I Became a Captain of the British Empire - I Became a Captain of the British Empire chapter 94

Taranto air raid

Two days later, in the morning. Port of Taranto, Italy.

Admiral Ernest, chief of staff of the Italian Navy, looked back at the port with a gloomy face.

A port where countless warships sleep.

The cold wind blew, adding to the silence.

This is the true home port of the Italian Navy.

The heavenly fortress, Taranto.

“Admiral Riccardi is missing?”

“Yes, even the body was not recovered… … .”

“Damn it, even after a surprise attack, it’s still like this. Can we beat them?”

Gritting his teeth and muttering that, the admiral immediately noticed the change in the adjutant’s expression and waved his hand.

“… no, it was nothing ignore it.”

The admiral turned his head and looked at the battleships lined up in the harbor.

The huge silhouettes of four ships are vaguely visible. It is best for now to preserve even this remaining battleship. Even if it means lifting the blockade of the Adriatic Sea.

They also have to think about the future.

“It’s not too embarrassing. The fleet is cut in half in an instant.”

“It will be safe in Taranto, though.”

To the adjutant so convinced, the chief of staff also nodded.

Certainly, the harbor was a natural fortress. The bay was protected by layers of coastal artillery and air squadrons, and the harbor was teeming with anti-torpedo nets, anti-aircraft guns, searchlights, and anti-aircraft guns.

“By the way, sentries are strange.”

“Where are you running around like that at night?”

“It looks like there will be an unexpected inspection.”

“Anyway, it goes away… … .”

The two muttered as they watched the suddenly busy footsteps in the distance.

The port of Taranto is in the bay, so it is not easy for submarines to penetrate. Truly impregnable. That’s why the chief of staff can also come out safely at night.

“Then why are you in such a hurry? … Wait, can’t you hear something strange?”

“yes? It seems so… There is a guard post at the moment, so I will ask and come.”

And as long as the last Italian fleet lives, it will not be threatened. No matter how much the opponent is the Mediterranean Fleet… … .

In an instant, a strange sensation passed through the admiral’s head.

The bleak morning wind.

Somewhere in the middle, there was a strange noise mixed in. The admiral looked at the adjutant running away with a frown on his face.

“… Adjutant, what is this?”

“My, Admiral… over there!”

A gasping lieutenant. The admiral turned his eyes toward the place where he had swung his hand.

“That… !”

The sound of propellers waking up at dawn approached the port.

* * *

5 am. Over the Port of Taranto.

The sea glistens in the moonlight.

Over the black water, nine Blackburn Ripon torpedo bombers flew in three formations. The sound of the lapping waves seemed to cut through even the engine noise.

Descending below the clouds, they now lay bare over the harbor, but no anti-aircraft guns had yet opened fire.

perfect surprise. Even a few air defense devices are nowhere to be seen.

“Your boundaries are weaker than I thought, Colonel.”

“It’s a great opportunity. Finish it like this before the anti-aircraft guns fire!”

“yes!”

At the signal of Lieutenant Colonel Lockwood, the raid leader, the three torpedo bombers lowered their noses first. Something bright yellow flew past them as they descended at full speed. Soon after, a gunshot rang in my ears.

“Lieutenant Colonel! Enemy fires anti-aircraft guns!”

“Ignore it. I can’t get it right anyway.”

The lieutenant colonel said calmly as he watched anti-aircraft rounds that appeared to be 2 pounds pass overhead. Shocked by the bullet that passed in front of his eyes, the rear shooter trembled alone.

The fluttering gestures could be felt even in the front seats, so the lieutenant colonel turned towards the back and said.

“Don’t be scared with something like this.”

“But don’t the shells fly right in front of you?”

“What if I can’t stand even this poor danmaku?”

At least to him, the chances of getting caught in that sloppy barrage seemed as slim as taking a direct hit from a large-caliber anti-aircraft gun.

I was aiming aimlessly at the dark night sky.

“Not even turning on the searchlight. You are stupid.”

The Panama Canal’s anti-aircraft nets would be better than this. Even if it is said that the light control is implemented, the yard has already been caught. In that case, there is nothing to hide, but you have to shoot down the enemy plane first to reduce the damage.

However, they are still not firing a single flare, let alone a searchlight. Are you still not awake?

