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Text Chapter 1,072 A disastrous defeat

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    While the battle in the Ionian Sea was raging, light cruisers from the Austro-Hungarian Sea and light cruisers from the French Navy reported the situation on the battlefield to their respective naval headquarters.  As one of the major powers along the Mediterranean coast, they are also very concerned about the decisive battle between the Chinese Navy and the Italian Navy. This will be directly related to the future interests of various countries in the Mediterranean region.

    Italy, as one of the parties involved, pays more attention to this.  Although Vittorio.  Emanuele III had great confidence in the Italian Navy, but he had been uneasy after learning that the naval battle had begun. He was looking forward to getting specific news about the naval battle, but he was afraid that what he got was not good news. This kind of entanglement  The mood made him tortured.  Italian Prime Minister Giovanni.  Giolitti was also very concerned about this naval battle. Italy had just joined the Allies and could not afford a defeat.  If the navy suffers a disastrous defeat, it will be a huge blow to Italy and will also cast a shadow over Italy's future.

    While the naval battle was still raging, Vittorio.  In the end, Emanuele III could no longer hold himself back and sent a telegram to Admiral Boshini asking about the outcome of the naval battle.  However, the final result was difficult for him to accept.

    "General, His Majesty the King called and asked about the situation of the war. How should we respond?" a communications officer asked.  ¡®Leonardo.  Da.  The battleship Vinci had just been sunk when it received Vittorio.  The telegram sent by Emanuele III caught them off guard.

    "What else can you do? Reply with the truth!" Admiral Bosini said directly without thinking too much.

    "But, in this case" the communications officer said with some worry.  They all know, Vittorio.  Emanuele III is looking forward to a victory.  If the telegram received shows that the Italian Navy is at an absolute disadvantage, then they may have to bear the wrath of His Majesty the King.  Although the power of the king of the Kingdom of Italy has been strictly restricted by the government and is far inferior to that of the German emperor or the dictatorial emperor in the East, the anger of His Majesty the King is still frightening.

    "There is no need to think about anything else. Even if we lie, His Majesty the King will know the truth!" Admiral Bohini said.  He wanted to deceive Vittorio.  Emanuele III.  But if the final result of the naval battle is a disastrous defeat for the Italian Navy, then his lies will be easily exposed.  At that time, he may be punished more severely.

    ¡°Yes, General!¡± The communications officer nodded and directly said ¡®Leonardo.  Da.  The news of the sinking of the battleship Vinci was reported to King Vittorio.  Emanuele III and Prime Minister Giovanni.  Giolitti.

    Soon, Vittorio.  Emanuele III sent another telegram.  In the telegram, Vittorio.  Emanuele III severely reprimanded the navy, especially Admiral Boshini, believing that it was his unfavorable command that led to the sinking of the Italian Navy's advanced battleships.  And Vittorio.  Emanuele III also warned Admiral Boshini that the Italian Navy must win this naval battle, otherwise he will be sent to a military court.

    After seeing this harshly worded telegram, Bosini could only smile bitterly.  The current situation is already very unfavorable to the Italian Navy.  The Italian Navy still has battleships left, while the Chinese Navy still has 8 battleships.  Moreover, it is difficult for the Italian Navy to hit the battleships of the Chinese Navy. Although the hit rate of the Chinese Navy's battleships is not high, the impact points are very close to the Italian Navy's battleships. What they lack seems to be just some luck.  In other words, the Italian Navy's battleships may be hit at any time.

    12:25 pm ¡¤ The battleship "Prince Fusu" was hit by the battleship "Count Cavour". A 5mm shell hit the bow of the battleship "Prince Fusu" and cut off the bow.  Fortunately, the place where it was hit was above the waterline, otherwise, the battleship "Prince Fusu" would have been severely damaged.

    5 minutes later, the battleship "Prince Fusu" avenged himself.  A 5mm armor-piercing shell fired from the battleship 'Prince Fusu' hit the amidships of the battleship 'Count Cavour'. After the shell exploded, it destroyed the chimney in front.  After the chimney collapsed, the main gun in the middle of the ship was damaged.  At the same time, under the billowing smoke, the battleship 'Count Cavour' also slowed down.  After a chimney was destroyed, the toxic gas in the boiler could not be discharged in time and spread to the entire boiler room, poisoning many Italian navy soldiers inside. The remaining people escaped in time.  But the consequence of this is

    ¡®Count Cavour, the battleship is getting slower and slower.

