"Everyone is standing attentive! Lift the gun... load it... let it go!"

The crisp and pleasant ferry guns have similar effects to the firecrackers in the Eastern countries. On the dock where the Russian naval sail training ship "Sabre", forty Russian sailors in white uniforms lined up in neat teams. Listening to the officer's command, they calmly retreated and loaded the bullets, and then raised the rifles in their hands diagonally.

A faint smoke filled the gunshot with the sound of gunfire.

In the same white uniform and uniform military appearance, the German naval cadets from afar walked past the Russian sailors in steady and agile steps and boarded the old-fashioned warship, which was much older than them. Unlike the rumors about the hygiene of Russian ships, the decks here are clean, the ropes and sailing tools are arranged in an orderly manner. What is even more surprising is that there are actually bore guns on the ship, and the Russians were seriously equipped with barrel gunpowder and solid projectiles. Unfortunately, the sailors were holding the Mosinggana 1891. If they were replaced with flintlock rifles, the warships could reproduce the naval scene a hundred years ago to the world without dressing up.

As a group of popular guests, German naval cadets were allowed to visit this sailing warship at will. In fact, except for some Russian structures and decorations, the Saber and Charlotte were not much different. When other cadets were interested in observing the borebore gun or fiddling with Mosin rifles, Natsuki's attention was focused on the human side. On this Russian training ship, many officers and most sailors were young, with a somewhat childish face that looked at at most sixteen.

Seven years old. Natsuki asked the Russian officers beside him in a casual tone, and the explanation was that the new sailors who were currently trained on the ship were all new sailors who joined the army that year. It seems that the Russian Navy may have learned from the mistakes. Before the new warships are in place, they will first start with the structure and quality of the troops, eliminate those old people who have been with the navy for many years, inject fresh blood and train strictly. If this is true, the decay of the Russian Navy can be completely eliminated, and at least the combat effectiveness can be effectively improved.

In a conversation with Russian ship officers, Natsuki intentionally mentioned two important naval battles in the Russo-Japanese War: the Japanese sneak attack on Lushun and the world-shocked Tsuma naval battle. When talking about the past of those defeats, the Russian officers were not in a high mood, but did not deliberately avoid it. The older officers were more willing to put the responsibility for the failure on the generals who had been killed or were judged. It was their negligence and wrong judgment that ruined the lives of thousands of officers and soldiers. If time could be reversed, if General Maklov, who had outstanding ability, did not die from a thunder, the Russian Navy would be able to reverse and win.

In contrast, young Russian officers tend to blame the failure on objective factors, that is, the technical and tactical gap between the two navies. They feel that the Russian navy's ship design concept and fleet tactical theory have lagged behind the times. Although the Japanese navy is cunning and hateful, they are indeed ahead of the Russian navy in many ways.

Failure is not scary, what is scary is that we cannot learn from failure. After the signing of the Treaty of Portsmouth, Russia vowed from top to bottom to strengthen its country, strengthen its army, and avenge its shame. However, it has been nearly a year since the armistice, and the overall plan for the Russian Navy to revitalize its military has been delayed. The young officers have expressed a lot of dissatisfaction in their words. They feel that the fiscal deficit should not be a reason to delay the reconstruction of the navy. What makes them feel gratified is that the bloated and inefficient sea

The military headquarters was finally streamlined and reorganized. The post of admiral who was usually held by royal relatives was laid off. The new Navy Secretary Bizhilev became the actual manager of this department. The economic and military supplies of the navy were unified by the Director-General. In order to improve the naval strategy and combat command level, the Russian Navy also established a staff department, and most of the selected young officers were well-educated and motivated, which brought positive changes to the Russian Navy.

The conversation with Russian officers gave Natsuki a further understanding of this naval force. Looking at the historical sites, the Slavic nation has risen and fall for two thousand years, and its true peak was actually in the Soviet Union after World War II. Before that, whether it was Ross or Russia, their country had never been able to become a world-class power. Even under the rule of Peter the Great and Ekaterina the Great, the Russian army still lost more than it won. In the Nordic region, they were suppressed by their neighbor Sweden for a long time and were not able to turn over until the 18th century; in the Eurasian junction, they were defeated several times by

The Ottoman Empire did not have some commendable victory in the 19th century. However, its vast territory, huge population and abundant minerals gave the country its innate industrial potential. With the development of industry, these natural advantages gradually emerged. Therefore, when signing an alliance treaty with France, the Russians had the confidence to describe their country as a "steam roller". Millions of strong, tamed, obedient, and ready to die were used by guns and cannons made by modern industry. Such an army was enough to flatten any line of defense and sweep any country!

