Chapter 1001 Ballista Plan

"I call it Project Ballista." The Quartermaster pointed at the map:

"We have two aircraft carriers, each carrying 25 SE5a fighters."

"Its role is to cooperate with anti-aircraft firepower to kill the French 'torpedo planes'."

"As long as our warships approach the island of Malta, our naval guns will be able to blow the French airfield to the sky."

"Then, victory will be ours."

The politicians looked at the map in thought, then nodded in agreement.

This seems like a viable battle plan.

In order to achieve surprise in the battle, the Minister of Munitions suggested that the fleet sail to the war zone at night and launch a surprise attack at dawn.

"Only in this way can we catch the French army off guard." The Navy Minister pointed to the map and gave a series of explanations:

"Our battleships have penetrated to a position approximately 150 kilometers from Malta."

"Because it was dark and the French fighter planes could not take off, and this distance was also the alert distance of the French navy."

"As soon as daybreak arrives, the battleships will immediately launch an attack on the enemy navy, then tear through the enemy's defenses and approach Malta to bomb the airfields."

…

On this day, major British newspapers were published particularly early.

Before daybreak, newsboys were running through the streets and alleys, shouting:

"Extra, Extra, Britain has decided to declare war on France!"

"The Minister of Munitions believes that in order to achieve peace we will have to seize control of the Mediterranean."

"This is a 'heartbreaking but necessary decision'!"

Lights began to light up one by one on the originally dark streets. Some people rushed out of their rooms and exchanged the money in their hands for newspapers. Then more and more people came, many of whom were only wearing thin pajamas.

Then they exclaimed:

"God, it's true! What have we done? We've made war on France!"

"Isn't France our ally?"

"The British army seems to be well prepared, and the urgent announcement now seems to be a surprise attack!"

…

Hotel Crillon.

As usual, Clemenceau lived in the room he had booked, which he thought was much more comfortable than his own villa.

Although the rooms were smaller, there weren't as many servants and the food selection wasn't as wide.

But he can always feel the admiring and worshipful gazes and the endless applause.

Clemenceau enjoyed this very much; in those last few months he had received more praise than all the others in the past combined, much more.

Perhaps this was the joy of following Charles, Clemenceau thought.

Because of this, Clemenceau slept soundly every night and woke up in the morning feeling that something good had happened.

But this day, he was awakened by a rapid knock on the door.

Clemenceau impatiently took off his blindfold, got out of bed, opened the door, and yelled at the secretary standing in front of him: "I told you, Tulato, nothing can't wait until dawn..."

"But Prime Minister," the secretary said, his face pale. "This matter can't wait. Britain has declared war on us!"

Clemenceau was stunned for a moment, thinking he was still asleep.

It was not until he took the telegram, turned on the light, and read it several times that he exclaimed: "God, this is true."

The next second he turned to his secretary and ordered, "Wake up everyone, all the representatives!"

"Yes, Your Excellency the Prime Minister."

Soon, the Crillon Hotel, which had been unusually quiet, became chaotic, and then the streets of Paris, where people heard the news and got up one after another.

…

At the same time, in the Mediterranean Sea 200 kilometers east of Malta Island.

The sea surface is like a mirror and the night is dim.

The British aircraft carriers HMS Argus and HMS Furious approached the island of Malta under the "protection" of dozens of destroyers and prepared for battle.

They swayed gently in the waves, as if waiting for something.

On the deck of the aircraft carrier, fighter jets were lined up on both sides, and a fighter jet was parked in the middle of the runway with the pilot in position.

Ground crew make a final check of the aircraft.

The gloomy east gradually turned pale, and the sun gradually emerged from the sea with a fiery red light.

Specks of golden light sprinkled on the cockpit, illuminating the faces of the pilots, who looked pale from excessive tension.

At the aircraft carrier command center, the captain looked at the gradually brightening sky, took out his pocket watch, and gave the order with a blank expression: "Take off!"

The sound of engines suddenly rang out, and fighter jets were launched into the air under the command of ground crew members, and then flew towards the island of Malta.

Colonel Weir is the commander of this flight team.

His mission was to protect the battleship.

He protested to his superiors more than once:

"We can't protect the battleship, sir."

"Because we're so fast and the battleship is like a snail."

"If we want to protect them, we can only circle around them, which will not give full play to the speed advantage of our fighter jets."

But his superior rejected his suggestion without hesitation:

"This is your mission."

"Remember, you protect the battleships so they can use their guns to destroy the enemy airfields."

"So, you must destroy every 'torpedo plane' that approaches the battleship, even if it means knocking them down. Do you understand?"

Colonel Will replied helplessly: "Yes, sir!"

When the fighter planes arrived over the fleet, the Third Division had already engaged in a firefight with the French fleet.

The British fleet dispatched a total of 7 battleships and more than 30 cruisers and destroyers.

The French fleet was much weaker, with only two battleships fighting and retreating, and the rest were mostly torpedo boats.

The sound of cannons roared, and the sea was full of huge waves caused by the shells, and white water lines appeared from time to time on the calm sea surface.

Colonel Will knew that it was a new type of French torpedo, one that could turn in the sea and chase its target.

Perhaps because of it, the French Navy did not lose the upper hand at all.

Two British cruisers and a destroyer were hit by torpedoes and were slowly sinking to the bottom of the sea with black smoke coming out.

"What's going on?" Colonel Will was shocked as he watched the battle. "Our navy can't break through the enemy's defenses?"

At this time, several small black dots appeared in the distant sky.

The wingman gestured nervously to warn Colonel Will, who nodded and began to climb with the fleet.

"The target is the 'torpedo plane'." He muttered to himself: "As long as we shoot it down, the battleship will be safe."

Suddenly, Colonel Will realized that this was a trap set for the French army.

It was not that the British battleships were unable to break through the enemy's defenses, but that they intentionally lured enemy aircraft.

because……

It is about 150 kilometers from the island of Malta.

The French fighter planes have a range of more than 400 kilometers. If they fight in the air for a while longer, they will not have enough fuel to return.

"They're smart for once," thought Colonel Will.

The French "torpedo planes" will become our targets!

(End of this chapter)