"Mr. President, I’m fine!" Deco’s slightly puffy face showed a flattering expression.
"Minister Dico, you will be serving the governnt for a long ti! Health issues cannot be taken lightly!" Jero Bonaparte sternly "reprimanded" Deco.
"I understand!" Deco realized it was the President’s concern for him, a kind of concern ordinary people wouldn’t show.
"Minister Dico, the future road is still long, no need to rush!" Jero Bonaparte softened his tone.
"Yes!" Minister Dico readily admitted his "mistake," then changed the subject and asked, "Mr. President, why didn’t you notify us in advance before coming to the Ministry of the Navy, so we could prepare!"
"If I had notified in advance, I probably wouldn’t have seen this scene!" Jero Bonaparte said teasingly to Deco.
The Secretary of State, seeing this, tactfully left the office of the Minister of the Navy.
After all, the President was here to et the Minister, and he was just a Secretary of State.
After the Secretary of State left, Jero Bonaparte invited Deco to sit down and asked, "How does it feel to be a Minister? Have you encountered any difficulties?"
"Mr. President, the Ministry of the Navy is united, we follow the President’s directives, and have not encountered any difficulties!" Minister Dico imdiately assured Jero Bonaparte.
"I know!" Jero Bonaparte nodded.
After chatting casually for a while, Jero Bonaparte gradually led the topic to naval construction and warship escort.
"If we have a force of a hundred thousand people landing in the Near East, can the naval escort fleet provide support quickly?" Jero Bonaparte tactfully asked Minister Dico about his views on Near East supplies.
"Mr. President, my view is the navy can complete the escort mission, I have confidence in our fleet!" Deco first expressed unwaveringly, then revealed his concern: "In terms of supplies, I’m afraid our current ships can’t complete this task!"
"How much more budget is needed?" Jero Bonaparte asked Deco directly.
"It’s not a budget issue!" Deco thought for a few seconds and said to Jero Bonaparte: "I personally believe that producing too many transport ships could lead to them being unmanageable in the later stages of the war. We should appropriately delegate so transport to civilian vessels! On this point, I believe the Ministry of the Navy should establish an institution to coordinate with civilian ships."
To prevent Jero Bonaparte’s suspicion, Deco spoke as tactfully as possible.
"You an organizing civilian ships to complete supply tasks during warti?" Jero Bonaparte asked Minister Dico.
"That’s correct!" Deco nodded and explained to Jero Bonaparte: "This way, we can save unnecessary expenses and stimulate the French economy."
"You try to address this issue! If there are any problems, feel free to report to !" Jero Bonaparte continued speaking to Deco: "Are there any other issues?"
"Our ships don’t have enough iron..." Minister Dico requested Jero Bonaparte.
"Iron?" Jero Bonaparte suddenly rembered the reason for his visit was to understand the issue of ironclads: "By the way, I’ve heard you’ve researched a new type of warship! I wonder if that’s true!"
Minister Dico showed a surprised expression, as if asking how the President knew, he nodded acknowledging Jero Bonaparte’s statent: "Correct! We plan to mass-produce a batch of fleets with iron plates, which can effectively defend against enemy coastal artillery and conduct close-range combat defensively."
Speaking, Minister Dico placed a stack of docunts from the office in front of Jero Bonaparte, showing a proud expression and said: "This is the blueprint of our latest model fleet!"
Jero Bonaparte picked up the first sheet of docunts to look at, the blueprint was marked with nurous Latin numbers, each number’s lower right corner had the corresponding na written in French.
Judging by the style, it should be a type of small gunship.
Jero Bonaparte pointed at the gunship image on the blueprint and asked Deco: "Has the stuff on the blueprint been tested?"
"Not yet..." Minister Dico replied to Jero Bonaparte.
"Not yet tested... not yet tested..." Jero Bonaparte muttered softly while flipping through the contents of the docunts.
Minister Dico watched Jero Bonaparte apprehensively, fearing the President might inadvertently veto his carefully researched project.
When Jero Bonaparte flipped to the gunship’s gun positions, he suddenly discovered that even this advanced ironclad was a semi-finished product, still using the early 19th-century full-length artillery deck. Multiple layers of artillery indeed aided firepower output but significantly reduced combat capability.
The half-ironclad enthusiast Jero Bonaparte pointed at the main artillery positioned on both sides of the blueprint and suggested to Deco: "Mr. Minister, can the main artillery positions be adjusted to move them to the center of the warship! This way, we can strengthen the fleet’s defense and enhance its survivability."
Jero Bonaparte’s thod was what later British designer Edward Reed used, the central artillery thod.
Minister Deco seed intrigued; increasing fleet survivability was indeed a tempting choice. However, he hesitated and said: "This may require sacrificing our firepower!"
"Firepower does not depend on the number of naval guns!" Jero Bonaparte explained to Deco: "Moreover, every outstanding naval personnel is an indispensable resource; I’d rather sacrifice so firepower to increase their chance of returning ho!"
A decade for the army, a century for the navy, every mariti power requires long-term accumulation.
A ship can be rebuilt, but without crew legacy may collapse.
Jero Bonaparte, having experienced it once, understood the pain of having ships without people. The Industrial World’s strongest nation, the United States, despite having extensive fleets, initially faced a woeful cannon accuracy rate.
Without Britain’s help and their policies, the United States couldn’t have beco a true naval power in the short term.
Jero Bonaparte’s "concern" for naval personnel ward Deco’s heart; he believed the President genuinely shared his dedication to building the French Navy.
"Regarding the choice of steam engines, make sure to be diligent! Every warship should be a pride of France!" Jero Bonaparte continued ordering.
"Yes!" Minister Dico responded.
"You should make strides; once such gunships pass trials, expand them! Strive for the main fleet of the French Navy to transition to this type!" Jero Bonaparte encouraged the Ministry of the Navy: "If anything is lacking, feel free to tell ..."
"Actually, there’s a minor issue!" Minister Deco spoke to Jero Bonaparte.
"What issue?" Jero Bonaparte asked Deco.
Deco explained the lack of skilled workers in the national shipyard to Jero Bonaparte, who instantly assured a batch of workers would be deployed there.
"Yes, Mr. President!" Minister Dico responded to Jero Bonaparte.
After encouraging Minister Dico, Jero Bonaparte made a request: "Mr. Minister, actually I have a favor to ask of you!"
"Please go ahead!" Minister Deco said humbly, knowing it was just the President’s politeness.
Jero Bonaparte ntioned Marquis Alet’s situation to Minister Dico and discussed so naval matters he had with Marquis Alet.
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