More than a hundred kilometers east of Catania, Sicily, a huge fleet is sailing. Each warship carried the flag of the Kingdom of Spain and the flag of the Navy. This fleet is currently the most powerful fleet of the Peace Alliance in the Mediterranean. After the withdrawal of the Chinese Navy from the Mediterranean, the interests of the entire peace alliance were entrusted to this fleet. They had just resupplied in Catania and then headed for the eastern Mediterranean. However, it was also at this time that a telegram from the Duke of Aguilera, Minister of the Admiralty of the Kingdom of Spain, had arrived. The content of the telegram was simple, there were only two tasks, one was to destroy the navy of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, and the other was to ensure the security of the Mediterranean shipping routes. Of course, the second task is even more important in a strategic sense.

However, in order to complete the second mission, it is necessary to destroy the Ottoman Turkish Navy. Only in this way will the Spanish Navy be able to complete the second task. Otherwise, the existence of the navy of the Ottoman Turkish Empire was itself a threat to the Mediterranean shipping routes.

"Your Excellency, this is a telegram from Your Excellency the Duke. His Excellency the Duke asks us to destroy the navy of the Ottoman Turkish Empire and guarantee the security of the Mediterranean shipping routes. The transport ships of our Chinese allies are about to enter the Mediterranean. In addition, the aircraft of the Chinese Navy in Crete, as well as on the island of Cyprus, will help us! "A young vice admiral said to Admiral Antonio, who was Vice Admiral Saises, the chief of staff of the fleet.

"It's finally time for a decisive battle with those damn Turks, I've been staring at this day for a long time!" Admiral San Antonio suddenly became excited. As an admiral, his dream was to lead the Spanish navy through the seas. Defeat powerful opponents. However, now several major naval powers. In addition to the allies of the Kingdom of Spain, two hostile states remained, the German Empire and the Ottoman Turkish Empire. The navy of the German Empire was strong. This is not something that the Kingdom of Spain can deal with. Therefore, Admiral Antonio set his sights on the Ottoman Turkish Navy, which was about the same strength.

"General, if the navy of the Ottoman Turkish Empire hides in the Black Sea and does not come out, then what should we do?" Lieutenant General Saisis asked.

After the Ottoman Empire joined the Holy Alliance, in order to avoid a surprise attack by the Chinese Empire, the main naval force of the Ottoman Turkish Empire withdrew to the Black Sea. After the Ukrainian plains fell into the hands of the Ottoman Empire, the Black Sea became almost the inland sea of the Ottoman Empire. Although the Chinese Empire also had large coastal areas in the Don region and in the northern Caucasus Mountains. It's just that the Chinese Empire did not deploy a fleet in the Black Sea. After all, it's not easy to resupply there. The shipping lanes into the Black Sea were in the hands of the Ottoman Turkish Empire. Once the Ottoman Turks cut off the Bosphorus, the fleet would not be able to enter or leave at all.

"Humph! If the Ottoman Empire wanted to retreat to the Black Sea, it would be fine. The Mediterranean route will not be threatened by them, and we will easily complete the task. However, I don't think the Ottoman Turks will back down this time. Even if they wanted to back down, the Germans wouldn't let them do it! Admiral Antonio smiled.

Vice Admiral Saisis was a little puzzled, could it be that the Germans really wanted to send the navy of the Ottoman Turkish Empire to death?

"The Germans have just suffered a big loss in Belgium, having been killed by our allies by hundreds of thousands of people. This Yan zhòng influenced the battle plans of the Germans. So, if reinforcements from our allies arrived in Western Europe at this time, it would be a disaster for the Germans. So, they will certainly do everything possible to prevent reinforcements from our allies from reaching Europe. But. In the Mediterranean, the only thing they could count on was the navy of the Ottoman Empire. Under such circumstances, would the navy of the Ottoman Turkish Empire still dare to cower in the Black Sea? Admiral Antonio looked like he had completely calculated the navy of the Ottoman Empire.

"Our allies are amazing. Aren't they only 200,000 people in Belgium? It was able to make the Germans suffer another big loss. Lieutenant General Saisis sighed heartily. As a Spanish admiral who had studied at the Chinese Naval University, he had a natural affection for the Chinese Empire. The Chinese Empire was victorious. He was very proud.

"So, I think. This time, we should encounter the main naval force of the Ottoman Empire, and then have a decisive battle. It's going to be a great opportunity for us, and we have to take advantage of it and wipe them out in one fell swoop. Only in this way will we be able to defend the interests of the Peace Alliance and let us achieve the final victory! Admiral Antonio said firmly.

