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Text Chapter 1078: Laying a Trap

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    "Your Excellency Prime Minister, we can form a joint fleet with the French Navy, but the command power must be in our hands. It is really difficult for me to safely hand over the fleet to the French command!" Navy Minister John.  said Sir Fisher.  Since France failed to compete with Britain for maritime hegemony during the Napoleonic period, it has shifted its focus to land to ensure France's position as the number one army power on the European continent.  There is very little investment in the navy. In addition, when the world navy entered the battleship era, the French Navy chose to vigorously develop lightning strike ships and missed the best development period. As a result, the strength of the French Navy is now only second-rate in the world.  .

    "Of course! Is the French Navy qualified to command the excellent navy of the British Empire?" Prime Minister Asquith also strongly agreed with this.  After defeating the German navy, the British navy has once again consolidated Britain's maritime supremacy, making British senior officials once again proud.  In their view, the British Navy is the most powerful in the world, and the officers and soldiers of the Royal Navy are the best.

    "But, Sir Fisher, the Mediterranean Fleet needs an excellent commander. I hope that this time the Mediterranean Fleet can win another victory for the British Empire. Let those yellow-skinned monkeys know how powerful we are!" Prime Minister Asquith solemnly said  said.  The reason why Britain began to decline was that it suffered a disastrous defeat in the naval battle in the South China Sea. The subsequent defeats in the Red Sea Battle and the Mediterranean Naval Battle almost made Britain's world hegemon almost unsafe.  Prime Minister Asquith does not want to repeat the mistakes of the past.

    "Then, Your Excellency Prime Minister, I have decided that Earl John Jellicoe will be the commander of the new Mediterranean Fleet. Now the German navy has been crippled, and the Germans do not dare to leave the port except for those submarines that are like water rats.  The task of blocking Germany can be left to other generals. Dealing with the Chinese is the most important task. Therefore, I think that with the talent of Earl John Jellicoe, he will definitely be able to defeat the Chinese and lead the Royal Navy to another victory.  Yes!" John.  said Sir Fisher.  John.  Earl Jellicoe was the British admiral who commanded the naval battle in which the Home Fleet defeated the German High Seas Fleet.  It was for this outstanding achievement that he was named Earl of the British Empire by the British royal family.  If he once again commands the Royal Navy to defeat the Chinese fleet, perhaps he can be promoted to Admiral of the British Navy and become John.  Sir Fisher's successor is also highly likely.

    "Well, I also think that Earl John Jellicoe is a very good candidate. I believe that he will definitely lead the Royal Navy to defeat those nasty yellow-skinned monkeys, recapture the Mediterranean! Sir Fisher, and form a joint fleet with the French government  The government will negotiate with them about the matter. I think the French government will not refuse as long as it is not a fool. Your task is to reorganize the Seventh Mediterranean Fleet within one month. One month later, the fleet will sail to the Mediterranean, and  The French navy formed a combined fleet to attack the Chinese navy, contact the crisis in Italy, and regain control of the Mediterranean!" Prime Minister Asquith said.

    "Yes, Your Excellency Prime Minister, I will equip the Mediterranean Fleet with the most powerful combat power!" Sir Fisher said.  Even though he believed that the Royal Navy was strong enough to easily defeat the Chinese Navy at this time, he was still very cautious.  The Chinese fleet in the Mediterranean is only the Indian Ocean Fleet of the Chinese Navy. The main force of the Chinese Navy, the Home Fleet and the Pacific Fleet, are all gathered in the East Pacific at this time.  If this were not the case, the British navy would not dare to launch an attack easily.

    After the meeting, John returned to the Admiralty.  Sir Fisher immediately summoned John, the commander of the British Navy's Home Fleet.  Admiral Jellicoe.

    When he learned that he would be stationed in the Mediterranean Fleet, John.  Admiral Jellicoe was very dissatisfied.  Because among the major fleets of the British Navy, the home fleet is the top priority.  Especially at a time when the British Navy is shrinking globally and all capital ships are concentrated in the Home Fleet

    The commander of the local fleet is the one with high authority.  And the Mediterranean Fleet has become an empty shell. Sending him to the Mediterranean Fleet, isn't that a disguised exile?

    "General Jellicoe, after the German navy was defeated, the threat to the homeland has been eliminated. For a long time to come, this will no longer be the focus of the navy. Now the latest focus is the Mediterranean. The Chinese have just eliminated the Italian navy.  The main fleet has occupied more than half of the Mediterranean. The mission of the Royal Navy is to defeat the Chinese, regain control of the Mediterranean and also relieve the crisis in Italy. The British government does not want Italy, a country that has just surrendered to the Allied Powers, to become the first member of the Allied Powers to collapse!  said Sir Fisher.

