Like many Royal Navy officers and men, this was John de Robeck's first visit to the Bay of Whales.
Before coming to Walvis Bay, John de Robec had imagined what Walvis Bay would look like countless times. Even judging by the highest standards, Walvis Bay Port gave John de Robec the biggest surprise.
Walvis Bay may be the port with the best natural conditions on the west coast of Africa, so even after Germany occupied Southwest Africa, Britain did not give up control of Walvis Bay. Walvis Bay is also the most important relay between British ships traveling between the British mainland and southern Africa.
port.
During the British rule of Walvis Bay, due to the threat from Germany, they did not pay much attention to Walvis Bay and did not build a military port in Walvis Bay.
After southern Africa received Walvis Bay, Walvis Bay truly shined with its due glory and became one of the last ports in southern Africa on the Atlantic coast.
Today, about 4,000 ships enter and leave Whale Bay every year, with an average annual throughput of more than 30 million tons. This achievement is second to none in the UK today.
"The Royal Navy planned to build a military port in Walvis Bay a long time ago, but unfortunately it has never been able to be implemented. As a result, Walvis Bay, like Diego Garcia, has become an eternal regret for the Royal Navy." John de Robeck felt disappointed, and the Royal Navy
The navy has lost more than just Walvis Bay and Diego Garcia in recent years. The Royal Navy that once dominated the world no longer exists.
"Isn't this good now? The British Empire has saved military expenditures and has not lost its maritime hegemony. The Southern African Navy is also part of the Royal Navy." Rock responded nonchalantly. If you missed it, you missed it. Who can blame you?
who.
We can only blame the Royal Navy’s decision-makers for being too short-sighted, or blame Britain’s global contraction strategy.
"Where are your battleships? Why don't you take part in the exercise." John de Robeck calmed down. People always have to look forward.
"We don't have battleships, those are from the Republic of Congo and West Africa -" Roque firmly refused to admit it and told everyone this.
John de Robeck looked at Roque with contempt. The four battleships in Southern Africa were originally purchased in the name of the Kingdom of Mozambique and West Africa.
As a result, before the Kingdom of Mozambique voted to join Southern Africa in the referendum, it sold two battleships to the Republic of Congo for half a million rand. All fools knew there must be something fishy in this.
"Don't look at me like that. You don't want to cause the breakdown of the Washington Naval Treaty." Rock told the truth. The Navy has entered "holiday time" and no one is willing to provoke an arms race again. Even the United States has acquiesced in these four
The existence of a battleship.
The Americans also had ulterior motives. They wanted to use these four battleships to stimulate the ambitions of the Southern African Navy.
Facts have proved that with the launch of four battleships, the ambitions of the Southern African Navy have indeed expanded.
Rock's current stall is too big, with three fleets covering the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the mainland respectively. The ambition is evident.
The Royal Navy indeed feels threatened by the Southern African Navy, otherwise the Royal Navy would not take the initiative to propose joint military exercises.
The Royal Navy wants to further understand the quality and combat effectiveness of the Southern African navy through military exercises. To have warships, it needs enough high-quality naval officers and soldiers.
"In fact, it's almost like a rupture. The Americans got inspiration from your borrowing money. It is said that the Philippines also intends to build a battleship -" John de Robeck smiled bitterly. A butterfly in South America can stir up trouble in Asia by flapping its wings.
A storm, southern Africa is the biggest X factor in the current world war.
"Philippines?" Rock couldn't laugh or cry. If the Philippines built battleships, the Japanese would probably go crazy.
The current conflicts between the United States and Japan are mainly concentrated in the Pacific.
To be more specific, it is East Asia.
"Yes, even the Republic of the Congo can build battleships, why can't the Philippines?" John de Robeck looked collapsed and confused. It was all in chaos.
Rock suppressed a smile. Americans can do it. He used to be a good student in England, but now he is a good student in southern Africa.
"If this continues, the arms race will start again, so London proposed to hold another naval conference as a supplement to the Washington Naval Conference." John de Robeck knew everything. Although London did not stop southern Africa, it wanted southern Africa to know.
, how much London has done for Southern Africa.
Rock suddenly realized that after the Washington Naval Conference, there was indeed a London Naval Conference.
Rock didn't know the reason for the London Naval Conference. Southern Africa in another time and space was definitely not as arrogant as Southern Africa in this time and space, so——
As Rock's influence grows, the direction of this time and space deviates more and more from the historical trajectory of another time and space.
If this continues, Rock would not be surprised at all if World War II broke out ten years earlier.
