(Yesterday, a mistake in the information led to a lot of rewriting. This is to supplement last nightās Chapter.)
William Pitt Junior was lost in thought when he heard Grenvilleās attendant lightly knock on the door and say, "Prime Minister, Lord Duncan wishes to see you."
Lord Duncan was the commander of Englandās North Sea Fleet, ranked among the top five in the British Navy. His special visit to the Prime Minister surely meant something significant.
William Pitt Junior was about to leave, but Grenville had already loudly told the attendant, "Please let him in."
Duncan entered the room, glanced at William Pitt Junior first, then bowed to Grenville, "Prime Minister, I have some matters regarding the recent extensive failures within the Mediterranean Fleet that Iād like to discuss with you."
"Thereās no need for formality, please speak freely."
"Well, actually, I have received some information that indicates the Chat Han Shipyard has been involved in astonishing corruption over the past few years, which has directly led to significant failures in our steam battleships..."
Corruption within the navy has existed systemically for centuries, as long as the battleships built were problem-free.
Once a problem arises, it inevitably leads to storms of controversy.
When Admiral Jervis arrived at Ten Downing Street, he immediately spotted the navy insignia on the carriage outside, causing a tight knot in his heart.
The Prime Ministerās attendant bowed politely to him, "General, the Prime Minister might be busy right now..."
"I must see the Prime Minister immediately; it concerns the future of the navy!"
The attendant had no choice but to lead him inside.
About seven or eight meters from the Prime Ministerās office, Jervis could already hear Duncanās voice:
"According to evidence obtained by the investigative committee, at least Ā£60,000 has been embezzled at the Chat Han Shipyard, not even including the money from the investment fund.
"And Iām sorry to say that our Sea War Minister and the Navy Boardās Comptroller might both be aware of this situation, yet they chose to..."
Jervis rudely pushed aside the Prime Ministerās attendant and rushed forward to knock on the door forcefully, "Prime Minister, I have something extremely important to discuss!"
Duncanās voice abruptly stopped, and after a moment of silence, Grenville cleared his throat and said, "Please, come in."
Jervis glared at Duncan, then hastily saluted Grenville, "Prime Minister, some people like to influence national affairs with rumors they hear from who-knows-where.
"Regarding the Chat Han Shipyard, Iām certain it involves neither the investment fund nor any other officials; itās entirely the doing of Sir Huo Pu and people from that Steam Engine Company."
Duncan gritted his teeth and said somberly, "The shipyardās ledgers are already locked in the investigative committeeās safe, and my people are at Boulton-Watt Company right now. Oh, and I have evidence suggesting this company might have some indescribable connection with the French Government..."
"Thatās not important!" Jervis interrupted him brusquely, looking at Grenville, "Prime Minister, you know that steam battleships are crucial for us to control the Mediterranean. Only by controlling this region can we completely sever Franceās maritime trade.
"Therefore, we must keep the Chat Han Shipyard!"
He was well aware of whose responsibility it was and how to handle itāthe Prime Ministerās stance would be decisive. Sir Huo Pu carried enough weight, and putting him out to bear the blame could silence Congress.
However, Duncan sneered, "General Jervis, facts have proven that steam battleships are not suitable for the Royal Navy.
"We invested Ā£700,000ānot including government investment fund moneyāand yet produced something incapable of ensuring normal navigation.
"That sum of money would have been enough to build over ten Third Level battleships. If we had invested it in the Portsmouth Shipyard, we could have forcibly blockaded the Port of Toulon with a massive fleet of 30 battleships!"
"You donāt understand the Mediterraneanās situation at all. Heavy battleships would only be toyed with by steam battleships there..."
"No, Iām very familiar with the Mediterranean. I served in the Mediterranean Fleet for three years in my youth," Duncan said, now completely breaking off the facade, and addressing Grenville, "Prime Minister, in fact, the Portsmouth Shipyard has made many significant advancements in battleships in recent years.
"For instance, their technicians invented a ārevolving gun turretā that can adjust the firing angle horizontally, allowing them to aim precisely at small targets without moving the ship.
"Furthermore, on the new generation of battleships, all cannons are standardized at 24-pound and 32-pound, increasing firepower by 35% compared to before.
"As long as those little steam boats come within the range of the battleships, just two shots would be enough to deal them severe damage!"
As the British Navy poured large amounts of funding into the Chat Han Shipyard, old shipyards like Portsmouth and Dartford felt enormous pressure, driving them to desperately improve designs to win back the budget.
This allowed them to acquire some new technologies much earlier than in history, such as the revolving gun turretāthe old ship-mounted cannons were fixed to point forward and couldnāt turn sideways; they shot in the direction the ship turned. With the revolving turret, two rows of curved iron rails were installed on the ground, allowing gunners to adjust the firing angle along the tracks, making it easier to aim at targets.
However, British technicians were overly reliant on test results.
In controlled field environments, British gunners could hit fast-moving target ships by setting lead times, based on experience.
But in actual naval battles, with hulls constantly bobbing due to waves and also in motion themselves, hitting agile steam battleships still relied on sheer faith.
In reality, only when the battleships were universally equipped with rifled guns and high-powered explosive shells could they truly threaten fast-moving targets.
Clearly, Duncan was well-prepared this time, and continued, "Moreover, the Portsmouth Shipyard also greatly improved maneuverability with a new type of stern-mounted longitudinal triangular sail and staysails between masts.
"And expansion of the wing sail increased cruising speed in light wind conditions. This gives our battleships excellent maneuverability in the Mediterranean as well."
Well, if the Royal Navy built the new ships and tested them in the Mediterranean, they would find a 5% improvement in turning speed and a 3% increase in cruising speed.
Faced with revolutionary new technologies, patching up the old platforms couldnāt solve the problem. Yet people tend to habitually return to previous successful paths when facing setbacks.
Duncan then talked about hull shaping, the application of iron water tanks, and other new technologies.
Even people inexperienced in naval matters like Grenville and William Pitt Junior were highly shocked, feeling that such new ships might indeed allow them to regain an advantage in the Mediterranean.
Jervis was momentarily stunned and hurriedly shook his head vigorously, "Steam battleships have unique advantages, they cannot..."
Duncan snorted coldly, "Except for combat, theyāre quite good."
Grenville frowned, raised his hand to stop them from continuing the argument, "I will personally look into the situation at the Chat Han Shipyard and discuss this matter with the Navy Board. For now, the two of you may return."