Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 1061: Chapter 75, Subsequent Impact

“The ‘Rome’s’ specific parameters weren’t disclosed to the public, but just by looking at that behemoth’s size, people knew it was a massive killer weapon.

A larger size doesn’t necessarily equate to stronger combat power, but most of the time, it still applies.

Generally speaking, larger displacement in a warship means it can carry more cannons and thicker armor, increasing its advantage in naval battles.

According to the Vienna Government’s disclosed displacement of 20,100 tons, compared to all previous battleships, it represents a qualitative leap.

If all this additional tonnage were allocated to cannons and armor, it would be entirely possible to butcher traditional battleships.

Those who are most concerned about someone are not necessarily their friends, but definitely their enemies.

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As their biggest competitor, the ‘Rome’ had just been launched and instantly attracted high levels of attention from the British Government.

Especially since Emperor Franz himself attended the launching ceremony, elevating the London Government’s level of interest to the full mark.

Countless experiences had told the British that wherever Emperor Franz personally appeared, stories were bound to unfold.

In the past forty years, this was the second time Franz had personally attended a naval ship launching ceremony, the previous one being the advent of the Steam Ironclad.

…

Downing Street

Prime Minister Robert Cecil, “Have the parameters of the ‘Rome’ been figured out yet, or are the Austrians blowing it out of proportion as they claim?”

Since the launch of the ‘Rome,’ Shinra’s media had set the tone.

“Naval Industrial Technology Revolution,” “New Era of Battleships,” “World’s Leading Battleship”… A series of such laudations came down like it cost nothing.

Naturally, the British media would not stand idly by. Coupled with the push from the Royal Navy, suddenly the theory of the Holy Roman Empire Navy as a threat resounded once more through the British Isles, trending towards becoming a mainstream view in society.

Lately, Prime Minister Robert Cecil had almost become sick of the news concerning the Shinra Navy threat theory.

Although he didn’t quite believe that a single battleship could change the era; since the navy was Britain’s lifeline, before the ‘Rome’s’ specific parameters were certain, Prime Minister Robert Cecil could only overestimate as much as possible.

Naval Minister Flora, “We are still not certain at this time, the Vienna Government is monitoring their shipyards very strictly, and our people can’t get close to the core.

What can be confirmed at this point is that the ‘Rome’ has abandoned the previous design concepts, adopting the most radical all-big-gun design principle of the time.

Judging by the intelligence we’ve gathered, the ‘Rome’ will be equipped with 12 main guns, and their caliber will certainly not be less than 12 inches (about 305mm).

Besides the heavy firepower, the ‘Rome’ has also increased its armor thickness. Small caliber guns would struggle to pose a threat to it.

The Austrians have always been at the forefront in the field of power, and now they might have achieved another breakthrough.

Although the ‘Rome’s’ displacement has increased, its sailing speed may not be much slower than the previous battleships.”

It’s evident that Flora wasn’t very confident in the accuracy of this intelligence.

Unable to approach the shipyard for on-site inspections, the intelligence personnel could only observe from a distance, and with some hearsay, they had to make inferences. The accuracy of such intelligence was simply not guaranteed.

Regardless of how much water the intelligence contained, having it was still better than none. Even if not very accurate, it held high referential value.

For the Royal Navy, the fear wasn’t so much that the Shinra Navy would cause trouble, but rather that they would remain silent.

Just like before, when they didn’t stir up any news for a dozen years, making it difficult for the Royal Navy to ask the parliament for military funding.

Now it’s much better with the importance of the navy to Britain. In an unclear situation, it was certain to overestimate!

Without much thought, it was known that in the coming period, the Royal Navy’s military budget would increase significantly.

Air Minister Weitzcek, “The Austrians aren’t only building a ‘Rome.’ Merely one battleship, no matter how powerful, cannot reverse their deficit with the Royal Navy.

According to the intelligence we’ve collected, the Vienna Government has also developed an ambitious ‘Terminator Plan’.

Under this plan, the Vienna Government will build a large number of airports along the coast of France and Belgium, eventually enabling a mass assembly of thousands of bombers to launch an air raid on the Royal Navy.

As the foremost airpower in the world, the Holy Roman Empire has made great strides in aviation. Their current main bomber, the Eagle 2, has a payload that has already exceeded two tons.

According to this plan, in theory, the Shinra Air Force could drop 2000 to 3000 tons of bombs on us at once.

The explosive power of 2000 tons of tailor-made bombs far exceeds that of 5000 tons of high explosives. The enemy doesn’t need any accuracy, just random bombing would suffice to destroy any of our ports.

