as a field marshal in the Holy Roman Empire.
The House of Hechingen had a long history of serving the Habsburgs—until it later joined Prussia and ended that tradition.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Canserbero10