Battlecruiser

"Father Emperor, Your Excellency, this is the blueprint for the battlecruiser I designed for the Empire." Oskar said as he spread the battlecruiser design across the desk.

Wilhelm II and Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz were both taken aback, clearly not expecting that Oskar had already prepared a design.

"Oskar, you came prepared!" Wilhelm II said with a smile.

"Indeed, Your Highness had everything ready long ago; this was just to convince us!" Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz also grinned.

"Of course, it's called being prepared in advance." Oskar replied with a smile.

"However, Father Emperor, Your Excellency, the battlecruiser isn't my original creation. The British have likely already completed the design for their first class of battlecruiser. Construction should begin soon as well. So we must accelerate our pace." Oskar said gravely.

Oskar clearly recalled that the British Navy's first class of battlecruiser, the Invincible-class, began construction in 1906. But aside from speed, the Invincible-class was junk. The four twin 305mm main guns packed decent firepower, but British gun performance left much to be desired. In another timeline, Admiral Hipper's German battlecruiser squadron had crushed the British battlecruiser force. Those thin-skinned, big-gunned British battlecruisers were no match against the powerful firepower and astonishing armor of the German ships.

"The British are building battlecruisers too?" Wilhelm II and Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz both exclaimed.

If they had any lingering doubts about building battlecruisers, those were now gone. How could a warship the British were about to build be inferior? Though both Wilhelm II and Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz aimed to surpass the British Navy, they had to admit the British Navy's foresight was far beyond Germany's. Without Oskar's timely design, the German Navy would have fallen far behind in this arms race. Catching up to the British would have become even harder.

"Yes, Father Emperor. The British fully understand their weaknesses. They desperately want a warship with strong firepower and high speed to protect their sea lanes from our attacks. That's why they designed the Invincible-class battlecruiser." Oskar said.

"Oskar, can your battlecruiser outperform the British Invincible-class?" Wilhelm II asked. Since the British were building battlecruisers, he naturally wanted Germany's to be superior, ensuring naval advantage.

"Of course, Father Emperor. The British Invincible-class battlecruiser has a full-load displacement of 20,700 tons, a maximum speed of 25.5 knots, and armament of four twin 305mm main guns, sixteen single 102mm guns, and five 450mm underwater torpedo tubes. For armor, the main belt is 102 to 152mm thick. Deck armor is 38 to 64mm. Turret armor is 178mm. Conning tower armor is 254mm, and torpedo bulkhead armor is 64mm." Oskar explained.

Wilhelm II and Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz frowned.

"So the Invincible-class battlecruiser's armor is indeed poor. That thickness can't even stop medium-caliber main guns, let alone battleship-caliber guns." Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz shook his head.

"That's the price of chasing firepower and speed. A top speed of 25.5 knots and four twin 305mm guns are indeed strong." Wilhelm II remarked.

"The British design philosophy isn't to use battlecruisers in the battle line, but to counter enemy cruisers. In short, they fear us sending cruisers to disrupt their sea lanes. Based on that philosophy, their overall design isn't wrong. But compared to our battlecruiser, the gap in overall capability is vast." Oskar shook his head.

If Oskar weren't a time traveler, he couldn't have known the British Navy's direction in advance, nor made targeted preparations. This gave the German Navy a huge advantage.

"Your Highness, please introduce your design to us!" Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz said.

"Very well, Your Excellency." Oskar nodded.

"The battlecruiser I designed has a length of 165 meters, a beam of 26.6 meters, a draft of 8.9 meters, and a full-load displacement of 26,000 tons. Its armament consists of three triple 305mm 50-caliber main guns, ten single 150mm secondary guns, twelve 120mm rapid-fire guns, and four 88mm rapid-fire guns. Power comes from 18 improved Sulzer oil-fired boilers and four steam turbines, four-shaft propulsion, with a maximum output of 48,000 horsepower and a top speed of 26 knots. For armor, the main belt is 305mm, deck armor is 45mm, turret front armor is 305mm, and conning tower armor is 305mm." Oskar explained.

Wilhelm II and Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz nodded repeatedly. At least on paper, Oskar's battlecruiser completely crushed the British Invincible-class. Especially in armor—the British 305mm naval guns, due to performance issues, might not penetrate the German battlecruiser's 305mm armor. But the Invincible-class's armor against the German battlecruiser's 305mm main guns was like paper. A single hit would tear through the armor and destroy the ship.

"Oskar, we are very satisfied with this battlecruiser." Wilhelm II said.

"Father Emperor, does that mean the Navy has decided to order it?" Oskar couldn't help but smile.

"Your Highness, of course we want to order such an excellent warship. But the exact number still needs discussion." Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz said.

For Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz, today was incredibly fortunate. Not only had he accepted four Nassau-class battleships, but he had also finalized the construction of five Helgoland-class battleships. Now, battlecruisers were to be ordered as well. This would undoubtedly be a massive boost to the German Navy's strength.