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

The news of the turn of the main forces of the British Mediterranean Fleet was quickly transferred through the Italian Naval Command to the battleship Count Cavour, the flagship of the Italian Fleet, which was heading northwest.

Now the British fleet is sailing to the southeast, and the Italian fleet is sailing to the northwest, and the two sides are heading head-on!

"The British have discovered us!" Admiral Campioni immediately made an erroneous but common sense judgment.

It was impossible for the British fleet, which "would destroy the enemy, to turn around and leave" by a few German planes, so they must have known the location of the main Italian fleet. Although the Italian main fleet did not find any British reconnaissance planes approaching, the vicinity of Benghazi was an area where British submarines were relatively active, and the target of the Italian main fleet was very large, and it was 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 the Swordfish and Gull planes." Rear Admiral Baroni also made a mistake in his judgment when he believed that the British might send carrier-based aircraft to carry out air strikes. "They have 2 aircraft carriers and can carry at least 80 carriers in the Mediterranean."

In addition to the footprint of the carrier-based aircraft itself (whether the wings are folded or not), the number of carrier-based aircraft is determined by the hangar area and the way it is carried. According to the method of hangar containment + hangar top suspension + deck mooring, the Italian aircraft carriers "Eagle" and "Sparrowhawk", which are transformed from cruise ships, and the small hangar area can be loaded with more than 50 carrier-based aircraft.

This is not possible in the high-sea Atlantic, and a single hangar containment method is usually used. Therefore, in the Atlantic, the Brilliant and Eagle, which are not numerous ships, can carry a relatively large number of aircraft in the Mediterranean, and the attack power will be greatly increased.

"At what distance can our G.50 strike?" Admiral Cumpioni also decided that his fleet would not be able to escape, so he also prepared to launch an air raid to counterattack.

"The G.50 carrier-based aircraft has only a combat radius of 130 nautical miles after the bomb is hung, and this is the largest," said Rear Admiral Baroni, "so I propose to release the carrier-based aircraft at a distance of 100 nautical miles." Considering that we are driving face to face with the enemy fleet, the carrier-based aircraft can be released after 2 hours. ”

"Then start attacking in 2 hours!" Admiral Campioni decided, "So, where is the Sparrowhawk?" ”

"The Admiral Sparrowhawk, along with the 2nd Combat Fleet, is 100 nautical miles southeast of the port of Taranto and is also sailing southeast."

"Let the 2nd Battle Fleet also launch an air attack!" Admiral Cumpioni ordered, "Send another telegram to the Navy Command asking the Air Force to send fighter jets to cover the 2nd Combat Fleet." ”

"Air Force? Admiral, do you think we can trust the Italian Air Force? Baroni immediately objected.

Admiral Campioni snorted: "The fate of Italy is in the hands of those fascists, what reason can they slack off?" ”

……

"Admiral Kompioni decided to fight, and in 2 hours released the carrier-based aircraft!"

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

"The British's carrier-based aircraft will probably be dispatched first, right?" Hans remained in the headquarters of the Italian Navy. Admiral Jeshunek was well aware of the approximate performance of the various types of British aircraft. "Their Swordfish and Gulls have a long range, and now they can reach Admiral Kompioni's fleet."

"Did the FW-200C find that the British aircraft carrier released the carrier?" Admiral Kavnyari immediately asked.

"No," immediately a staff officer replied, "the British aircraft carriers did not release carriers, but they released seaplanes. ”

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

"But they will soon find out," said Admiral Sommigli, "that the British had at least six walrus seaplanes on three battleships." ”

There was nothing to be left to chance, the G.50 had a limited range and had to be close to the British fleet for an attack 100 nautical miles. It was impossible not to be detected by the British fleet at this distance, and the attack power of the G.50 was not strong, and even if 50 of them were dispatched, it was impossible to inflict heavy damage on the British fleet, which had radars and Sea Spitfire.

"Admiral," another staff officer reported, "Admiral Cumpioni asks the Air Force to cover the 2nd Combat Fleet. ”

"Air Force?" Admiral Kavniari frowned, "Are they enough?" ”

The Italian Air Force is also notoriously short-legged, and now the main fighters G.50, MC.200 and CR.42 can't fly far. Among them, the longest-range is the outdated biplane fighter CR.42, which is only 780 km.

