latelenovela Chapter 477: Construction of a 10,000-ton Dock
Chapter 477: Construction of a 10,000-ton Dock
The air in Yangon's port area is filled with the unique aroma of salty seawater, the slightly acidic smell of rust, and the blend of fresh wood and paint. Zhang Chi's convoy drove past the somewhat dilapidated colonial warehouse area and finally stopped in front of the gate of a significantly expanded factory area under active construction.
Through the car window, Zhang Chi saw the newly welded words "Yangon Shipyard of the Nanyang Republic" above the gate shining in the sun.
The news of preparing to establish the country had already spread, and his inspection tour to the south this time was intended to inspect the construction conditions in various places while informing them in advance.
I just didn't expect that some people couldn't wait any longer.
Factory director Li Zhenbang, who had been waiting here for a long time, quickly came forward to greet him.
He is now over fifty years old. When he was born, Emperor Guangxu was in power. When he entered the Jiangnan Shipyard at the age of 16, Yuan Shikai was preparing to restore the monarchy and become the Hongxian Emperor.
More than half a century has passed by in his life, leaving only dark and rough skin and fingers with thick joints. It is obvious that he is an expert who has been dealing with mechanical equipment for many years.
He was originally the workshop director of the Jiangnan Shipyard, and later became the deputy director of the Irrawaddy River First Shipyard. Because of his excellent technical skills and outstanding management ability, he was personally appointed by Zhang Chi to preside over the reconstruction and upgrading of the Yangon Shipyard.
"General Zhang, you have worked hard along the way!" Li Zhenbang said in a loud voice, with the boldness unique to shipbuilders.
He was followed by several core engineers and two foreigners with brown hair and blue eyes wearing oil-stained work clothes (Italians or Romans mainly had black or brown hair, and blond hair was a characteristic of Germans and Scandinavians).
The two foreigners were none other than Luigi Ferrara and Giuseppe Mattia, senior consultants from Italy who came from the Irrawaddy Shipyard No. 1 to provide on-site guidance.
"Director Li, thank you for your hard work."
Zhang Chi returned the greeting, his eyes passing over the people in front of him and looking at the busy scene in the factory.
The huge gantry crane moved slowly on the track, the roar of the pile driver was deafening, and the arcs of electric welding flashed one after another beside the newly built dock foundation pit.
"General, please follow me and I will report to you as we go." Li Zhenbang led Zhang Chi deeper into the factory, his tone full of pride and enthusiasm.
"This area before you used to be the small shipyard left behind by John," Li Zhenbang said, pointing to several small, old docks in the distance. "Before the war, they only repaired small coastal freighters and fishing boats weighing a few hundred tons. The docks were pitifully small, and the equipment was very old."
He changed the subject and pointed to the huge, dusty excavation pit in the distance, his voice suddenly rising:
"But after we took over, we set our sights on Yangon. With its back to the mainland and facing the Andaman Sea, it's a vital gateway to and from the Andaman Sea.
Commander-in-Chief, your vision is impeccable, so our expansion plan must start from a high point."
"For the first phase of the project," Li Zhenbang stretched out a thick finger and gestured vigorously in the air, "We will directly start a 10,000-ton dry dock. There will also be two 5,000-ton dry docks.
This scale is more than enough to build a 10,000-ton ship, not to mention repairing it."
His face was beaming with excitement. "The old factory (Irrawaddy First Shipyard) has laid a solid foundation. We've brought in many skilled engineers and experienced workers, and recruited many talented locals. We're working day and night. Look at that foundation pit! The foundation for the 10,000-ton dock is almost in place."
Zhang Chi looked at the massive foundation pit and nodded with satisfaction, "Good progress. We have the slipway, but where are the tools to build a large ship? You can't build a 10,000-ton ship with just hammers and rivets."
"Haha, General, you hit the nail on the head." Li Zhenbang laughed and led Zhang Chi to a newly built steel structure factory building with a high roof next to it.
"We can't wear new shoes and repeat the same old ways. The precious foreign exchange you approved, as well as the quotas we obtained through 'friendly negotiations' with the White Eagles, have all been spent wisely."
The factory door was open, and inside were many heavy equipment that had just been unpacked and exuded the smell of new engine oil neatly placed.
The two Italian engineers who had been following behind quickly stepped forward and excitedly introduced themselves in the Angsa language with a strong Italian accent. Li Zhenbang translated and supplemented the information simultaneously.
Li Zhenbang first introduced:
"General, these two are Mr. Luigi Ferrara and Mr. Giuseppe Mattia. They were formerly senior engineers at the Ansaldo Shipyard in Genoa and the Adriatic United Shipyard in Trieste, respectively. They are technical experts who have been 'courtesy hired' by us."
Zhang Chi understood clearly that it was he who initiated the plan of sending synths to Europe to recruit talents after Italy's defeat.
Apart from anything else, these old Romans were quite skilled in shipbuilding, food, and art design.
Just the latest uniform of the Anmin Army officers on Zhang Chi was designed by a fashion designer from Italy. It is planned to be reorganized into the standard uniform of the Nanyang National Defense Force after the founding of the country.
Unlike the SS uniforms designed by Hans Hugo Boss, which emphasized authority and used elements such as stiff collars and eagle emblems, the Italian design is more inclined towards the relaxed elegance of the Mediterranean style, with a slim single-breasted design as the whole.
Taking into account the hot climate of Southeast Asia, heavy woolen materials were eliminated and replaced with linen-silk blended fabrics to maintain the upright silhouette while enhancing breathability.
Abandoning the oppressive stand-up collar, in order to give the neck a more comfortable experience, a comfortable lapel design is adopted with golden palm leaf embroidered piping (pictured).
Finally, the color is light khaki, with a deep peacock blue piping that symbolizes the ocean, and the gold-plated copper buckle is engraved with a tiger head pattern.
While pairing it with the traditional big hat, Italian designers also did not forget their traditional Italian boat-shaped soft hat (bustina).
However, after the generals were issued new uniforms, the Italian boat-shaped soft hat encountered a lot of negative reviews. (Picture)
Hao Yi even said bluntly: "This thing has a weird aesthetic, I can't appreciate it."
Zhang Chi patted his military uniform and brushed off the dust, then looked at the Italian engineer in front of him.
Luigi enthusiastically pointed to a complex machine covered in hydraulic lines and giant rollers:
"General, please look. This is the latest model of the LCO-1000 fully automatic submerged arc welding machine from White Eagle Linde. Its power and stability are unmatched. With it, we can achieve long-distance, high-quality, and high-efficiency automatic welding of hull steel plates.
This is definitely the most advanced equipment currently. Even at the Adriatic United Shipyard where I worked before, workers mainly used manual welding.
Even the battleship Roma we built only used welding technology for the interior of the hull and the armor belt, while the rest of the parts were riveted."
Speaking of Italy's pride, the Vittorio Veneto-class battleship Roma, Luigi and Giuseppe's eyes were red.
What a beautiful ship it was, but it was bombed into the seabed by two "Fritz-X" radio-guided bombs launched by former ally Hans from a Do 217 bomber.
It's such a tragedy!