Chapter 204： The actors are ready (1/2)

”The American fleet is here!” Hipper put away the binoculars in his hand and said to Count Spey, the captain of the armored cruiser Hamburg nearby.

”Well, a young empire is finally about to show his power to the world.” After a while, Earl Spey also put away the telescope in his hand and said.

Ten minutes later, the shadow of the ship in the distance finally became clear. It was a huge fleet, and the clouds of smoke above the fleet could be seen 20 kilometers away. This is the first time that Americans have appeared outside the Americas with such a dignified force. It is no exaggeration to say that it is the largest overseas operation of the US Navy.

”The Americans actually dispatched a battleship!” When the figure of the battleship at the beginning became clear, both Hipper and Earl Spey were taken aback. Although the Iowa, which was originally defined as a high-sea defense battleship, was in good condition. In terms of navigation, it is much stronger than the original American battleship, but it is not suitable for ocean warfare after all. But when this warship with six turrets and a similar layout to the Nisshin armored cruiser appeared in front of the Germans, almost all German officers were a little surprised.

When the battleship Iowa, which is like an iron tortoise with fierce firepower and heavy armor, passed by, the proud USS Brooklyn of the U.S. Navy cruiser will be brought into view again! ”Its gun layout is almost the same as our Munich-class armored cruiser.” Hipper said in a low voice.

The promise of the prince was really reliable. When Hipper returned from the Far East, he was appointed by the Navy as the acting captain of an old warship in order to familiarize himself with the captain’s duties and rights. According to the information disclosed by friends from the Admiralty, he will have a place in the German armored cruiser fleet in the future. And then with the arrival of the Far East transfer order, Hipper's future seemed more certain, because he was the deputy captain of the Hamburg, one step away from the captain!

Brooklyn’s nearly 10,000 tonnage and a hull of more than 120 meters in length give it a sense of standing out in this fleet. The 4-seater double-mounted 8-inch main guns in a cross layout are refreshing. However, in Hipper's view, the layout of this warship is still a bit worse, and the caliber and tonnage of the artillery are also smaller. As for the armor protection mode, it is terribly backward!

”The American design is still innovative, but the Brooklyn is a flashy thing, far inferior to our new warship.” Hipper said with a smile. ”Of course not as good as the Japanese Nissin and Izumo!”

Behind Brooklyn is the armored cruiser New York, which is similar in size to Brooklyn, and even the firepower layout is somewhat similar. If the distance is relatively long, it is really not easy to distinguish the two battleships. The Americans concentrated their most elite warships at the forefront of the battle, while the warships behind them were a bit short. Behind them were five protective cruisers.

The flagship of the protective cruiser fleet is the Olympia not long after it entered service. This warship with a displacement of nearly 6,000 tons is one of the best protective cruisers in the United States. It guards two twin 8-inch turrets as its most powerful weapon, and the 5-inch guns on both sides also have certain armor protection. Coupled with a speed of more than 20 knots, it can be considered a good second-class protective cruiser.

Following the flagship are two Columbia-class protective cruisers, the Columbia and Minnisporia. Although the tonnage of the two protective cruisers is more than 7,000 tons, there are only 1 8-inch gun, 2 6-inch guns, 8 4-inch guns and 12 6-pounder guns, if not because of the maximum coal load of 1670 tons. If so, these two warships will never appear in the Far East! After all, in terms of firepower, these two warships are not only inferior to the Olympia, but even worse than the two more than 4,000-ton protective cruisers behind.

Both the Philadelphia and San Francisco were warships that served in 1890. The ships are 8 years old and the artillery on them is relatively old. The 6-inch gun seems to be more powerful, but the barrel length is only 30L. However, the victory lies in the large number. The two 4000-ton protective cruisers have 12 6-inch L30 guns. After maintenance and upkeep, the speed of the two warships can also reach 19 knots, which will not drag the fleet's hind legs, plus a larger coal load. It is normal for these two warships to appear in the Far East.