February 10, 1906, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Britain. A grand launching ceremony was being held here for a warship. Even Admiral Sir John Fisher, the First Sea Lord, had rushed over from London. Quite a few British Navy admirals had also arrived. Clearly, the British Navy had placed immense hopes on this Battleship.
This warship was precisely the British Navy's newest class of Battleship—the HMS Dreadnought. Her first keel plate had only been laid on October 2 of the previous year. Yet she was being launched just over four months later. Such construction speed could only be called miraculous. Of course, apart from British Navy shipyards, no other shipyards could likely achieve such speed.
"First Sea Lord, so far, our construction work has proceeded extremely smoothly. Once the warship is launched, fitting-out will begin immediately. We expect construction to be completed and sea trials begun in another six to eight months. We have built the world's most powerful Battleship in only one year," the Shipyard Director said with a proud expression.
Indeed, such shipbuilding speed had created an entirely new record. Naturally, this was also because British shipyards had accumulated enormous experience in shipbuilding and stood far ahead of those of other nations. At the same time, the HMS Dreadnought's performance was not particularly outstanding among the many Dreadnoughts. However, as the world's first All-big-gun Armament Battleship, the launching of the HMS Dreadnought was equally of epoch-making significance.
Admiral Sir John Fisher looked at the enormous Battleship on the slipway and nodded in satisfaction. This time, the British Navy had once again pulled ahead of the entire world. The Battleship they had taken the lead in building would render every other nation's Battleships obsolete overnight.
The HMS Dreadnought adopted a long forecastle hull design and eliminated the underwater ram at her bow. The greatest difference between the HMS Dreadnought and earlier Battleships was her adoption of the "All-Big-Gun" concept, using ten standardized 12-inch main guns with identical ballistic performance. Her five twin main-gun turrets included one each at the bow and stern, and one behind the boiler rooms amidships, all arranged along the centerline; between the two boiler rooms, one turret was symmetrically arranged on each side. She could bring a maximum of eight main guns to bear in a broadside, while theoretically six main guns could fire forward, multiplying her firepower advantage. Main guns with identical ballistic performance made a unified fire-control system possible. Only guns under 3 inches in caliber were retained as secondary armament, for defending against small Torpedo craft. The HMS Dreadnought was the first large warship to use four Steam Turbine units. Her speed was faster than that of any previous Battleship. While increasing her maximum speed to 21 knots, she could maintain high-speed sailing for prolonged periods with excellent reliability. Compared with older reciprocating steam engines, they provided greater power and higher reliability. The HMS Dreadnought's protective armor was no inferior to that of any previous warship. Her armor was surface-hardened, with vital areas reaching 11 inches in thickness, providing comprehensive protection. The watertight compartments below the waterline had their transverse connecting doors removed, reinforcing the watertight structure and improving the Battleship's resistance to sinking.
The ceremony soon began, and Admiral Sir John Fisher delivered a speech. "Gentlemen, the Royal Navy of the British Empire has been the most powerful navy in the world for centuries. We have protected the British Empire's colonies across the globe while deterring other nations. However, we must recognize that since entering the twentieth century, other nations have been unwilling to let the British Empire hold command of the seas, and have one after another begun increasing their investment in their navies. But what we can be proud of is that the navy of the British Empire remains number one in the world. Moreover, it will retain that title for a long time to come. Our number of Battleships exceeds that of our principal rivals, the Germans, by more than double. And now, we are about to gain the world's most powerful Battleship. This will allow the Royal Navy of the British Empire to remain powerful. No one will be able to challenge us! Long live the British Empire! God bless the British Empire!"
"Long live! God bless the British Empire!" Countless naval officers, sailors, and shipyard workers cheered. They felt proud and honored by the strength of the British Empire.
The HMS Dreadnought, whose main construction had already been completed, slowly slid into the sea. When she entered the water, great waves splashed across the surface. Her hull also rocked, as though she might capsize. However, her good design soon brought the hull back into balance.
Bottle after bottle of champagne smashed against the HMS Dreadnought's hull, and the entire launching ceremony reached its climax.
Admiral Sir John Fisher did not remain at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for long. After the ceremony ended, he returned directly to London and reported the details of the HMS Dreadnought to Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, the British Prime Minister.
The British Prime Minister was also paying close attention to the construction of the Navy's New-style Battleship. After all, the British Empire was a maritime power, and the strength of its navy was directly tied to the nation's fate.
That evening, after dinner, Sir Bannerman specifically set aside some time to hear Admiral Sir John Fisher's report.
"Please sit, First Sea Lord. How is our New-style Battleship?" Sir Bannerman asked.
"Prime Minister, although she has only just been launched, I must say she is an absolutely magnificent Battleship. I am certain that when she enters service, she will shock the entire world. We have adopted a great many entirely new design concepts in this Battleship. I am certain that her appearance will render all previous Battleships obsolete overnight. Of course, that includes not only our rivals' Battleships, but our own as well." Admiral Sir John Fisher was brimming with confidence.
The British Navy possessed the world's largest fleet of Battleships. Dozens of Battleships cruised the world's great oceans, protecting the British Empire's overseas interests. It could be said that these enormous Battleships had effectively safeguarded Britain's overseas colonies while ensuring the normal operation of the global colonial system Britain had constructed, allowing the British Empire to continue dominating the world.
Sir Bannerman nodded in satisfaction. "That could not be better. Although it will also render our dozens of Battleships obsolete, that does not matter. The British Empire has sufficient financial resources to maintain a powerful navy. Our shipbuilding capacity ensures that we can swiftly build more Battleships, further securing our advantage."