"Whether from a technical perspective, demand or strategic situation, we should not equip larger cruisers in the short term. This will cause tension and hostility from some powerful countries." Ruprecht said meaningfully.

"Damn British! Damn British fleet, they are robbers! Treat the entire ocean of the world as their back garden! Sooner or later, I will give those arrogant British people a little color!" His Royal Highness naturally knew who Ruprecht was talking about. So William felt that he and Ruprecht had found another common point, that is, they both hated the British very much!

"That's the future. Before we are strong enough, we must consider these things. What we want is interests, not temporary pleasure!" Ruprecht knew William II's combat power! That was definitely a mockery skill MAX! If Kruger's telegram was suspected of diverting domestic attention from the British government, then instigating Mexico to attack the United States during the war would have completely broken heads! William II didn't look at what country Mexico is and what country the United States is? The two sides are N levels apart. Why is the United States so big now? It's because of the weak Mexico next to me!

"Our cruiser fleet is almost the strongest cruiser formation except Britain. The French and Russians are not as good as us. The six Munich-class armored cruisers are completely enough to curb the oceanic maritime forces of other countries except Britain! That is to say, to a certain extent, our cruiser formation is temporarily enough!" said Ruprecht.

"But the Russians will soon surpass us, and the French may also expand their cruiser formations, as well as the United States on the other side of the ocean, and their various cruisers will exceed one dozen in the next three years!" said William II.

"That's right, so our cruiser plan should start from 1898. If everything goes well, Russia will have three 10,000-ton armored cruisers and two Munich-class cruisers, and the Americans will also have a cruiser fleet that is enough to surpass us. If we make efforts at this time, it will not arouse the vigilance of some countries! We must turn all the British attention to the Far East so that our plan can develop smoothly without external interference."

William II is the kind of person who does things when his head is congested and often regrets after doing things. He is not a reckless man who doesn’t know the severity and cannot tell the difference. He can only say that his self-control is worse. Sometimes it is difficult to turn back if he doesn’t hit a wall once... And from a historical perspective, William II is still a little afraid of Britain, otherwise he would not admit defeat immediately after the Kruger Telegram incident fermented...

"Is there any way to update our cruiser fleet as early as possible without overstimulating the British?" Although the ending of the Far East incident was not perfect for Germany, it was more about face and was pretty good. The strong combat effectiveness of the cruiser in ocean combat still made William II excited. Moreover, for a person who has a strong desire for the colony, he also planned to use this fleet to gain some new benefits!

"There is an immature way. We now have 6 Munich-class cruisers. After the Qing-Japanese War, the Qing Dynasty is very likely to rebuild its navy. With the performance of Mainz, they will most likely choose to buy Munich-class armored cruisers! And they will be short of money. We can sell two Munich-class armored cruisers to them at a reduced price!" Ruprecht said.

What should I do if I want to buy good things but don’t want to spend more money? That’s simple! Buy old goods directly! A Munich-class armored cruiser is about 650,000 pounds. I can’t afford it in the Qing Dynasty, so I can buy old goods that have been used for several years, and they are spot! It’s cheap to deal with it, and both sides are happy!

"If this is the case, we can start construction of new armored cruisers next year." William II is not stupid. If there are only four Munich-class armored cruisers, then no one can say anything if he expands his own cruiser fleet!

"You are too anxious. The Qing Dynasty has not ordered yet, so you start construction first? Besides, I just said that it is possible, not necessarily!" Ruprecht complained in his heart.

"This, actually, there is another way. The Russians ordered two new armored cruisers, but I was worried that they might give up in the end. Can these two half-built warships be handed over to the German Navy for acceptance? I promise that the turrets and weapons of this class of cruisers can be compatible with German weapons!" Ruprecht thought about it, and finally confessed to William. Ruprecht also prepared a backup plan. If the German Navy requested a price reduction, it would be fine. After all, the Russian Navy also paid one-third of the payment for the goods. If William wanted some benefits, it would be fine, it would be considered a public relations fee!

In an instant, William II figured it out. "It turns out that he is planning to let the German Navy be the takeover!" After thinking about it carefully, the German Navy was not at a disadvantage. First of all, Ruprecht has promised to make relevant reservations. The main guns of the warship can be replaced with German artillery at any time, and the four second-level main guns can also be replaced with single-mounted main guns in the city. It is basically the same as the plan, and the price is also very cheap. After all, even if the Russians give up, they will definitely pay part of the payment. The Imperial Navy can even buy them at a cost lower than the cost price!

If we only look at the cost-effectiveness, buying such a warship will be fine for the German Navy. Besides, are we all friends? It is okay to help each other. And the Bavarian prince will definitely give a certain fee! But there are problems with this matter in the program!

There is no Navy Act yet. What is the biggest use of the Navy Act? The shipbuilding funds allocated to the navy every year are fixed in a legal situation and no longer need to be reviewed by parliament every year! Without this bill now, the military expenditure of the German Navy must be reviewed by parliament every year. If the Russians refused to accept these two warships in 1897, then the German Navy would not have been able to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds to continue completing these two warships! The budget may be surplus, but it will definitely not be rich and will be spent hundreds of thousands of pounds!

And there is another risk that if other design bureaus have better designs during this period or the Navy has higher requirements, then these two warships may still be outdated! Germany not only has a design bureau, but also if a design bureau launches a better battleship (such as a cruiser with 6 260MM or even 280MM artillery arranged in the central axis.) Then follow the principle of selecting the best, Ruprecht cannot force it, right?

The Russian is indeed good, but after all, it is just a takeaway product, and Ruprecht still retains it, and the plan of the cruiser No. 2 has been spread. If the German Navy has appointed the name to the plan No. 2, then Ruprecht has no choice! Now Ruprecht regrets it limitedly, and he seems to have taken a big step?

"It's very difficult, both in terms of design and program. I can only say to do my best!" William II gave a very vague answer!
Chapter completed!