The U.S. Brooklyn-class light cruiser USS Savannah is approaching the P-61 sideways for 10,000 meters. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info

The ship is armed with 15 152 mm/47 x diameter guns, mounted in five triple turrets; Each turret weighs 154 tons and has a pitch angle of +40/-5 degrees; 3 turrets are installed on the foredeck, arranged in a pyramidal arrangement; The two turrets on the aft deck are stacked on top of each other, and the ship's secondary guns are eight single-barreled 127 mm/25 x diameter high-level guns.

The anti-aircraft armament consisted mainly of 0.5-inch machine guns, the stern was armed with two catapults and 4 seaplanes, without torpedo installations.

The ship's 152 mm/47 x diameter gun is the standard main gun of the American light cruiser, with a rate of fire of 8-10 rounds per minute, and a maximum range of 23.8 kilometers when firing armor-piercing shells weighing 59 kg. In naval warfare, although the shells of 152 mm guns could not pose a threat to enemy battleships, they could be used against enemy destroyers and light cruisers, or to interfere with enemy battleship maneuvers and aiming.

That is to say, when the ship's 15 152-mm naval guns and eight 127-mm high-level dual-purpose guns (the rate of fire of this gun is as high as 20 rounds per minute) are simultaneously carried out in a ground fire support attack, its destructive power is equivalent to 2-3 heavy artillery regiments.

And next to the ship, the new cruiser "Boise" is also approaching the island of Pantelleria.

"How's it going? How long do we have before we can carry out shelling? ”

The captain, Colonel Forrestal, was in the command room, waiting for the battle order from his superiors, and asked a naval officer named Cunningham next to him.

"It's very quiet in Pantelleria, and we're all so close to enemy defenses now; But not only did not there be any sirens on the island, nor did they hear the explosion of the eardrum-torn anti-aircraft shells; Not even the enemy planes on the island were seen, and even now there is not even the slightest voice of the enemy army, or even the slightest light on the island! Captain! ”

"To put it simply, the island is now a deserted island with no people, like the desolate island in Robinson Crusoe."

Navy Officer Cunningham collected his thoughts for a moment and replied.

"Yes! What is Italy doing on the islands? They can't have already evacuated before we attacked! ”

The captain, Colonel Forrest, stared at the other party with a puzzled expression.

"It's also very likely, and with the reluctance of the Italians to fight, it's not surprising that they've retreated, Captain! However, I personally feel that it is also possible that the Italians are ambushing the islands, waiting for our landing attack; Or maybe there's something going on on the islands that we don't know about, or maybe they're sleeping so dead that we don't even know we've reached their waters! ”

Navy officer Cunningham replied, again expressing his own opinion.

"Hey! Whatever they do! Anyway, I don't care about these Italian troops at all, if they dare to confront us, we will just launch an artillery attack! Anyway, we are now in a time when the soldiers are strong and the supplies are sufficient, and we are not afraid of these Italian troops at all! Even if those Nazi German troops came, I was not afraid! Shell them without hesitation either! ”

After hearing this, the captain of the ship, Colonel Forrestal, waved his hand in response, very nonchalantly.

"I think so, Captain!"

Navy officer Cunningham quickly echoed with a bright smile.

"By the way, what about the second thing I ask you? Did Commander Eisenhower give us an operational order to shell the defenses of the enemy's coast? ”

The captain, Colonel Forest, continued to ask.

"Nope! However, he said that he would wait for our night fighter group first, and carry out a bombing attack first! ”

Navy officer Cunningham replied.

"And when will they start carrying out air raids?"

The captain of the ship, Colonel Forest, hurriedly asked.

"About fifteen minutes later, because it will take a little time for our night fighter group to arrive here for a night bombing!"

Navy officer Cunningham replied immediately.

"Hmmm! Good! Then as soon as our aircraft group attacks, we will also carry out artillery support! We must try to lure out the Italian planes on the island in the night attack tonight, and annihilate them all, or inflict heavy damage; And try to destroy as much as possible the enemy defenses on the island! ”

The captain, Colonel Forrest, nodded in satisfaction and gave the order.

"Yes! Captain! ”

Navy officer Cunningham immediately gave a military salute and replied loudly.

"Hey! Attaboy! Come on! Our navy should not lose to our air force! For the sake of the victory of our navy, in this night attack, we must fight to shell all kinds of coastal defense positions of the enemy with all our might! Be sure to destroy their anti-aircraft artillery bases in large numbers! ”

Captain Forrest happily, gently patted the other party's shoulder and encouraged.

"Yes! Captain! I will definitely try my best! Those Italian troops will definitely lose their will to fight completely under our heavy shelling! Maybe after we are covered by heavy artillery fire, they will all surrender to us! Just like how they behaved in Africa and Tunisia! ”

Being so appreciated and encouraged by his own commander, Cunningham, a naval officer, instantly echoed excitedly as if he had been beaten with blood.

The captain, Colonel Forest, did not reply, but nodded his head in agreement with great satisfaction, and smiled widely.

While they were so disdainful of the Italian forces on the island of Pantelleria, a large number of British Beautiful Warrior VI planes and a group of Douglas A-20 Havoc night fighters with 1,400 amp searchlights were flying rapidly in the night sky, where the stars were getting dimmer and dimmer.

The British "Beautiful Warrior" VI aircraft was the main night fighter of the British and American forces throughout the Mediterranean campaign of 1943.

The aircraft is equipped with two Bristol Hercules star engines, the pilot has a good view in front of him, and the radarman sits in the rear fuselage; The armament consisted of four 20 mm cannons firing from a low forward position in the nose and six 7.62 mm wing machine guns.

However, these "beautiful warrior" VI night fighters were used until October 1943, when the P-61 night fighters of the US military appeared, and they were gradually phased out.

As for the P-70 night fighters, they were fighting the Japanese in the Pacific, but the Japanese bombers often attacked from an altitude of 7,620 meters, which was difficult to reach by such a modified attack bomber, so the American military was also satisfied with the intention of sending them to the Mediterranean to fight.

And those Douglas A-20 "Havoc", also known as the Douglas DB-7, were one of the most versatile light bombers of the Second World War.

The Douglas A-20C, which belongs to the 9th and 15th Air Forces of the U.S. Air Force, fought in the European theater and North Africa, and was widely used for tactical bombing.

In February 1943, the A-20G, with better ballistic performance and a modified 1600 hp R-2600-23 engine, began to leave the factory and was put into operation.

At this time, the Douglas A-20C was equipped with four 20mm cannons and two 12.7mm machine guns in a sealed nose, and the result of this was that they could make their ground strafing power very powerful, and in order to make it more powerful, so the designers also equipped them with six 12.7mm machine guns in the nose.

While the night fighter groups of the British and American allies were getting closer and closer, and the night attacks were carried out, the Germans also quickly controlled all the Italian anti-aircraft artillery positions on the island of Pantelleria.