Chapter 244: The Battleship Petropavlovsk
As time flew by, it was already the end of November 1907, and the day had come for the first of Russia's two dreadnoughts, the Petropavlovsk battleship, to be officially completed.
The Russians had high hopes for these two dreadnoughts and had invested a significant amount of resources. A £5 million investment had been made to acquire two powerful dreadnoughts and a few smaller warships, which marked Russia's final contribution to naval expansion for the foreseeable future. They would not be able to invest more in their navy for at least five years due to financial constraints.
However, the good news was that these two dreadnoughts would significantly enhance Russia's naval power. Wherever they were deployed, these dreadnoughts would undoubtedly influence the surrounding region.
Currently, the island nation had no plans for building any dreadnoughts, and if Russia deployed two in the Far East, would the island nation still be a match for Russia?
The answer was naturally no. While dreadnoughts had yet to truly engage in combat, their capabilities were well known across the globe. Countries around the world had a shared understanding that one real dreadnought could equal two or three old battleships in terms of power.
Of course, this was merely on paper. The reality of battle could be very different, but the fact remained that the dreadnought possessed immense advantages, a truth everyone recognized.
Russia placed a great deal of importance on the Petropavlovsk and had sent Admiral Makarov, commander of the Pacific Fleet, to personally attend its launch ceremony.
Also accompanying him were naval officers from the Russian Pacific Fleet, who would participate in the sea trials after the launch. This would allow them to better understand the capabilities of the dreadnought and accelerate their training in operating it, thus enhancing its combat readiness.
At present, Russia was an important ally of Australasia and one of the countries with the best relations with them. Therefore, Admiral Makarov's arrival had caught the attention of Arthur, who had sent Defense Minister Kent to accompany him and attend the launch ceremony.
The launch ceremony was relatively simple. After the Petropavlovsk was successfully transported from the shipyard to the nearby port and launched, the port echoed with the sounds of cannons and cheers.
Though the ship belonged to the Russians, it was also a product of Australasia's independent shipbuilding, which drew a crowd of curious onlookers from Australasia. After all, according to the government's construction plans, Australasia's navy would soon be equipped with such warships, and this was the true reason why Australasians were so intrigued by the Monarch-class battleships.
The Petropavlovsk was equipped with a 283mm main gun, as Australasia had yet to master the 305mm main guns with a 45-caliber barrel. However, this situation would soon change, as Germany was expected to have full mastery over the 305mm main gun technology by mid-1908 and was willing to share this knowledge with Australasia. This meant that after mid-1908, the battleships built by Australasia would be equipped with larger-caliber guns, greatly improving their firepower.
Of course, Arthur would not forget the Petropavlovsk and had promised to replace its main guns with the 305mm models once Australasia mastered the technology, free of charge.
Before personally witnessing the Petropavlovsk firsthand, Admiral Makarov had some doubts about Australasia's shipbuilding capabilities. After all, just seven years ago, Australasia had been a colony of the British Empire, and Makarov had not thought much of the six Australian colonies. Now, just seven years later, he found it hard to believe that Australasia could master the construction of the world's most advanced battleships.
However, the reality quickly disproved Makarov's doubts. When Admiral Makarov saw the completed Petropavlovsk, he was so moved that he teared up.
"This giant, this is truly magnificent!" Admiral Makarov exclaimed, his eyes never leaving the sight of the battleship.
For someone like Admiral Makarov, who had devoted much of his life to the navy and warships, nothing could excite him more than seeing such a powerful warship built by his own country.
"Admiral Makarov, how about we go aboard the ship?" Kent suggested with a smile, seeing the admiral's fascination with the battleship.
"Of course, of course. Let's go, Minister Kent, let's see how beautiful this giant really is. Australasia truly is an incredible country, and I apologize for my earlier doubts," Admiral Makarov eagerly nodded and said.
"That's understandable, Admiral Makarov. After all, this is a multi-million-pound vessel, and being cautious is only natural," Minister Kent smiled and replied.
Until then, Australasia had only exported a Brunswick-class battleship to the island nation. When it came to dreadnoughts, the only countries capable of building them were Britain, Germany, and Australasia.
Naturally, the capabilities of Britain and Germany were beyond question, as they were the world's two strongest nations. Australasia, with just over seven years of development, declaring that it could keep up with the great powers in dreadnought technology was certainly surprising and a bit doubtful to many.
With a smile, Minister Kent accompanied Admiral Makarov aboard the Petropavlovsk, personally guiding him through all of the ship's features. The most impressive part, of course, was the 283mm main guns. While the Petropavlovsk didn't yet rival the British Dreadnought with its 305mm guns, the design was undoubtedly the most advanced at the time.
Admiral Makarov, looking at the neatly arranged 283mm guns on the ship, nodded in satisfaction.
Even though it only had 283mm guns, their firepower exceeded most of Russia's other battleships.
Not to mention that the Petropavlovsk also boasted excellent armor protection and advanced propulsion, using steam turbines and boilers.
"Minister Kent, when do you think we can start testing the Petropavlovsk?" Admiral Makarov eagerly inquired.
For a man who had devoted most of his life to the navy, Makarov was eager to see how powerful Russia's new warship really was.
"If you wish, we can start right now," Minister Kent smiled and replied.
Naval testing and sea trials are a lengthy process designed to test the ship's stability, operational capabilities, and any discrepancies between theoretical data and real-world performance. However, since Admiral Makarov was present, the test wouldn't be the typical stability tests.
Normally, tests for a ship's speed and stability take months to ensure the design and equipment function correctly. This time, the focus would be on maximum speed and firepower.
An older battleship from Russia's Pacific Fleet accompanied the Petropavlovsk during its trials. Although this was an older ship, it was still a flagship in the fleet.
The purpose of this trial was to compare the speed of the two battleships.
Russia's older battleship had a top speed of only 18 knots, while the Petropavlovsk reached an impressive 21 knots. Though the difference didn't seem large on paper, in practice, it was enormous.
The gap became apparent as soon as the ships set sail. The Petropavlovsk pulled ahead by a full ship length, and after just over a minute, it had already pulled 100 meters ahead of the old battleship.
As time passed, the Petropavlovsk continued to lead, and the distance between the two ships increased to over a kilometer in under ten minutes.
Admiral Makarov, using his binoculars to survey the distant old ship, nodded in satisfaction.
By this point, Admiral Makarov was thoroughly impressed with the Petropavlovsk and eagerly anticipated the day it would be fully operational.
After sailing for more than half an hour, the Petropavlovsk finally slowed its speed.
At this point, it was time to test its firepower, including the accuracy and striking power of the main guns.
The 283mm guns, compared to the 305mm guns, had a clear advantage in rate of fire, something the Germans had been confident about before. However, for the sailors aboard the Petropavlovsk, this advantage presented challenges.
Since it was the first time the sailors from both Russia and Australasia operated this kind of ship, they were unfamiliar with the procedures, and more time was needed to practice and become proficient.
(End of Chapter)
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