The journey starts from the Titanic

Under the leadership of the commander General George Armstrong Custer, the Michigan Brigade composed of thousands of Detroitans participated in the battle and was called the "Wolverine" because of its bravery.Lincoln once praised this, and Detroit people have always been proud of it.

Now that the Germans announced the unrestricted submarine war, the whole city of Detroit is almost boiling.Detroit is a shipping center in the Midwest of the United States. Locally produced goods can be shipped to all parts of the world by ships, so they have an instinctive aversion to German submarines.

Especially some strong men who drank some inferior wine, shouting on the street to teach Germans.

Situ Nan smiled endlessly. This is how ordinary people vent their emotions. They don't think about complicated issues like a politician, and they don't rack their brains all day to calculate how to profit from it.

The sea is free, the Americans think so, the British are the same, and the early Dutch are the same.Because their merchant ships can go through the sea to any place in the world for trade, and they have accumulated a lot of wealth through free trade, and their national strength has also risen.

Without the sea, American foreign trade cannot be carried out, and American profiteers cannot make money. Even the painful American people feel that their democracy and freedom have been interfered by Germans. The White House also expressed strong protest. This is why Americans look at Germany. What is not pleasing to the eye.

In the past two years, in order to deal with German submarines and protect merchant ships, the Royal Navy had to establish an escort system. Every time the fleet sailed, the merchant ships were always protected by a large number of destroyers.With quick-response destroyers and submarine hunters to escort merchant ships, German submarines dare not be too presumptuous.

Otherwise, depth-water bombs are thrown from the surface of the sea, hiding in the bottom of the water, and the submarine that is not running fast will have to stop.Many submarines were blown over by depth bombs, and they sank under the ocean together with the crew and ships. They couldn't float up at all. Only oil and some explosive debris floated up.

Of course, in this situation, there are also some cunning submarine commanders who will stuff the prepared oil and garbage debris into the torpedo tubes and launch them out of the water, but whether the British believe it or not depends on the character of the Germans. .

Although sailing would often be attacked by submarines and some unlucky merchant ships were sunk by torpedoes, the number of merchant ships bound for Britain was greatly reduced through the escort system.Coupled with the use of sonar and depth charges, the monthly gross tonnage of merchant ships destined for Europe sunk by German submarines has dropped a lot.

After the British Royal Navy began escorting in accordance with the above-mentioned methods in October 1916, in the last two months of that year, the losses of the Allied merchant ships dropped to 245,800 tons and 231,600 tons respectively.This result gave Britain and France a sigh of relief. With their huge shipbuilding capabilities, they were confident that they would survive the war of attrition with the Germans to the end.

With the continuous development of anti-submarine tactics, the losses of German submarines have gradually increased.Although Germany has an industrial production capacity that is stronger than that of Britain and France, it does not have sufficient raw materials. "It is difficult for a clever woman to cook without rice."Facing the British and French blockade, they have never been able to get the input of foreign materials, just like a giant being tied up with hands and feet, they have all their strength but cannot display them.

After two years of consumption, most of the production materials that Germany had hoarded before the war began to consume, food production was also greatly damaged, and people began to starve.

On the European continent, although Germany is still on the offensive side, the battle has not been a breakthrough.As time goes by, and if this continues, the situation will become more and more unfavorable for them, and they might lose the war.

It can't go on like this!

The Germans realized their ills, and for this reason, they picked up unrestricted submarine warfare again.On January 25, 1917, a week earlier than in history, the German Admiralty officially announced the implementation of "unrestricted submarine warfare" in order to break the economic difficulties caused by the impasse in the war.

In other words, all merchant ships heading to Europe, especially those on the British route, just need to be careful. Once they are spotted by German submarines, they suddenly emerge from the bottom of the water and will reward you with a torpedo without warning.

Then before the arrival of the British Royal Navy's destroyer, it sank, and finally the passengers struggling in the water.Some courageous and skilled submarine commanders may even hit the enemy’s destroyers and submarine hunters with their ideas. They sneaked back to the sea where the accident occurred, and when the opponent was not paying attention, they suddenly appeared again and fired torpedoes. Battleship to the surface.

In fact, the best hunting time for submarines is at night, and it's dark at least. These mice hiding in the water are hard to guard against.If you encounter German submarine wolves fighting, just like the Royal Navy, there is enough to eat a pot.

(Wolves tactics are the naval tactics of the Germans of World War II. Now in World War I, the wolf tactics cannot be implemented without flexible radios.)

In short, this is a very evil and powerful tactic. The Germans are very nasty, but the effect of this is indeed very good.

After the implementation of the unrestricted submarine war in 1917, the losses of the Allied merchant ships increased from 300,000 tons in January to 400,000 tons in February, and then soared to 500,000 tons in March, until 850,000 tons in April.The greatest loss was the British, because most of the merchant ships that were sunk were British merchant ships.

Among the merchant ships that go to sea in the United Kingdom, an average of 1 in 4 ships is sunk, but even with such a high mortality rate, it does not scare off risky merchant ship owners, because high risk means high returns. Almost all the profits allow merchant ship owners who risk success to buy a new ship.

So even if it is a life of nine deaths, there are still a large number of American merchant ships sailing to Europe in an endless stream.At the same time, huge consumption also means a huge market. Stimulated by Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare, the US shipbuilding industry has also exploded.

From New York, Boston, and Newark on the Atlantic coast to Detroit and Chicago on the Great Lakes; from New Orleans on the Gulf of Mexico to San Francisco and San Diego on the west coast, the clanging sounds of iron strikes from the country’s major shipbuilding bases keep ringing. , One after another searched merchant ship, the battleship rolled into the water like a dumpling version.

