Chapter 360 The Empire's Crossbow (Part 2)

"What? The British fleet is coming to Toulon?"

At 10:30 p.m. on May 12, three French naval commanders who were enjoying dessert received news that the British fleet was approaching. It was not the Germans who informed them, but the unreliable Italians. Because they were responsible for "guarding" the French fleet in Toulon Port, the Italian Navy also had a channel of communication with the French fleet in Toulon Port.

But Admiral Inigo Campioni, the commander-in-chief of the Italian Navy, did not inform the French of this news.

On the one hand, he did not believe that the British had the ability to launch an air strike from an aircraft carrier at night; on the other hand, he did not want the Germans to get the French Navy's fleet - he knew that the strength of the French fleet was greater than that of the Italian fleet. If the Germans got the French fleet, wouldn't they have the most powerful navy in the Mediterranean?

However, his staff told the Italian destroyer "Mistral" wandering outside Toulon Port about the British fleet approaching Toulon. The captain of the "Mistral" destroyer was too active and asked his men to use a clear text telegram to inform the French fleet in Toulon Port of this news.

"What do the British want to do?" Admiral Darlan did not expect the British to launch a night air raid, because the Italians did not tell him that there were two aircraft carriers in the British fleet.

"Maybe they want to persuade us to join the Free French Movement?" said Lieutenant General Matthews.

"That's impossible," Admiral Laborde snorted a few times, "Toulon Port is full of Italian mines, even if we want to leave, we can't leave. I think the British must want to attack us!" He looked at Lieutenant General Matthews, "Lieutenant General, immediately increase the combat readiness alert!"

"But they are British..."

"Just because they are British can attack us?" Admiral Darlan had just drunk a few more glasses and was now a little drunk. "France has fallen to this point today, all because of these bad guys. Lieutenant General Matthews, I order the entire Toulon Port to be on the highest alert!"

"Yes, Your Excellency the Commander-in-Chief!" Lieutenant General Matthews certainly did not dare to disobey the military order. He stood up and saluted, then hurriedly left the restaurant to call various artillery positions, artillery positions and airports.

Seeing Vice Admiral Matthews leave, Darlan glanced at Admiral Laborde again. He and the commander of the French High Seas Fleet were not on good terms. The two had always been rivals in their careers, and neither of them liked the other. However, this time they were rarely in agreement on how to deal with the British. Both of them were relatively anti-British and unwilling to hand over France's last bargaining chip to Britain.

"Commander Laborde," Darlan said, "go back to your flagship. Although the fleet can't go out, they can at least be used as a water artillery. Go and gather the sailors and start all the battleships. Except for the 'Richelieu', go to the big anchorage, where you can engage in a gun battle with the British."

The Port of Toulon is divided into a big anchorage and a small anchorage. The big anchorage is outside, close to the Sepe Peninsula; the small anchorage is inside, close to the city of Toulon. The Sepe Peninsula is the gateway to the Port of Toulon, and the peninsula is covered with artillery forts. Admiral Darlan's battle plan was very simple, which was to form a bombardment column with two "Bretagne" class ships, three "Courbet" class ships and two "Dunkirk" class ships, go to the entrance of the large anchorage to block the gate, and fight the British fleet with the cooperation of the artillery on the Sepe Peninsula.

"What about the "Richelieu"?" Admiral Laborde asked. Although the "Richelieu" was not completed, the officers and soldiers on the ship were fully equipped (not all on board), and it could be started, and its ammunition depot also had 380mm main gun ammunition.

"I'll go on the Richelieu," Darlan said, "If a fight really breaks out, I'll fight the enemy on the Richelieu!"

"So... Admiral," Admiral Laborde hesitated, "If the British really come, should we ask for help from the Germans and Italians?"

"Ask for help?" Darlan glanced at Admiral Laborde, "Germany and Italy are still enemies of France! The treaty just signed is just a temporary armistice... How can France ask for help from the enemy?"

...

Just as Admiral Darlan set out for the battleship Richelieu, 36 Swordfish aircraft had formed 12 three-plane squadrons under the command of Commander Major Williamson's L4A aircraft, and flew towards Toulon Port under the bright moonlight.

Because these Swordfish aircraft were carrying heavy torpedoes and bombs, and carrying extra fuel, they flew very slowly, with a speed just over 140 kilometers per hour. The short 170-nautical-mile journey took more than two hours, and including the time spent taking off and forming a team in the air, it took almost three hours. At nearly 11 o'clock in the evening, 36 Swordfish finally slowly approached the Sepe Peninsula.