During the First World War in history, the Russian army left many people with the impression of corruption and chaos, lack of guns and artillery, and low morale. Every time they fought with the German army, they were hundreds of thousands of casualties and prisoners. Their greatest role seemed to be to create a breeding ground for domestic revolution, but it was not. The Russian army had both catastrophic failures in East Prussia, Germany, and the glory of the Austro-Hungarian army in Galicia and Bukovina. Even if they suffered heavy casualties, they could still organize large-scale attacks again and again. If not, the German army would have concentrated all their efforts on the Western Front, and the war would have ended in 1915 with the failure of the Allies.

It is precisely based on his understanding of these historical facts that Natsuki has never underestimated this potential opponent with slow mobilization but terrible power. It is true that the limited strength of the Russian Navy is difficult to make the German Navy passive in fighting on both sides like the army, but in a comprehensive war of modern mode, the land, sea and air battlefields do not exist in isolation. They should complement each other and support each other. Therefore, Natsuki's several important ideas include the German Navy's offensive actions in the Baltic Sea. No matter what opportunity it takes to implement it, it will inevitably have a face-to-face battle with these Russian soldiers.

Amid the sound of the old-fashioned bore gun, the morning visit and exchange came to an end. After lunch, German naval cadets lined up to the St. Petersburg Naval Academy. In fact, before the end of the 17th century, Russia was basically an inland country, and it only gained a real sea outlet in the hands of the talented and powerful Peter the Great. The establishment of St. Petersburg, the establishment of the Russian Navy, and the founding of the Naval Academy, were concentrated in the first three years of the 18th century. After more than two hundred years of storms, St. Petersburg has become the most dazzling pearl in the entire Nordic region, and the Russian Navy has once ranked among the top three in the world. St. Petersburg Naval Academy has also accumulated a great reputation. It is currently the best naval academy in Nordic countries. Many officers and generals in the Russian Navy come from this.

Compared with the magnificent buildings in the city of St. Petersburg, this famous Russian naval institution has a very ordinary appearance. It has no magnificent exterior walls. A circle of three-story buildings enclosed the inner courtyard square. However, the interior furnishings of these buildings are quite exquisite. The decorations on the walls and the sides of the aisles are mainly embodied in various shapes of relief and exquisite oil paintings, which fully and vividly depict the more than 200-year history of the Russian Baltic fleet from its establishment to the present. The victory of the Battle of Cape Hanko, the Battle of Erser and the Battle of Grengam allowed the Russians to gain a firm foothold in the Baltic Sea. After seven years of war and the Russian-Turkish War, the Russian Navy finally defeated its strong rival Sweden in the Battle of Vyborg, thus establishing its position as a maritime power.

During the entire visit, the Russian officers accompanied him always maintained a passionate attitude and were always patient in answering questions from the German students. With Natsuki's knowledge and experience, it is not difficult to see that the Russian attitude is by no means a polite routine, but a kindness from the heart. This is in a strong contrast with Russia's actual status in the European political landscape. The two alliance agreements in 1895 and 1904 allowed Russia to stand in the British and French camps against Germany and Australia. Ironically, during the Russo-Japanese War, the Russian fleet was far away from each other.

The expedition was blocked by Britain and the French also showed their ugly faces of changing their minds. During the most difficult voyage of the Russian fleet, only German colonial officials ignored the pressure of British public opinion and opened the supply of coal, fresh water, food and other supplies to the Russian fleet, and provided them with news of the war situation from the Far East. After the war, the Russian naval officers and soldiers who were released and repatriated brought back their experiences and experiences. The simple gratitude could not change the country's political stance, but it could make many people remember it in their lives.

