These students playing with models are all amateurs and do not know the specific extent of the military's research on aircraft carriers. Even Louis Botha does not know this information. The Ministry of National Defense has done a good job in keeping secrets.
of.
Aircraft carriers in the propeller era were actually not that complicated. In another time and space, during World War II, when countries were in urgent need of aircraft carriers to participate in the war, they transformed a large number of merchant ships into escort aircraft carriers. The results were good, but the survivability was indeed a bit poor.
, but the advantage is that the price is cheap, the quantity is abundant, and the price-performance ratio is very high.
Considering the performance of aircraft during this period and the British colonies all over the world, Rock's enthusiasm for researching aircraft carriers was not high. Destroyers and light cruisers could fully meet the needs of southern Africa. Aircraft carriers were only technical reserves and would not be available until the second war.
It only shined during the World War.
Rock doesn't have time to pay attention to the aircraft carrier now. Just three days ago, Brett Hopkins died of serious injuries in London. After Hopkins learned the news, he fell ill and was sent to Ziwei Hospital for rescue.
Crooks wanted to return to Pretoria to take charge of the Ministry of Defense, and even Louis Botha couldn't take care of it.
It's impossible not to go. The Ministry of National Defense only has one deputy minister, Roque. Although this ensures the concentration of power to the greatest extent, the work tasks are also very heavy. It's like the minister is unable to handle the work due to illness, and there is no one who can share the workload.
The organizational structure of the Ministry of Defense in Southern Africa is different from that of the British War Department. The six departments under the Ministry of Defense are responsible for active duty, reserve forces, logistics supplies, homeland security, financial budget, and veterans' placement. The other departments are easy to handle.
The Fifth Department, which is responsible for the financial budget, is under the greatest pressure. Director Derek Patience is less than 40 years old and has a Mediterranean hairstyle, making him look older than a man in his 60s.
"This year we abolished two divisions. On the surface, we saved some money. In fact, we budgeted more because veterans have to be resettled. Now we only have less than R100,000 left in our account. If we can't get more,
"Money, then we won't even be able to pay next month's salary." Although Derek Patience's words were serious, his expression was relaxed and cheerful. Rock, if nothing else, had great ability to ask for money.
After the abolition of two divisions, although there are only 36,000 professional soldiers left in Southern Africa, there are also hundreds of thousands of conscripts. Although these conscripts are not highly paid, they are also given subsidies, and they need money to eat, drink, sleep, and sleep.
In total, the monthly expenses are not small. The monthly salary expenditure for the Ministry of National Defense is about 1.1 million.
"Apply to the Ministry of Finance." Roque was really depressed. There was only one hundred thousand rand left in the account of the Ministry of National Defense. Hopkins fell ill at the right time.
"I applied, but the Ministry of Finance doesn't have the money." Derek Patience was helpless. The federal government's finances are also in deficit every year, and the budgets of various ministries are tight and barely enough. It's only October now, and it's only when we can get the money.
Strange.
Rock didn't waste any time and simply called Bob Giles directly.
"I'm sorry, Lord, the minister is not here right now," the secretary replied neatly.
Rock hung up the phone quickly, then turned left and went directly to find Ade.
"What are you looking for for the Prime Minister?" Sidney Milner is still a good comrade.
"If we need money, we won't be able to pay next month's salary," Rock said confidently. If other departments were fine, the consequences of the Ministry of National Defense not being able to pay salaries would be serious, and the military might mutiny.
"Don't have high hopes, you are the sixth minister to ask for money this month." Sidney Milner told the truth.
"That doesn't matter, you can just chat with the Prime Minister." Roque is not angry. It doesn't matter whether he can get the money or not. The main thing is to have a good attitude.
If it doesn't work out, Rock still has the last trump card of the Rand Bank, but the Ministry of National Defense already owes a lot of money, and it won't borrow if it can't be helped.
"That won't work. The Prime Minister is very busy today and can't spare the time." Sidney Milner smiled bitterly. Adelaide's work is much busier than Roark's. The time every day has been arranged. If Roark comes to deliver
Money, no matter how busy Ade is, he can always spare time. Forget about asking for money. If you want to see Ade, you can only make an appointment.
"There is friction at the border between Nyasaland and Congo Free State, urgent military situation." Roque didn't lie. Frictions like this happen every day.
"Locke, the Prime Minister's work is already very busy." Sidney Milner was speechless. He could make such excuses. He really deserves to be the biggest prostitute in southern Africa.
"Stop talking nonsense and make arrangements quickly." Luo Ke didn't believe that Ade was so busy that he couldn't even spare dozens of minutes. There was endless work. Not to mention a country, even a company, serious and responsible leaders were busy.
