Chapter 140: Chapter 140: Selling a Battleship?

“Your Highness, are you really talking about Germany’s main battleship, the Brunswick-class battleship? Has Australia mastered the technology to build a Brunswick-class battleship and can even export it?” Yukichiro Tamura asked in surprise.

“Of course, otherwise I wouldn’t have mentioned it specifically to you, Mr. Tamura.” Arthur nodded and smiled, “If your country is willing, Australian shipyards can sell several battleships to your country at a price slightly higher than the cost price. Of course, the specific number depends on your country’s financial reserves.”

Does the Island Nation want to buy battleships? Naturally, there’s no need to think too much. As a measure of a country’s naval strength, the number of battleships is crucial for a navy and can even determine the outcome of a naval battle.

In terms of combat power, current battleships are a decisive factor in naval battles, and their importance far exceeds that of other medium and small warships.

Yukichiro Tamura nodded and continued to inquire, “What is the price of the Brunswick-class battleships produced by your country? And how long does it take to complete the construction of an entire battleship?”

Battleships are important, but the price must be reasonable, and the construction cycle cannot be too long.

If Australia’s battleships take several years to build, it would be unacceptable to the Island Nation, who might as well order from the United Kingdom.

Although the United Kingdom might be slow, they can guarantee the construction of a battleship in less than two years. Although transportation and reception in the middle will consume two or three months, at least it can be incorporated into the navy within a little over two years.

If Australia’s construction time can be shorter than that of the UK, Yukichiro Tamura and even Island Nation government wouldn’t mind placing orders for battleships in Australia.

But if the handover time turns out to be much longer than that of placing the order from Britain, it’s better to order from their ally, the British Empire.

Knowing Yukichiro Tamura’s concerns, Arthur smiled and explained, “Please rest assured, under the guidance of German experts, our shipyards have fully mastered the construction technology of the Brunswick-class battleships. According to our experts’ estimates, the cost of completely building a Brunswick-class battleship is more than one million pounds, and with our various labor costs, we can offer your country a friendly price of one million, three hundred and fifty thousand pounds. As for the construction time of battleships, please rest assured that Australia has no plans to build battleships in the short term. If your country orders battleships, we will fully focus on your order and ensure that the construction time of each battleship does not exceed a year and a half and that the handover time does not exceed two years.”

The price of a main battleship today is not as expensive as a dreadnought in the future, which would cost several million pounds.

Like the Brunswick-class, which is one of the main battleships of the German Navy, the external sale price is only just under twenty-eight million Marks, which is less than one million, four hundred thousand pounds.

Arthur is also right, the price of one million, three hundred and fifty thousand pounds is indeed a friendly price, and even somewhat violates the treaty prohibiting price wars established by Germany at the time.

But when compared to the real cost of a battleship, it doesn’t amount to much.

Although Arthur said that the cost of a Brunswick-class battleship is as high as millions of pounds, the actual cost of a battleship is just over eight hundred thousand pounds, and even with labor and various other costs, it would definitely not reach nine hundred thousand pounds.

With a sale price of nearly one million, four hundred thousand pounds, and compared to the cost, the pure profit would be at least five hundred thousand pounds. This is also one of the exploitations by powerful Western nations on other countries.

Of course, this is also the huge profit of the military industry. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many powerful nations willing to sell their developed battleships. The profit brought by each battleship alone could build a large warship, and the profit of two battleships could even build a new battleship. Yukichiro Tamura naturally understands the cost of a battleship, especially the cost of a main battleship, which is almost within this range.

The plan Arthur promised to complete the construction of a battleship in a year and a half and the handover within two years is also very much in line with Yukichiro Tamura’s expectations.

The construction time of a battleship varies, but most of them are between half a year and a year and a half.

It also takes time for testing and sea trials after the battleship is launched, and along with the handover journey, the actual delivery time for a battleship might be up to two years later.

Particularly, the battleships ordered by the Island Nation from the United Kingdom take up to a year and a half to build, and with added testing and handover journeys, the actual delivery time may even be two and a half years later.

If it’s a normal period, waiting two and a half years would not be a problem. But the Island Nation is planning its next big move in the Far East, so the sooner the battleship can be delivered, the higher the chances of success for their operation.

“Your Highness, may I visit your country’s shipyard? If there are no problems, we are willing to order a battleship from your country,” Yukichiro Tamura tentatively asked.

“Of course, our shipyard is currently building the Australian Navy’s orders, the ‘Duke Arthur’ cruiser. If your country is interested, the Duke-class cruisers can also be sold to your country.” Arthur nodded and smiled.

Compared to the Brunswick-class battleship, the importance of the Duke-class cruiser is not as high.

Although it is currently the main warship of the Australian Navy, its actual role is just patrolling the coastline.

Since starting the naval expansion plan in mid-May, nearly six months have passed.

Under the guidance of German experts and the labor of a large number of Indigenous Peoples, the shipyard’s construction speed is quite fast.

In addition, the Australian Navy’s orders are all medium and small warships, and the maximum construction time for the Duke-class cruiser would not exceed seven months.

At this time, the shipyard is bustling. Three small escort ships have been completed and are about to start water trials.

The two larger cruisers are also in the final stage of construction and will be completed and launched in about a month, entering the real test phase.

With Arthur’s consent, Yukichiro Tamura, Toshiyuki Hirano, and the Island Nation’s diplomatic delegation entered the shipyard for a tour. They not only boarded the completed three small escort ships but also witnessed the construction process of the two Duke-class cruisers.

Originally, the Island Nation people had a certain degree of doubt about Australia’s battleship production capabilities, but when they saw the skilled workers in the Australian shipyard building the ships skillfully under German experts’ guidance and satisfied nods, they knew Arthur was not exaggerating.