"Yes, Your Excellency Commander, the final victory must be ours!" Lieutenant General Saisis is also full of confidence.

"Order the fleet, increase the speed to 14 knots, target Crete!" Admiral Antonio ordered. Crete was an island of the Chinese Empire in the Mediterranean, which held the waters of the eastern Mediterranean Sea and was also the outlet of the southern Aegean Sea. The Ottoman navy had to pass through here if it wanted to enter the Mediterranean Sea from the Aegean Sea. The Imperial Chinese Navy deployed bases on the island of Crete, which could take off and land fighters and seaplanes. If the Ottoman Empire wanted to slip silently into the Mediterranean, it would have been absolutely impossible.

Just as the Spanish navy was rushing to Crete, the navy of the Ottoman Turkish Empire was also beginning to make preparations for the sea. At this moment, the main force of the navy of the Ottoman Turkish Empire had gathered in the Sea of Marmara. Access to the Aegean Sea is all you need to access the Dardanelles. However, once you cross the Aegean Sea and enter the Mediterranean, you may encounter the Spanish navy. This made the naval commander of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, Mohammed. Kebal. Pasha was worried.

Although, he was in Sultan Abdul. Mejid I had already assured that the Ottoman navy would be able to defeat the Spanish navy. However, even he himself is not so sure! Before it was nothing more than to make Sultan Abdul. Mejid I was relieved.

This time, Muhammad. Kebal. Pasha has been cornered, and if the navy fails, then he will most likely be dead. So, in the absence of a retreat, Muhammad. Kebal. Pasha boarded the battleship Sultan, the flagship of the Ottoman Turkish Navy, and prepared to personally command the naval battle. Although, naval battles are very dangerous, and if you are not careful, you will die. However, it is better to fight on your own than to be hanged by an angry Sultan after losing the naval battle!

Abdul. Mejid I for Muhammad. Kebal. Pasha was very satisfied with this practice of personally commanding the battlefield, calling him a model for the soldiers of the Ottoman Turkish Empire. His Majesty the Sultan was convinced that the navy of the Ottoman Turkish Empire would be able to achieve victory. And this undoubtedly gave Muhammad. Kebal. The pressure on the Pasha increased.

Abdul. Mejid I can be said to have great confidence in the navy, and as the saying goes, the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. If the Navy fails, it will be to Abdul. How much of a blow did Mejid I deal about? When the time comes, Muhammad. Kebal. Pasha's fate can be imagined.

When they were ready, the Ottoman navy left Istanbul, and thirteen battleships, plus cruisers and destroyers, a total of more than fifty warships, crossed the Sea of Marmara and entered the Dardanelles.

It is impossible for the navy of the Ottoman Empire to be completely secretive about such a large-scale operation, which simply does not take the intelligence officers of the Empire's * military intelligence agency into account. So, just as the Ottoman Turkish navy entered the Dardanelles, the Empire* Military Intelligence received a telegram from the intelligence officers that the Ottoman Turkish navy had been dispatched.

As soon as the Ottoman Turkish navy sailed out of the Dardanelles, it sailed towards the southern Aegean Sea without stopping for a moment. Mohammed. Kebal. The Pasha knew that their actions would certainly not be hidden from the enemy. Both Chinese and Spaniards must have heard of them. Therefore, the navy of the Ottoman Turkish Empire had to enter the Mediterranean Sea as much as possible to avoid being intercepted by the Spanish navy.

The Aegean Sea is too narrow and densely populated with islands, large and small, and it is not suitable for a decisive battle of the fleet. Only the vast Mediterranean Sea is the best battlefield for a decisive battle.

On August 17, 1863, the Spanish navy had arrived on the outskirts of Crete, and instead of going to Crete for supplies, they remained open to the open sea to wait for news. If you go to Crete, you will most likely be discovered by enemy intelligence officers.

The Imperial Chinese Navy also sent a large number of seaplanes to search for traces of the Ottoman Turkish Empire's navy based on Crete.

The Spanish Navy called this plan the Blocking Plan, which meant to completely block the Ottoman Turkish Navy's access to the Mediterranean. Of course, if the navy of the Ottoman Empire forced its way out of the Aegean Sea, then they would have wiped out the navy of the Ottoman Empire. If the navy of the Ottoman Turkish Empire did not come out, then they would completely close the gates of the Aegean Sea to ensure the safety of sea routes. (To be continued......)

PS: The second update arrives, asking for subscriptions, monthly passes and recommended tickets! Thank you book friend Missuswastika for the monthly pass!