On March 10, Tang Ning arrived at the last inspection point, Henry Naval Shipyard.
"Is this the first modern naval warship produced by Brazil?"
Tang Ning boarded the 250-ton naval frigate that had been built and was about to be commissioned. She stroked the 80-caliber cannon and was extremely excited.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Factory director Yorkson replied with joy.
"This is Brazil's first warship built by our Henry Shipyard in less than half a year based on the 250-ton frigate design plan provided to us free of charge by Japan."
Although this frigate is only a 250-ton light warship, it is of great significance to Brazil.
This 250-ton naval warship is the first modern naval warship produced by Brazil, and it is a breakthrough for Brazil.
The 250-ton frigate has a limited role and can only be used in offshore waters and inland rivers. When it comes to the vast sea, it has no combat effectiveness at all.
"Japan and Brazil have a good relationship and cooperate in many aspects.
The Japanese still have something to offer. The low-level warships in the navy are really good. You can learn with confidence, but after learning, you must make it your own."
Japan is, after all, a great power, and its navy in particular is pretty good, although it has not caught up with the times like the United States in terms of strategic ships.
However, this does not hinder the progress of the Japanese navy. They will soon launch their own Dreadnought-class battleship.
Japan's high-end warships are lagging behind some times, but some other low-level warships are still quite good.
Brazil's army military industry is in dire straits, not to mention its naval military industry. Now, Brazil has introduced European technology, especially strategic ship technology, but it obviously takes time to turn it into its own energy.
Germany and the United Kingdom are teaching the Brazilian shipbuilding industry, but the teaching is mainly high-end. It will take too long for Brazil to absorb these high-end technologies.
Tang Ning still knows that Brazil's development cannot be limited to the United Kingdom and Germany. This is both monotonous and dangerous.
Brazil and Japan are very good choices for cooperation in naval training and shipbuilding industry. Although some senior officials in Brazil looked down on Japanese technology and personnel and raised objections to him, Tang Ning did not listen at all and directly pushed hard.
The rise of the Japanese navy took less than 50 years.
In such a short period of time, Brazil can become a well-known naval power in the world. What capital does Brazil have to be pretentious?
In Tang Ning's view, Brazil should take the initiative to learn from Japan in terms of naval development, and the Japanese naval development model is worth learning from.
Japan is still very sincere in seeking cooperation with Brazil. After all, Japan demands a lot from Brazil, while Brazil demands very little from Japan.
Japan also knows that it is not as good as the big powers in many aspects, so it can only use some of its own strengths to help Brazil in order to realize its own value.
In terms of its navy and shipbuilding industry, Japan directly mobilized some of its elite naval forces and shipbuilding industry elites to Brazil to help Brazil develop its navy and shipbuilding.
The small frigate in front of Tang Ning is the latest Japanese designed Toba river gunboat. Its technology is not inferior to that of the same class, or even stronger. Its purpose is to replace the British warship of the same class.
This warship was provided to Brazil by the Japanese government before it was even produced in Japan, so that Brazil could produce it first.
The basic design of the Japanese Toba follows the British predecessors in service before, but it has a larger size and a more powerful engine. The total length of the Toba's hull is 54.86 meters, the width is 8.23 meters, and the normal displacement is 250 tons.
Draft 0.79 meters.
The ship's power system uses two ship-based coal-fired boilers to drive two reciprocating engines as three-shaft drives, with an output of 1,400 horsepower and a top speed of 15 knots.
The weapon system is initially configured with an 80 mm (3.1 inch)/28 caliber gun and six 6.6 mm machine guns, but there is room for modification and upgrade later.
Performance data
Displacement: 250t
Full load displacement: 291t
Length:55.9m
Width:8.23m
Draft:0.79m
Number of propeller shafts: 3
Engine: 3 VTE steam engines, 2 boilers
Power: 1400 horsepower
Maximum range: 15 knots
Onboard fuel: coal 81t
Weapons and equipment: 2 76mm cannons, 6 6.5mm machine guns
Crew: 59
This small frigate is of great use to Brazil.
There is smuggling along the coast of Brazil, and there are many ghosts and snakes in the Amazon River. Brazil has backward weapons and no suitable weapons, so it is difficult to combat these entities.
