"The naval conference held at the Berlin Naval Headquarters on November 18, 1914 was also called the "1914 Turning Conference" by historians. This conference had a profound impact on the maritime situation of the Ocean Fleet and the First World War: a group of talented and young people who were brave enough to take responsibility came on the stage, and the strategic goals and military development of the Ocean Fleet had a clear plan for the first time. The talented Heidi Sileme even proposed three elements that were more concise than the Mahan theory of sea power: geography, resources and strategy and tactics.

From the end of 1914 to the beginning of 1915, Heidi Sileme successively launched three papers, "Breaking the Long-range Blockade", "Resource War" and "Fleet in the Age of Dreadnought". These three papers, "Thinking on the Mass Situation in Our Country" written by Wolfgang Weigener, another genius of the German Navy, from June to August 1915, "Can we improve the status quo?", and "Naval Base Policy and Fleet" were revised after the war to "Naval Strategy in the World War" and became a necessary textbook for naval academies in various countries. [..com]

Although British intelligence officers reported vague information about the "1914 Turning Conference" to the British Navy, Winston Churchill and William R-Hall (the British Minister of Navy Intelligence, nicknamed "Signal Light") were also wary, but neither Churchill nor the "Signal Light" could predict the impact of the "1914 Turning Conference" on the naval situation. It will appear one by one in the Battle of Jutland in 1915 and the Orkney Islands in 1917."

——Excerpt from "The Ocean Fleet in World War I", Reinhard Schell.

****

After an hour of disputes and compromises, the conservative and stubborn Admiralty reached a consensus on the issue of leaking secret codes: replace secret codes, understand the British as much as possible about the deciphering progress of German secret codes, and carry out targeted strategic deception. Increase the listening and deciphering of the British telegraph system, and try to avoid the use of wireless telegraphs.

Under Wang Heidi's repeated requests, radio directional ranging technology and the issue of low-power radio stations used for communication between warships were also put on the agenda.

"In 1913, due to the army's huge expansion and preparation plan and the extremely lack of manpower and resources, the four Bavarian-class battleships originally scheduled to start construction in 1913 had to be postponed until 1914. In 1914, the Navy received 470 million marks of funding. After mobilizing the reserve fleet and war preparations and modifying the German battle patrol, it was only enough to start the construction of two main battleships."

The new chief of staff of the Navy, born in Braures, Silesia Province, swept across the audience, and the old face could not bring any slight turbulence.

"Thanks to General Sileme, the brilliant victory of the Battle of Helgolan Bay and the Battle of Dogel Sands can make the Admiralty confidently ask the Military Command for more resources, and the Emperor also privately assured me that the Navy will receive funding for five main battleships in the next year. It is worth considering whether the Ocean Fleet needs more Jutland-type combat patrols or Bavarian-class super-dreadnoughts?"

On November 17, the British on the other side of the North Sea announced that the modification of the battleships of the Iron Duke and Orion was completed ahead of schedule (the Iron Duke temporarily terminated the power modification project), and the USS Ireland battleship, which is being modified accordingly for the Mediterranean climate. The Aegean Sea was unyielding in its blockade mission, and the USS Indomitable Battlecruising returned to the organization of the Great Fleet. The Great Fleet has 21 battleships and 6 battlecruisings (the British also counted the Invincible). At this time, the Ocean Fleet had only 15 main battleships and 4 battlecruisings, which were at a disadvantage.

Faced with the double pressure from the Royal Navy and Emperor William, General Hugo Von Boer, who carried enough sleeping pills, took office and clearly put out the banner of the "Existence Fleet" and canceled the ambitious combat cruise of the Ocean Fleet. However, Boer, who controlled the Navy General Staff, had the right to plan the battle, was a navy, and he did not oppose adding ships to the Existence Fleet.

In 1898, Congress passed the First Naval Army Expansion Act. Historians regarded this symbol as the starting point of the German-English naval arms race, and used a brilliant brush to portray the competition of more than ten years of competition into a battle between two countries that was comparable to the white-clothed knights, with great elegance.

In fact, the navies of the German-British naval arms race are not on the same starting line. The British pocket army has always been an optional role, and the Royal Navy can unscrupulously exploit 80% of the military expenditure; on the contrary, the old enemy of the Ocean Fleet and the German army tradition have made the development of the Ocean Fleet, which is nicknamed "the emperor's toy", difficult. In 1914, the German Army's military budget was US$442 million, while the navy had only a pitiful US$112 million.

Although the young German Empire and its emperors waved their swords and naval flags to ask the ocean for territory under the sun, the gap between the marine nation and the mainland nation was fully exposed here in military spending.

In the fiscal years 1899-1900, the German naval military expenditure was only US$31.91 million, France was US$56.78 million, the United States was US$57.41 million, Russia was US$44.97 million, Britain was US$119 million, and the British naval military expenditure was 3.74 times that of Germany. In the fiscal years 1905-1906, the German naval military expenditure was US$56.16 million, the United Kingdom was US$163 million, and the British naval military expenditure was 2.9 times that of Germany. In the fiscal years 1913-1914, the British naval military expenditure budget was US$237 million, while the German naval military expenditure budget was US$112 million, and the British naval military expenditure was 2.11 times that of Germany.

This is just the difference in naval military expenditure. Specifically for naval equipment costs, Germany's allocation for naval equipment construction between 1907 and 1914 was only equivalent to 40% of the British Navy's in the same period. The German naval military expenditure could only support the construction of four main battleships in the Ocean Fleet every year or every two years, while the British were the terrible seven!

However, the embarrassing military expenditure failed to defeat this ignorant mainland nation. Tirpitz and his ocean fleet did their best to build the second-ranked ocean fleet in the world with such a pitiful little funding. Without mentioning quality advantages, the number of main fleets exceeded 70% of that in Britain.

