The Rise of the Third Reich

"Admiral, the main force of the British fleet is turning southeast and is coming towards us!"

News of the turn of the main force of the British Mediterranean Fleet was quickly transferred to the battleship Count of Cavour, the flagship of the Italian fleet, which was sailing northwest through the Italian Naval Headquarters.

Now the British fleet is sailing southeast, while the Italian fleet is sailing northwest, and the two sides are facing each other!

"The British have discovered us!" Admiral Compioni immediately made a wrong but common sense judgment.

The British fleet, which was "destroyed upon seeing the enemy", could not be frightened into turning around by a few German planes, so they must have known the location of the Italian main fleet. Although the Italian main fleet did not find any British reconnaissance aircraft approaching, the area near Benghazi is an area where British submarines are more active. The Italian main fleet has a large target, and it is normal for it to be discovered by submarines.

"Admiral, the distance between us and them is less than 180 nautical miles, within the attack range of Swordfish and Great Ou aircraft." Major General Baroni also made a mistake in his judgment. He believed that the British might dispatch carrier-based aircraft Conduct air strikes. "They have two aircraft carriers that can carry at least 80 carriers in the Mediterranean."

What determines the number of carrier-based aircraft is not only the floor space of the carrier-based aircraft itself (whether the wings are folded or not), but also the hangar area and mounting method. According to the method of hangar storage + hangar top suspension + deck tethering, it was transformed from a cruise ship. The Italian aircraft carriers "Eagle" and "Eagle" with small hangar areas can both hold more than 50 aircraft. carrier-based aircraft.

However, this kind of loading method is not feasible in the Atlantic Ocean with high sea conditions, and usually only a single hangar storage method is used. Therefore, the Glorious and Eagle, which have a small number of carriers in the Atlantic, can carry more aircraft when they arrive in the Mediterranean, and their attack power will be greatly increased.

"At what distance can our G.50 attack?" Admiral Compioni also believed that his fleet had no way to escape, so he also prepared to launch an air strike to counterattack.

"The G.50 carrier-based aircraft only has a combat radius of 130 nautical miles after mounting bombs, and this is the largest," Major General Baroni said, "So I recommend releasing the carrier-based aircraft at a distance of 100 nautical miles. Considering that we We are heading face to face with the enemy fleet, and the carrier-based aircraft will be released in 2 hours.”

"Then the attack will begin in two hours!" Admiral Compioni made up his mind, "Then, where is the Sparrowhawk?"

"The aircraft carrier Admiral Sparrowhawk, together with the 2nd Battle Fleet, is near 100 nautical miles southeast of Taranto Port and is also sailing southeast."

"Let the 2nd Battle Fleet also launch an air strike!" Admiral Compioni ordered, "then send power to the Naval Command and ask them to ask the Air Force to send fighter jets to cover the 2nd Battle Fleet."

"Air Force? General, do you think we can trust the Italian Air Force?" Baroni immediately raised an objection.

Admiral Compioni snorted: "The fate of Italy is already in the hands of those fascists, what reason do they have for neglect?"

…

"Admiral Compioni decided to engage in battle and will release the carrier-based aircraft in 2 hours!"

With the sound of the staff report, the atmosphere in the operations room of the Italian Navy Headquarters on Cassion Avenue suddenly became tense.

"The British carrier-based aircraft will probably be dispatched first, right?" Admiral Hans Jeshunek, who is still at the Italian Navy Headquarters, is very familiar with the general performance of various types of British aircraft. "The Swordfish and the Great Gull have a longer range, and they can reach Admiral Compioni's fleet now."

"Did the Fw-200C detect the release of the British aircraft carrier?" Admiral Kavniari asked immediately.

"No," a staff officer immediately replied, "the British aircraft carrier did not release the shipboard, but they released the seaplane."

"The British did not discover our fleet." Admiral Cavignari made an accurate judgment this time.

"But they will find out soon," Admiral Sanmigli said. "There are at least six Walrus seaplanes on the three British battleships."

There was nothing lucky about this. The G.50 had a limited range and had to be close to the British fleet 100 nautical miles before it could launch an attack. It was impossible not to be discovered by the British fleet at this distance, and the G.50's attack power was not strong. Even if 50 were dispatched, it would be impossible to severely damage the British fleet with radar and sea spitfires.

"Admiral," another staff report came at this time, "Admiral Compioni requests the air force to cover the 2nd Battle Fleet."

"Air force?" Admiral Kavniari frowned, "Can they reach it?"

