"What? The British fleet is coming to Toulon?"

At 10:30 pm on May 12, the three French navy generals who were enjoying a dessert after meals received news that the British fleet was approaching. They were not Germans but unreliable Italians. Because they were responsible for "guarding" the French fleet in Toulon Harbor, the Italian Navy also had channels for contact with the French fleet in Toulon Harbor.

But Admiral Inigor Conpioni, the commander-in-chief of the Italian Navy, did not inform the French.

On the one hand, he didn't believe that the British had the ability to launch air strikes from aircraft carriers at night; on the other hand, he actually didn't want the Germans to get the French Navy fleet. He knew that the French fleet was stronger than the Italian fleet. If the Germans got the French fleet, wouldn't they have the most powerful navy in the Mediterranean?

However, his staff members told the news that the British fleet was approaching Toulon to the news of the Italian destroyer "Northwest Wind" wandering outside Toulon Port. The captain of the destroyer "Northwest Wind" was too active and asked his subordinates to inform the French fleet in Toulon Port with a clear telegram.

"What do the British want to do?" Admiral Dallang did not expect the British to launch a night air strike because the Italians did not tell him that there were two aircraft carriers in the British fleet.

"Maybe I want to persuade us to participate in the Free France movement?" said Lieutenant General Matthews.

"This is impossible," Admiral Labord hummed a few times, "There are Italian mines outside the Port of Toulon, and we can't leave even if we want to. I think the British must want to attack us!" He looked at Lieutenant General Matthews, "Lieutenant General, immediately increase the alert for combat readiness!"

"But they are British..."

"If it's the British, can we attack us?" Admiral Dallang had just drunk a few more drinks, and now he is a little drunk. "France has fallen to this point today, all these bad guys are harmed. Lieutenant General Matthews, I order the entire Port of Toulon to be on the highest alert!"

"As for the order, Commander-in-Chief!" Lieutenant General Matthews certainly did not dare to disobey the military order, stood up and saluted, and then hurriedly left the restaurant and called various forts, artillery positions and airports.

Seeing Lieutenant General Matthews leave, Dallang glanced at Admiral Laborde again. His relationship with the commander of the French High Seas Fleet was not very friendly. The two have always been opponents in the career, and no one likes each other. However, this time they rarely agree on the issue of treating the British. Both of them are relatively anti-British and are unwilling to hand over France's last chips to Britain.

"Commander Laborde," said Dallang, "Go back to your flagship. Although the fleet cannot get out, they can at least be used as water turrets. Go to summon sailors and start all the battleships, except for the Richelieu, all the way to the Grand Park, where you can fight the British."

There are large mooring grounds and small mooring grounds in Port Toulon. The large mooring grounds are outside, close to the Sepe Peninsula; within the small mooring grounds, close to the city of Toulon. The Sepe Peninsula is the gateway to the Port of Toulon, with the peninsula covered with forts. Admiral Dallang's combat plan is very simple, which is to form a shelling column with two "Brittany" class, three "Guoba" class and two "Dunkirk" class to form an artillery column, go to the entrance of the Grand Mooring ground to block the door, and fight with the British fleet with the cooperation of the forts on the Sepe Peninsula.

"What about the 'Riceliu'?" asked Admiral Labord. Although the 'Riceliu' has not been completed, the officers and soldiers on the ship are equipped (not all on the ship) and can be activated, and its ammunition warehouse also has 380mm main artillery ammunition.

"I'll get on the Richelieu," said Darlang. "If it's really a fight, I'll fight the enemy on the Richelieu!"

"Then... Admiral," Admiral Labord hesitated, "If the British really come, should we ask for help from the Germans and Italians?"

"Seeking for help?" Dallang glanced at General Laborde, "Now Germany and Italy are still the enemies of France! What has just been signed is just a temporary armistice treaty... How can France ask for help from the enemy?"

...

Just as Admiral Dallang set out for the battleship "Richeliu", 36 "Swordfish" aircraft had formed 12 three-plane teams under the leadership of Commander Major Williamson's No. 14a, and flew towards Toulon Port under the bright moonlight.

Since these "Swordfish" planes were hung with heavy torpedoes and bombs, and also carried additional fuel, they flew very slowly, with a speed of just over 140 kilometers per hour. It took more than 2 hours to take off one after another and form a team in the air. Including the time it took to take off one after another and to form a team in the air, it was almost 3 hours. At about 11 o'clock in the evening, 36 "Swordfish" finally slowly approached the Sepe Peninsula.

