The Fox of France

Chapter 311: A Visit

The preparations for military exercises still required some time, but wasn't the USS America idle for now? Since it was, why not send her for a friendly visit to a certain targeted country? With a command from Napoleon, the French Foreign Ministry initiated contact with the British, proposing that both countries enhance mutual understanding and deepen their friendship and trust. Each navy would dispatch a warship to the other for a cordial visit. The French expressed their intention to send the USS America as the "messenger of friendship" to Britain. During this time, the amiable British citizens could board the USS America, guided by relevant personnel, to learn about the details of the French warship. Some lucky spectators might even get a chance to simulate operating certain equipment.

When Prime Minister Addington got wind of this proposal from the French, he was taken aback. He immediately called upon the ministers of the Navy and Foreign Affairs for consultation. They unanimously perceived it as a French display of power.

"So, shall we decline their visit?" inquired Prime Minister Addington.

"How could we? That would make us look timid," retorted the Minister of the Navy. "Moreover, it's the USS America, and it's indeed unusual. We do wish to examine this ship closely."

"What's so special about this ship?" the Prime Minister asked.

"It's a steam-powered patrol ship, though labeled as such, it's the size of a second-rate battleship. It's equipped with relatively fewer cannons. Recently, it engaged in two battles with the American navy in the Caribbean. It either captured, sank, or severely damaged an American vessel in each encounter, nearly decimating half of the American navy in one go."

"Ha-ha-ha, those rebels, their entire navy comprises only six vessels," chuckled Prime Minister Addington. However, noticing the lack of laughter from the Minister of the Navy, he inquired, "Why? A second-rate battleship—even if they call it a patrol ship—sinking three patrol ships, isn't that normal?"

"Your Excellency, the issue is that the American three patrol ships are also vessels nearly the size of second-rate battleships. In a certain sense, they are similar to the French USS America, sacrificing some firepower for increased speed. These ships are not primarily meant for battles in the line of battle; they are designed for attacking supply lines. Most of our warships, those that can beat them, are mostly unable to outrun them, and those that can outrun them, cannot defeat them."

"According to our observations during the USS America's second battle with the Americans, none of our ships could outrun her, and the USS America could sail all the way to the Caribbean, showing remarkable endurance."

"Are our recently developed steamships with propellers also inferior to her?"

"Unfortunately, Your Excellency, yes. Our propellers suffer a drastic efficiency drop and intense vibration at high speeds. We haven't entirely resolved this issue yet. So, currently, our ships haven't achieved the speed of the USS America."

"Furthermore, based on our accounts of the USS America's second battle, besides speed, there are two other surprising aspects. One is her firepower. While she only has nine cannons on each side, during actual combat, the number of shells fired per unit time is almost on par with a third-rate battleship. If a ship can reach a speed of 15 knots, and that's without relying on wind power, and still possess such firepower— it's truly formidable. If the reports are accurate, our entire navy, including the HMS Victory, currently lacks a vessel that can defeat the USS America in combat."

"Not even the HMS Victory?"

"Yes, Prime Minister. Due to her speed advantage, she can easily take a position. This makes the HMS Victory's firepower advantage relatively less effective."

"Ah, I see. You mentioned the first surprising aspect of that ship was its cannon's firing rate. What about the other one?"

"It's her defense. Our observers noted that both sides exchanged fire at a close range, yet not one of the American cannons managed to penetrate the USS America's hull. All their shells bounced off the USS America's hull. Later, from information acquired from the Americans, they even suspected that the USS America might be a genuine ironclad ship."

"So, you wish to take this opportunity to visit that ship?"

"Yes, Prime Minister."

"Very well then, I have no objection. In any case, we can't afford to show weakness to the French, can we? But then, which ship should we send to visit France?"

While the decision about which ship to send needed careful consideration, since the French dared to showcase their most advanced warship to the British, would the British dare to show timidity? Moreover, the French media had already begun to hype this event.

The Scientific Truth Gazette was the first to disclose this news. In its typical style of short news with huge implications, the front page used only two lines: "The French Navy's USS America, a steam-powered cruiser, will conduct a friendly visit to London on May 10. Citizens are welcome aboard for visits."

Placed on the front page without further explanation, it easily grabbed readers' attention. However, this alone wasn't sufficient. Following this, the London Businessman published an article asserting that the USS America's visit signified the continuous elevation of strategic mutual trust between England and France. This friendly visit, it claimed, would further enhance mutual understanding, thereby strengthening the hard-earned peace and friendship between the two nations.

However, at this point, the significant newspapers in England had yet to weigh in. At most, they merely republished related news without further commentary. It was the smaller publications that covered the matter, with their basic content summarized as follows: "The Royal Navy is virtuous, while the French Navy is deplorable."

These smaller reports from the British seemed to displease the French. Subsequently, the Sun Newspaper (English Edition) comprehensively introduced this groundbreaking French warship. It covered everything, from its propulsion system to its astonishing capabilities. Essentially, although the Sun Newspaper didn't explicitly state it, the implication was clear: "This ship could easily overpower any vessel in the Royal Navy in a one-on-one confrontation."

However, the exaggerated coverage in the Sun Newspaper (English Edition) irked many Britons. Consequently, numerous British tabloids began to counter, mocking the unreliable boasting in the Sun Newspaper's coverage. The claims of revolutionary technology increasing cannon firing speed four to five times and enabling the USS America, equipped with only nine cannons on each side, to possess firepower comparable to a battleship were dismissed as baseless.

As for the notion of increasing cannon firing speed four to five times, considering that the French navy's cannons originally fired more than half slower than those of the British, coupled with their smaller size (approximately 110mm in caliber, roughly equivalent to 12 pounds), it seemed audacious to mount 12-pound cannons on a warship. Just look at the caliber of cannons on our British warships!

Overall, despite the clamor, the noise level wasn't too high. At least, the more substantial and weighty media outlets refrained from joining the fray. Some among them, privy to certain insider information, chose not to come forward at this time, only to be contradicted by reality a few days later. Generally, the people of this era were relatively straightforward. Although they lied, deceived, and stole, they were at least somewhat hesitant to label it as a constant pursuit of glory. They wouldn't concoct jokes like someone claiming one day that nobody would die and the next day stating that if fewer than 100,000 died, it showed how capable they were.

Ultimately, this wasn't due to the moral superiority of the people of this era, but rather because the poor in this era lacked education. Education served two purposes: one to enlighten, and the other to make people more foolish than the uneducated. In the latter aspect, the education of this era differed significantly from later times, so in this age, establishing a beautiful new world was impossible.

As for the major newspapers that didn't have access to special information, their silence stemmed from their belief that engaging in squabbles with tabloids was beneath their dignity and didn't align with the United Kingdom's elegant demeanor.

The British were exceedingly confident in their navy. One way this confidence manifested was their indifference to criticism and their willingness to acknowledge others' merits. To them, what others perceived as strengths and progress were akin to an elementary student scoring full marks. "Wow, the little one is so smart, so excellent. Here, have a lollipop."

However, if they suddenly discovered that the others hadn't achieved full marks in an elementary exam but rather secured top marks in a higher institution, their emotions might change. It was like the situation between the Red Hare Country, which initially had a significant gap compared to the Beacon Country, and how the Beacon Country held a much better opinion of the Red Hare Country. Once the Red Hare Country's GDP approached that of the Beacon Country, the situation completely changed, and the giant panda immediately turned into a ferocious dragon.

On May 10th, the USS America docked at a pier in London Harbor.