A week after the Germans announced indefinite submarine operations, the bored Situ Nan was sitting in his office and suddenly received a call from Francis from San Francisco. Thinking about it, I haven't seen Francis for a long time.

After leaving in New York last time, Francis rushed to San Francisco and urged Francis Shipyard to start building ships without stopping.

He has a cooperation agreement with Situ Nan. Situ Nan has some shares of California Steel Company to acquire shares of Francis Shipyard. The two parties can be described as "mutual fans."

After the cooperation was implemented, Francis received both sufficient funds and preferential marine steel plates provided by California Steel, so he became wild and focused on the Newport News Shipyard in Virginia.(Ps: Newport News Shipyard is the only producer of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in the United States, right?).

And what makes Francis more confident is that he has received orders for some warships from the navy, including not only a dozen destroyers, but also a battleship!

This is the first time in the history of shipbuilding in the west!This means that Francis Shipyard not only receives financial appropriations, naval shipbuilding technical support, but also can use government guarantees to obtain loans from banks.No wonder Francis was crooked.

Situ Nan was holding an ancient phone in one hand, and Francis's presumptuous laughter came from the earpiece in his ear: "Stoni, you don't know, the grandsons of the Admiralty Department started to spend a lot of time, like constipation. It's not happy to squeeze little by little.

But things have changed now, thanks to the German submarine!Yesterday, a contact person from the Navy Department came to the shipyard to inform us that the above payment has been allocated. The engineers sent by the Navy Shipyard will also come to guide the Francis Shipyard and let us speed up the progress of the project.

Ensure that the 10 Wicks-class destroyers can be completed within a year, and that the Tennessee-class California battleship will be launched in 1918.Haha, now it's their turn to come and blow me!"

The phone was a bit distorted, but Situ Nan still felt the other party's almost crazy mood.He moved the earpiece a little bit, lest his eardrums were stabbed by Francis' arrogant voice.

Chapter 111 San Diego Shipyard

I didn't expect good news from far away on the west coast.It seems that today is a good day. Would you like to celebrate?Situ Nan thought.

"Congratulations, my friend Francis, it's a pity that I am in Detroit now, otherwise I can celebrate with you." Situ Nan said.

"By the way, the merchant ship construction of the shipyard is not affected, right?" Situ Nan asked.

As a shareholder of Francis Shipyard and Francis' partner, Situ Nan should also care about his business.In fact, he is too busy to work on his own affairs, and has not paid attention to the San Francisco Shipyard for a long time.

"Fart! Since the Admiralty has taken so many orders, I have pushed all the orders for merchant ships. Now I am busy building warships, all berths are full, and the shipyard still has the energy to build merchant ships?

The navy has also urged it intensively, and has also sent a plant representative to keep an eye on the progress of the project.My workers have shifted their shifts, and they only have one day off for Christmas.Had it not been for Laozi's desperate processing of capital, the greedy processing group would have gone on strike."Francis scolded while laughing.

"In this case, you will work harder, I believe there will be enough return." Situ Nan said following Francis' words.It's just a pity. After all, the demand for merchant ships is also very strong, and Francis Shipyard has no excess capacity.

"Now I just keep pushing the merchant ship orders that I have brought to my door one by one, heartache, isn't this all money? It's just like meat delivered to my mouth but I can't eat it, it's greedy.

In the past few years, I would be very happy if I could receive half of the orders."Francis said heartily.

"Haha!" Situ Nan smiled.

Those who are greedy will never be satisfied. It is a very difficult choice for them to make a choice to make one money and give up another.

"Damn Germans, do you think they are so capable? Those months of hard work, the merchant ships were killed by one of their torpedoes. What a prodigal! When I have built those destroyers, I will be enough for Germany. Guy drank a pot..."

Francis said grimly.

Got it!Situ Nan could see that this guy was a typical example of a good seller after getting a bargain. It is estimated that he became crazy after becoming a large order customer for the Navy.

Not only Francis, Situ Nan thought viciously, now the owners of shipyards all over the United States are so happy to dance, right?

After a while, Situ Nan saw that Francis was still talking madly, and he became a little impatient. He really couldn't talk on the phone with a bald man who was over 50 years old.

"Do you have anything else?" Situ Nan said loudly into the microphone. In fact, he wanted to talk about buddies. The phone bill is very expensive, so let's go!But thanks to the phone company that cannibalize people, because the answer is free.

"Oh. What I want to say really has something to do with this! You see, the shipbuilding industry is so hot now, Francis Shipyard can only build warships, and there is no spare capacity to build merchant ships. I want to go to San Diego to build another branch factory. , Specially used to build merchant ships, what do you think?"

Francis finally mentioned the business, and said so much before just for this sentence.But this is indeed a good idea.

"Talk about it" Situ Nandao.

He knew that although he could live a part of the deposit for building battleships for the Navy, and it was easier to get loans from the bank because of government guarantees, it also took up a large amount of funds of the Francis Shipyard itself.

And finally got the first batch of orders from the Admiralty, what Francis said he had to do things beautifully.It is estimated that he did not dare and could not embezzle the money for shipbuilding.

The Francis Shipyard should not be able to make extra funds before it passes the Navy's acceptance.This is why this guy is looking for himself.Situ Nan guessed.

Knowing that the battle will be over in another two years, building a shipyard is not about growing vegetables, maybe there is no shadow in three to five months?