‘Then I’ll have to beat him up to wake him up.’

Even as the gunfire roared around, the lieutenant colonel calmly turned his head. A huge silhouette was anchored side by side on the outskirts.

nothing to see again it’s a battleship

“Enemy battleship found!”

The lieutenant colonel shouted loudly and made the rear gunner send a hand signal.

Just like that, I turned the steering wheel and turned the nose.

The sound of the propeller echoes the surface of the water and lowers the altitude. A long hull that glistened with fire from the front.

A ship that did not even move was an easy target to hit even with closed eyes. After aiming for a while, the lieutenant colonel’s aircraft lightly threw a torpedo.

Dive, 18-inch torpedo dug into the sea. The white wake runs on the invisible surface of the water. Towards a huge ship only 800 meters away.

The target battleship ‘Conde di Cavour’ is a dreadnought of the Italian Navy. The 12-inch guns, which reached a whopping 15 guns, proved that the battleship was still worthwhile, but unfortunately it was not very useful in the situation to come.

Maybe it was rather a hindrance. With five turrets, there was no room for anti-aircraft guns.

It was clear, however, that her 2-pounder anti-aircraft gun had not shot down a single carrier-based aircraft.

Three huge warheads that went all the way hit her bulge. Flashes of light flashed with a roar, and the water column hit the steel plate.

A bell rang on the deck and the late sailors hurriedly ran out of the deck. The sound of propellers echoed again around them as they panicked.

Captain Chris’s squadron, which saw the advance of the lieutenant colonel’s squadron in action, looked for other targets to keep up with him.

Another battleship moored aft of Conde di Cavour. It’s a similar silhouette, but it’s definitely a battleship anyway.

“It is a mouth-watering target. electricity! Follow me!”

The captain, who summarized the opponent in one word, passed through the battlefield where the fire crossed. But this time, it wasn’t so easy.

pop-

A huge flash of light lit up the sky.

The first flare flew.

At the same time, the searchlights installed on the deck also scanned all directions. Searchlight, who found the captain flying low over the water, chased the squadron and returned as it was.

“sh*t! You are dazzling!”

“Captain! Found out!”

“Quickly drop and go! Hold tight!”

There is no more time to procrastinate.

Judging by the anti-aircraft fire flying around, the captain chose to accelerate further by pushing the stroller. The 570 mana engine roared and the biplane wings skimmed over the water.

A tracer flashing in front of your eyes. The blazing gunfire echoed in my ears. I mentally calculated the distance after seeing the vaguely visible hull in the darkness of dawn.

1,000… .

900… .

800… .

“Now!”

Tung-

Leaving behind the sound of the torpedo landing, the captain turned the nose. Then, a flash of light pierced his eyes.

It was an instant. The canvas was torn to shreds with the feeling of being brightly lit everywhere.

The broken fuselage crashes into the sea in the blink of an eye.

On the bleak splashing surface of the water, on the burning battleship, gunfire resounded like a memorial song.

* * *

“Admiral, avoid yourself!”

“Leave this!”

Shaking off the adjutant who tried to dissuade him, Chief of Staff Ernest gritted his teeth and looked up at the sky.

It’s time for the light of day to come. The attacking party, which flew in with the cold wind, raided the port aiming for a time when the last darkness had not yet lifted.

“I can’t believe the enemy is approaching this port! Even dare to say something like an airplane!”

The sound of grinding teeth was heard even by the adjutant.

No matter how old-fashioned it is, it is a battleship squadron in charge of half of the Italian Navy.

Seeing them as the pride of the country being unilaterally beaten by an aircraft was certainly not pleasant even for the adjutant.

“I’m crazy. What is this? What are our anti-aircraft guns doing? Why isn’t the anti-torque net working?”

“It was just a surprise. Our defenses are currently in operation, so please feel free to enter.”

“Don’t worry, don’t you see our battleships getting beaten up?”

The admiral waved his hand and pointed to the sky, and the adjutant shrugged his shoulders and stepped back. However, even the admiral who shouted like that could do nothing but stomp his feet while biting his lip.

Totally unexpected. It is a port full of defense facilities.

Even if an attack came, I expected it to be easily blocked.

“Admiral, step back!”

“Damn it, why did you turn on the searchlight now?”

“Well, it must have been because of the lights control… … .”

