Chapter 748： Battle of Crete (4)

In the second task force led by Major General Fernandez, when torturing off Crete. In the inner sea, the first task force commanded by Lieutenant General Midraphael has come to the sea off Heraklion, the largest port on the island of Crete.

On the way, thousands of Romanian fighter planes from the Kilakzes Islands, Athens, and the Peloponnese have already swept away on this island.

As for the more than two hundred fighters on the island supported by Britain and Greece, they have already been consumed. The only remaining ones have suffered heavy losses in the previous reinforcements of the B-12 fleet. Now only a dozen of them have been placed in a secret airport. Don’t use them as a last resort.

Now that the threat from the air has been lifted, the First Task Force can bombard Crete unscrupulously. Poorly speaking, Greece has no coastal defense facilities on the island. Its largest coastal defense gun is the 240mm caliber used to prevent the Ottomans before the Balkan War.

How could this kind of coastal defense artillery before World War I have the opportunity to threaten the First Task Force? Not to mention that before that, the Romanian Air Force had already given priority attention to it, and several 1000KG ground penetrating shells scrapped the old shore defense artillery in advance.

Of course, Romania's ground penetrating bombs certainly cannot be compared with later generations. Just design a delayed explosive device for the air-dropped bomb, and the warhead is also designed into a sharp shape, and at the same time it is extremely strong. After this bomb is designed, the main goal is to penetrate the solid top of each fortress.

At present, the effect seems to be pretty good, and the damage and penetration are enough.

Now that the worries have been relieved, don't blame the task force for practicing artillery.

A distance of more than 20 kilometers, greetings from battleships began to visit the largest port in Crete.

"Woo~"

The sound of a 406-caliber cannonball passing by the train shocked everyone. The officers and soldiers of the garrison kept praying that the shells should never hit themselves or fall nearby.

"boom!"

I saw a plume of smoke rising from the city, several houses disappeared in front of my eyes in an instant, and the power from the 406-caliber cannon was vividly demonstrated.

Of course, this was just a cannonball running in the wrong position, and under the correction of the reconnaissance plane in the sky, the next cannonball landed in a barracks.

The sturdy barracks immediately fell in pieces, and the fired bricks made another blow, causing many defenders to suffer disaster.

In fact, not only military barracks were being shelled, but warehouses, fortifications, airports, oil depots, assembly points and other facilities were all within the range of naval guns. Although the shelling speed is not fast, but the huge power makes these facilities under its blow, there is no resistance for a round, and all have been hit hard.

This also made the Greek commander-in-chief Admiral Papagos and Major General White, the highest commander of the British army, who were hiding outside the city, look very ugly.

"This can't work. The morale of our soldiers will quickly disappear under such a blow. We must reduce the number of troops stationed in the city."

As the commander-in-chief of the Greek army, General Papagos couldn't help it. He opened his mouth and decided to reduce the garrison in the city.

But his words immediately drew Major General White's opposition. "Your Excellency, now is not a good time to withdraw. With the current situation, we cannot easily reduce the defensive forces everywhere, otherwise it is very likely that the enemy will take the opportunity to attack ashore."

It's just that Major General White's words did not calm the mood of the Greek commander-in-chief. "But our soldiers are bleeding and sacrifice, and I can't watch them being sacrificed in vain."

"Your soldiers are bleeding in their sacrifices. Didn't my soldiers bleed and sacrifice? They are also squatting in a trench like you, holding the same weapons in their hands."

Seeing that the two were about to quarrel about this, Admiral Tsoraglu, who was the chief of the Greek army's general staff, hurriedly stepped forward to complete the battle. "Two, at this time, the unnecessary quarrel only makes the game unfavorable. We should put aside our prejudices and face this difficulty together."

In fact, Admiral Tsoraglu knew that this quarrel was only a further manifestation of the previous differences in tactical deployment. In the previous military deployment meeting, Admiral Papagos believed that Romania will now have control of the sea, so it will have the strategic initiative, and they can only bring the army together to become a fist, where to land and fight.

The British Major General White believed that Admiral Papagos's ideas were divorced from reality. It looks good, but it is difficult to implement. Not to mention the road conditions in Crete, the absolute superiority of the Romanian sea and air alone will defeat Admiral Papagos' ideas. It is simply unrealistic to gather forces on a large scale, and it will be defeated by the enemy's superior navy and air force.

The best way is to turn the three cities of Chania, Heraklion, and Rethymnon, which are currently convenient for landing, into fortresses, relying on their urban terrain and enemy consumption to delay the enemy's footsteps.

In the face of Major General White's thoughts, Admiral Papagos scolded him as wanting to drain the last drop of blood of the Greeks. This arrangement will not only be ineffective, but will also be destroyed by the enemy because of its scattered deployment.

Then the two argued, so that no one agreed. And the final result is Heximu, some of the defenders stationed in the three cities, and then the remaining troops are left as mobile forces, ready to reinforce the attacked cities.

Of course, in this deeper level, there is also the fight for command of the Greek and British troops stationed in Crete. Admiral Papagos believed that this was Greek territory, and since the British army was reinforcements, it should listen to it.

Major General White believes that At present, the Greek army supplies on the island are basically provided by the British, and we have also sent reinforcements, and Admiral Papagos did not perform as well in the Greek campaign. If you like it, then you should listen to your own opinions from advanced military concepts.

Therefore, the two of them have been unable to understand each other in all aspects. This is a bitter for General Tsoraglu, who is the chief of staff. He has to make the relationship between the two people, and give them both. Acceptable opinions.

And the result of his persuasion is generally the same as it is now. The two looked at each other, and both ended the discussion with a cold snort from their nostrils.

Seeing this familiar scene, Admiral Tsoraglu showed a hint of bitterness in his expression. Can this combination block or hold the Romanian army's footsteps? He lacked confidence in this.

It's just that the scene of my own country is so procrastinated, and everything is for the motherland of Greece.

The Romanian fleet outside the port is still there, while the defenders in Heraklion are still suffering. In the open sea, a huge fleet is coming to Crete, and everything is so natural.