Now, with the presence of this warship, Brazil's Tax Police Bureau, Coast Guard Bureau, and Inland River Patrol Bureau have the ability to combat various illegal crimes.
Brazil's current shipyards have begun building frigates, destroyers, and submarines.
However, cruisers, battlecruisers, and strategic ships cannot yet be produced because Brazil’s shipyards and related standards are completely inadequate.
The production of cruisers, battlecruisers, and strategic ships requires a very high level of shipyards. Brazil is currently building multiple new shipyards with the help of the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan.
It will take more than half a year for them to be completed.
This time, Tang Ning came to inspect the shipyard. Actually, she came to see the small ships and to see the manufacturing situation in the shipyard's dock.
Assisting Brazil in building new shipyards are: British Armstrong Shipbuilding Company, Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm Shipyard, Germany's Howald Shipyard, Japan's Sasebo Shipyard, Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries Kobe Shipyard, and Japan's Fujinagata Shipyard.
The British Armstrong Shipbuilding Company is helping Brazil build a very large new shipyard to produce and build Invincible-class strategic cruisers, as well as some cruisers, destroyers, and frigates.
Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm Shipyard and Germany's Howald Shipyard are helping Brazil build two very large new shipyards to produce and build Hegoland-class battleships, as well as some cruisers, destroyers, frigates, and submarines.
Japan's Sasebo Shipyard, Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries Kobe Shipyard, and Japan's Fujinagata Shipbuilding help Brazil transform existing shipyards and build three very large new shipyards, as well as five small and medium-sized shipyards to build strategic cruisers and some cruisers.
Destroyers, frigates, merchant ships, fishing boats, etc.
Japan's sincerity is undoubtedly the greatest, taking the initiative to build shipyards for Brazil at low prices and providing technology for manufacturing warships and commercial ships.
On naval warships, a large number of outstanding warship technologies are provided, including Tsukuba-class cruisers.
Japan even provided Brazil with the most advanced Kongo-class battlecruiser technology and actively sought cooperation between the two countries.
The historical Kongo-class battlecruiser is a type of battlecruiser proposed by the Japanese Navy after the Russo-Japanese War. Its construction plan can be traced back to 1906, when Japanese Navy Minister Minoru Saito submitted a plan to the cabinet.
The naval development plan proposal called for the construction of 3 battleships and 4 armored cruisers in the near future. However, due to the impact of the Russo-Japanese War, Japan was unable to build such a large fleet at the time. Due to financial constraints, the Japanese cabinet only approved the Hanoi in 1907.
Settsu was a plan for two battleships and an armored cruiser (Kongo). Hanoi and Settsu began construction respectively in 1909. However, due to insufficient budget, Kongo was never able to be built. It was not until November 1911 that the Kongo was built.
Only then could the British-built HMS King Kong be started.
The King Kong class has been designed a long time ago, but Japan has limited funds and has been delaying it.
Japan was also very anxious about this, and then they quickly thought of Brazil. Brazil is now a wealthy country that spends money, so it should be a suitable place to ask for support.
In order to further consolidate the friendship between Japan and Brazil and to build the Kongo class as quickly as possible, Japan took the initiative to propose to Brazil that combining the two countries would be a good plan.
In the cooperation plan, Brazil only needs to pay some mineral resources and cost prices, while Japan will provide Brazil with technology and personnel.
The Brazilian Ministry of National Defense, after consulting Tang Ning, decisively agreed.
Paraná Shipyard is a large shipyard assisted by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and is under construction.
"How long does it take to build this 35,000-ton shipyard?"
Looking at the busy construction site, Tang Ning asked the Japanese person in charge, Koichi Inukai.
"Your Majesty the King, it will take about two months."
"So fast?"
Tangning was a little surprised. He went to the shipyard built with German aid before, and the German person in charge told him that it would take at least three months to build the shipyard.
The Germans came earlier than the Japanese, but the construction speed is slower than the Japanese. Is it because battleships and battlecruisers require different docks? Or is it because the German craftsmanship is more strict?
Tangning is a little confused about these issues. The UK used to build faster than Germany, so why is Japan also faster than Germany?
"Can your shipyard build battleships?"
Inukai Koichi replied: "Your Majesty, you can build some battleships with a tonnage of about 30,000 tons. If they are super large, they need to be rebuilt."
This chapter has been completed!