When the submarine hunter "North Tipperelli" flying the flag of the new United Kingdom on the flagpole came into view, the crew of the Italian submarine "Archimedes" was not at all surprised. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 The two carrier-based planes that appeared before have reminded them that there are aircraft carriers of the New United Kingdom Navy in the vicinity, and that there will naturally be escort ships if there are aircraft carriers, and escort ships will naturally carry out escort missions, and the "Archimedes" is just an "uninvited guest" worth guarding against.

On the bridge of the submarine "Archimedes", two Italian officers wearing dark blue military caps and black waterproof suits stood side by side, each holding a pair of binoculars. The shorter Italian officer, with thick eyebrows, big eyes, a high nose and a pointed chin, was born with a handsome and handsome skin, and unlike the officers on the surface ships who were exposed to the wind and sun all day, life on the submarine kept his skin fair and smooth, making him look younger than his real age. The taller Italian officer belonged to the type of tall man with an elegant temperament, and at first glance he was a well-cultivated and cultured lord.

Judging from the collar badges of the two, the short one is a naval captain, and the tall one is a naval lieutenant, and there is obviously a certain connection between the level of military rank and the mental outlook they show.

In the distance, the new British Navy ship painted in blue and white camouflage was sending a message in the internationally accepted light code code. The short captain scoffed as he observed, "See what the Irish are trying to express?" Our fleet ...... Combat exercises are being carried out...... To avoid accidental injury...... Please change course immediately...... Get out of here...... Ha! They thought it was their Irish Sea that would allow them to conduct combat maneuvers as they pleased? ”

The tall lieutenant chuckled, "So, let's give them a signal back and say, 'Welcome to the Mediterranean, enjoy the free air here'?" ”

The short captain pursed his lips and said disdainfully, "It's a pity that they lack the same sense of humor as the Germans, and if we reply like this, they will probably think that we are weak and deceitful." ”

"How do you reply then? Or ignore them? ”

"He replied...... 'Our ship is on an important mission, and it must arrive at its destination within the specified time, and there will be no detour.'" See what they do! ”

The tall Italian lieutenant thought for a moment, changed his serious face and said, "If they really have the same wooden heads as the Germans, maybe they will fire on us and warn us!" If it leads to a diplomatic dispute, isn't it in line with the restless guys of Austria-Hungary? ”

"Then what do you mean ......"

"Let this kind of problem be decided by the high-level!"

The short captain frowned and thought for a few seconds, then sent an order through the microphone to the staff in the cabin: "Signal man, send a telegram to the fleet command, the new British naval fleet has asked us to leave this sea area in the name of exercise, and send ships to block our ship's way." Please make it clear how our ship will respond. ”

After finishing speaking, the handsome Italian naval captain looked at his partner with concern: "After receiving this telegram, the generals of the fleet command will most likely feel that we lack assertiveness and responsibility!" ”

The tall lieutenant shrugged his shoulders indifferently: "The current situation is quite special, if we make our own decisions, the probability of becoming a scapegoat is probably much greater than the probability of becoming a hero, so I think we should be willing to be mediocre and not fight for the length of the moment." ”

The short captain stared at him a little unwillingly, and after thinking for a moment, he sighed helplessly: "Although the scale of the Italian Navy is large, the degree of modernization of the ships is far inferior to that of the new United Kingdom Navy, and the combat skills and combat experience are also far from the same...... You're right, if we come out stronger at this time, it will be difficult for us to become heroes, and it will be easy to be scapegoats! ”

As the two men talked, the new United Kingdom Navy ship in their sights once again emitted a light code, the content of which was exactly the same as the previous one. In non-combat conditions, more than half of the crew members left the submarine cabin to ventilate on the deck, and the gunners spontaneously stood around the deck guns and anti-aircraft machine guns, occasionally turning their eyes to the officers on the submarine bridge.

The tall lieutenant watched with a telescope for a while: "It should be a Munster-class submarine hunting ship, with a standard displacement of nearly 800 tons, equipped with relatively advanced sonar equipment and anti-submarine weapons." We played against it, and the win rate was only about 40%. ”

"The tonnage is about to catch up with our light destroyers!" The short captain muttered.

