Domestic News:
January 1903:
- Kiangnan Shipyard proposal ACR1903-K accepted, laid down as
Nan Chen.
March 1903:
- Naval Minister announces postponement of
Nan Chen commissioning ceremony due to "inadequate stocks of champagne." Experts are sceptical, suspect Navy of concealing construction delays.
- Armaments industry announces development of modern 10" naval rifle.
May 1903:
-
Pan Chao commissions, reportedly exceeds design speed on trials.
June 1903:
-
Hai An, second
Nan Chen-class cruiser, laid down at Kiangnan Shipyard.
- Rumors of breakup of French spy ring by Chinese counterintelligence sets off furor in press, Naval Minister pushes Foreign Office to send strongly-worded protest to French Government.
July 1903:
- Admirals commanding the Beiyang and Nanyang Fleets voice support for renewal of technology sharing arrangement with Russia.
August 1903:
-
Pan Chao finishes working up.
- Armaments industry announces new, safer naval shells.
September 1903:
- Naval Minister to Chinese steel industry: "Navy not a tool for increasing profits."
October 1903:
-
Lei Chung, lead ship of
Lei Chung class of oceangoing torpedo boats, explodes under mysterious circumstances while visiting concession port at Weihaiwei. Amidst storm of accusations of British perfidy, Naval Minister calls for calm, announces 'impartial' investigation into loss and says
Cheng Ho-class cruisers will be dispatched for 'goodwill visits' to French imperial possessions in West Africa, the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean. Experts say
Cheng Ho-class cruisers clearly designed for commerce raiding, suggest this is thinly-veiled deployment of cruisers to war stations.
November 1903:
- Investigators announce
Lei Chung lost to explosion of coal dust in bunkers, absolve British of any wrongdoing.
Cheng Ho-class cruisers begin returning to home waters from 'goodwill tours.'
December 1903:
- 15,000t slipways at Kiangnan Shipyard complete; Naval Minister announces new dock expansion to catch up with Japan.
January 1904:
- Treasury auditors speaking on condition of anonymity say ¥1M missing from naval coffers after foreign press say Naval Minister purchased Caribbean villa. When asked for comment, Naval Minister says villa 'well within personal means,' promises accounting reforms and fires naval accountants again.
February 1904:
- Renewed press accusations of British wrongdoing in loss of
Lei Chung lead to rise in tensions with Great Britain; Naval Minister announces all eight
Cheng Ho-class cruisers to be dispatched on 'world tour.'
April 1904:
- Naval Minister announces end of 'world tours' for
Cheng Ho-class cruisers, citing incident involving Chinese conscript sailors in French Algerian port city of Mers el Kebir as reason for 'early termination' of cruise. Coincidentally, tensions with Great Britain fall as Chinese newspapers
are forced to issue retractions of most recent accusations of British wrongdoing in loss of
Lei Chung.
June 1904:
- Chinese Navy announces development of new central fire control system.
July 1904:
- Press celebrates victory of Chinese naval team in German sailing regatta; Kaiser reportedly 'very upset' by his navy's failure to secure victory at home.
August 1904:
- In a long-winded and rambling speech, the admiral commanding the Fujian Fleet says Russia most likely opponent for China in any war in near future. Experts 'puzzled' as tensions are currently running hot between China, France, and Great Britain.
September 1904:
- Chinese government contributes ¥3.7M towards purchase of licenses for manufacture of 12" guns from American companies.
October 1904:
- Admiral in charge of naval finance reports ¥1M missing from Naval accounts; Naval Minister promises reforms, appoints whistle-blowing admiral to head 'generously funded' Naval Intelligence service.
- Despite lingering tensions over
Lei Chung incident, Great Britain and China announce 5-year security arrangement.
November 1904:
-
Lei Chung Memorial Slipway, first Chinese slipway capable of handling 16,000t ships, unveiled by private shipbuilders.
