Under Wilhelm II's witness, Oscar and Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz signed their names on the transfer documents. This meant that the four Nassau-class Battleships under construction at Oscar's German Shipyard had become the Navy's next-class Capital Ships. Once completed and sea trials were finished, these Battleships would officially be handed over to the Navy.
"Your Highness, thank you for everything you have done for the Navy. Everyone in the Navy will remember it," Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz said solemnly.
In the eyes of others, Oscar had taken an enormous risk for the Nassau-class Battleships. Acquiring the shipyard and expanding it had required a massive investment. Building four Battleships likewise cost a huge sum. If the Navy had ultimately refused to accept these ships, Oscar's losses on this project would likely have exceeded 300 million Marks, perhaps even more. When Germany's annual fiscal revenue was only one billion Marks, this was undoubtedly an astronomical sum. Thus, Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz was deeply moved by Oscar's actions.
"Your Excellency, it is what I should do. As a Prince of the German Empire, I naturally have a responsibility to strive for the German Empire's strength. Though putting on a uniform myself and going to the front to fight is not my ideal, I can still make the German Empire stronger in my own way." Oscar smiled.
The Navy's formal acceptance of the Nassau-class Battleships was truly a weight off his shoulders. After all, there were four Battleships! From acquiring the shipyard to the construction costs of the four Nassau-class Battleships, the total had reached 350 million Marks. Now that the Navy had accepted the ships, it would allocate various funds for them. According to the agreement between Oscar and Wilhelm II, these four Nassau-class Battleships would offset the debt from acquiring the Imperial Shipyard and expanding the shipyard. Oscar only needed to pay for the construction of these Battleships. Spending just over 100 million Marks to obtain a large shipyard was unquestionably an excellent bargain.
Of course, to Oscar, a little over 100 million Marks was nothing at all. As the German Welfare Lottery Company's business expanded overseas, especially after achieving immense success in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, its profits continued to rise overall, despite encountering some resistance in the Kingdom of Italy. The German Welfare Lottery Company now made eight million Marks in profit from each draw. This meant Oscar could receive 50 million Marks in profits from the company every month. Over a year, that would be an astronomical figure. The funds spent building those Battleships for the German Navy were hardly worth mentioning.
Wilhelm II and Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz both laughed. Oscar was only seventeen now, still several months short of eighteen. At the time, the agreement Oscar had reached with Dean Ludwig Birkenhagen of the Kiel Naval Academy had seemed like nothing more than a joke to them. But now, it appeared that Oscar was fully capable of fulfilling his promise. The money needed to honor that small promise was nothing to him.
"Your Highness, the Navy has accepted all four Nassau-class Battleships. But when do you intend to fulfill your promise to Dean Birkenhagen?" Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz asked with a smile.
"Your Excellency, I can fulfill it whenever you wish. Besides, I have long been prepared. I will fully fund the construction of the lead ship of the next-class Capital Ships. Once it is completed, I will donate it directly to the Navy, thereby fulfilling my promise to Dean Birkenhagen." Oscar smiled.
If he had once worried about money, he was now rolling in wealth. The German Welfare Lottery Company had grown into a gigantic cash cow, bringing him substantial profits every month. That alone was enough to sustain the expenditures of Oscar's other money-burning ventures.
"The next-class Battleship? Oskar, the Nassau-class Battleships are still under construction, yet you already have plans for the next-class Battleships?" Wilhelm II asked.
Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz likewise stared intently at Oscar. The Nassau-class Battleships had already proven Oscar's design ability and his vision for the development of naval Capital Ships. If Oscar still had ideas for the next-class Capital Ships, and there were no problems with the designs, then naturally they could use Oscar's designs for the next-class Capital Ships.
"Yes, Father Emperor." Oscar nodded.
Whenever there was nothing else to attend to, Oscar devoted his energy to designing weapons and equipment. He had likewise long decided upon the German Navy's next-class Capital Ships.
"As for the Navy's next-class Capital Ships, this is what I have in mind. The Nassau-class Battleships embody a more advanced design concept than the British Navy's Dreadnought. However, there is no disputing that Dreadnought entered service first. For the time being, let us regard Dreadnought as an epoch-making Battleship. Then those earlier Battleships that used secondary main guns may be called pre-dreadnoughts. Dreadnought, the same-type Battleships the British are about to build, and our Nassau-class Battleships may all be called dreadnoughts," Oscar explained.
Wilhelm II and Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz nodded repeatedly. There was nothing wrong with Oscar's classification. However, the fact that Dreadnought had entered service before the Nassau-class Battleships still left a thorn in their hearts. If the Naval Technical Committee had not rejected Oscar's design before, then the honor of fielding the new-style Battleship first should have rested upon the German Empire.
"Then I believe the next-class Capital Ships should be super-Dreadnoughts." Oscar introduced another new term.
"Super-Dreadnoughts?" Wilhelm II and Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz were both taken aback.
"That is right, super-Dreadnoughts. As the name implies, they are Battleships more powerful than the previous dreadnoughts. Their greatest distinction will be stronger firepower and stronger protection. If possible, they must also be faster. Only then can we ensure that our next-class Capital Ships possess an overwhelming advantage when facing the British Navy. As far as I know, the British Navy's next-class and even the class after that will be nothing more than simple improvements on Dreadnought." Oscar smiled.
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