When the fleet was about 10 kilometers away from the peninsula, the French air defense listening device deployed on the Sepe Peninsula discovered them. The air defense alarm on the Sepe Peninsula suddenly sounded, the light beams of the French searchlights lit up and kept turning, and some of the overly reactive anti-aircraft guns immediately spewed out flames, and the sky was full of fire.

"Oh my God, the French were prepared!"

"The surprise attack failed!"

"Major, their firepower is too strong, we can't rush through at all!"

Major Williamson heard a cry of surprise in his headset. According to the original plan, he was going to lead the fleet to pass over the Sepe Peninsula. The dense fire net in front of him obviously could not be rushed. However, he soon discovered that there were big loopholes in the French air defense network. Only the Sepe Peninsula was full of fire, while the Grand Anchorage (the entrance to Toulon Port) was quiet. Obviously, the French did not deploy "anti-aircraft ships" there.

"Everyone pay attention, I am Major Williamson," Major Williamson began to give orders, "We will rush in from the front of the Grand Anchorage, bypass the Sepe Peninsula, and rush into Toulon Port!"

In the extremely tall command tower of the battleship "Richelieu", Admiral Darlan, who had just boarded the ship, was also surprised to learn that there was an enemy air attack.

"Are you sure it's an enemy plane?" He was still a little bit unconvinced, "Could it be a German plane flying from Rnaya?"

"I can't be completely sure," Captain Henry, the captain of the Richelieu, immediately replied, "but we must regard them as enemies... Even if they are Germans, they are still our enemies now! Moreover, if they have no ill intentions, they will naturally leave when they see the artillery fire on the Sepe Peninsula."

Admiral Darlan thought about it and agreed with this, and hurriedly asked again: "Then can the 'Richelieu' move now?"

"Not so," Colonel Henry shook his head, "and the officers and sailors have not arrived yet, there are not even a third of the people on board..."

Battleships can't be started immediately. It takes at least 15 minutes to ignite the heavy oil, and then the water boils to drive the steam turbine. It's fast to start within 30-45 minutes. Moreover, the French High Seas Fleet is now trapped in the port waiting for its fate, and the level of preparation is very low. Many officers and sailors are not on board, and it takes time to gather them. If the British fleet came to fight after daybreak, the fleet could move, but it was impossible to move now.

"Damn it!" Darlan cursed, "Hurry up and arrange people to go to the anti-aircraft gun positions, and the damage control team must be organized immediately..."

"Yes, Admiral!"

Darlan remembered something at this time and shouted, "Send a telegram to the Admiralty and tell them that Toulon Port has been attacked by air!"

Not even a few minutes after Darlan's order was issued, several small suns suddenly descended from the sky above the Grand Anchorage, illuminating the harbor shrouded in darkness like daylight.

"Flare!" Darlan took a breath of cold air. It was an enemy plane! It was probably the British...

"The surprise attack was successful!" Major Williamson shouted.

His heart was relieved. There was no dense anti-aircraft firepower network waiting for them at the Grand Anchorage!

With the light of the flare, he found that there were many cruisers, destroyers or other auxiliary ships anchored on the sea, most of which were quiet as if no one was driving.

This was an unprepared fleet, in stark contrast to the dense anti-aircraft firepower on the Sepe Peninsula just now. Major Williamson, who came from the navy, knew very well how long it would take for a stalled warship to start up... This was enough time for his "Swordfish" aircraft to cause huge damage.

"Bombing squadron," he ordered through the radio, "go bomb the oil depot!"

There is a large oil depot belonging to the French Navy in Toulon Harbor, storing millions of gallons of heavy oil!

"Torpedo squadron follow me," he ordered again, "Let's go to the small anchorage, the French battleships should be there! Remember, we don't have many torpedoes, don't waste them."

He only brought 18 torpedo planes, each with only one torpedo. This must be used sparingly. Those destroyers and cruisers in the large anchorage will not be attacked, and all will be kept to deal with the battleships in the small anchorage.

Five minutes later, 18 Swordfish planes carrying torpedoes and 1 Swordfish plane carrying flares rushed into the small anchorage. The battleships here were obviously prepared. The dazzling searchlights and red and orange tracer bullets were fired at the same time, but not too densely.

Facing the French anti-aircraft firepower, the Swordfish plane piloted by Major Williamson and a three-plane formation consisting of two other Swordfish planes launched the first attack. The torpedo he dropped hit the flagship of the French High Seas Fleet, the Brittany, and another torpedo also hit the Brittany. Another three-plane formation found the huge Richelieu, and the unfinished battleship was also hit by a torpedo. At the same time, the Courbet, Provence and Strasbourg were each hit by a British torpedo...