At 9:00 a.m. on September 10, a Fiat 500-topolino sedan floated into the dock of Naples, the largest city in southern Italy, and parked in front of the office building of the dock management office.

A tall and thin man in a pure white suit jumped out of the car, walked into the office building with a brown handbag, and found the first floor deployment area with ease.

When he saw the tall and thin man, Pepino, the director of the dock assembly department, lit up his eyes. He immediately called his subordinates in the office to receive the guests around him and greeted him in person.

"Dear Mr. Gutierrez, I'm glad to see you," Pepino greeted enthusiastically.

"I'm glad to see you, Mr. Director." Gutierrez said, speaking with a Spanish accent.

"It's too noisy here, let's talk in a different place." Pepino pointed to the noisy crowd in the office, and then took Gutierrez into his own independent office.

"Two cups of coffee." Pepino ordered as he passed by his secretary.

"No need, I'll leave soon, thank you for your kindness." Gutierrez stopped.

As soon as she sat down in the office, Pepino took the initiative to complain.

"Mr. Gutierrez, I know your purpose. It's not that I don't want to help, but that the terminal capacity is really tight now. I really don't have free ships to use."

Gutierrez said nothing, but just looked at Pepino silently.

"You also know that we are fighting with the British now, and the Germans have also participated. A large number of ships were requisitioned by the army to transport military supplies. The existing ships on the dock not only need to satisfy our army, but also help the Germans transport personnel and supplies. I really can't help. I'm sorry," explained Pepino.

Gutierrez's slender fingers tapped gently on the back of the sofa and said slowly: "Mr. Director, a week ago, the National Team and the German Team had just won a major victory on the Island of Malta and successfully occupied the Island of Malta. The British were finished. How could so many merchant ships be needed to transport military supplies?

I told you that my motherland, Spain, just finished the civil war two years ago and is currently undergoing large-scale reconstruction. Now no matter how much materials are transported back, they will be sold out instantly, let alone scarce supplies.

The tiles and silk I purchased are now piled in the warehouse at the docks, and you know the fees required for every day of storage. And every night I can’t get my funds back one day, and I can’t make my next purchase without the funds back.”

"I know, but I really can't arrange the free cabin." Pepino was still emphasizing the difficulties.

"When I entered the dock, I saw four large merchant ships and an oil tanker loading, and three merchant ships were parked on the shore. None of so many merchant ships were heading for Spain? None of such a large merchant ship can make me a little space? Even if it is just a little bit?" Gutierrez stood up and walked to the window, pointed to the merchant ship on the dock outside the window and asked.

"Those ships were all going to Libya, and there were no ships for Spain. The British warships patrol the Spanish coast day and night. Our merchant ships would be attacked once they approached."

"Do those ships heading to Libya? What business can be done in Libya where only barbarians are produced? It's a waste." A trace of contemptuous gaze flashed in Gutierrez's eyes.

"Sir, I have always known to repay kindness. If anyone helps me, I will definitely be grateful to him, of course, not just spiritual gratitude." Gutierrez stared at Pepino, with a playful smile on his face.

"Knowing that repaying kindness is a virtue, and helping others is also a virtue. I like helping others the most. I know a captain from Spain, who is also a person who likes to help others. He often leaves some spare space in the cargo in the cabin to help those in need. His boat will arrive at the dock tomorrow, and I can recommend it to you.

But you know, the captain has many subordinates, and not everyone likes to help others. He needs some reasonable reasons to inspire his subordinates to help others." Pepino said.

"I understand, I will provide this reason, and I will satisfy the Director." Gutierrez said with a smile.

"His boat will arrive tomorrow at 2pm, and I will wait for your reason before his boat arrives." Pepino also said with a smile.

"Don't worry, Mr. Director, my reason will be here tonight."

After breaking up with Pepino, who seemed to be a friend for many years, Gutierrez walked out of the office building.

His driver stood beside the car with a cigarette in his mouth, and flipped around boredly with a cigarette box in his hand, his eyes swept through the boats on the dock from time to time. When the cigarette box flipped, it made a slight crackling sound from time to time.

