Expedition to Europe

(Thanks to Fanger for the monthly ticket encouragement and Axian for the reward encouragement. Some brothers said that writing these words would affect the reading experience. Well, this is the last time.)

The British look smart, but they always make some mistakes in judgment.

Just like now, Churchill feels that even if he gives the ship to Qin Zhiyuan, Qin Zhiyuan's men are not able to operate these ships, and these warships are still in the hands of the British.

Churchill ignored the learning ability of the Chinese.

If old Renault was here, perhaps old Renault would popularize Churchill's knowledge about the learning ability of the Chinese.

Half a year ago, Qin Zhiyuan and a group of farmers came to France. At that time, the Chinese were positioned as coolies, used to dig trenches, move ammunition, and carry burdens. But under Qin Zhiyuan's operation, some Chinese joined the army and became an indispensable force in the Foreign Legion; another part of the Chinese entered the factory, where they had formed an independent workshop and began to produce new weapons such as tanks.

When he came to London, Qin Zhiyuan only brought Pierre and a few guards, but when he went back, Qin Zhiyuan took a fleet away.

When Qin Zhiyuan left Britain on the destroyer "Yangtze River", the First Brigade finally had a navy unit.

Yangtze River was the first Acorn-class destroyer received by the First Brigade, and it was also the flagship of Qin Zhiyuan's mini fleet.

It was really a mini fleet, with only four Acorn-class destroyers, named "Yangtze River", "Yellow River", "Huai River" and "Songhua River" by Qin Zhiyuan.

In Qin Zhiyuan's vision, the navy's code name was named after rivers for destroyers, mountains for cruisers, provinces for battleships and aircraft carriers, and famous generals in Chinese history for submarines.

Well, it sounds grand, but in fact, Qin Zhiyuan only has these four destroyers now. Soon, the First Brigade will receive more warships. Qin Zhiyuan has placed an order in the United States through Renault, and the first batch is 10 destroyers.

In order not to arouse the vigilance of the British and French, Qin Zhiyuan did not even dare to buy a cruiser.

It is true that he dared not. Compared with Britain and France, the Republic of China at this time had no status to speak of. Once it aroused the vigilance of Britain and France, all of Qin Zhiyuan's subsequent plans would be in vain.

"Qin, how many sailors are there in Corsica?" The question was asked by Antonio, the captain of the Yangtze River.

Antonio is from Liverpool and is 45 years old this year. For a captain, it is the golden age. Antonio served in the British Royal Navy in his early years. Near Jerusalem off the Mediterranean Sea, Antonio, as a member of the colonial army, used some inhumane behaviors against the locals.

When the news came back to Britain, Antonio was dismissed.

The British are the typical type of people who want to be a lady and set up a memorial archway.

Antonio is a loyal supporter of the Knights Templar. Therefore, when Gaspard, Qin Zhiyuan's butler, contacted Antonio, Antonio did not hesitate to join Qin Zhiyuan and became a new generation of Crusaders.

Antonio also chose to join the First Brigade with his old friends Bishop and Blanche, who served as captains of the Yellow River and Huaihe River respectively. Of course, Bishop and Blanche were also loyal fans of the Knights Templar.

As for the last "Songhua River", its captain was Mario, a Frenchman, who was also a loyal fan of the Knights Templar and was recommended by old Renault.

"There are many people on Corsica, and you have to choose who is suitable to be a sailor. I have only one request, at least three people for each position, and let them grow up as quickly as possible." Qin Zhiyuan is ambitious.

"Of course, as long as they are as smart and studious as you, they will all become the best sailors." Antonio is full of confidence.

It takes about 100 people to start a destroyer. The British and French hired by Qin Zhiyuan are all technicians, and ordinary sailors and gunners are played by Chinese. These technicians understand their tasks when accepting the contract. They are not only responsible for technical issues, but also for training Chinese technicians.

Although the Chinese had not received much education before coming to Europe, with Qin Zhiyuan's unremitting efforts, the Chinese in the first brigade have made great progress. Many people can not only speak some simple French, but also have some knowledge of cultural knowledge.

"When you see them, you will know that the Chinese are the smartest people in the world." Qin Zhiyuan is proud.

From the perspective of intelligence, it is almost like this. Of course, this is not absolute. Every nation has its own talents and idiots.

"Hey, we English are not bad either!" Antonio said seriously.

"Yes, we are tied for first place." Qin Zhiyuan laughed.

If China's contribution to the world was in the Middle Ages, then the British contribution to the world is in modern times. Although the British colonization is notorious, it cannot deny the role of the British in the Industrial Revolution. They did promote the development of the world to a higher level of civilization.

Before that, this work was basically undertaken by the Chinese.

Last year's Berlin Olympics was suspended due to the war, but the sense of competition has been deeply rooted in people's hearts.

This work was compiled and uploaded by Liujiu Book Bar~~

London is only 1,200 kilometers away from Corsica in a straight line, but when taking a warship, you have to go through the Strait of Gibraltar, which adds more than 2,000 kilometers. In the Strait of Gibraltar, Qin Zhiyuan's fleet stopped briefly, refueled, and then headed directly to Corsica.

The speed of these four destroyers is quite good, and they can run at a speed of nearly 30 knots.

Qin Zhiyuan is still a little dissatisfied. The American Vickers-class destroyers of the same period can already run at a speed of 35 knots, and can run 4,500 kilometers at a speed of 20 knots. If these were a few Vickers, they could drive directly back to Corsica from the UK without refueling.

Fortunately, Qin Zhiyuan has placed an order. In another six months, Qin Zhiyuan will receive American destroyers. By then, Qin Zhiyuan will have a group of Chinese sailors who have undergone preliminary training. Only then will Qin Zhiyuan be considered to have a navy.

It will take more than two days for the Yangtze River to return to Corsica. Qin Zhiyuan did not stay in the bridge for a long time before returning to the cabin to rest. Even warships have VIP cabins, because some big shots might come aboard at some point. But don't expect too much. Even VIP cabins don't have much space. There are only simple living room facilities, and there's not even a sofa for meeting guests. This is not a problem, because no one will meet guests on a destroyer.

Having a mini fleet didn't make Qin Zhiyuan's joy last too long. Warships are launched every day, and such things happen every day.

For Qin Zhiyuan, this is just part of life.

There are still benefits. Having these destroyers makes Qin Zhiyuan feel at ease. At least when sailing between Marseille and Lei Ting in the future, he doesn't have to worry about German submarines.

When he woke up, the Yangtze River had entered Lei Ting City. The Songhua River was with the Yangtze River; the Yellow River and the Huai River went to the Trident. These four warships will be separated in two places, responsible for escort work in different waters.

Almost from the first day they arrived in Corsica, the intense work has been full.