The Italian Air Force is also famous for its short legs, and its current main fighter jets, the G.50, MC.200 and CR.42, cannot fly very far. Among them, the longest range is the outdated biplane fighter CR.42, which is only 780 kilometers.

"CR.42 can be dispatched," General Sanmigli glanced at Jeshunek, "There are also German Fokker Zeros, eight of which can be dispatched."

"You can send eight Fokker Zeros to the skies of the British fleet, and then let the Italian Air Force dispatch a few S.M.79s." Admiral Jeshunek suggested, "In this way, the British will have to dispatch Spitfires to fight, and our The Fokker Zeros can go around in circles with the Spitfire and use up their fuel, so your G.50 will have a chance.”

What Hans Jeshunek proposed was a damaging move, using the long range of the Fokker Zero to use up the Spitfire's fuel, forcing them to return. This tactic was invented during the Western Front Campaign, and is now being used in air battles over the Atlantic, with very good results.

Admiral Kavniari thought for a while, nodded and said to Deputy Chief of Staff Admiral Sanmigli: "That's it, ask the Air Force to send CR.42 to cover the 2nd Battle Fleet. Let them send at least one more The squadron's S.M.79s, protected by Fokker Zeros, harassed the British fleet."

Admiral Sanmigli received the order and immediately called the Italian Air Force Command. After a lot of talking, the Italian Air Force finally agreed to dispatch aircraft.

However, the Italian Air Force still paid no attention to matters at sea. A squadron of MC.200s took off quickly, but they were not the CR.42s required by the navy, but the MC.200s deployed in Sicily. Their usual missions It is escorting transport planes flying over the island of Malta, so it is relatively familiar with the waters in this area. However, the range of this aircraft is too short and cannot provide long-term direct cover for the 2nd Battle Fleet.

However, the 12 S.M.79s (all of which were medium bombers) were not dispatched until the afternoon of July 8, and they did not form a formation with the German Fokker Zero. Instead, they flew over the British and Italian fleets that were exchanging fire and dropped them indiscriminately. 60 250kg high explosive bombs...

…

"Admiral, the reconnaissance plane has discovered the Italian fleet, battleship 2, aircraft carrier 1, heavy cruiser 6, the location is..."

At 11:55, just before noon, a Walrus seaplane launched by the battleship Warspite sent a telegram reporting the position and number of ships of the Italian fleet.

"They are heading towards us, less than 100 nautical miles away, and...the seaplane also found that the aircraft carrier was releasing aircraft!" Rear Admiral Crutchley frowned, "That should be G.50, according to the intelligence it should be G. .50.”

The Italian G.50 is not terrible. If it is replaced by the German Fokker Zero and Fokker 99, it will be a big trouble!

"They are G.50s, otherwise they would have taken off long ago." Admiral Cunningham did not have the slightest worry. "Ordered the Spitfires to take off nine first, occupy high-altitude positions, and then release all the Swordfish and Great Gulls to form a 2 attack waves to attack the Italian fleet."

The distance is less than 100 nautical miles, and it takes only 30 minutes at G.50 speed. The range of the G.50 is too short and it is impossible to form a large formation. It is estimated that the attack will be in units of 9 or 12 aircraft. Therefore, Cunningham immediately ordered 9 of the 9 Spitfires to take off to fight.

"Admiral, there are still four Fokker Zeros around us." Major General Crutchley quickly reminded, "Should we send Spitfires to drive them away?"

"No need," Admiral Cunningham shook his head, "These planes are very difficult to deal with, and our Spitfires don't have that skill. And...the German bombers haven't come yet, and they are obviously still in Naya. . Only a few Fokker Zeros and Fw-200s were sent to Sicily or Taranto."

Cunningham knew the Germans very well. They were known for their accuracy. If bombers could get them, how could they not come for so long? This kind of thing is not allowed in Germany, but it would be normal for Italians. They have at least 79 in the Eastern Mediterranean, but the British Royal Navy has not seen even one in the past two months - the Italians clearly have an overwhelming advantage, but they have given the British Mediterranean Fleet the upper hand. It is really stupid!

"We clearly have 79s that can reach the British and blow them to pieces, but we still have to dispatch carrier-based aircraft like the G.50. It's really nonsense!"

Watching one G.50 after another take off from the "Eagle" aircraft carrier, Admiral Compioni was not happy at all. This time he dispatched 3 squadrons with a total of 36 G.50s, divided into 3 attack waves to bomb the British fleet.

But he also knew that such an attack intensity would not achieve much results at all. At the same time, there are at least 600 S.M.79s that can carry two 500-kg bombs for attack on airfields in Sicily, North Africa, the southern Apennine Peninsula, and Albania, doing nothing.