“What kind of cover are these guys who just sit there silently! Your actions have slowed down!”

However, the sight that unfolded in his eyes was quite different. Anti-aircraft fire was poor, and high winds blew half of the air defense balloons.

The anti-torme net seemed to be working, but the quantity was insufficient. In the first place, the installation has just begun.

There was also a quantity urgently deployed in Naples, so there was not enough anti-aircraft netting in Taranto.

But even if they beat them all, how could they overcome the shallow waters of the harbor and successfully strike the torpedo?

The admiral was most suspicious of that.

“Isn’t that ‘Caio Duilio’?”

Make sure to read from noble mtl dot com

Pointing to a battleship that was engulfed in heavy drinking, he laughed. A pure white column of water was rising from the side of the stretching hull.

“Am I seeing the end of the Italian Navy?”

No one was able to answer the admiral’s laugh-like words. However, it was a luxury to even look around.

“Admiral, over there!”

Another squadron was approaching from beyond the dawning horizon.

* * *

The next day, Malta Port.

“A report on the results of last night’s raid.”

widely-

A pile of papers rises on the desk. I set down my coffee cup and picked up the papers.

“Good job. Our air force has suffered a lot.”

“The damage is less than expected. However, the 3rd raid was intercepted by enemy surface fighters.”

“The loss of the first Osprey and the loss of the second Ripon… Since it was a seaplane, the sortie was quick.”

He nodded his head as he read the documents the Chief of Staff had given him. The enemy’s seaplane described in the report is said to have higher performance than expected.

Of course it will. Italy is also a country that recognizes itself when it comes to seaplanes. In addition, until the biplane era, there is still a water fighter left.

Still, it is fortunate that the surprise attack was successful and the first raid was successful.

“Anyway, you are great. You suggested a way to solve the depth of the harbor in advance.”

“It was originally prepared to be used in Toulon. I didn’t know it would be written like this.”

How to use torpedoes at low depth. A long time ago, I submitted a report on the operation of torpedo bombers after the Boston Harbor air raid. Mounting wooden planks and other attitude control equipment on torpedo wings.

At that time, I wondered if the day would come to write.

It was all about spraying leaflets on the East Coast. Half a year later, the golden opportunity came, so it is truly unknown in the world.

“The presumed record was that two battleships were sunk. Also elite. It’s worth trusting me.”

“Is it really sinking?”

“If their response was delayed, it could have been flooded. Let’s send an additional reconnaissance plane to check.”

I took another sip of coffee in front of the chief of staff, who still had a puzzled face.

“First of all, it is a great achievement. With this, Taranto will be quiet for a while. I guess they don’t have any cards left.”

The last two Caracciolo-class ships will be busy with repairs for the time being, so the remaining capital ships are at best two. This is enough to organize the Austrian war navy line.

In fact, the war is almost over. Relaxing time to relax.

As I was quietly looking through the battle reports page by page, Kirk entered the room with a telegram.

“I am contacting you from my home country.”

“what?”

“I don’t know either. Check it out.”

The documents received contained only brief information.

‘Z Task Force will hand over operations to the Mediterranean Fleet and return to its home country.’

at las!

“I will spend this Christmas in London.”

“Is that true?”

As he raised his lips and spoke, the chief of staff asked in a bright color.

He nodded happily.

It feels like the tiredness that has been tied up for so long is all at once.

After a long time, I stretched and warmed up.

“yes. I haven’t heard what the situation is like in my home country.”

To cool down for a while, I ordered Kirk to get the newspaper. The entire Atlantic Ocean seems like a series of boring trade disruptions, but we still need to hear what’s going on in the world.

The chief of staff looked at the papers and me alternately from the side, but he turned his head away. Can’t we take a break now?

“Admiral, the war is not over yet.”

“My war is over. At least since I got this order.”

Should I cover my ears too?

When I picked up the newspaper and covered my face, there was no answer, only a sigh. I read the news that adorned the front page quietly, ignoring the head of the chief of staff reflected in the lighting.

… read.

re-read,

I read it slowly. I repeated the meaning several times.

“What do you mean?”

Inadvertently, the words came out in a mysterious voice. A situation that was so difficult to understand appeared as a string in front of my eyes.

“Huey Long was shot?”

Something big seems to be happening in America.