"Marson, the first assault wave killed an aircraft carrier!" Yeshunnek cheered in the Mediterranean German-Italy coalition command, "In addition, a Nelson-class battleship was also severely damaged, with at least 4 500 kilogram bombs and 3 torpedoes!"

"What? A Nelson-class ship was severely damaged?" General Kafnari, chief of staff of the Italian Navy, quickly asked, "Are you sure it's the Nelson-class?"

"It's totally certain," said Yeshunnek. "The Nelson-class artillery layout is very strange. All three turrets are on the bow, so it's impossible to admit mistakes."

"Okay!" Kafniali was overjoyed and turned to Hesman and said, "Marson, I suggest that the main fleet be dispatched immediately and launch an assault on the British fleet!"

During the interwar period, the "Nelson" class was a giant among the seven battleships in the world. It not only had 9 powerful 16-inch cannons, but also had very strong defenses. This "Nelson" class, which drove to the Eastern Mediterranean, can be said to be the most feared opponent of the entire Italian Navy! It is precisely because of its existence that Admiral Kafnary did not dare to send two "Veneto" Italian battleship units to fight against the British Mediterranean Fleet.

"Detect the main fleet?" Hessman thought for a while and asked, "Are you sure?"

"As long as the Air Force can kill, no, as long as it can severely damage the Nelson class, there will be no problem," said Kafnary. "Our two Venetto class are very powerful battleships, with firepower even exceeding that of the German Bismarck class, and have strong defenses. The thickest main armor belt of its sidewalk is 360, which is enough to resist the British 15-inch main gun. Moreover, the Air Force has only completed one attack now, and there will be a second and third waves of attacks later. In the afternoon, it can also launch the fourth, fifth and sixth waves of attacks! By then, I am afraid that all British battleships will be shot and damaged, and the combat effectiveness of the British Mediterranean Fleet will be greatly reduced. This is a good opportunity for us to wipe out it in one fell swoop!"

"But there are some unknown places where the two British aircraft carriers went?" Hessman seemed a little worried.

"Aren't there 48 Fokker Zero carrier-based aircraft?" Kavnary said. "There are at most sixty or seventy two-wing torpedo aircraft on the two aircraft carriers of the British. With the Fokker Zero, they cannot get close to the fleet at all."

"It's also the shore-based aircraft on Crete." Yeshunnek reminded. "Bronheim light bombers in the UK can carry blockbusters, and their speed is relatively fast, and their combat power is no less than 79."

Kafniali smiled and said, "The worst thing is to bear some losses, but as long as the British Mediterranean fleet can be defeated in one fell swoop and the sea rights in the Mediterranean, the lost ships can be built soon. Italy and France have a strong shipbuilding industry!"

Italy actually has its own "plan". As early as 1935, the Italian Navy proposed a grand shipbuilding plan to have 9 new battleships before 1942, not including the Earl Cafur class and the Doria class, 3 new aircraft carriers also include the Eagle and the Sparrow Eagle, 36 cruisers and ocean-going reconnaissance ships, 142 destroyers and lightning strike ships, and 85 submarines. However, due to the Abyssian War and subsequent colonial development, as well as the intervention of the Spanish Civil War, the cost of too much.

This grand shipbuilding plan was ultimately not realized. However, in January 1939, Mussolini, who felt that the war was approaching, approved a smaller shipbuilding plan, preparing to start construction of two new "Veneto" class "Veneto", "Litorio", "Roman" and "Imperial" in the 39 to 40 years, and two 15,000-ton aircraft carriers, 20 2,100-ton destroyers and 20 1,000-ton lightning strike ships, plus 60 submarines.

However, as the supply of various raw materials fell into tension after the outbreak of the war, the shipbuilding plan approved in 39 years also came to a standstill. However, as long as the Italian Navy can control the Mediterranean, the German Army can sweep North Africa and the Middle East. Raw materials will no longer be a problem, and then Italy and even France's shipyards will be at full speed!

Hessman smiled and nodded: "Okay, I've approved the dispatch of the fleet. In addition, the shore-based aviation force prepares for the 4th, 5th and 6th assault waves!"

"As for orders, Mr. Marshal!"

Commander Tane, the flagship of the Italian fleet, the chief of staff Major General Baroni, said happily to Admiral Igoni Compionni: "The shore-based aircraft sank an aircraft carrier and injured a Nelson-class. Now Admiral Kafniali asks us to dispatch to fight the British fleet!"

