Almost every time Lee Haydn and Tilpitz are together, it will definitely trigger an endless quarrel, and this time is no exception. In the summer palace in Potsdam, William II looked at the two of them with red faces and their heads were wide.

This time it was because of the construction of the battleship code-named "Odenberg" class, which was later the design plan of the "Helgolan" class battleship. Lee Haydn has been mocking the German battleship as an impotence patient, and the thing was too thin. Indeed, the "German" class battleship of the Second Imperial Navy was equipped with 280mm main guns, while the British "Defensible" and "Berrofon" class built before it were equipped with 305mm main guns, including the 305mm main guns that were also equipped with the "Radlitz" class of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, while the main guns on the German battleship were a circle smaller than them.

William II felt very unfairly that he was taking the blame for the Navy Design Bureau. The construction budget of the main ship passed by Congress has already limited the displacement of the hull. The German ship designers are accustomed to having sufficient protection first. The consequence of strengthening armor is that such a displacement can no longer accommodate larger main guns. You should know that a 305mm double main turret is more than 240 tons heavier than the 280mm main turret, and the four main turrets will increase the displacement of nearly 1,000 tons. In order to balance the stability of the center of gravity caused by the increase in the weight of the turret, a displacement of at least 1,500 tons must be increased. The displacement of 2,500 tons cannot be squeezed out anyway, unless the budget is added to increase the hull.

Lee Haydn has finally realized the difficulties faced by General Schell during the Battle of Jutland. The embarrassment faced by the British battleships equipped with 280mm and 305mm main guns in the German High Seas Fleet faced the embarrassment faced by the British battleships equipped with 356mm and 381mm main guns in the face. It is impossible not to be afraid. Schell and Hippel are not lacking in courage, but they do not have enough confidence.

Now, the focus of the debate between Lee Haydn and Tirpitz is this issue again.

To be honest, Lee Hayden has no prejudice against Tirpitz, but instead appreciates the founder of the German Navy's high seas fleet. Although Tirpitz is conservative, he is not selfish and does not retaliate against the Beihai Shipyard because of the conflict between him and Lee Hayden. The Beihai Shipyard has received orders for two German Navy's "Schernhorst" class armored ships and the "Gobe" battlecruiser, and will also receive a construction order for a battleship with the construction code-named "Odenberg" class.

Tirpitz has been trying to balance orders between seven major German naval backbone shipyards, not frankly or dislike anyone.

The contradiction between him and Lee Haydn is about different understandings about naval strategy.

Tirpitz is working hard to build the German Navy into a defensive navy, as long as it is ensured that the territorial waters are not violated and maritime rights and interests are not violated. Lee Haydn always insists that the navy is a powerful attack force, and the protection of maritime rights and interests requires sufficient overseas bases.

This is based on different understandings of sea rights. Mainland countries always believe that sea rights are control over the ocean, while marine countries understand this as gaining maritime benefits. Tirpitz's view represents the understanding of the oceans of most continental countries, while Li Haydn's view of sea rights is more inclined to marine countries.

Due to different concepts, contradictions are inevitable.

William II's view tends toward Lee Haydn, who also wants to equip his warships with larger artillery. The problem is that designers from the Navy's design department believe that warships equipped with larger artillery cannons cannot still float on the water.

"Then increase the hull!" Lee Hayden's idea was very simple. The problem was that Tirpitz was trapped in the naval budget, not that he didn't want to use a larger main gun.

This is the issue that the two argue about now.

Lee Haydn hopes to equip the same 330mm main gun as the latest "United Force" class battleship of the Austro-Hungarian Navy on the "Hergolan" class, but Tirpitz believes that equipping with 305mm main gun is enough, which is in line with the budget passed by the parliament, and there is no need to worry about additional budgets.

Tirpitz does not disagree with Lee Haydn's view that "the goal of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom can make himself stronger", but it does not mean that the German Navy is willing to be an enemy of the British Empire. Lee Haydn's idea is to challenge the Royal Navy of the British Empire, while Tirpitz's idea is to make the British feel that it is not worth fighting with the Germans.

There is about 30% of the strength gap between these two concepts.

In the 19th century, the weak German navy provided a better opportunity for the development of the German navy in the era of dreadnoughts. The Germans did not have a huge former dreadnoughts fleet facing elimination like the British Empire. In fact, the so-called naval competition in Britain was just a lie fabricated by the British. The German Empire had no intention of competing with the British. They were just compensating for the gap between the former backward naval fleet and the ever-increasing national strength.

The Germans, including William II, did not have the intention to challenge the Royal Navy. Everything was the contradiction between the British in order to transfer their weakening national strength and maintain maritime hegemony. They needed to create an enemy, and the Germans' misfortune became their best choice.

"Haha, it's incredible that the so-called German Empire navy is willing to be inferior to our Austro-Hungarian Navy." Lee Hayden stimulated the German emperor with a slightly mocking tone. Indeed, William II could accept the fact that he was inferior to the British Royal Navy, but he could not stand other countries being above him anymore.

The goal he set for himself was second in the world, and Li Haidon knew the brother-in-law's thoughts very well.

Sure enough, the German emperor could not stand this contempt and patted his chest to assure Tirpitz that he would persuade Congress to pass a certain amount of additional budget for naval construction.

There is no problem with this.

Tirpitz's trouble is the funding issue. A considerable part of the German naval shipbuilding budget was used to expand the Kiel Canal, which is very similar to the construction of the Summer Palace in the Qing Empire.

The annual investment of 35 million marks is almost equivalent to the cost of a battleship, but with the continuous increase in the tonnage of battleships, the expansion of the main battleship has become an inevitable trend, and the Kiel Canal can no longer meet the needs of the navy.

The problem is that the expansion funds for this canal need to be allocated from the German Navy's shipbuilding budget.

Lee Hayden now understands Tirpitz's situation. He does not want the German Navy to obtain larger and stronger warships, but the Kiel Canal expansion plan with a total budget of 250 million marks actually greatly hinders the development of the German Navy.

"Why should the costly national infrastructure projects be extracted from the cost of naval shipbuilding?" Lee Hayden asked William II this very sharp question.

"This..." William II scratched his head a little. The expansion of the Kiel Canal was raised by the Admiralty. The problem was that Prime Minister Shilinfeld was unwilling to bear the cost, but the 250 million mark was enough for Tirpitz to build 10 new battleships.

"I have an idea. In fact, the expansion project of the Kiel Canal does not affect the navigation of the canal. It can charge a certain amount of tolls to pass by, and loans can be made with future tolls to make up for the shortcomings of naval shipbuilding costs." Li Haidon thought of the common tricks used by local officials in the Celestial Dynasty - to build roads on national highways and then collect tolls.
Chapter completed!