Chapter 433 Lucky Day

Today is a lucky day for the Italian "Lightning Division".

In fact, Colonel Domenico, the commander of the 1st Parachute Regiment of the "Lightning Division", was a little puzzled... The Caproni transport plane used by the "Lightning Division" has a range of more than 1,000 kilometers, and Tunisia to Catania is more than 500 miles.

This means that the "Lightning Division" must take the shortest route to Catania to parachute, otherwise the Caproni transport plane may not be able to return.

And taking the shortest route must pass through the airspace over the southern coast of Sicily defended by the US fleet.

Colonel Domenico has been worried that their fleet will be discovered and intercepted by the US fleet, and it really hits... Several pilots saw dozens of warships parked on the sea with the help of the faint starlight.

Colonel Domenico was scared and broke out in a cold sweat on the spot.

This is not to say that he was timid. The "Lightning Division" was one of the few fighting units in the Italian army. Although most of its members were Libyan native Berbers, the Italian officers and soldiers were also well-trained... In fact, under the simple parachute conditions during World War II, parachuting itself was very dangerous, and the timid Italians did not even have the courage to join this unit.

Colonel Domenico was nervous because the "Caproni" transport aircraft used by the Italian Paratrooper Division had a speed of only more than 200 kilometers.

Such a slow transport aircraft, if intercepted by the US fleet, would not only complete the mission, but also how many transport aircraft could fly over Catania would be a problem.

However, what puzzled Colonel Domenico was that the US fleet did not respond... There was not even a beam of searchlight, and they just flew over it in a swagger.

"What's the situation?" Colonel Domenico asked.

"I don't know, Colonel!" The staff officer looked at the dark mass of warships below and said in confusion: "Maybe, today is our lucky day!"

Colonel Domenico didn't believe in "lucky day" at first. He thought that war depends on training and quality, and "lucky day" is only suitable for the weak to comfort themselves.

But after the battle that night, he completely believed in "lucky day".

Because, when the Italian paratroopers flew near Catania, Domenico thought that the anti-aircraft guns would soon sound, and then there would be a bloody storm in the air... At least one-fifth of the paratroopers would be lost during the airborne process (this was determined by the performance of the weak Caproni transport aircraft).

But nothing happened, and then Catania was below, quietly waiting for the Italian army to parachute.

"Did we go the wrong way?" Colonel Domenico asked in disbelief, "Is this really Catania?"

"Absolutely, Colonel!" The staff officer replied, "I was born here, I know everything here!"

"Why then..." Colonel Domenico spread his hands in confusion.

"Like I said!" The staff officer replied, "Today is our lucky day, Colonel!"

Then the staff officer shouted, "Catania, here I come!"

Then he turned around and jumped out of the cabin...

Colonel Domenico did not hesitate and jumped down.

Things were so strange that no one "regarded" them until the moment the "Lightning Division" landed.

Until a team of stupid British car soldiers drove the car towards them, the gunfire rang out.

Some of the Italian soldiers in the 1st Parachute Regiment of the "Lightning Division" were Catanians, and they were very familiar with the terrain here. Not only that, they could easily get intelligence from the local people.

The staff officer knocked on the door of a house and shouted: "Fruchio, Fruchio..."

"Who's there?"

"I'm Filiberto, your deskmate, have you forgotten?"

"Filiberto? Didn't you go to war?!"

"Yes!"

The door opened, and Fruchio saw his deskmate who had been playing with him before standing in front of him fully armed.

"Oh, God!" Fruchio rolled his eyes: "I forgot that this is the battlefield. It seems... you have fought back to your own home!"

"Yes!" The staff officer said: "Fruchio, tell me where the British headquarters is? You must know!"

So, when most of the British soldiers were still building defenses in the defense line outside the city, fierce gunfire rang out in the city.

Moreover, since the British headquarters was taken down by the First Infantry Regiment of the "Lightning Division" within more than ten minutes, a brigade of British troops on the defense line outside the city had no idea what to do next.

It was not until the lights of the German 39th Mechanized Infantry Division tanks lit up in front and the Italian soldiers shouted in the back that they realized they were surrounded.

The Battle of Catania was unimaginably smooth. The entire battle lasted only more than 20 minutes, and a British infantry brigade surrendered as a whole, including the brigade commander Colonel Weir and more than a dozen war correspondents from various countries who were ready to get the news in Catania.

It was not until then that the transport planes of the real British airborne troops sent by Montgomery "rumbled" in the sky.

Because these airborne soldiers had no idea that Catania had been lost, and they also didn't know that the German mechanized infantry division had arrived, so it can be imagined that when they landed, another tragedy was inevitable.

It was not until the British Airborne Division suffered heavy casualties in the dark that Montgomery received a report from Colonel Auston, the commander of the British 2nd Airborne Regiment.

"General! Enemies are everywhere and we are surrounded!" Colonel Auston's panicked voice came from the microphone: "We need reinforcements. The enemies have tanks and armored vehicles. We cannot resist their attack!"

"You can return to the city!" Montgomery said: "Return to Catania, Colonel Will's troops will meet you there!"

Because Catania fell so quickly, Montgomery had not yet received intelligence of its fall.

"General, we don't have any of our men in Catania!" Colonel Auston replied:

"We encountered the Italians there. I believe Catania has been lost!"

"What?" Montgomery's voice began to tremble when he spoke: "This is impossible. I had a phone call with Colonel Will not long ago!"

"That's a fact, General!" Colonel Allston replied, "We even had one of our troops walk up on them thinking they were friendly forces and get captured by them!" "

Montgomery was unwilling to believe this fact until DeGangang told him: "General, we have lost contact with Colonel Will!"