Republic of China: German-equipped divisions massacred as warlords guarded the nation's borders

Peace Hotel.

Fifteen days after Felix left.

Chen Zijun received an encrypted telegram.

The telegram was sent by Felix from the telegraph room of the German Far East Chamber of Commerce, using the encrypted channel within the Jewish Chamber of Commerce.

The telegram contained only three lines:

"Berlin has made contact with the first batch of targets. Retired submariners are easier to find than expected. The economy in Weimar is so bad that many people are drunk in pubs, and they're green with envy when they hear someone is offering them a thousand pounds to go back to their old ways. We expect to gather the first batch of fifty men within two weeks. They'll be sailing the Rotterdam route."

Chen Zijun put the telegram down.

Faster than expected.

it is good.

But having people isn't enough.

No matter how elite the personnel are, they are useless without boats.

He needs a place where submarines can be built.

Moreover, it cannot be Jiangnan Shipyard.

……

That night.

Jiangnan Shipyard. Factory Director's Office.

Liu Zhenliang stared at the dozen or so blueprints spread out on the table, his hands trembling.

He was a shipwright by trade. At sixteen, he entered the Fuzhou Shipyard to study, and after graduation, he served as chief engineer in the Beiyang Fleet until its collapse. He rose to the rank of vice admiral of engineering and then transferred to the Jiangnan Shipyard. He then worked his way up through most of the shipyard's jobs, starting as a riveter. He built gunboats and destroyers, but he never imagined—

One day he will see the blueprints for the submarine.

"U93 type... ocean-going submarine..." Liu Zhenliang's voice trembled. "Diesel-electric hybrid propulsion, underwater displacement of 830 tons, maximum diving depth of 50 meters, range of 9,000 nautical miles..."

He raised his head, his gaze intense.

"Commander Chen, where did you get this?"

"You don't need to know where it came from," Chen Zijun said calmly, sitting opposite him. "You just need to tell me if it's possible to build it."

Liu Zhenliang lowered his head and carefully flipped through a few more drawings.

The structural design of the hull keel, the steel specifications of the pressure hull, and the mechanical linkage device of the torpedo tubes.

Each one is a mature industrial drawing, with clear annotations, precise dimensions, and even the requirements for welding processes are clearly stated.

"It can be made."

Liu Zhenliang swallowed hard. "These drawings are very complete; they almost don't require any secondary design. As long as the steel and equipment arrive, we can start construction immediately."

"but--"

He suddenly stood up and walked to a map hanging on the wall.

"Commander Chen, I suggest we don't build it at the Jiangnan Shipyard."

Chen Zijun raised his eyebrows slightly.

Explain why.

Liu Zhenliang pointed to Shanghai on the map.

"First, it's too sensitive. Jiangnan Shipyard is now the largest military shipbuilding base in Shanghai, even in all of China. The British, the French, and the Japanese are all watching us. We've already made a big splash building destroyers; if we were to build submarines at the same time—"

His finger pointed towards the East China Sea.

"The Japanese Third Fleet is patrolling outside. Although their Special Higher Police suffered a setback in Shanghai, it doesn't mean their naval intelligence department is useless. Submarines must be built in an absolutely secretive environment. Once the news leaks out, the Japanese will spare no effort to bomb our shipyards."

Chen Zijun nodded.

"And the second one?"

"Secondly, we can't put all our eggs in one basket." Liu Zhenliang's tone became serious. "If Jiangnan Shipyard is simultaneously handling both destroyer and submarine production lines, and something unexpected happens—bombing, sabotage, or even a workers' strike—our entire naval plan will be ruined."

"Risk must be diversified. Surface ships and submarines must be built in two completely separate locations."

Chen Zijun leaned back in his chair, his gaze darkening.

Do you have a suitable place?

Liu Zhenliang moved his finger to the south of the map.

Fujian.

Fuzhou.

"Mawei Shipyard, Fuzhou Shipyard"

Chen Zijun's eyes lit up.

Mawei Shipyard? Fuzhou Shipyard?

How could we have overlooked them!

That was a shipyard founded by Zuo Zongtang and Shen Baozhen during the Self-Strengthening Movement in the late Qing Dynasty, the cradle of China's modern navy. Although it gradually declined during the decades of turmoil in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, its foundation was still there. The dock was still there, the gantry crane was still there, and most importantly, the technical expertise passed down by generations of shipbuilders was still there.

Moreover, Fujian is now Chen Jiajun's territory.

Zang Keping has just completed the peaceful takeover of the entire Fujian province.

"Mawei Shipyard," Chen Zijun repeated the name. "A good place."

"It's not just a good place," Liu Zhenliang said, becoming more and more excited. "Mawei's geographical location is more suitable for building submarines than Shanghai. The Minjiang River estuary has a complex terrain, with mountains on both sides, providing natural concealment. Moreover, Mawei is close to the open sea, so completed submarines can go out to sea directly from the Minjiang River estuary for sea trials, without having to go through such a long channel as the Huangpu River in Shanghai, where they would be watched."

"What about the technical aspects?"

"Although the Mawei Shipyard has declined, its foundation remains. The craftsmen there have been shipbuilding for generations; their skills are absolutely top-notch," Liu Zhenliang patted his chest. "I've transferred thirty technical experts from the Jiangnan Shipyard to lead the team, and they'll translate these German blueprints into Chinese construction drawings. Their director, Chen, is also a technically skilled leader; he's recruited many talented individuals from among the students who studied in the US. They have technical expertise in everything from submarines and aircraft to even seaplane carriers. Give them six months—"

He held up four fingers.

"With your support and sufficient funding, I guarantee Director Chen will be able to launch the first submarine within six months!"

Chen Zijun stood up.

He walked to the map, his gaze shifting back and forth between Shanghai and Fuzhou.

Shanghai, building destroyers.

Fuzhou, where submarines are built.

Both on and under the water, troops are being massed on two fronts.

The two shipyards are thousands of miles apart.

Even if one of them is destroyed by the enemy, the other can continue to function.

perfect.

"That's settled then." Chen Zijun slammed his hand on the table. "Starting tomorrow, draw people from the Jiangnan Shipyard. I'll have Zang Keping in Fuzhou make all the necessary preparations. Steel, equipment, and military rations will be shipped south directly from Shanghai."

"The first batch of German submarine veterans recruited by Felix were also sent directly to Fuzhou after they arrived."

Liu Zhenliang nodded heavily.

"yes!"

Chen Zijun turned and walked towards the door.

He suddenly stopped halfway through his walk.

"Old Master Liu..."

"exist."

"How's the progress on the destroyers at Jiangnan Shipyard?"

Liu Zhenliang revealed a confident smile.

"Reporting to the Commander. The second destroyer is 60% complete in its outfitting and is expected to be launched for sea trials by the end of next month. The keel of the third destroyer has also been laid."

Chen Zijun did not turn around.

But Liu Zhenliang noticed that his back straightened up slightly.

"it is good."

He pushed open the door and stepped into the night.

……

The sound of a ship's horn came from the direction of the dock.

The Huangpu River is ablaze with lights.

Chen Zijun stood at the gate of the shipyard and looked up at the dark East China Sea.

The cruisers of the Japanese Third Fleet are still there.

Like a pack of vicious dogs crouching at the door.

But what the vicious dogs didn't know was that in the unseen depths of the water, a group of hunters even more terrifying than themselves were about to be born.

"Just wait..."

Chen Zijun said in a low voice.