There are leaders like Zhuge Liang who were exhausted to death, and there are leaders like Emperor Hui who didn't want to eat minced meat.
Relatively speaking, Ade is a relatively diligent national leader. Although he is not as involved in everything, he is still working hard for southern Africa. At this time, Sidney Milner's work is more important. Ade's work is performed by
It was arranged by Sidney Milner. If Sidney Milner arranged Ade's time too tightly, it would be a rhythm that would exhaust Ade to death.
Rock hadn't seen Ade for a long time, but he didn't feel strange, he was still as familiar as before.
Ade was not surprised at all when he saw Roque. He leaned back in his chair and assumed the most relaxed posture, his eyes full of disgust: "Tell me, how serious your military emergency is."
"If the Ministry of National Defense cannot pay salaries, the army will mutiny. This is not serious." Roque said boldly. Children who can cry will be fed by milk.
"That's right!" Ade is not worried. If the former colonial servant army really couldn't tell, and professional soldiers would mutiny at every turn, then they would not be professional soldiers.
"Last year's defense budget accounted for 25% of the total fiscal budget of the federal government. What else do you want?" Ade, you're welcome. The current arms race in Europe was initiated by those war maniacs. As a result, the whole world was kidnapped and kidnapped.
South Africa is forced to participate in the arms race. Relatively speaking, Southern Africa faces little defense pressure. Current military expenditures are indeed too much.
"So we are disbanding part of the army to save money for the federal government." Roque is right. Southern Africa is in financial difficulty, and Southwest Africa and Tanganyika are also in financial difficulty. Everyone is gritting their teeth and persisting, and no one dares to fall behind.
"With our current military strength, if a war breaks out, can we ensure the security of southern Africa?" Adelaide's requirements are low. Europe is too far away, and he doesn't even want Southwest Africa and Tanganyika.
This cannot be blamed on Adelaide. The whole of the UK has little concept of land. Canada, which has 9.98 million square kilometers, just doesn’t want it. Except for India, the UK really doesn’t care about other overseas colonies.
The emphasis on India is also due to India’s human resources.
"Yes, if it is just to ensure the security of southern Africa, we don't even need professional soldiers. After the war breaks out, temporary militia groups are enough to ensure the security of southern Africa." Roque said frankly that the Northern Rhodesian Division and the 1st Cavalry Division also
Not for Southwest Africa and Tanganyika.
"Then why do we still need to maintain a large army? If it is just to support Europe, then setting up a few African divisions is enough." Ade really didn't understand why Roque was so insistent.
"If it is just for obligations, then it is indeed enough to form a few African divisions. But if we want to improve the status of southern Africa and strive for greater interests after the war, then we must make greater contributions. If it is just quantity
"Even if we have all the people in the army, we can't beat India, so we can only think of ways to improve quality." Roque will not lower the standards, and there will also be adjustments in direction. The dismantling of troops is a structural adjustment.
Rock's original idea was to directly send troops composed of professional soldiers to Europe after the war broke out. Then Rock found that the cost was too high. With the intensity of a world war, the value of elite troops and ordinary cannon fodder troops was actually about the same, so Rock
It is necessary to dismantle the troops, increase the air force and navy, and provide greater support to Britain when the time comes.
Compared to the Army, the Air Force and Navy are indeed safer.
The Germans have now entered into a misunderstanding in developing their air force, focusing on airship units and not paying enough attention to aircraft.
This gave Rock an opportunity. The airship could indeed carry more bombs and have a longer range, but in front of the aircraft, an airship that was often a hundred meters long was a living target. By the time the Germans realized this, it was already too late. First
The First World War lasted just over four years. In such a short period of time, the Germans simply could not develop an aircraft that could compete with the Southern African Air Force.
The same goes for warships. Rock's positioning of southern African warships is escort. The German battleships have to be dealt with by the British Royal Navy. After the war broke out, the German navy was unable to pass through the English Channel at all, so the route from Cape Town or Walvis Bay to the British mainland was still
It is relatively safe. The escort fleet has to deal with German submarines, so large surface warships are not needed. Destroyers and light cruisers with strong anti-submarine capabilities are the focus.
"I don't care how hard you go, the federal government will give you 25% of the budget next year, but that's it. If the funds are insufficient, then you have to find a way to solve it yourself, don't go to Bob, Bob has neither."
Money." Ade knew Rock very well, and Rock really planned to go back to Bob Giles.
"In this case, we will increase the war tax." Roque went on to say that Southern Africa has not yet begun to collect war taxes. The federal government alone cannot meet the current budget of the Ministry of National Defense.
If we think of Southern Africa as a big family, then the states are family members, all eating from the same pot, and they always have to pay for food.
