On November 18, 1943, the British and American allies had assembled 52 divisions of ground forces, more than 5,000 combat aircraft, and more than 1,000 ships in the Mediterranean theater, including 20 aircraft carriers, 80 battleships, 58 cruisers, 90 destroyers, and more than 800 landing ships......

The commander-in-chief of the naval campaign of the Anglo-American Allied forces in Sicily was still the commander of the Mediterranean Theater Navy, British Admiral Cunningham.

The ground forces were Montgomery's 21st Army Group and Patton's Seventh Army Group, and the commander-in-chief was Dwight D. Eisenhower. In addition, the Sixth Infantry Corps under the command of Major General Dawley and an armored division and an airborne division under the command of Major General McCreery were also transferred from the former US Fifth Army.

Naval transport is still under the unified command of Vice Admiral Hewitt of the United States Navy, divided into four formations:

The 81st Task Force, also known as the Southern Landing Formation, is commanded by US Navy Rear Admiral Hal and has 78 transport ships, more than 50 tank landing ships, 32 infantry landing ships, 118 artillery support landing craft, patrol boats, minesweepers, and almost 400 other large and small ships.

The covering force consisted of nine cruisers, thirty-five destroyers, and eleven frigates, which were responsible for covering and transporting the landing of the US Sixth Infantry Corps in Paestum, Italy.

The 85th Task Force, also known as the Northern Landing Formation, was commanded by British Commodore Oliver and had 87 transport ships, 50 tank landing ships, 30 infantry landing ships, 115 tank landing craft, 120 infantry landing craft, and hundreds of submarine hunters, minesweepers, and tugboats.

The covering force consisted of eight cruisers, thirty-eight destroyers and thirteen frigates, and was responsible for transporting part of the 21st Army's forces and armored divisions to land in Meorivietri, Italy.

Task Force 88, also known as the Aircraft Carrier Formation, was commanded by British Rear Admiral Vian and had 6 aircraft carriers, 5 escort carriers, 46 cruisers and 15 destroyers, and was responsible for providing air cover and support.

Formation H, also known as the Cover Formation, commanded by British Vice Admiral Willis, had 6 aircraft carriers, more than 20 battleships and more than 30 destroyers, providing cover at sea while guarding against the Italian Navy's defective operations and covering the remaining forces of Montgomery's 21st Army for amphibious landing operations.

This kind of sea transportation and cover arrangement is similar to the original historical arrangement of generals and officers, except that there are many more ships to cover and transport.

"Cassino's airborne battle has begun, and our first round of airborne troops has also been successfully airborne!"

As Hewitt busily commanded all the fleets in battle formation, Cunningham came to his side and smiled slightly happily.

"Hmmm! That's great news and a good start! ”

Hewitt also smiled slightly.

Although he hadn't slept well for a few days and nights, he was also very happy to hear the good news of his own battle.

You must know that the British and American troops have been repelled by Chen Yanlong's German troops on the Western Front recently, and the battle situation is not optimistic.

So now that there is good news, how can he not be happy and happy?

"You say that this time in the sneak attack on Sicily, can we win?"

Cunningham soon asked, however, a little unconfidently.

"Yes, God will bless us!"

"In any case, the number of our troops and weapons and equipment will never lose to the German army, the first few defeats in the battle are because the German army has a large number of new weapons and equipment that we did not expect, but I believe that they will definitely not have too many of these new weapons and equipment, and they will be gradually consumed!"

"Because I have seen some of the new weapons and equipment of the German army captured from the battlefield, I can see that these weapons and equipment are definitely super-fast weapons and equipment, and they are not so easy to mass-produce!"

"Especially in a country like the German army, which lacks natural resources, it is even more difficult to mass-produce!"

Hewitt said with a firm gaze and an affirmative tone.

"All hopes, as you say, that we will be able to win in the end, we are too lacking in victorious battles right now, and it is not good for our morale!"

Cunningham said with a soft sigh.

"Keep yourself busy and you won't worry so much!"

"God is with us, and all will be well!"

Hewitt smiled and encouraged.

"Hey! You're calm and optimistic, Hewitt! ”

"Looks like I need to learn from you too!"

"Having said that busy work is the best way to deal with worries, and that's what I do when I'm worried!"

"If I hadn't fought a few battles with Dönitz's bastards a few days earlier, I lost a lot of my fleet, and I don't know how to explain it to the people!"

Cunningham nodded, and said with a bright smile that he hadn't seen for a long time.

A smile, especially a bright smile from the heart, is hard to come up with on a brutal battlefield; Especially when it comes to optimism, it's all the more valuable.

Because not everyone can do it, especially on the side that is losing one after another, it is even more scarce.

Cunningham and Hewitt then talked about something other than war, and after each other's nervous and melancholy mood gradually relaxed, the two of them continued to command their fleet for pre-war preparations.

At this moment, it was already more than 11 o'clock in the evening, and although the snowflakes in the sky were not so dense, the weather was still unusually cold, making many officers and soldiers who wore a little less clothes even colder.

But even so, many British and American officers and soldiers stared at the waters of Sicily that they were getting closer and closer with complicated expressions.

Many people are praying to God in their hearts that they will complete this battle of Sicily in peace and alive, and not suffer as many casualties as before, even risking their own lives.