The next day, Roark and John de Robeck inspected the participating warships in the outer harbor of Walvis Bay. The British Atlantic Fleet sent sixteen warships, including two battleships, to participate in the military exercise. John de Robeck's flagship
It was the battleship "Queen Elizabeth" that participated in the Battle of the Dardanelles.
Rock and John de Roebuck boarded the battleship "Queen Elizabeth" to review the fleet.
The total number of combat warships and auxiliary ships participating in the military exercise exceeds fifty. They are now neatly lined up in the outer harbor of Walvis Bay, waiting to be inspected by Roque and John de Robeck.
The Ministry of National Defense of Southern Africa attaches great importance to this military exercise. It not only mobilized elite soldiers and generals to participate in the military exercise, but also mobilized airships from China, hoping to leave some video data for the military exercise.
Standing on the bridge of the battleship "Queen Elizabeth", Rock's heart was racing and his body couldn't help but tremble slightly.
For twenty years, the Southern African Navy grew from scratch and finally became qualified to operate jointly with the Royal Navy.
John de Robeck looked at the excited Rock and joked intentionally or unintentionally: "In 1897, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession to the throne, the Royal Navy held a ship review in Speedhead Strait. At that time, 165 warships participated.
Among them were 21 battleships and 44 cruisers. It was an invincible fleet across the world. The whole world was trembling in front of that fleet——"
John de Roebuck's voice was full of pride. The Royal Navy was indeed invincible.
During the 1897 ship review, the Royal Navy was at its peak and indeed had the right to be proud of.
Then thirteen years later, King George V was crowned, and the Royal Navy held another ship review. Including the warships from various countries who came to watch the ceremony, there were only more than 80 warships participating in the review. At this time, the Royal Navy
The decline has been fully demonstrated.
In 1914, Britain held its famous pre-war ship review. At this time, after 20 years of arms race, the strength of the Royal Navy had recovered. It is said that there were more than 60 battleships participating in the review.
However, many of these battleships were already in a state of being dismantled, and only half participated in the subsequent Battle of Jutland. The widely circulated annotated photo has therefore been questioned.
"We can't always live in memories -" Luo Ke was indifferent. He is richer than his ancestors, and no Chinese is afraid of him.
At this time, the ship review officially began. First, the Southern African Navy passed in front of the battleship "Queen Elizabeth". The first ship was the Atlantic Fleet flagship "Kimberley", then the "Edward", and then the "
"Los Angeles".
When the "Kimberley" heavy cruiser passed in front of the "Queen Elizabeth", John de Robeck never put down the telescope in his hand. It was obvious that John de Robeck's brows were frowning and his expression was solemn.
"Locke, is it really necessary for a heavy cruiser to install so many anti-aircraft weapons?" John de Robeck still couldn't accept a heavy cruiser like a hedgehog.
"It never hurts to pretend more." Rock doesn't want to explain this problem anymore. The stubborn old guys will eventually be eliminated by history.
Well, I'm not talking about old generals like John de Robeck, I'm talking about old warships, and I definitely don't mean to disrespect these old generals.
"Some time ago, the Royal Navy held an exercise." John de Robeck hesitated.
Rock doesn't speak and acts as a perfect listener.
"The result is sad. All four battleships participating in the exercise were sentenced to sinking under the attack of two aircraft carriers, including the battleship 'Queen Elizabeth' -" John de Robeck really had a desire to talk,
The battleship "Queen Elizabeth" was still the most powerful British warship during the World War. The impact this result had on the Royal Navy can be imagined.
"Now that I think about it, your evaluation of battleships is right. Maybe one day, battleships will be eliminated. It's ridiculous. We were still laughing at you when we heard your evaluation. Now it seems that it's us who are ridiculous." John
De Robeck finally gave Roque a positive review, but Roque was not very happy.
For a country like the UK that has a traditional advantage in the navy, once it gets back on the right track, its progress will be astonishing.
What Rock relies on now is that the arrogant Royal Navy does not want to make progress, is addicted to the glory of the past, and does not pay enough attention to new weapons.
If Britain takes the role of aircraft carriers seriously, it is still unclear whether the Southern African navy can successfully establish its advantage.
"This matter cannot be evaluated simply by right or wrong. After all, my evaluation of battleships has not been verified by war." Roque was modest. Now there is no need to add insult to injury and make people hate him.
"Locke, excessive modesty is also pride." John de Robeck's words made Locke dumbfounded. No matter what the co-author said, you are right.
According to regulations, when the warships passing the parade pass the battleship "Queen Elizabeth", they must salute the "Queen Elizabeth" with a salute.
What Rock didn't expect was that just after the "Kimberley" fired its gun salute, a splash suddenly arose on the sea next to the "Queen Elizabeth" battleship.