- Grand Council authorizes increased naval expenditures in response to threat of French encroachment in Southern China.
- Admirals publicly denounce plan to resolve tensions with France via diplomatic means.
December 1904:
- The British Parliament announces dissatisfaction with direction of Chinese foreign policy, terminates security arrangement.
- 18,000t slipways complete at Kiangnan Shipyard; Naval Minister announces construction of slipways at Guangzhou Naval Arsenal to allow shipbuilding, authorizes further expansion of Kiangnan Shipyard.
- Government officials reportedly injured by explosion of 'dud' shell while inspecting targets after demonstration of new 'reliable' naval shells.
February 1905:
- Navy commences fire control upgrade program.
March 1905:
- Naval Minister publicly and unreservedly backs Laotian government in dispute with Cambodia; French government with support of Russian tsar issues protest over Chinese 'interference' in 'their' sphere of influence.
April 1905:
- Press reports rumors that 'enemies unknown' are conducting industrial espionage within China.
May 1905:
- Sino-Japanese partnership announced to develop improved depth control mechanisms for submarines; Chinese Navy to contribute ¥3M to project.
June 1905:
-
Nan Chen commissions. Experts 'surprised and concerned' over how low the cruiser appears to sit in the water; Navy and Kiangnan spokesmen deny ship exceeds design displacement.
September 1905:
-
Nan Chen finishes working up, Navy announces completion of fleet modernization program.
October 1905:
-
Hai An, second
Nan Chen-class cruiser, commissions; Navy announces
Nan Chen and
Hai An to be brought into dockyards for reconstruction to correct "defects in officers' sleeping arrangements." Expert commentators suggest Chinese Navy is attempting to reduce topweight of cruisers and may have neglected to include ships in modernization program.
November 1905:
- Navy announces new training programs for ship crews, focusing on gunnery and night fighting.
- Rhetoric between Laotian and Cambodian governments heating up; senior admirals call upon government to block arms sales to potential belligerents in hopes of preventing war.
December 1905:
- 20,000t slipways complete at Kiagnan Shipyard, Guangzhou Naval Arsenal; Navy announces plans for new, larger slipways to keep up with other powers despite treaty limiting new construction to 15,000t.
February 1906:
-
Nan Chen returns to service after reconstruction to correct "defects in officers' sleeping arrangements." Experts given tour of ship comment upon revision of superstructure's interior arrangements to accommodate new fire control center.
March 1906:
-
Hai An returns to service after reconstruction.
- Rumors circulate in scandal sheets of capture of Japanese spy attempting to gain access to shipyards at Guangzhou Naval Arsenal.
- Navy announces
Cheng Ho-class cruisers to be sent on goodwill tours around the world and transfer of battleships, armored cruisers to Southeast Asia for 'training operations;' denies redeployments related in 'any way' to rising tensions with France.
Foreign News:
1903:
- A politically-motivated murder takes place in the Balkans; Chinese consul in Greece calls for 'justice,' provoking protests from governments of Great Britain and France.
- Germany lays down new battleship
Schwaben, Japan lays down new battleship
Mikasa, USA lays down third
California-class battleship; Great Britain responds by laying down three
Hood-class battleships of its own.
- French Ambassador proposes reduction in Chinese naval expenditures to reduce tensions; Chinese government responds by hosting disarmament conference, which fails to produce results.
1904:
- Germany lays down second
Schwaben-class battleship, Japan lays down second
Mikasa-class battleship, Russia lays down two
Imperator Petr Veliki-class battleships.
1905:
- Great Britain lays down four battleships of new
Victorious class while Germany lays down third
Schwaben-class battleship.
- USA announces commissioning of USS
Connecticut, third
California-class battleship; Great Britain commissions
Centurion and
Majestic of
Hood class.
1906 (through March):
- USA lays down fourth
California-class battleship
- Great Britain announces commissioning of
Barfleur and
Mars of
Hood class.