Chapter 766 - 351: Monarch-class Battleship (Part 2)

This warship design underwent prolonged discussions, ultimately integrating all the advantages of naval designs from various nations around the world, while utilizing the most advanced technologies and techniques available.

In terms of power, the warship design plans to employ two vertical triple-expansion steam engines, with an expected normal ventilation power output of 9000 horsepower.

The new warship’s power unit is about 2000 horsepower stronger than the original Bullfighter-class Ironclad’s power unit, meaning the new warship will be faster than the Bullfighter-class Ironclad.

However, even at greater speeds, it cannot meet the Navy’s requirement of 18 knots.

The requirement of 18 knots is too stringent; even expert designers from the four major shipyards struggled to achieve such a theoretical speed.

With forced ventilation, the new warship’s power unit can reach an output of approximately 11,000 horsepower. This output is quite significant, potentially increasing the warship’s speed to around 16 knots.

Theoretical maximum speed of the warship is approximately 17.5 knots.

But such a speed is ultimately just a theoretical maximum; under normal circumstances, the warship cannot reach this extreme speed.

Even if the warship can reach such speed at full power, sustaining max speed for a long period risks compromising the warship’s stability.

After all, the vertical triple-expansion steam engine employed is a new technology, not stable enough for continuous maximum power operation.

Disregarding the warship’s extreme speed, this new warship design, with standard power speed of 15.5 knots and full power speed of 16.5 knots, is already among the fastest warship designs currently available.

From the data on the design drawings, the warship design has few issues regarding firepower and power.

The only small issue is the thickness of the warship’s armor.

According to the drawings, the main armor belt should be at least 460 mm in length, with an upward extension thickness of at least 137 mm, and additionally having a protective cladding approximately 76 mm thick.

For the armor protection system, the ship’s blueprint proposes two different approaches.

The first approach involves a central armored citadel, forming a box-like protective armor on top of the main armor belt to enhance its protection.

The second approach, known as a redoubt, focuses on providing heavy armor protection to the main gun mounting area above the main armor belt.

The objectives of the two armor approaches are clear; the first strengthens the armor belt protection, the second strengthens the gun mount protection.

From an armor protection perspective, the warship’s armor thickness is not an issue. Compared to Spain’s previous two generations of ironclads, this battleship’s armor protection capability has indeed improved significantly.

However, the problem lies in this excessive improvement.

Thicker armor naturally means heavier weight. Whether for the main armor belt protection or the gun mount base’s armor protection, armor must cover large areas, causing the warship’s tonnage to continuously increase.

The Spanish Navy originally required a warship with tonnage just exceeding ten thousand tons; this would also keep the construction costs of each battleship under control.

If calculated based on the original armor thickness of the warship design, the tonnage of this ironclad would have to increase by at least 3000 tons.

A 10,000-ton battleship turning into a 13,000-ton battleship means not just a 3000-ton increase in tonnage, but also higher structural demands for the warship and increased construction costs.

The additional 3000 tons is all used for protective armor; even 3000 tons of ordinary steel incurs significant costs, let alone specially crafted armor enhanced with other materials.

If truly designed this way, the Navy’s initially planned construction budget of 2.5 billion Pesseta would be insufficient, requiring at least an additional 500 million Pesseta in funds.

Though 500 million Pesseta may not be a huge sum for the Spanish Government, future battleship construction costs must be considered.

The battleship, or pre-dreadnought era, only lasted for 15 years, yet the United Kingdom built 46 pre-dreadnought battleships during these years, firmly securing its position as the world’s foremost naval power.

During the pre-dreadnought era, the Royal Navy also established the two-power standard, wherein the British Royal Fleet’s size exceeded the combined sizes of the world’s second and third largest navies.

If Spain’s hypothetical adversary is the British, serious efforts must be made in naval preparations.

Though it may not be as extreme as the British—averaging more than three battleships a year—building 1-2 battleships annually is necessary to amass enough military strength before key strategic times to challenge the Royal Navy.

For Spain, the closest and most hopeful moments to conquer Morocco and Portugal might be during the British Boer War.

The Second Boer War broke out on October 11, 1899, lasting two and a half years. Although this war was primarily between the British and an African nation, the military expenses and scale were substantial, making it a deeply influential war.

Historical records indicate that during the Second Boer War, Britain spent over two hundred million Pounds on military expenses, a truly massive military conflict expenditure.