Chapter 321: Chapter 281: St Vincent-class battleship_3

Arthur saw that King George V was very interested in the Monarch-class battleship and invited him to visit the Australasian Battleship.

This move won the favor of King George V, and Arthur enjoyed a warm relationship with him during his time in the British Empire.

Arthur took the opportunity to propose deeper cooperation with the British Empire in warships.

Specifically, Arthur was willing to exchange the blueprints and information of the Monarch-class battleship with the blueprints of the St Vincent-class battleship, which was currently under construction in the UK, to strengthen the warship design in Australasia.

This request from Arthur made King George V somewhat difficult.

The St Vincent-class battleship is an upgraded model of Bellerophon-class, with increased combat effectiveness compared to the Dreadnought and Bellerophon-class battleships.

In terms of firearms, the St Vincent-class battleship is equipped with 305mm 50 caliber twin-gun, while the previous two dreadnoughts had a 305mm 45 caliber gun.

This improvement made the firepower of the St Vincent-class battleship significantly higher. Combined with a slight improvement in armor and horsepower, the cruising speed of the St Vincent-class battleship could stably maintain at around 21 knots.

Without exaggeration, this is currently the most advanced dreadnought under construction and the main battleship of the British Empire’s 1910 construction plan.

However, the problem is that the St Vincent is not the most advanced battleship currently designed by the British Empire.

Following the St Vincent-class battleship, the British Empire has already designed the Neptune-class Battleship and Colossus-class Battleship, which are only to be built in 1911.

This also indirectly reflects the current strength of the British Empire in warships. While Germany is still stuck with 283mm main guns, Britain’s 305mm main guns have advanced to 50 calibers, and several dreadnought levels have been developed.

The importance of the St Vincent-class battleship is self-evident, but it is not yet crucial enough for absolutely strategic confidentiality.

At least for King George V, exchanging warship blueprints and information with Australasia is acceptable, as it would quickly earn him a reputation for caring for his cousin and valuing emotions, which would be very beneficial for him to consolidate his rule.

After all, Arthur is now the darling of the British public, and establishing a good relationship with Arthur is undoubtedly the right move.

In addition, Australasia is not without payment. The Monarch-class battleship contains many German technologies, which also help Britain to better understand German technology.

Although King George V had already agreed to the deal in his heart, he did not make a direct promise but said he would try his best to discuss it with the Cabinet Government.

Arthur nodded in understanding. After all, King George V had not yet ascended the throne, and even then, his influence in the Cabinet would not be too great in the short term.

It was up to the UK Cabinet Government to make the decision, but King George V’s lack of opposition was a good indication.

After the negotiations, Arthur ordered Chief David to arrange for secret visits to some British Cabinet officials late at night.

Some officials had a good relationship with Duke Old Arthur, and after Arthur’s operation, there should be a few who would support him.

As long as a quarter of the Cabinet officials directly support him, Arthur is confident that the deal can be reached.