Chapter 974 The Mediterranean Storm II
And because the Eastern Mediterranean is near the old nests of the two Allied submarine forces, the frequency of attacks is more frequent, so that the ships that transport supplies to the French fleet deployed by the Allies in Alexandria are in a mess. Even with the escort of two French cruisers and four destroyers, the transport fleet numbered KSP-11 was still killed by nine transport ships, and by the way, one French cruiser was also sunk. There is no way, because the Eastern Mediterranean is too small, this transport fleet directly encountered 3 groups in one night, a total of 11 various submarines!
Therefore, in order to ensure the suppression and blockade of the Allied fleet, the French Navy adopted a strategy of blocking both ends. For the Austro-Hungarian fleet in the Adriatic Sea, the Allied Powers deployed a blockade of the Otranto Strait, mainly using a small number of mines, trawlers and Small warships are on alert blockade. The main force of the French fleet was deployed between Matruh Port and Alexandria Port, concentrating its forces on the blockade of the Aegean Sea.
And the result of this arrangement is that if the Allied Mediterranean Fleet commanded by Earl Spey wants to rush out of the Aegean Sea during the day, it will inevitably have to have a fight with the French, because the place is too small to escape. However, the Austro-Hungarian fleet has gained greater freedom. Capital ships can sometimes enter the Mediterranean Sea, but before the commissioning of the St. Stephen, the Austro-Hungarian fleet did not dare to leave the Adriatic Sea too far. , What should I do if the opponent blocks my way back?
Moreover, even if the French divide their forces, Austria-Hungary has nothing to take advantage of. For example, let 6 Dantons and 1 Brestany-class battleship bring half a dozen cruisers and 1 dozen destroyers to block the Strait of Otranto. If 7 dreadnoughts and super dreadnoughts and the remaining former dreadnoughts and armored cruisers block the Aegean Sea, neither the Austro-Hungarian fleet nor the Spey fleet can deal with the enemy in front of them!
However, with the service of St. Stephen, the situation has changed in the direction of the Adriatic Sea, and it seems that the situation of the French fleet is not very good after several months of operations. After all, the French fleet There are dozens of warships and auxiliary ships in total.
Although Alexandria is a relatively large port, it is not a military port prepared to accommodate more than half of the warships of a fourth naval power! Therefore, from this point of view, the French have only two options. The first option is to go back in batches and stages for resupply and maintenance, and the other option is to go back together... . And the opportunity that the prince is waiting for is this time! Only at this time, there may be loopholes in this big network that controls the entire Eastern Mediterranean! And this is also an important reason why the prince intends to take action!
"Okay, everyone, let me tell you about the latest developments of the French fleet!" After the arrival of Admiral House, Prince Ruprecht, Tirpitz, and House began to plan the fleet transfer.
"His Majesty the Emperor has agreed to my plan. Most of the remaining main battleships of the Austro-Hungarian fleet, including 2 joint force-class fast battleships and 2 Radez-class battleships, will go to the Aegean Sea and command Earl Spey. The Mediterranean Fleet of the Allied Powers of the People's Republic of China joined forces." Facing Admiral House, the prince explained his purpose.
"In that case,
So we respect His Majesty's orders, but can Istanbul supply the entire fleet? Also, how do we break through the opponent's blockade? If we want to enter the Aegean Sea, we will definitely encounter the main French fleet. "Admiral House said.
"I admit it's very difficult, but if we don't act, then we will just be broken by the Allied Powers one by one, thinking that the Japanese, they have made some kind of deal with the British, and the Japanese fleet will come soon. If our fleet If it is still so scattered, then it will only be blocked by the opponent in the port. Of course, this is not the most terrible thing. If the Allied Powers launch a landing operation in the Dardanelles, then if we fail, the battle situation will be subversive Yes! Russia will receive foreign aid, so even from this point of view, we must strengthen our forces in the Dardanelles!" said the prince.
The current situation is like this, and it has reached the point where it must be changed. Although the Austro-Hungarian fleet and the Spey fleet are still inferior to their opponents after the confluence, the six fast battleships gathered can at least take advantage of their speed to deal with the opponent's fleet and cause damage. For a bigger threat, 4 Helgrands will definitely not be able to fight 4 Brestanes and 4 Gubas, but with 6 ships, it is not worth fighting at all! Although the overall strength is still inferior to the opponent, just like in the North Sea, at least in a certain key comparison, the fleet of the Allied Powers has an advantage!
And to take a step back, even if they cannot go to sea to fight, when the Allied Powers launch the Battle of the Dardanelles, the battleships of the Allied Powers can still give huge support to the ground troops. In the history of the Battle of the Dardanelles, the British and French allied forces could invest 500,000 yuan. This time, with the cannon fodder provided by the Japanese, it is possible to increase 200,000 yuan! In order to ensure that the Dardanelles are safe, the prince believes that this alone is worth the support of the Austro-Hungarian fleet!
"If that's the case, what will happen to our coast?" Admiral House asked.
"Are you still worried that the Allies will launch a large-scale landing operation in the coastal area? We can lay minefields and arrange submarines on the Adriatic coast. It doesn't matter even if the Allies launch a large-scale landing operation. I have talked about land issues. Forget it." The prince said confidently.
The prince is not worried that the Allied Powers will launch a landing operation in the Adriatic Sea, why? Because it is useless! Launching a landing operation in the Dardanelles can open up the Black Sea channel and deliver supplies to Russia, and can destroy the most elite part of the Turkish Empire. It is possible to cut off the connection between Germany and Austria and Türkiye. It can be said that there are many benefits. But what are the benefits of launching a massive landing operation in the Adriatic?
There is no need to open up new battlefields, because countries such as Serbia and Macedonia are already competing with the allies. And now they are playing well, and have already entered the Austro-Hungarian Empire.... The situation is very good, Britain and France can't afford to spend a lot of manpower and material resources to make an unnecessary move. Moreover, the Balkan battlefield itself is a secondary aspect. Fighting well and fighting badly will not have a great impact on the overall battle situation. Even if Serbia is finished, so what? It's nothing to Britain and France. Historically, the Balkan theaters have collapsed. Didn't Britain and France still win the first World War? Therefore, it is unnecessary to launch a landing operation in the Adriatic Sea, and it is an extremely cost-effective operation!
Tomorrow the Mediterranean sea battle will officially start, and today there will be two more updates. Ask for a subscription and a reward~~~!