    John.  Admiral Jellicoe nodded, agreeing with this, but he was still a little worried about fighting the Chinese Navy.  After all, the British Navy suffered a lot at the hands of the Chinese Navy.

      "Admiral Jellicoe, this time I will equip the Mediterranean Fleet with the most powerful combat power. In addition, the government has prepared to negotiate with the French Navy. We will once again form a combined fleet to jointly deal with the Chinese Navy. The Chinese occupy  In the Mediterranean, the threat to the French is greater. I think they must have no reason to refuse. The Chinese navy in the Mediterranean only has the Indian Ocean Fleet, with only 8 battleships and one battlecruiser. Among the 8 battleships, there are  Five of them are old battleships. I believe that the Royal Navy will be able to easily defeat the Chinese! And you will also be promoted to Admiral for defeating the Chinese." Sir Fisher said.

    John.  Admiral Jellicoe nodded, looking a little excited. It had always been his dream to become a naval marshal.  After defeating the German navy this time, he could have been promoted, but the royal family made him a count, which forced him to give up the opportunity to be promoted to marshal.  If he can defeat the Chinese Navy in the Mediterranean this time, then it will be justifiable for him to become the Navy Marshal.

    "Yes, please rest assured, I will definitely lead the Mediterranean fleet to teach those yellow-skinned monkeys a lesson!" John.  Admiral Jellicoe said confidently.  With the strength of the British Royal Navy, if it cannot deal with the Chinese Navy's Mediterranean Fleet, it really makes no sense.

    The British government sent a note to the French government, proposing that the two countries work together to deal with China's expansion in the Mediterranean region, and suggested that the two countries form a joint fleet to jointly launch an attack on the Chinese Navy's Indian Ocean Fleet.  The British government's proposal was immediately supported by the French government.

    At this moment, France is exhausted in dealing with the German invasion. All its national power has been devoted to dealing with the German invasion, and there is simply no extra energy to care about other places.  Although the Chinese navy captured Sicily and annihilated the Italian navy, it posed a great threat to France.  But at this moment, France no longer has the strength to deal with it.  Now, Britain has taken the initiative to unite to deal with the Chinese, and the French government certainly wants it.  As for the command of the combined fleet, the French government certainly does not dare to dream about it.  After the French Navy built three Brittany-class battleships, it no longer had any extra funds to develop its navy.  The French Navy's current strength alone is simply unable to compete with the Chinese Navy's Indian Ocean Fleet.  Therefore, this time the combined fleet must be dominated by the British Navy.  Anyway, what the French government wants is to be in contact with threats from the Mediterranean. As for command rights and the like, it is not important!

    Britain and France hit it off on the issue of dealing with the threat from China in the Mediterranean. The two countries immediately got together and agreed to form a joint fleet.  The Combined Fleet will have the new commander of the British Navy's Mediterranean Fleet, John.  Admiral Jellicoe will serve as commander, and Admiral Palmiro, commander of the French Navy's Mediterranean Fleet, will serve as deputy commander. The French Navy will send three 'Breton-class battleships and several armored cruisers to join the combined fleet.  The British Navy will also dispatch more than ten new battleships and battlecruisers to join the combined fleet to ensure that the combined British and French naval fleets have an overwhelming advantage when dealing with the Chinese Navy's Indian Ocean Fleet.

    Britain and France agreed that the combined fleet will be formed within the next month, and then wait for an opportunity to launch an attack on the Chinese Navy's Indian Ocean Fleet.  By then, three French navy ships

    ¡®The Brittany-class battleships have completed repairs and maintenance, and the British Navy¡¯s battleships that were damaged in the Battle of the North Sea have also been repaired, so they can be used in the Mediterranean.

    The British and French collusion has not escaped the attention of China.  However, China has made no other moves in this regard. The Mediterranean is still the defense zone of the Chinese Navy¡¯s Indian Ocean Fleet, and there is no sign of the main force of the Chinese Navy being transferred to the Mediterranean.

    China¡¯s capture of Sicily is also proceeding in an orderly manner.  On July 25, a huge transport fleet of the Chinese Navy arrived in Catania, Sicily, where ten army divisions landed, bringing with them a large amount of engineering equipment and supplies.  The Italian army on Sicily had long been able to escape under the attack of the 8th Marine Division. The surrender posed no threat to the Chinese army at all.

    The Chinese army landed on Sicily in a large scale, on the one hand to consolidate its occupation of the island, and on the other hand to build a field airport and a port for submarines to dock as soon as possible, so as to dig a hole for the upcoming British and French naval combined fleet, waiting  They jump in.
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