Chapter 218: Naval Maneuver Warfare
The evolution of the British Navy is a curious tale of inventing new adversaries for itself. During World War I, the British Navy was undoubtedly the world's strongest, unrivaled in tonnage, numbers, and technology. From that pinnacle, it only needed to maintain its lead to remain unchallenged. Even if it had inventive ideas, these should have been quietly developed in secrecy.
But the British Navy's "spirit of progress" practically became a gift to its rivals.
Or perhaps it was a kind of insecurity, an odd preoccupation with whether a cheap, simple weapon might be developed that could take down their prized battleships. Thus, the torpedo boat was invented.
The French Navy, across the Channel and considerably weaker, had long been distressed over Britain's dominance: What if we can't keep up? The English Channel was only a hundred kilometers across, meaning British battleships could arrive on French shores within hours, wiping out the French fleet and leaving France open to siege from the sea. Such concerns raised uncomfortable questions:
Would France fall under British influence?
Would they lose control of their African colonies?
Would Britain cut off their sea trade?
Then Britain developed the torpedo boat, to the delight of the French Navy. They might not have battleships to match Britain's, but they could afford to build torpedo boats. So they built two hundred of them and continued to expand.
When the British Navy realized their mistake, they regretted it deeply. Their new invention made them vulnerable, as practically any country could build torpedo boats capable of threatening battleships. An unexpected strike could spell disaster, even for the mighty British fleet.
They had to come up with a solution for dealing with torpedo boats.
Thus, the "torpedo boat destroyer" was born.
Equipped with larger engines and faster than torpedo boats, these destroyers also carried primary and secondary artillery, which could defend battleships by driving off torpedo boats to a safer distance. They were relatively inexpensive, so their loss wasn't as severe. Additionally, destroyers carried their own torpedoes, giving them a fair chance against slower battleships.
With these new destroyers in place, the British Navy breathed a sigh of relief, confident they could now keep torpedo boats at bay.
What they could not have predicted, however, was that these workhorse "destroyers" would eventually replace battleships altogether in World War II.
"I still don't understand," Tijani mused after a pause, looking at Charles. "How could torpedo boat destroyers ever compete with battleships…in the future, I mean?"
"They don't have to fight battleships directly, General," Charles answered evenly. "As long as they're faster, battleships will never catch them. To a destroyer, a battleship might as well not exist."
Naval warfare was different from land warfare. On land, one could set ambushes, launch surprise attacks, and leverage roadways for defensive advantages. But on the open sea, speed was king; if you were fast enough, slow-moving battleships would simply fall behind, leaving their artillery useless.
That's why Britain produced battlecruisers alongside dreadnoughts. Battlecruisers sacrificed armor and firepower for speed, enabling them to pursue targets. But if destroyers could outpace even battlecruisers, they would be perfectly suited to maneuvers at sea.
(Author's Note: Most battleships at the time had a top speed of around 20-21 knots. Battlecruisers typically reached 25-26 knots, whereas the first destroyers clocked in at 27 knots, with later models exceeding 30 knots.)
Tijani remained skeptical. "But a destroyer would never be able to get close to a battleship…"
Charles cut him off. "Firstly, destroyers don't necessarily need to approach a battleship directly. Their higher speed and maneuverability allow them to outflank battleships. For instance, they could target ports without battleship protection, attack merchant ships, or even blockade sea routes."
Tijani's eyes widened as he grasped the concept, nodding slowly. He was reminded of Charles's tactic with the motorbike units, using speed to bypass strong enemy positions and attack weaker points.
After all, the enemy couldn't possibly deploy battleships or cruisers to guard every port and merchant convoy.
"So!" Tijani said, a light dawning in his eyes. "Our path forward is to continuously improve the torpedo boat destroyer. Equip it with advanced engines for speed, and enhance its firepower and armor!"
Charles nodded in approval—Tijani was catching on.
If no other ship could match the destroyer's speed, then the destroyer's main adversary would be other destroyers. Thus, to master maneuver warfare at sea, one should focus on boosting firepower, armor, and speed to outperform enemy destroyers.
Tijani was secretly pleased. Until now, he'd worried that Charles's talent in military technology might be limited to the army. If that were the case, his father would see little value in a lasting partnership with Charles. But now, with Charles's "third faction" concept, Tijani recognized an innovative and logical approach to naval warfare, one that might satisfy his father.
Barely containing his excitement, Tijani pressed on, "Major, from the way you talk, it sounds like there are other advantages to the torpedo boat destroyer?"
"Certainly," Charles replied. "The destroyer also carries torpedoes, essentially scaling up the capabilities of a torpedo boat. It can pose a real threat to battleships."
Tijani furrowed his brow. "That's difficult to imagine. Getting close enough during the day would be suicide. At night, even if it managed a sneak attack, visibility issues would make hitting the target uncertain. If they were spotted, there would be no escape. It seems nearly impossible."
"You're absolutely correct, General," Charles replied carefully, "but that's under current conditions. In the future, what if torpedoes had greater range and accuracy?"
Tijani's eyes widened in realization. He had never considered that possibility.
But now, it made sense. If torpedo technology advanced significantly, destroyers might be able to hit battleships from further away.
One day, if torpedoes had a range exceeding that of a battleship's artillery…
The more Tijani thought about it, the more it seemed feasible, and he couldn't contain a gasp. "By God, if torpedoes were advanced enough, battleships would be powerless against them. They could render battleships obsolete."
Charles gave a faint smile, tacitly agreeing.
In reality, Charles was subtly misleading Tijani. The true game-changer in naval warfare would be the airplane.
In Charles's mind, he envisioned bombers dropping torpedoes into the sea.
No destroyer, no matter how fast or well-planned, could match the efficiency of aircraft carrying torpedoes. Planes were fast, cheap, and could potentially sink a battleship with a single torpedo. What could be more cost-effective?
However…
Charles could develop aircraft, but he wasn't equipped to make advanced torpedoes.
That, he thought, would be up to Welles.
(End of chapter)
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