My Italian: Chapter 623 Battle of Malta 5

Italy landed on the island of Malta, which seemed to be a commanding gun, making the Mediterranean, which was originally covered in war clouds, immediately become extraordinary.

On the evening of the day when the Italian army landed on the island of Malta, the Mediterranean Fleet in Alexandria sailed out of the station in the sunset.

This time, the Mediterranean Fleet is full of elites, with hundreds of ships of all sizes including dreadnoughts, pre-dreadnoughts, battle cruisers, armed patrols, light cruisers, destroyers, torpedo boats, and supply ships.

The Mediterranean Fleet went out to sea and immediately emptied the previously crowded port.

And the news of the Mediterranean Fleet going to sea, how could it be hidden from the Italian and Austrian countries? In Alexandria, where dark lines are densely covered, even a mosquito flying out will be observed by it.

In fact, the Allied Powers are not much better, and they have a lot of spies in the port of Taranto. Even the Italian intelligence agency has cleaned up a lot, but they are like mosquitoes in summer, and they cannot be eliminated no matter how they are.

After receiving the news that the Mediterranean Fleet had gone to sea, the United Fleet in the port of Taranto also moved quickly.

On the second day, airships departing from Libya and the Apennine Peninsula filled the sky, and they closely monitored the sea areas east of the island of Malta. In order to complete the surveillance mission, Italy not only mobilized all the extra airships in its hands, but also mobilized most of the small and medium-sized airships that carried out the Malta battle.

In addition to airships, the Italian Navy has also deployed many small and medium-sized warships to perform reconnaissance missions, and there are also many camouflaged reconnaissance ships. It can be said that the sea from the west of Crete to the east of Malta is monitored by Italy and Austria. As long as the Mediterranean Fleet takes the lead, they will definitely be known by the United Fleet.

Such a daunting scouting network is the forerunner of the United Fleet. In order to grasp the movement of the Mediterranean Fleet, the staff of the United Fleet devised this plan after carefully studying various materials in the Central Mediterranean according to the situation in the Mediterranean.

That's right, even the Italian navy is already familiar enough with this sea area, but in order to prevent possible variables, it also needs to refer to other information, such as climate, hydrology, etc.

Although the Mediterranean Sea is surrounded by land, the sea conditions are not bad, but in winter, you still have to lose your temper occasionally. Knowing and predicting the weather in advance is essential for the Combined Fleet. No one wants to see that the Mediterranean Fleet was finally picked up, and after catching it, a naval battle that attracted worldwide attention was disrupted by the weather.

When the Italians were searching for the Mediterranean Fleet east of Malta, Admiral Cardon, the target of the search, was leading the Mediterranean Fleet sailing slowly in the open sea south of Crete, far from the channel.

At this moment, for Admiral Cardon, the Italians must know about his going to sea. He didn't need to think about it, but at this moment, the Italians must be all over the central Mediterranean waiting for him to appear.

Of course, Admiral Cardon will definitely appear as they wish, but we have to wait for this time.

"Where is the reinforcement formation?"

At this moment on the flagship Orion, Admiral Cardon asked Lieutenant General Robeck, the chief of staff beside him.

"Two days ago we got the news that the reinforcement fleet led by Lieutenant Admiral Studi bypassed the coast of Ireland and was heading towards the Strait of Gibraltar. As of now, we haven't got the news. Considering the need for covert operations, I think No news at the moment is the best news, at least so far the plan is going well."

Lieutenant General Robeck's words did not reassure him.

"Robeck doesn't need to say these words of comfort to me. It's normal to be undetected from the North Sea to the Strait of Gibraltar. The Atlantic Ocean is so wide that it's very easy to avoid being seen, but you know where I am worried."

Although General Carden didn't say it clearly, how could Lieutenant General Robeck not know where it was most likely to be found. The Strait of Gibraltar is located at an important point, and it is also the only way to leave the Atlantic Ocean from the Mediterranean Sea. With so many ships passing by every day, it is almost impossible to conceal the passage of the reinforcement formation.

Although the Ministry of the Navy has made a careful plan before, according to estimates, the chance of being discovered is also very high.

"Admiral, we have to believe in the abilities of Lieutenant General Studi and Major General Millers (Governor of Gibraltar). We can only pray to God."

Lieutenant General Studi said this very bluntly, and General Carden also knew that his worries could not help the reinforcement formation at all. But looking at the huge fleet, he only felt the heavy pressure on his shoulders. Asking about the location of the reinforcement formation was just a way for him to decompress.

As for where the pressure on Admiral Cardon comes from, it goes without saying that no one can feel relaxed about shouldering the heavy responsibility of the Mediterranean Fleet, one of Britain's two pillar fleets.

The reinforcement formation, which Carden and others were concerned about, was currently driving slowly in a sea off the coast of Portugal far away from the waterway. Four tall and mighty warships with several smaller ships, this is the reinforcement formation that Admiral Cardon never forgets.

At this moment, the reinforcement formation slowed down its speed because it was waiting for the night to fall. The Strait of Gibraltar was too busy, and it was impossible to fool around without the cover of night. Of course, this required the help of the Gibraltar garrison.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, Commander, Gibraltar has just sent a telegram asking us to follow the plan. They will start at ten o'clock in the evening to block the strait with the order of the exercise, and it will end at four o'clock in the morning."

At this time, on the flagship Agincourt, the communications officer was reporting the news he had just received from Gibraltar to the commander, Lieutenant General Sturdie.

The fate of this warship, which was ridiculed as a sacred object of the multi-turret religion in later generations, was also rough. At first, Brazil ordered the construction of the "Rio de Janeiro" battleship from the British Armstrong Company. However, due to the economic crisis and financial constraints in Brazil, it was unable to continue to pay for the construction cost. It was then taken over by the Ottomans who wanted to revive the navy and was renamed the Ottoman Sultan. Keep building. However, a war broke out just when the construction was completed, and as a result, the battleship was taken over by the British who were in urgent need of warships. Directly renamed Akulkin and served in the British Navy. Also having the same fate as the Akulkin is the Ireland, which was originally ordered by Ottoman, the Ressadikh, which was also built in the UK and was also requisitioned by him.

What do you say about the original owner, the Ottomans?

It's not easy~ www.mtlnovel.com~ Just wait until my British Empire is used up and return it to the Ottomans. Don't these sick men of the Near East dare to have any opinions.

Didn’t you see that the warships built for Chile, Greece and other countries were also conscripted by the British Empire? Not to mention compensation, it is simply a humiliating condition).

Of course, Lieutenant General Stirdy doesn't care how the warships under his command came from. He is marking something on the chart now.

"Order the fleet to increase the speed to 10 knots, and we will arrive in the Strait of Gibraltar before ten o'clock."

After putting down the pencil that was gesturing on the chart in his hand, Lieutenant General Studi ordered.

Following his order, the reinforcement fleet immediately sped up, and they headed for the Strait of Gibraltar, where they were most easily found on this trip.

(end of this chapter)

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