Seeing Gutierrez come out, the driver went forward to open the car door for him. When Gutierrez bent down and sat in the car, he exchanged a strange look with him. Gutierrez breathed a sigh of relief, and then got into the car and left.

Half an hour later, an electric wave flew out from Naples and flew into London through the atmosphere.

Two hours later, another radio wave flew out from London and instantly penetrated into a fleet on the sea surface of northwestern Egypt in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

On the bridge of the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet flagship USS War-Fleet, General Cunningham, commander of the Mediterranean Fleet, looked at the intelligence just sent by the staff, and then issued an order: "The target has been confirmed to exist, let's set off."

Admiral Cunningham's order was soon conveyed to each ship of the fleet. Three fleets composed of three battleships, one aircraft carrier, five light cruisers, and 16 destroyers turned westward and rushed toward Italy's route to Libya.

An hour before the Mediterranean fleet turned around, a harsh whistle sounded in the port of Naples. The tanker Reonardo and three merchant ships sailed out of the dock one by one, and met with two light cruisers and eight destroyers who came to escort five nautical miles southwest of the port of Naples. Then they re-formed and sailed southwards under the warships.

That night, the fleet passed through the Messina Strait between the northeast corner of Sicily and the Italian mainland and entered the port of Catania on the east coast of Sicily.

After a brief hour of rest, the transport fleet set off again to sail south.

Another hour later, a fleet of seven heavy cruisers and ten destroyers set out from the Port of Catania and followed eight nautical miles behind the transport fleet.

Almost at the same time, the Italian Navy's main fleet, with two battleships as the core, also quietly approached the transport fleet with the help of the cover of night.

Under the common expectations of both sides of the war, the sky turned white and the light finally came to September 11th.

More than 40 reconnaissance aircraft of various types took off one after another in the island of Malta, Sicily, Port Taranto, Port Benghazi and Port Tobrook in Libya, took off one after another, and carried out dragnet patrols near the routes of the transport fleet.

With a series of catapults making muffled noises, fourteen seaplanes over the Royal Navy Mediterranean Fleet took off one after another, and then flew northwest in a fan shape, west and southwest.

At 8:46 am, Admiral Cunningham received a telegram from a seaplane and found an Italian fleet of twelve, 80 nautical miles southwest of the fleet.

After receiving the telegram, General Cunningham immediately issued a battle order, and rushed to the Italian fleet with a fleet of five cruisers led by Lieutenant General Tovey as the vanguard.

The carrier-based aircraft on the USS Eagle aircraft carrier earlier than Fleet A was deployed to the battlefield. The first wave of seven swordfish-type torpedo attack aircraft crossed the head of Fleet A and flew southwest with a roar.

Forty minutes later, under the guidance of the seaplane, the swordfish torpedo aircraft group finally discovered the target and immediately launched an attack.

The Italian Navy's escort fleet also discovered a group of British aircraft with malicious intentions, and a harsh battle alarm sounded from the sea.

Facing the dense anti-aircraft artillery, seven swordfish-type torpedoes almost threw down the torpedoes against the sea. The seven torpedoes were like seven great white sharks and dragged their white trails towards their prey.

The Italian Navy's destroyers and cruisers used anti-aircraft guns to drive out enemy aircraft in the air, while making various evasive actions and dodging the fierce torpedoes.

A few minutes later, seven torpedoes passed through the sea between the Italian transport fleet and none of them hit.

Seven swordfish torpedo planes fled the battlefield with zero record, and the first fight between the two sides ended with zero casualties.

The second wave of attacks from the Royal Navy followed one after another, and eight swordfish torpedo aircraft launched another attack on the Italian fleet, but they still returned in vain.

At 12:34 noon, the Royal Navy Fleet A arrived at the battlefield and was immediately discovered by the Italian Navy warships who were waiting for battle. The roar of naval guns on both sides immediately rang out into the sky...

On the island of Malta, Chen Dao and Garland were staring at the chart hanging on the wall in the command room of Luca Airport, excitedly waiting for the attack order.

"Not letting us attack means that the British main battleship has not appeared yet, and we must be patient." Chen Dao said.

"I have patience, but they don't, look." Garland pointed outside the command room with a smile.
Chapter completed!