The tall lieutenant immediately corrected and said: "According to the current standard classification, the light destroyers of the past are all classified as torpedo boats. ”

The short captain retorted very seriously: "As torpedo boats, they are too slow, too poorly concealed, and compared with submarine hunters, their anti-submarine capabilities are insufficient, so they are still militarily positioned as light destroyers." ”

The tall lieutenant did not continue the debate on this meaningless topic, but commanded into the microphone: "Signal man, if the fleet command calls back, report immediately. ”

"Yes, sir!" A reply from the communications corpsman came from the other end of the microphone, "The telegram has been sent, and no call back has been received for the time being." ”

The short captain sneered: "Without half a day of arguing, they won't come to a conclusion." ”

At this time, at the Italian naval command, more than 1,000 kilometers away, the senior officers who received the two reports of the "Archimedes" were indeed arguing as usual, but the focus of their argument was not whether to adopt a tough, antagonistic or appeased and concessionary posture towards the new United Kingdom naval fleet that appeared in the Mediterranean, but to have their own opinions on the true purpose of this fleet. In fact, when the task force was dispatched to the Mediterranean, the new United Kingdom, in accordance with the Allied military agreement, reported the operation to the Allied powers through a joint staff meeting, with the official statement that the Home Fleet and the Persian Gulf Fleet were rotated and exchanged.

At that time, the Irish Foreign Legion, which had close ties with the military of the new United Kingdom, had already helped the Zionist armed forces in Palestine, and the military industrial complex of the New United Kingdom was also open to the Jews to supply materials. The admirals of the Italian naval command did not expect the Roman rulers to be involved so quickly and crisply, and did not pay sufficient attention and study to the actions of the new United Kingdom naval contingent. Now, the report of the "Archimedes" prompted them to temporarily hold their feet, and a staff officer soon reminded them that the "Gorichia", which escorted the **** of the Arab Kingdom and his party home, set off this morning, and the fleet of the new United Kingdom Navy held exercises in the Eastern Mediterranean at this time.

As soon as they thought of the recent heated fight between the Arab **** carried by the "Goricia" and the high-ranking people of their own country, the senior officers of the Italian Navy Command immediately became nervous, and they hurriedly sent a secret telegram to the "Goricia", informing it that a new United Kingdom naval fleet with two combat aircraft carriers and a number of escort ships was holding exercises in the eastern Mediterranean, and in view of the mysterious relationship between the new United Kingdom and the Zionist organization, it could not be ruled out that they might have ill intentions against the Arab ****. In order to ensure the integrity of the Arab **** line, it is recommended that it adjust its route, keep silent, and wait for assistance if necessary.

After the telegram was taken, the active-minded Italian naval officers felt that it was not appropriate, and they reported to the Roman leadership, suggesting that a fleet be sent to monitor the new United Kingdom naval fleet, and at the same time sending a telegram to the submarine "Archimedes" who was on the scene, asking them to try to disrupt the exercises of the new United Kingdom naval fleet and prevent them from concentrating on the implementation of the existing plan.

How did the officers of the Italian Navy command know that the communication codes they were currently using had been stolen by Austro-Hungarian spies, that every move of the Italian Navy was under the control of its number one competitor, and that the telegrams they had taken to the "Goricia" and "Archimedes" were intercepted by the Austro-Hungarian naval intelligence. With the personal approval of King Karl I, the Austro-Hungarian Naval Staff forwarded the decoded message to the Special Liaison Officer of the New United Kingdom Navy, who had recently arrived at the Pula Naval Base.

Within a quarter of an hour, the message was delivered to the "Forest Palace" on the outskirts of Limerick, where the great man, who had experienced most of the major events of the first half of the 20th century, immediately realized that this was an invitation from the central figures of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to join forces with Italy, and that it was indeed an opportunity to change the pan-Mediterranean landscape and even the situation in Europe. The Kingdom of Italy, despite its problems of one kind or another, had a first-class technological prowess in the field of military industry and shipbuilding, and a considerable market share, and if it could be integrated into the industrial chain of Ireland-Wales-Austria-Hungary-Spain, and integrated and distributed in the interests of the whole, it would be of great benefit to the economic development of the new United Kingdom, Austria-Hungary, and even Spain, as well as to the ordinary people of Italy.

Of course, if the new United Kingdom and Austria-Hungary joined forces to carve up Italy, it would certainly pose a threat to Germany's economy, trade, and even strategic layout, so the Germans would never sit on the sidelines during this period. If military mediation and diplomatic pressure cannot achieve their goals, they cannot rule out the possibility of direct military intervention, so the only chance to break the situation is to fight quickly and crush the Italians as quickly as possible.

For nearly half a century, the performance of the Italian army on the battlefield has been lackluster, and it can even be said that it is not worthy of the name, but Italy at the end of the 40s was after all a behemoth with a territory of 300,000 square kilometers and a population of nearly 50 million, with the world's fourth-largest navy, the world's fifth-largest army, and the world's fifth-largest air force. Moreover, the new United Kingdom could not devote its full military power to southern Europe. Extrapolating from the traditional pattern of warfare, it was not easy for Austria-Hungary and the new United Kingdom to win, and a quick victory was simply an impossible task.

(End of chapter)