Chapter 639 H Fleet

The aircraft carrier Eagle, originally built for the Chilean Navy Admiral Latorre, was interrupted by World War I.

After that, it was purchased by the Royal Navy, carried out carrier-based aircraft application tests, completed the conversion as an aircraft carrier, and became a quasi-aircraft carrier.

The aircraft carrier has a standard displacement of 22,600 tons and a maximum speed of 24 knots. It can carry 21 aircrafts.

Originally, it served in the Indian Ocean two months ago. After that, it was incorporated into the British Mediterranean Fleet, and now it belongs to the flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet.

At this time, on the bridge of the aircraft carrier, Vice Admiral Sir James Somerville of the Royal Navy, as the commander-in-chief of the fleet, looked at the sea in the distance, and his brain was also running rapidly.

In all fairness, he did not want to carry out this operation, because it would lead them to draw swords against the French fleet.

This kind of mission makes him very disgusted, but as a soldier, he must take it as his duty to obey orders.

Perhaps, London's consideration is justified, the French Navy, either join the British fleet or die! Can't be cheaper for the Germans, right?

This time, after accepting the mission, James led the fleet to prepare for the ballista operation. Their goal was to remain on the French colony and stationed in the French fleet of Mirskbil in North Africa!

After all, the strength of the French fleet is also very strong, so they almost mobilized all the warships that could be mobilized in the Mediterranean Sea.

In addition to the Eagle aircraft carrier, there is also the Hundred-Eyed Giant. This aircraft carrier is of great significance to the United Kingdom.

This is the first aircraft carrier in the world with a straight-through flat flight deck after the British purchased the Italian merchant ship "Cudi Rosso" and modified the hull.

It is the first warship to have the shape of a true aircraft carrier, and in the British Navy, it has the significance of opening a new era.

Although it has undergone many modifications, it is the foundation of a merchant ship after all. Therefore, in the British Navy, this aircraft carrier is used more as a training ship, and now it is also dispatched.

The two aircraft carriers have 24 "Sea Gull" fighters and 20 "Swordfish" torpedo bombers. This is their greatest force. If they finally draw their swords against each other, these forces are enough to send French warships to hell.

At the same time, their formation also has the battleships "Warrior" and "Resolve", 2 cruisers and 11 destroyers. It can be said that after the main force of the British navy was annihilated by the surprise attack in Scapa Flow, this is already a British ability. The largest naval power available is to maintain the British sea power in the Mediterranean Sea, and to ensure the safety of crossing the Mediterranean Sea from the bases in the Middle East and reaching the mainland route.

The inflated naval strength of the Germans has always been developed in the Atlantic Ocean, and now there is no tendency to expand to the Mediterranean Sea. Even so, their actions must be fast!

Therefore, the entire formation is sailing at almost full speed, and his aircraft carrier has reached a high speed of 24 knots.

Little did he know, there was a German submarine nearby that had spotted them.

For submarines, it is most convenient to attack sideways. However, the opponent will not stop and must move. Especially now, in high-speed sailing, Captain Helmut has to consider many factors. It is very important to judge the route in advance.

Now, he is not sure.

However, since the British fleet was discovered, how could they be allowed to run away in a daze!

Even if it is a waste of four torpedoes, try it once! Just as Helmut wanted to continue giving orders, he heard the first officer's voice: "Captain, Berlin sent a telegram asking us to continue to track the British fleet and not to attack for the time being."

track?

Helmut's eyes left the periscope. Just now, when he discovered the target, he sent a telegram back to Berlin. Who would have thought that there would be an echo so soon.

Only tracking, not attacking? Helmut had some doubts about this order, but he still accepted it.

However, it is not easy to track your own submarine. If you use a battery, the speed is not high enough. Moreover, it only takes one hour to sail at your own top speed, and the precious electricity will be gone. If you turn on the diesel engine, It is easy to be discovered by the other party.

You must know that it is very scary for a small submarine to track an aircraft carrier formation. As long as it is discovered by the other party, it will definitely run away.

In particular, even at full power, his submarine could not run at a speed of 20 knots, and it was not so easy to track each other.

So, taking his eyes off the periscope and swallowing, Helmut looked at the chart.

If you can't catch up, then you have to guess what the British Navy's goal is this time. Their high-speed sailing at such a big night is definitely not an ordinary patrol. Such a big fight is definitely wanting to fight.

However, the target will not be Germany, because the German navy is now in the Mediterranean Sea, there is nothing but submarines, and it will not be its own Libyan base, because the Libyan base is inland, the navy is useless, and the Libyan base With a complete air defense system, their carrier-based aircraft were not cheap in the past.

Italy? As long as the British are not brain-dead, they will definitely not provoke Italy at such a time.

Then, the final answer is about to come out.

The British wanted to attack the French navy, and the target was the French naval port in Algeria.

Bowing his head on the chart, he drew a line, and Helmut said, "Let's set off immediately and go to the Mirskbil base!"

If you chase it now, you can also catch the prey! Helmut was excited again.

The submarine with only the snorkel exposed, started the diesel engine, and continued to sail on the sea. Although the British Navy was getting farther and farther in the night, they did not give up. There is their own prey here!

The H fleet was sailing at high speed, and after continuing to sail for two hours, it finally arrived at its destination, ten nautical miles outside the port of Mirskbil.

Newer F-class destroyers form the short-range defense circle, while several older destroyers built in the late World War I carry out anti-submarine patrols around the perimeter.

Inside the defense circle, the battleships are ready to go, and on the two aircraft carriers, preparations for the release of carrier-based aircraft have begun, and they can launch attacks at any time.

"We just received a telegram from London," Lieutenant General Somerville said to his staff, Colonel Holland, a former naval attaché in Paris, France, holding the telegram.

Colonel Holland took the telegram, only to see it read: "You have undertaken one of the most unpleasant and difficult tasks that British Fleet Command has ever faced, but we have full confidence in you, I trust you will carry out this task mercilessly."

It was the last scene that people wanted to see, but perhaps, things weren't so bad.

"I'm good friends with the French fleet commander. I'll go there first as a private person, maybe I'll be able to convince the other party," Colonel Holland said.

At this time, at 2:25 in the morning, Colonel Holland took the destroyer to the flagship of the French fleet "Dunkirk".

This is bound to be a sleepless night!