Even though our anti-air firepower is not weak, only the air force can counter the air force. Ground anti-air firepower can only play a supporting role, not something to be relied upon.”

Once the enemy’s plan was ready and we had no corresponding countermeasures, not only was the Royal Navy in danger, but the entire British Isles were within the bombing range of the enemy’s air force.

Compared to the enemy’s hidden “Terminator Plan,” the Rome battleship that is now being flaunted seems more like a decoy to draw our attention.

One is their strongest area, and the other is their weakness, choosing which direction to breakthrough is self-evident.

For the sake of military funding, Weitzcek had gone all out. Britain is dominated by the Royal Navy, with both the Army and the Air Force living in hardship.

Just look at the annual military budget and you’ll know. The Royal Navy’s budget is 30% higher than that of the Holy Roman Empire Navy, while the Air Force and Army budgets are less than a third of the counterpart’s.

The amount of money dictates what can be done.

The gap in military funding is directly reflected in the power comparison between the two countries’ military forces. The Royal Navy crushes the Shinra Navy, while the Army and Air Force are just the opposite.

Unlike the Army which cannot struggle much, Weitzcek felt that the Air Force could still be salvaged. Even if it couldn’t catch up to its competitors, it should at least be able to defend itself, right?

Against this background, Weitzcek took the “Terminator Plan” seriously, whether it was real or not.

To lobby Parliament for military funding in Britain, simply saying “we need it” is obviously not enough; a good story is also necessary.

The Vienna Government’s “Terminator Plan” was undoubtedly a good story. It might not win everyone’s approval, but there was hope in swaying the majority of the members.

To gain the Cabinet’s support, Weitzcek had brought it up in advance at the Cabinet meeting, rather than fighting alone at the last minute.

Cheat those without military knowledge is easy, but cheating experts is hard. Although the people present were not military experts, they still had basic common sense.

Naval Minister Frola immediately retorted, “As the Air Minister, your talents are wasted. You should go write science fiction novels; I believe you would have a good harvest.

To assemble thousands of bombers, if the Vienna Government spares no effort, I believe they indeed have the capability; but to focus the bombing on the same target is a joke.

Taking off from the same airfield is clearly unrealistic, and taking off from multiple airfields, just coordinating the work would cost lives, and one mistake could lead to a major midair collision.

Furthermore, although bombers have a large bomb load, their combat effectiveness itself is not that great. Without fighter protection, coming to bomb is just courting death.

To ensure the safety of thousands of bombers, a roughly equal number of fighter squadrons would be needed. So many planes, even if they come in waves to bomb, would probably find coordination work difficult.

Even if it truly were completed, such a dense group of aircraft, our anti-aircraft firepower would also achieve a notable record.

For the enemy’s plan to succeed, the premise is that we’re unprepared in advance and they manage to pull off a surprise attack.

As long as we strengthen our vigilance normally and do not leave opportunities for the enemy. With early anti-air defense warnings, we can fully turn the enemy’s Terminator Plan into their own end.

As for whether the Rome battleship is a decoy released by the enemy, we will know in a few months. Everything can fool people, only the combat power of warships does not.”

Argue, argue, argue, the Navy and the Air Force were vying fiercely, and the Army was not to be outdone.

Army Minister Skye Bruce had just organized his thoughts and was ready to join the fray when Prime Minister Robert Cecil interjected, “Enough. If you continue to bicker, this meeting will turn into a debate competition.

I know the Navy is important, the Air Force is important too, there, happy?

The reason I’ve called you here today is mainly because the Holy Roman Empire is restless again.

We must prepare for a rainy day and get ready with targeted plans; this isn’t about listening to you fight over military funding.

As for the issue of military funding, go lobby Parliament for it if you’re capable, don’t shout about it here to no avail!”

This was the blunt truth, as the British parliamentary decision was what determined Britain’s military funding, and though Prime Minister Robert Cecil had significant influence, he did not have the final say.

Both the Navy and Air Force were confident, now with the Holy Roman Empire as a target, they were sure about getting military funding from Parliament.

Only Skye Bruce was suffering; the British Army was truly unpopular. That aside, what was even worse was that now even making up stories was not working.

From beginning to end, the British Army only had “defending India” and “defending British-Africa” as extendable themes.

However, the current international situation was clear. The Russians were temporarily not planning to move southward, so the story of “defending India” came to an end first.

“Defending British-Africa,” though tellable, is unfortunate since no one was confident.

Almost every member believed that once war broke out with the Holy Roman Empire, British-Africa would be the first to fall.

If everything was doomed anyway, then it was better to redirect resources into other areas, to strengthen Britain’s advantage.