"CR.42 can be dispatched," Admiral Sanmigli glanced at Jeshunek, "and there are also German Fokker Zeros, eight of which can be dispatched." ”

"You can get 8 Fokker Zeros to go over the British fleet, and then let the Italian Air Force send a few S.M.79s." Admiral Jeshunek advised, "Then the British will have to send the Sea Spitfire to meet it, and our Fokker Zero can go around in circles with the Sea Spitfire and run out of fuel, so that your G.50 will have a chance." ”

Hans. Jeshunek's suggestion was to use the Fokker Zero's long range to exhaust the fire-breathing fuel, forcing them to return. Such tactics were invented during the Western Front campaign, and now they are being used in air battles over the Atlantic, and the results are very good.

Admiral Kavnyari thought for a moment, nodded and said to the deputy chief of staff, Admiral Sanmigli: "That's it, ask the Air Force to send CR.42 to cover the 2nd Battle Fleet." Then let them send at least 1 squadron of S.M.79 to harass the British fleet under the protection of Fokker Zero. ”

Admiral Sanmigli received the order and immediately dialed the Italian Air Force Command, and after much talking, the Italian Air Force finally agreed to dispatch the planes.

However, the Italian Air Force was still as unconcerned as ever about things at sea, and a squadron of MC.200s took off quickly, but not the CR.42 required by the Navy, but the MC.200 deployed in Sicily, whose usual mission was to escort transport planes flying over Malta, so they were more familiar with the waters in this area. However, the range of this aircraft was too short to provide a long period of direct cover for the 2nd Combat Fleet.

However, 12 S.M.79s (all of them medium bombers) were not dispatched until the afternoon of July 8, and instead of forming a formation with the German Fokker Zeros, they flew over the British and Italian fleets that were engaged in an exchange of fire and dropped 60 high-explosive bombs of 250 kg indiscriminately......

……

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

At 11:55 a.m., just before noon, a walrus seaplane from a battleship weariness sent a telegram reporting the position of the Italian fleet and the number of ships.

"They're coming towards us, less than 100 nautical miles, and ...... The seaplane also discovered that the aircraft carrier was releasing planes! Major General Krachley frowned, "That should be G.50, according to intelligence it should be G.50." ”

The Italian G.50 is not terrible, if you change to the German Fokker Zero and Fokker 99, then it will be a big problem!

"They're G.50s, or they'd have taken off early." Admiral Cunningham didn't have the slightest concern, "Order the Sea Spitfire to take off 9 planes first, occupy a high-altitude position, and then release all the Swordfish and gulls to form 2 attack waves to fight the fleet of the Italians." ”

The distance is less than 100 nautical miles, and at the speed of G.50, it is 30 minutes. The range of the G.50 is too short to form a large formation, and it is estimated that it will attack in units of 9 or 12 aircraft. So Cunningham immediately ordered nine of the nine Sea Spitfires to take off to meet them.

"Admiral, there are still 4 Fokker Zeros around us." Major General Krachley hurriedly reminded, "Do you want to send a sea spitfire to expel it?" ”

"Not necessarily," Admiral Cunningham shook his head, "these planes are hard to deal with, and our Sea Spitfire doesn't have that skill." And...... The German bombers have not come until now, and they are clearly still in Rnaya. It was supposed that only a handful of Fokker Zeros and Fw-200s were sent to Sicily or Taranto. ”

Cunningham knew the Germans very well, they were known for their accuracy, if there were bombers that could get them, how could they not come for so long? This kind of thing is not allowed in Germany, but it is normal to be Italians. They have at least 600 S.M.79s in the Eastern Mediterranean, but the British Royal Navy has not seen even one in two months - the Italians obviously have an overwhelming advantage, but the British Mediterranean Fleet has the upper hand, what a fool!

"We obviously have 600 S.M.79s that can reach the British and blow them to smithereens, but we want to dispatch carrier-based aircraft like G.50, which is really nonsense!"

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

But he also knew that this kind of attack intensity would not achieve much success at all. At the same time, at least 600 S.M.79s, capable of carrying two 500-kilogram bombs, were idle, on airfields in Sicily, North Africa and the southern Apennines, as well as in Albania. (To be continued.) )