At the initiative of Xia Shu, the Kiel Naval Academy formulated the "Friendship of Football" activity theme for the voyage training of the 1904 cadets. In short, every time they visit and exchange, the cadets will hold a football match with the country's naval or naval academy teams to enhance the friendship and connection between the two sides. When encountering a country that has not played football at all, German cadets will hold an exhibition match. During the visit to Karlskruna, the German cadets played a wonderful game with the team composed of Swedish naval officers and soldiers. The visiting team finally won a small goal. Xia Shu, who was in a confinement room, was unfortunately absent and could only imagine the scene of the game through the description of his companions.

In the Russian mainland, many people have never heard of football, but at coastal ports, foreign sailors have allowed locals to see the charm of this modern sports very early. After the tour, before dinner, the German Kiel Naval Academy led by Navy Suk and the Russian Naval Academy team of St. Petersburg were having a discussion on a large lawn nearby. Although the venue was very irregular, the Germans who were very careful in doing things brought jerseys, shorts, socks and sneakers from the training ships. Some of the Russian students wore leather shoes, while some were barefoot. At first, they all wore blue and white horizontal navy shirts, so the weather was hot, and they became shirtless one after another.

With professional equipment, specialized training, and rich game experience, the Kiel Naval Academy football team is not only the leader in the Naval League, but also a first-class team in Germany. The students who sailed with the Charlotte included more than half of the team's main players, and their strength was unquestionable. At the end of the half, they had already achieved a 10-3 lead, but they also paid a considerable price for these goals. The "barefoot team" of the St. Petersburg Naval Academy has incorporated a large number of "Grabi" elements into their football style (Grabi is rugby, derived from a sport of football, which was also created by the British and was widely popular in many countries by the late 19th century). Body collisions are everywhere, and various fouls are common. Xia Shu is a prince, and Russian students stay away from him, but their companions are frightened. When they rested at halftime, many students' legs, feet, waists and backs are already green and purple.

In a friendly exchange attitude, Natsuki was not angry on the court, but kept reminding his opponents of football rules that he should abide by. After the game, he asked his Russian-speaking companions to file a formal protest against the other party. In the second half, the Russian students gave up their rough movements and lost control of the scene. The game completely turned into a pass-by and shot performance by German students. Twenty minutes before the end of the game, Natsuki let his companions replace him and sit on the sidelines without doing anything.

This lawn temporarily used for football matches is quite large. In addition to onlookers, most of the officers and sailors in uniforms are active around them. Occasionally, some women are probably also families of soldiers. Corresponding to the St. Petersburg Naval Academy building complex, it is said to be the location of the new Russian Navy staff, where the best young officers of the Russian Navy gather. Their youthful vitality and intelligent minds are the hope for the revival of this navy.

"His Royal Highness Prince Joachim?"

Hearing the German with a slightly weird tone, Natsuki turned her head and greeted him from behind a Russian officer. He was wearing a clean and straight lieutenant uniform, with his angry eyebrows and anger unconsciously giving people a sense of fierceness. The scars on his forehead made him even heavier this temperament, and his friendly smile seemed real.

"Andre Denisov? Hey, it's you!"

The moment he recognized the other person, Xia Shu couldn't help but sigh: The foreshadowing of life is sometimes deep and sometimes shallow.

After shaking hands vigorously, the young Russian officer who had studied at the Kiel Naval Academy and was embarrassed when he left without travel expenses and said with a smile: "You probably think I'm buried in the far east!"

"Ha, I've really been worried that way! Thank goodness, you look pretty good, are you still going back to Kiel to finish your studies?"

Denisov shrugged: "They called me into the newly formed Naval Staff, which was much better than I thought, and I can't miss this opportunity."

It seems that this friendly investment hit a potential stock, Xia Shu thought. Although he is not sure that the other party will definitely use it for him, this is still a very valuable clue.

"You have learned the essence of us, and you can fully understand the rest of the courses in practice. No matter what, congratulations!"

"Thank you!" Denisov looked at the running figures on the grass. "Your football skills are wonderful, but unfortunately our young men are not good at this."

When Xia Shu saw the old acquaintance, she had already lost her depression. He suggested: "Maybe we can find a place to have a drink and have a good chat."

Denisov thought for a while: "There is still a business to do later. I know where your warships are parked. I can go to you at 8 o'clock or 8:30 tonight. Can I?"

"Of course." Natsuki replied.

"Okay, we'll see you in the evening." Denisov smiled politely, "It's an honor to see you again!"
Chapter completed!