Chapter 591: From Frigate to Dreadnought
One million Pounds Sterling, roughly equivalent to twenty-five million Francs.
This sum might not seem like much to the British Royal Navy.
After all, a 74-gun ship-of-the-line, a third-rate battleship and a core naval asset, cost between 60,000 and 70,000 Pounds Sterling to build. Including training, crew wages, port fees, and maintenance, the total climbed to around 90,000 Pounds Sterling. Any extended naval operation would send costs soaring even higher.
So, one million Pounds Sterling would barely cover the construction of ten third-rate battleships, and perhaps not even that.
To put it more concretely, during the Seven Years' War, the British built thirty-two third-rate battleships in one go, alongside numerous first and second-rate vessels.
Millions of Pounds Sterling were casually thrown about.
However, Joseph was currently focused on building frigates, which were the lowest class of proper warships.
An ordinary 28-gun light frigate cost less than 10,000 Pounds Sterling. Even a heavy frigate, what the British called a fifth-rate frigate, cost only around 18,000 Pounds Sterling.
Of course, while the Light of the Mediterranean was also a light frigate, its adoption of new technologies dramatically inflated its cost.
After all, a single LJ52 steam engine alone cost a staggering 50,000 Francs. There was no way around it; with cutting-edge technology and low production volume, the price couldn't be driven down.
Even the main shaft and propeller, crafted with ultra-high precision machining, cost 6,000 Francs per set.
Still, building twenty Light of the Mediterranean-class frigates would bring the total cost to only 320,000 Pounds Sterling.
Subsequent heavy frigates, equipped with three steam engines, might cost up to 30,000 Pounds Sterling each. For twelve ships, that would be 360,000 Pounds Sterling.
The combined construction cost for both classes of frigates would be 680,000 Pounds Sterling. Including later training and operational expenses, the total investment would likely be around 850,000 Pounds Sterling.
Calonne's "fundraising" from Britain would even leave over a hundred thousand Pounds Sterling to spare.
Joseph intended to invest all these funds into the navy, and even add another allocation. History had proven that without a powerful fleet, thoroughly defeating the British was utterly impossible.
Joseph knew well that frigates could, at best, only harass the British Navy within the confines of the Mediterranean—that 'bathtub' of a sea—and drive them away through tactical maneuvers.
However, to engage in a decisive fleet battle, they would still need powerful third-rate battleships.
Third-rate battleships, with displacements exceeding 1,600 tons, would require at least 400 horsepower steam engines to be adequately propelled.
The later Napoleon-class battleship, displacing 1,870 tons, was equipped with a 960 horsepower steam engine.
However, the Napoleon-class could achieve a blazing speed of 14 knots, which wasn't strictly necessary for current naval warfare. Thus, Joseph planned to use 400 horsepower as a transitional measure, considering 12 knots sufficient for now.
After all, current third-rate ships couldn't even reach 10 knots. A speed of 12 knots would represent a 20% to 30% increase, which could be considered overwhelming.
Joseph clapped the Minister of the Navy, who was still lost in euphoria. "This is nothing," he declared. "In the future, we will possess 'Dreadnoughts.' Those will be warships capable of defeating the British head-on."
Indeed, he intended to name the future steam-powered third-rate ships "Dreadnoughts."
His strategy was to beat the British at their own game, leaving them no path to victory.
Moreover, the overwhelming advantage of steam-powered third-rate ships over sail-powered warships would be no less significant than that of pre-World War I Dreadnoughts over contemporary battleships.
The Marquis de Castries nodded repeatedly, his excitement palpable. Though he didn't know what a 'Dreadnought' specifically entailed, if His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said it could defeat the British fleet, then it absolutely could!
After all, the Crown Prince had just spearheaded the creation of a miraculous warship like the Light of the Mediterranean; now, the Marquis was completely his ardent admirer.
However, Joseph was well aware that France's current technological capabilities were still a long way from achieving 'Dreadnoughts.'
At the very least, steam engine power needed to reach around 200 horsepower; only then could two such engines adequately propel the massive hull of a third-rate battleship.
Increasing power from the current 50 horsepower to 200 horsepower was undoubtedly a formidable challenge. It would require starting with entirely new steam engine structural designs and overcoming a series of technical difficulties in metal smelting, forging, precision machining, and inspection.
This would fall to France's "Three Steam Engine Masters." All he could do was provide them with research and development funding, as he had already shared the theoretical aspects with Murdoch.
However, once the 200 horsepower steam engine achieved a breakthrough, it could be directly applied to developing trains. That would be the biggest explosion of the Industrial Revolution!
As noon approached, the Marquis de Castries, along with a retinue of officers and designers, escorted Joseph to the dining hall.
For the construction of the new warships, Joseph had been dining with them almost daily, facilitating continuous discussions.
There was still some distance between the laboratory and the officers' mess. Joseph turned to the Marquis de Castries beside him. "While the new warships haven't been built yet, you must begin crew training as soon as possible," he instructed, "as these ships are entirely different from any previous vessel."
Although the General Staff Headquarters had been established for the navy, the unique nature of the navy—where a ship was almost an independent miniature society, and the captain was king, especially at sea, fostering strong internal cohesion—made it difficult for the General Staff to influence naval operations. Currently, tasks like recruiting sailors and training still fell under the purview of the Minister of the Navy.
The Marquis de Castries bowed immediately. "Yes, Your Royal Highness," he replied, "I guarantee that sufficient crew members will be recruited within three months. After about a year of training, they should be ready for combat."
"Four months?" Joseph frowned slightly. "Why so long? Doesn't the navy have experienced sailors available?"
The Marquis de Castries quickly explained, "Your Royal Highness, even a light frigate requires 150 sailors. For twenty ships, that's over 3,000 people, a number difficult to recruit all at once."
Joseph questioned him further, only then understanding the navy's current operational model.
Indeed, in this era, naval personnel and merchant sailors were not interchangeable.
The navy did not maintain a standing surplus of crew members. When manpower was needed, they would recruit from merchant vessels and fishing boats.
Naturally, sailors typically congregated in taverns and similar establishments, awaiting news.
The "free-spirited and unruly" nature of French sailors, however, made it difficult for the navy to recruit sufficient personnel.
In contrast, the British Navy was far more experienced in this regard. They routinely dispatched informants to gather basic information on sailors aboard merchant and fishing vessels.
Whenever manpower was needed, they would simply send soldiers to impress men into service. Once a sailor was aboard a warship, there was no going home.
This efficiency meant that whenever a major naval battle loomed, the British Navy's mobilization rate far surpassed that of France.
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