AWB Chapter 541 Boarding the Ship! A True Shock
Chapter 541 Boarding the Ship! A True Shock
"Welcome aboard, gentlemen!" Williams, a red-faced man in his fifties, spoke in a booming voice with a Texas accent. "It is my honor to show our friends in Lanfang the pride of the American Navy!"
Chen Feng shook hands with him: "We are looking forward to it."
The tour began at the bow. Captain Williams enthusiastically explained the design features of the USS Arizona: the new "all or nothing" armor protection concept, the advanced steam turbine propulsion system, and the power of its twelve 356mm main guns.
"Each gun can fire armor-piercing shells weighing up to 635 kilograms, capable of penetrating 300 millimeters of armor at a range of 18000 yards!" Williams proudly patted the turret's base. "This is one of the most powerful naval firepower in the world!"
The Lanfang officers listened attentively, nodding occasionally. But if you observed closely, you would notice something subtly unnatural—
Captain Li Zhenhua stood at the back of the crowd, struggling to control his facial muscles. As a pilot, although he wasn't a warship design expert, he had at least spent two years aboard the "Huaihe." The turret before him, in terms of size, structure, and gun caliber, was clearly smaller than the "Huaihe's" 380mm L52 gun. Yet, he had to feign an expression of utter astonishment.
Lieutenant Colonel Zhao Zhiqiang, the gunnery officer beside him, was even more overwhelmed. As a professional, he immediately recognized the limitations of the USS Arizona's fire control system—it primarily relied on optical rangefinders and mechanical computers, completely lacking any concept of radar fire control. But at this moment, he had to get close to those devices and offer just the right amount of praise:
"The baseline length of this rangefinder is really good... The integration of the computing device is very high... A remarkable design."
His tone was very sincere, if you ignored the slight twitching at the corner of his mouth.
Colonel Williams, completely oblivious to these details, was absorbed in the excitement of the demonstration: "Come, gentlemen, please follow me to the bridge. Our command system uses the latest communication equipment..."
The tour continued. At each stop, the Lanfang officers displayed appropriate interest and admiration. When they saw the enormous steam turbines in the engine room, Major Liu Ming, a former chief engineer, almost blurted out, "The thermal efficiency is probably only about 25%!" Fortunately, he quickly corrected himself, saying, "Such a massive power system must require extremely skilled maintenance!"
The most awkward moment occurred in the officers' mess. Williams showcased the ship's living facilities, particularly emphasizing the superior food standards of the Maryka Navy: "We are guaranteed fresh vegetables and meat every day, and ice cream is also available!"
Several young Lanfang officers exchanged glances. On the "Huaihe," they had a dedicated cold storage for food, an ample supply of fresh water from a desalination system, and even a small entertainment room where movies could be shown. But at this moment, they could only applaud in envy.
Wang Wenwu walked beside Chen Feng and said in a low voice in Chinese, "I can't hold it in any longer."
Chen Feng remained unfazed and responded in Chinese: "Stick to this. This is diplomacy."
The entire tour lasted an hour and a half. When they finally reached the flight deck—where an old Curtiss seaplane was parked—Li Zhenhua couldn't help but ask a technical question: "Colonel, what is the maximum range of this aircraft? What about its payload?"
Williams paused for a moment: "Well... the specific parameters need to be checked in the manual. But its main function is reconnaissance."
Li Zhenhua nodded and didn't ask any more questions. What he was thinking was: the AR-1 has 1.5 times the range of this one, is faster, and can carry two 100-kilogram bombs.
At the end of the visit, Colonel Williams shook hands with Chen Feng, a satisfied smile on his face: "I hope this visit has given you a deeper understanding of the strength of the Mexican Navy!"
"I'm very impressed," Chen Feng said with a smile. "Thank you for your warm hospitality."
After descending the gangway and boarding the transport boat back to the dock, the Lanfang officers finally relaxed. Someone chuckled first, and then several others couldn't help but laugh as well.
"My face is about to cramp!" Li Zhenhua rubbed his cheek.
Lieutenant Colonel Zhao Zhiqiang shook his head: "The hardest part is resisting the urge to point out the problems with their fire control system. Those mechanical computers... we stopped using them five years ago."
Chen Feng looked at his subordinates but didn't stop them from relaxing. He knew that the past hour and a half had probably been more tiring for them than a live-fire exercise.
"Everyone did a great job," he concluded. "Remember, respecting others is respecting yourself. When they come back for a follow-up visit this afternoon, be sure to demonstrate genuine professionalism."
"Yes, sir!" the officers answered in unison.
The transport boat headed towards the "Huaihe". Under the sunlight, the huge warship was quietly moored at the dedicated dock. Its dark gray hull, set against the azure sea and white dock, resembled a sleeping steel behemoth.
The beautiful women who are about to board the ship will witness for the first time what a technological gap truly means.
At 3:30 p.m., the delegation from Meilika boarded the transport boat and headed towards the "Huaihe".
Vice Admiral Rodman stood at the bow, his eyes fixed on the approaching giant ship beneath the brim of his white military cap. Behind him were thirty officers from the Milwaukee Navy, including heads of major departments of the Pacific Fleet, technical experts, and the captains of the USS Arizona and USS Oklahoma.
"Gentlemen," Rodman said without turning around, his voice calm but clear, "remember our purpose: observe, learn, evaluate. Remain professional, and don't show excessive surprise. But... record everything you see."
"Yes, General," the officers replied.
The transport boat approached the gangway of the "Huaihe". Looking up from the water, the warship's scale was even more awe-inspiring. The hull height above the waterline exceeded fifteen meters, and the gangway appeared to hang from a cliff. The welded seams of the armor plates were almost invisible, and the surface treatment was astonishing.
Captain Zhang Haitao was already waiting at the gangway. Today he was wearing a brand-new white summer military uniform, the gold captain's badge on his shoulder straps gleaming.
"General Rodman, welcome aboard." His English was fluent, with a slight accent from his training in Germany.
"Captain Zhang, thank you for your hospitality."
Handshakes, salutes, and then a brief boarding ceremony. The first wave of impact began as the officers from the Meilika ship stepped onto the deck of the "Huaihe".
The deck wasn't made of traditional teak planks, but rather of steel plates with a non-slip coating, as smooth as an industrial workshop floor. All the mooring bollards, hatch covers, and ventilation hoods were designed with extreme simplicity, devoid of any superfluous decoration. All pipes and cables were neatly bundled in dedicated channels, rather than left exposed.