Just when the fleet was about 10 kilometers away from the peninsula, the French air defense listeners deployed by the French army on the Sepe Peninsula discovered them. The air defense alarm was suddenly made on the Sepe Peninsula. The column of the French searchlight lights turned on and kept turning. Some anti-aircraft guns that reacted too aggressively immediately spit out flames, and the sky was covered with fire nets.

"God, the French are ready!"

"The surprise attack failed!"

"Major, their firepower is too strong, we can't rush over!"

A burst of exclamation came from Major Williamson's headphones. According to the original plan, he wanted to lead the aircraft group through the sky above the Sepe Peninsula. The dense fire net in front of him was obviously unable to rush. However, he soon discovered that the French air defense net had a big loophole, only the fire net on the Sepe Peninsula soared into the sky, while the Great Parking Site (the entrance to Port Toulon) was quiet. It was obvious that the French did not deploy "air defense ships" there.

"All attention, I am Major Williamson," Major Williamson began to give orders, "we rushed in from the front of the Great Parking Field, bypass the Sepe Peninsula, and rushed into Port Toulon!"

In the particularly tall commander tower of the battleship "Richeliu", General Dallang, who had just boarded the ship, was also shocked to learn that there was an enemy air strike.

"Are you sure it's an enemy plane?" He was still a little confused. "Can it be a German plane flying from R Naya?"

"Not totally certain," Colonel Henry, the captain of the Richelieu, replied immediately, "but we must regard them as enemies... Even the Germans are still our enemies now! Moreover, if they did not have any malice, they would naturally leave when they saw the artillery fire on the Sepe Peninsula."

Admiral Dallang thought about it and felt this truth, so he asked again: "Can the 'Riceliu' move now?"

"Not that," Colonel Henry shook his head, "and, the officers and sailors have not arrived yet, and there is not even a third of the people on the ship..."

The battleships are not meant to start immediately. The heavy oil ignition will take at least 15 minutes, and then the water boils to drive the turbine. It is fast to start within 30-45 minutes. Moreover, the French high seas fleet is now encircled in the port and waiting to be launched, and the level of preparation for war is very low. Many officers and sailors are not on the ship, and it will take time to gather them together. If the British fleet comes to fight artillery after dawn, the fleet can start, but it is impossible to move now.

"Damn it!" Darlang cursed, "Hurry up and arrange people to go to the anti-aircraft gun position, and the loss team must organize it immediately..."

"As for orders, General!"

Dallang remembered something again at this time and shouted: "Give power to the Admiralty and tell them that there was an air strike in the Port of Toulon!"

A few minutes after Darlang's order was issued, several small suns suddenly fell over the Great Park, illuminating the harbor covered by darkness like daytime.

"Flat!" Dallang took a breath, and it was an enemy plane! It was probably the British...

"The surprise attack was successful!" Major Williamson shouted.

His heart was relieved, and there was no dense anti-aircraft gun fire network waiting for them in the large parking lot!

With the light of the flares, he found that there were many cruisers, destroyers or other auxiliary ships parked on the sea, most of which were quiet as if no one was driving.

This is a defenseless fleet, which is in sharp contrast to the dense anti-aircraft fire on the Sepe Peninsula just now. Major Williamson, who was born in the navy, knew very well how long it would take to start the warships in the stalled parking... This was enough for his "Swordfish" aircraft to cause huge damage.

"Bombing the Squadron," he issued an order through the radio, "go bombing the depot!"

There is a large oil depot in the Port of Toulon that belongs to the French Navy, which stores millions of gallons of heavy oil!

"The lightning squadron follows me," he ordered, "we go to the small parking lot, the French battleships should be there! Remember, we don't have many torpedoes, don't waste it."

He only brought 18 torpedoes, each with only one torpedo. This would save some effort. The destroyers in the large berth will not be fought, and all of them will be left to combat the battleships that deal with the small berth.

Five minutes later, 18 swordfish planes with torpedoes and 1 swordfish plane with flares rushed into the small parking lot. The battleships here were obviously prepared, with dazzling searchlights and red and orange tracer bombs shooting out at the same time, but they were not too dense.
Chapter completed!