"Seven main battleships?" After the parliament handed over all rights to the army, the imperial emperor and the Supreme Military Command became the dominant players of resources. The occasional favors of the Supreme Command, which has always insisted on the priority of the army, have flattered everyone present. It must be noted that the Admiralty has never been as generous as this year, holding the quota of the seven main battleships.

In fact, the Navy's shortage of funds has been around for a long time. The flagship of the First Reconnaissance Fleet, Seidlitz, is a shrinking product of insufficient military expenditure! In November 1909, the parliament reluctantly agreed to add a Caesar-class battleship, Frederick the Great, and allocate 45.4 million marks. The navy was determined to use Frederick the Great as the flagship of the Ocean Fleet. After adding flagship equipment, the funding gap was as high as 1.1 million marks. No matter how the Navy cried, the parliament remained indifferent. The Navy could only shrink the Moltke-class Battlecruiser No. 3, which squeezed out a complete Ocean Fleet flagship, which shows the navy's embarrassment.

"The Battle Cruise Fleet already has three De Fringer-class battleships. Maybe we should build the ultimate battleship that is stronger than the Bavarian class!" Lieutenant General Franz Mauve, the commander of the second battleship squadron, said with confidence.

According to sporadic intelligence from the Navy Intelligence Service, the British, stimulated by the launch of the King-class battleships and the construction of Bavarian-class battleships, formulated a large-scale shipbuilding plan. Five Queen Elizabeth-class battleships and more than seven Revenge-class battleships appeared in the dry docks one after another. These new battleships were equipped with "14-inch main guns", and the waterline had main armor and turret armor of more than 12 inches, especially the Queen Elizabeth-class battleships, whose design speed may be comparable to that of ordinary battle patrols.

Of course, the intelligence of the German Navy's Intelligence Service was not accurate. Only five Revenge-class (R-class) battleships were built. The other three were temporarily changed to a designed speed of 30 knots, a standard displacement of 33,725 tons, a waterline belt and turret main armor of 10 inches, and equipped with a reputation-class battle patrol with a 15-inch main gun. The "14-inch" main gun was just a smoke bomb that the British deliberately threw out to maintain their caliber advantage. These new warships were equipped with a terrible 15-inch (381 mm) main gun.

Even the smoke bombs were enough to put unparalleled pressure on the Germans, not only because of the British's shipbuilding speed, but also the design concept of Queen Elizabeth-class fast battleships. As a German navy, Lieutenant General Mavi couldn't wait to see the Ocean Fleet have more Bavarian-class super-dreadnoughts. Of course, Lieutenant General Mavie also had selfish intentions. His second battleship squadron were all former dreadnoughts. If the seven super-dreadnoughts were built, it would obviously not escape the second battleship squadron organization.

"The Battle of Dogers Sands has proved the value of the battlecruiser, not to mention that the rear Seidlitz type battlecruiser 350mm waterline belt and turret main armor exceed the British Iron Duke-class battleship 12-inch main armor, and the 350-caliber main gun is not inferior to the British Queen Elizabeth-class battleship 14-inch (357mm) main gun!" Deputy Commander of the Ocean Fleet, known for its rationality and calmness, is recognized as the best tactics of the Ocean Fleet, General Frankz von Hippel, spoke coldly: "Even if it is a fast battleship, the defense and firepower of the rear Seidlitz type battleship may not be worse than that of the Queen Elizabeth-class. And no matter how fast the battleship is, can it run better than the Battlecruiser?"

Starting from the Seidlitz, the German battle patrol began to wear hull defense armor of the same level as the battleships. These battle patrols are also collectively called the post-Sidlitz type battle patrol. In the history of the naval, Queen Elizabeth-class battleships are usually regarded as the world's first-class fast battleships, but many people also oppose it, because in addition to the number of main guns, caliber and endurance of the German battle patrol, the technical indicators are no less than the so-called fast battleships of the United Kingdom and the United States.

"General, what are your suggestions?" General Hugo von Boer looked at Hippel, who was just talking about the matter in a little surprised and asked.

"Accelerate the design progress of the Markkenson-level battle patrol. The Navy needs the Markkenson-level, the more the better!" Hippel said lightly without leaving the water.

"The Deflinger-class battle cruise cost 56 million marks, and the Bavarian-class equipped with 380 main guns is only 50 million marks!" Lieutenant General Franz-Mavie almost jumped up and turned the table up and said angrily: "As for the Markens class, its cost is 60 million marks, or 65 million? If equipped with Markens, we may only afford 6 ships, and the Bavarian-class with good quality and low price, we can equip 7 ships and also come with a light cruiser! Hippel, you are the biggest waste of resources that are scarce in Germany!"

The conference room was noisy, and most people thought that there were enough that powerful dreadnoughts were the symbol of sea power, while the battle tour deviated from orthodox. However, there were also many who supported the construction of the Markson-class, because compared with the British with strong shipbuilding strength, it was undoubtedly a fantasy.

At this time, General Reinhard Schell, the commander-in-chief of the Ocean Fleet, spoke.

"In 1897, the German naval strategic genius proposed the concept of full-equipped heavy artillery and the concept of perfect cruiser for the first time in the paper "On Asymmetrical Warfare in the Age of Battleships", so we can always come from behind in the unfair German-English naval competition. In 1914, the strategic genius revised the "On Asymmetrical Warfare in the Age of Battleships" and proposed to build a fast battleship that combines dreadnought and battle patrol. It is very gratifying that the Seidlitz battle patrol already has the shadow of a fast battleship. Since all this cannot escape the ruthless general Silame's ruling, why not refer to his opinion?"
Chapter completed!