    "Haha! Order the destroyer formation to attack 'Count Gard,??Launch a lightning strike and kill this battleship!  "On the battleship 'Han Ming Di,!', Admiral Li Haitao, commander of the Chinese Navy's Indian Ocean Fleet, issued the order. Although the battleship was powerful, after losing its speed, it became the best target for lightning strikes. Once it is hit by a heavy torpedo  , only two or three torpedoes are enough to sink a hill-like battleship. If a key part is hit, even one heavy torpedo can sink a battleship.

    After the order was issued, the six destroyers of the Indian Ocean Fleet crossed the battle line from the right side of the battle line and quickly rushed towards the battleship Count Cavour.  At this moment, 'Count Cavour's speed was getting slower and slower, lagging behind the entire battle line.  In addition, two light cruisers have also caught up, and they will provide fire cover for the six destroyers.

    "General, the Chinese destroyer formation is going to launch a lightning strike on the Count of Cavour!" The Chinese Navy's actions were not hidden from the Italian Navy, and they quickly discovered the Chinese Navy's intentions.

    "Bastard! Keep the Count of Cavour!" Admiral Boschini ordered.  Although

    ¡®Count Cavour, the battleship was severely damaged and cannot even continue fighting, but if Admiral Boshini also hopes that the battleship can safely return to the Taranto Naval Base.  However, now it seems that the Chinese will not let this battleship go.

    Several light cruisers and destroyers of the Italian Navy came out from behind the battle line and sailed to the right side of the Count of Cavour, hoping to fend off the light cruisers and destroyers stationed in the Chinese Navy.

    The light cruisers and destroyers of the Chinese Navy are very fast. The distance of 12,000 meters only takes about ten minutes for the destroyers sprinting at a high speed of 28 knots.  After being blocked by the Italian Navy's light cruisers and destroyers, the Chinese Navy's light cruisers and destroyers quickly opened fire.  The light cruisers and destroyers of the Italian Navy are all old-fashioned warships. Not only are they not as fast as the light cruisers and destroyers of the Chinese Navy, they are also significantly inferior in firepower.

    The battle between light cruisers and destroyers was even more fierce. Soon some battleships were hit, set on fire, or even sunk.  But overall, the Chinese Navy always has the advantage.

    During the fierce battle, the three destroyers bypassed the interception of the Italian Navy, attacked less than a kilometer away from the Count of Cavour, and launched a lightning strike.  Three destroyers, each fired two torpedoes, and the torpedoes rushed towards the Count of Cavour at high speed in a fan shape.  After launching the torpedoes, the three destroyers turned quickly and drew an arc on the sea.  While quickly escaping from the secondary battery fire of the battleship Count Cavour, he reloaded his torpedoes and prepared for the next round of attack.  In front of battleships, although destroyers are very small, they are more like assassins and can give the enemy a very fatal blow.

    Count Cavour, the Italian navy officers and soldiers on the battleship also felt the approaching crisis. The secondary guns and rapid-fire guns on the right side had already opened fire. Their target was not the three fleeing Chinese ships.  Navy destroyers, but those six torpedoes.  For a heavy torpedo with a speed of up to 30 knots, the distance of one thousand meters only takes a little more than a minute.  Although the Italian naval officers and soldiers on the Count of Cavour fired fiercely, these attacks did not pose much of a threat to the torpedoes traveling at high speed underwater. Unless a miracle happened, it would be difficult for the shells to destroy the underwater torpedoes.  of the torpedoes being dropped.

    After losing speed, the battleship Count Cavour was unable to effectively avoid it. It could only watch the torpedo getting closer and closer, and finally hit the hull.

    "Boom! Boom! Boom!" There were three loud noises in succession. Three of the six torpedoes hit

    ¡®Count of Cavour, one of the battleships hit the bow, and the other two hit the middle of the ship.  Under the attack of three heavy torpedoes, the battleship Count Cavour was lifted out of the water in a violent explosion, and then fell hard.  During the explosion, the ship's hull had been broken into three parts.  In less than half a minute, the battleship Count Cavour sank to the bottom of the sea, becoming the second battleship sunk by the Italian Navy in this naval battle.  At this moment, the damage caused by the Italian Navy to the Chinese Navy is minimal, only

    The battleship "Prince Fusu" was slightly injured. In addition, the battleship "Zhongnan" took a shell and lost a main turret, but this did not affect the continued fighting.

    Now, all fools know that after losing two battleships, the Italian Navy is already at an absolute disadvantage. It is only a matter of time before it is defeated!
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