"Very good!" Admiral Compioni clapped his hands, "I finally waited for the opportunity! Leave 5 heavy cruisers and 10 destroyers to support the landing forces, and the rest of the ships set off immediately!"

"Admiral, the British fleet should escape northeast after being damaged and turn eastward in the waters south of Crete. Considering that a Nelson-class was damaged, their speed should be less than 18 knots."

"Predict their routes and take the shortest route to pursue!" said Admiral Igoni Compionni, "We first chase at 28 knots for 3 hours, and then lower it to 26 knots."

"Admiral, we drive less than 28 knots," reminded Major General Baroni, "the two aircraft carriers have a maximum speed of only 25 knots."

Both aircraft carriers of the Italian fleet were transformed with cruise ships, and were not based on expensive "blue streamers" cruise ships, so the speed was relatively slow.

Admiral Igoni Compioni waved his hand and said, "Then let them follow behind. It's nothing to pull them away for 3 nautical miles in an hour, and it's only 72 nautical miles in 24 hours. This is not a problem for Folk Zero."

At around 11 noon, the main Italian force was divided into three on the sea near Malta, forming a combat fleet with battleships as the core, an aircraft carrier fleet with aircraft carriers as the core, and a support fleet with heavy cruisers as the core.

The combat fleet includes all battleships and most light cruisers and destroyers. The fleet consists of 2 aircraft carriers, 2 heavy cruisers and 6 destroyers. It has 5 heavy cruisers and 10 destroyers.

After the division was completed, the support fleet continued to be responsible for shelling the island of Malta. The combat fleet rushed east under the personal command of General Compioni, while the aircraft carrier fleet commanded by General Anzuyakino was hung behind the buttocks of the combat fleet and sailed eastward.

The Italian fleet's division of troops was discovered by a mosquito reconnaissance plane taking off from Crete at around 1:30 pm and quickly reported to Admiral Cunningham, who was a little worried.

At this time, the Mediterranean Fleet commanded by Cunningham had already been hit by two assault waves launched by the German and Italian Air Force and is now preparing to attack the third assault wave.

Under the attacks of the first two waves of enemy aircraft, the USS Eagle aircraft carrier sank at 11:10. The battleship Lorraine, which belongs to the Free French Navy, was also hit by a fatal blow after the second assault wave. Its thin deck armor-piercing bombs could not withstand such an attack at all. Three bombs pierced into the battleship, one of which hit the engine compartment directly, causing the 10,000-ton battleship to lose most of its power and became the target of the 79-ton torpedo bomber. At 12:05, three aerial torpedo hit the USS Lorraine, tearing three huge holes on its starboard side. In just a few minutes, the battleship and nearly 1,000 French water on it disappeared into the sea.

After successfully eliminating the Lorraine, the remaining bombers and torpedoes in the second assault wave aimed their firepower at the smoke-filled Rodney near the Lorraine. The 500-kilogram bomb fell like raindrops. In just 15 minutes, Rodney was hit by four more bombs. One of them penetrated the stern deck and exploded outside the engine compartment. Although the armor of the Rodney engine compartment was strong and it was impossible to be destroyed by a 500-kilogram bomb, the explosion still damaged some pipelines, causing steam leakage in the engine compartment. The speed of the Rodney also dropped from 20 knots to 10 knots.

After the speed of the declining, the Rodney then became a living target for the 79 torpedo bomber. They launched an attack from the starboard side of the stern of the Rodney ship. Several bombs were hit near this position, and most of the anti-aircraft guns and secondary guns were damaged. The fire on the lifesaving pod deck also blocked the gunner's sight, so it seemed very weak to air firepower. More than twenty 79s dropped torpedoes from this direction, and 6 of them hit, almost destroying the stern of the Rodney ship. Although the severe damage to the stern of the ship would not cause the sinking of the Rodney, the large amount of water inlet and rudder damage still made the battleship lose most of its combat capabilities.

While the "Rodney" was besieged by torpedo bombers, the 88, which had not yet dropped the bomb, regarded the slow-moving "Jun Quan" as the target of attack. This is a battleship with huge flaws in its design. Its power cabin was too narrow. It was originally planned to use a coal-fired boiler, and it was converted into an oil-fired boiler in the middle, limiting the space for major changes in the future. Therefore, the British Admiralty, in the spirit of giving up the ship, did not carry out large-scale modifications in more than 20 years after its completion.

Nowadays, not only does it seem inadequate in power, but its armor defense has become outdated. The horizontal armor of the "Jun Quan" is only 13 inches, which can't withstand the attack of 500 kilograms of armor-piercing bombs.
Chapter completed!