Chapter 314: Attacking Malta

How small is Malta? The battleship fired a shell at a high angle on this side, and the shell could fly over the entire island and then fall into the sea on the other side.

Now, the "European Combined Fleet" surrounded the island from three sides and began to bombard it.

After bombing for half an hour, several bombers circled over the island and dropped leaflets persuading them to surrender, giving them ten minutes to surrender.

Fifteen minutes later, the British troops on the island still did not move, and the bombing began again. This time, the Italian bombers and German bombers who returned after refueling joined in.

This bombing lasted for more than an hour, and the ceasefire and leaflets were dropped again, but there was still no white flag.

"Are these British guys going to die here?"

"Anyway, we have plenty of time, so let's keep bombing. Such a small place, even if it shakes, can kill them all. Just treat it as training for rookies." They brought three times more personnel on each battleship this time, all of whom were students who were about to graduate from the German Naval Academy, and regarded it as a rare internship.

The cannon roared again.

This time it lasted for two hours.

"Stop the shelling! The Marines are landing! We must conquer Malta before dark!"

The Marines, who were already ready, quickly climbed down the rope ladder and entered the landing craft. One landing craft after another loaded with Marines rushed to the beach.

The Marine Corps originated in France.

In 1622, the French Cardinal Richelieu ordered the establishment of the French Navy Company. During the Napoleonic period, the Marine Battalion was established in the Royal Guards. During the expedition to Great Britain in December 1804, Napoleon personally awarded a flag to the Marine Battalion. On the front of the flag was written: "The French Emperor personally awarded the Marine Battalion of the Guards", and on the back was the battalion emblem, and on both sides of the battalion emblem were the motto of the Marine Battalion: "Brave, Disciplined". It was this unit that made the final resistance when the anti-Napoleonic coalition forces entered Paris in 1815.

In the late stage of World War II, due to the lack of military strength in Germany, the German naval fleet had no room to fight back in the face of the powerful naval strength of the Allies. Therefore, Germany organized a group of advanced elements such as sailors, warship crews, submarine trainees, etc. in the navy into a naval infantry division to participate in the frontal battlefield battle on land to make up for the problem of insufficient manpower on the Western Front of the German Army in 1945.

The 2nd Infantry Division of the Navy was formed in this context. Although it is a naval unit, it is included in the regular organization of the Army and becomes the Marine Corps in the Second World War in the German sense.

Although Germany did not have amphibious landing capabilities in World War II, the strategic counterattacks of the US and British Allied Forces in World War II were mostly preludes to amphibious landing operations, and then advanced deep into the land (islands) to launch a decisive battle.

From the Battle of Guadalcanal in the Pacific to the Battle of Okinawa, from the Algiers landing in North Africa to the Battle of the Tunisian Bridgehead, from the Battle of Sicily in Europe to the Normandy Landing, the American Higgins landing craft always rushed to the beach in large numbers, transporting a large number of troops and weapons ashore in the hail of bullets, and taking the lead in playing the prelude to the counterattack.

According to statistics, there were more than 600 amphibious landing operations in World War II, and the participating countries produced more than 70,000 landing craft (ships), and the United States produced 64,500 landing craft (ships), of which the absolute majority came from the Higgins Shipyard.

This landing craft is more than 11 meters long and 4 meters wide. It is driven by a 225-horsepower diesel engine and moves on the water at a speed of 9 to 12 knots. Each boat has a very large loading capacity. It can accommodate a platoon of 36 people, a jeep, or equipment and supplies weighing a total of 3,600 kilograms.

The strategic battle of large-scale landing operations is of great significance. If the Allies did not have tens of thousands of Higgins landing craft (ships) to ensure the continuous delivery of combat forces, who knows how many defeats they would have suffered? The victory of the war would also be postponed indefinitely. General Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe, once highly praised the Higgins landing craft (ship) and its inventor Higgins - "This is the most important combat weapon in World War II, and Higgins helped us win the war." This shows the important role of the Higgins landing craft (ship). It is known as the "five major victory weapons" of World War II together with the Willys Jeep, T-34 tank, P-51 fighter, and Essex-class aircraft carrier.

Yannick naturally promoted the doctrine of taking things without hesitation.

The most important thing is that the Higgins landing craft is made of Philippine mahogany, and only the bow is made of steel. A lot of steel was saved in the war. After the landing is successful, the landing craft can be dismantled into wooden boards and used in other aspects, which greatly saves resources.

The sea breeze blows across the sea with a fishy smell, and the surging waves lift the dense landing crafts up and down in the waves. The disgusting smell in the air and the heavy pressure brought by the approaching coastline made the Marines gradually silent. Some recruits even had spasms and vomited because of excessive tension.

"Woo~~~" The strange sound in the air made all the veterans suddenly tense up. They held the handrails tightly and raised their hands to hold down their helmets, while lowering their bodies as much as possible. The new recruits with childish faces were still looking around in confusion.

"Artillery!" The shrill shouts made everyone's spirits tense instantly. If the Marines carrying heavy equipment were overturned into the sea by artillery fire, they would be dead.

Although the sea temperature is not low now, the Marines who are loaded with various supplies cannot float out of the sea at all. Moreover, the landing crafts around them will only speed up and rush to the beach when they encounter artillery fire, and will never stop to save people.

Of course, if the landing craft is directly hit by artillery fire, then there is no need to worry about anything.

"Boom!!!" The huge white water column and the deafening roar made the landing crafts sway left and right as if they could capsize at any time. The Marines in the boats were all knocked against the wall of the boat or hugged each other directly, and the situation was in chaos.

"Why is there still artillery fire?" A recruit whose hair on his mouth has not been removed shouted in disbelief. "Didn't our artillery fire wipe them all out?!"

The old soldier next to him comforted casually. "There will always be fish that slip through the net! Don't worry, they only have one chance to fire!" As if to confirm his words, the main gun of the battleship not far away roared loudly.

"The last thirty meters!" the landing craft driver shouted loudly.

A few seconds later, everyone heard the harsh sound of the bottom of the boat rubbing against the sand and gravel. The propeller of the landing craft had stopped rotating and the boat slowly crawled onto the beach.