Chapter 0092: Kaiser-Class Battleships

"Excellent, a remarkable battleship, and a splendid name," acknowledged William II with a nod of approval. 

The design of this battlecruiser by QinTian was indeed impressive, greatly satisfying the Emperor. What pleased William II even more was QinTian's ability to find ways to ease tensions with von Moltke, rather than engaging in relentless opposition. This quality made him a fitting candidate for the Empire's future heir, as being an emperor required a broad-minded spirit.

William II had to admit that in these aspects, QinTian far surpassed Crown Prince Wilhelm. He could not help but wonder whether appointing QinTian as a secondary heir, leaving the primary position to Wilhelm, might have been a misjudgment.

"The battlecruiser designed by His Royal Highness is indeed formidable. If commissioned, it will significantly enhance the strength of the German Navy," remarked Admiral von Tirpitz, expressing satisfaction with the specifications of the "Moltke-Class" battlecruiser.

William II nodded and turned to the Navy Technical Committee. In principle, every new warship design required their approval for construction. However, after the "Nassau-Class," the committee dared not challenge QinTian's design again, wishing to avoid public embarrassment.

"Ahem!" Count von Warren cleared his throat and stood up. "Your Majesty, the 'Moltke-Class' battlecruiser, designed by His Royal Highness, exhibits commendable performance in all aspects. The Navy Technical Committee believes it is an excellent vessel. However, our only concern is that the cost of this ship may prove exceedingly high!" he stated, carefully choosing his words to avoid offending the newly appointed Crown Prince.

QinTian nodded in acknowledgment. "Indeed, we anticipate that the cost of the 'Moltke-Class' battlecruiser will be quite substantial, estimated at around sixty million marks per vessel."

"Sixty million marks per ship?" gasps echoed through the room. Such a price was undeniably steep. Even William II could not help but twitch his lips. Without the annual loan of one hundred million marks from QinTian and the royal family to the Navy, they would scarcely afford to construct these expensive warships.

"Gentlemen, the Navy has always been a costly endeavor. Especially since we cannot match the British in terms of battleship numbers, we must find ways to enhance the combat capability of each vessel. This is the only path to achieve victory with fewer ships in future naval engagements against the British. The price we must pay for such excellence is, regrettably, high. After all, superior performance in warships necessitates advanced technology and equipment, all of which are expensive," QinTian elaborated.

Everyone nodded in agreement, recognizing the wisdom in QinTian's statement. Strengthening each class of warship was indeed the only feasible strategy for the German Navy to catch up to the British. Competing on numbers was an unthinkable endeavor, as the British could potentially outbuild the German Navy by two or even three times. In such a scenario, the Germans stood no chance.

"Does anyone have any objections? If not, let us approve the construction of the 'Moltke-Class' battlecruiser," William II declared.

No one voiced dissent; even von Moltke, who often contradicted QinTian, remained silent. Perhaps he too hoped that this battlecruiser, named after his uncle, would be constructed without hindrance.

William II nodded and subsequently approved the construction of the 'Moltke-Class' battlecruiser.

"Your Majesty, please name the other two ships of the 'Moltke-Class,'" QinTian requested, as three vessels were still planned for construction.

William II pondered for a moment and replied, "The other two shall be named 'Goblen' and 'Seydlitz.'"

"Certainly, Your Majesty!" QinTian had no objections to this decision.

"In addition to the battlecruisers, we must also expedite the construction of a new battleship as a successor to the 'Helgoland-Class,'" QinTian continued.

He then instructed someone to display a large design blueprint on the wall. The blueprint prominently featured an imposing battleship, reminiscent of the 'Helgoland-Class,' essentially an improved variant.

"Gentlemen, this battleship measures 185 meters in length, 28.5 meters in width, and has a draft of 9.1 meters. Its standard displacement is 28,500 tons, and its full load displacement is 32,500 tons. Armament consists of three triple-mounted 343 mm 50-caliber main guns, fourteen 150 mm 45-caliber secondary guns, and sixteen 88 mm 45-caliber anti-torpedo boat guns. The propulsion system includes 24 improved Sultzer oil boilers and four Curtis steam turbines, achieving a maximum output of 64,000 horsepower, with a top speed of 23 knots. 

In terms of armor, the main belt offers 350 mm protection, with turret and command tower armor also at 350 mm. The deck armor measures 65 mm. This battleship can be regarded as an enlarged version of the 'Helgoland-Class,' with optimized designs, particularly enhanced defensive capabilities," QinTian introduced.

The assembly had no objections to this proposal. It was customary to improve and reinforce specific aspects of an existing battleship design before constructing a new class. Designing each battleship anew would clearly be impractical.

QinTian had envisioned equipping the next class of capital ships with 380 mm guns. However, he understood that this was not realistic. Although Krupp had ramped up production and just delivered the 50-caliber 305 mm guns to the shipyard, the 343 mm guns were still undergoing extensive public relations efforts. It was expected they would be ready for the 'Helgoland-Class' during its launch and outfitting. Developing 380 mm guns would likely be a Herculean task for Krupp. Nevertheless, QinTian would not allow them to rest; the 380 mm guns needed to be developed and installed on battleships before the outbreak of World War I. Only then could the German Navy enhance its chances in future engagements.

As was customary, William II inquired if anyone had any objections to this class of battleship. All heads shook in denial, indicating no dissent. Thus, the construction plan for this class of battleship was approved. William II designated it the 'Kaiser-Class' battleship.