The formation of the huge cruiser General Belgrano and two Sumner-class destroyers was still driving quietly at the southern tip of the Malvinas Islands, bathed in a darkening sky.

The "General Belgrano" was originally the Brooklyn-class "Phoenix" light cruiser used by the US Navy in World War II. The Argentine government purchased the "Phoenix" cruiser at a low price of 1.22 million US dollars. .

It was originally called "October Victory", but was soon renamed "General Belgrano". A 10,000-ton battleship cost only five million yuan for repairs and refits. General Belgrano is really cheap.

After undergoing two modifications, the old seaplane facilities were changed to helicopter equipment, new sea-to-air search radars were installed, and modern point defense ship-to-air missiles were added.

Although many components malfunctioned from time to time, the Argentines took care of this old ship carefully, but it didn't help. The battleship was paddling hard, and the entourage of the two destroyers had been guarding her right side, in order to guard against potential British carrier-based aircraft.

As for the pride of another Argentine navy, the aircraft carrier May 25 was sold to Argentina by the United Kingdom. The Navy's desire to give away for nothing is beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

Think about how difficult it was for Britain after the war because of its huge debts, and then look at how it can organize expeditionary forces to fight thousands of miles away today, and you will know that no authority is absolutely worthy of this country.

Now the pride of the Argentine Navy is in another direction, relying on Argentina's own geographical advantages, going to Tierra del Fuego to block the South Pacific task force from entering the Atlantic Ocean. I don't think much about it. Tierra del Fuego is an inherent territory of Argentina, but it is separated from the mainland by a strait, so it can receive support from the mainland at any time.

The only problem is that the British task force in the Pacific Ocean is still far away, and it has not yet appeared in the sight of the Argentines.

After a day of vigilance, the people on the cruiser were exhausted, so they were not singing and laughing, but they were also resting in secret.

Although the United Kingdom has turned the Falkland Islands into a restricted area, the Argentine Navy has not entered the war zone designated by the United Kingdom at this time, and South Georgia Island is even more than a thousand kilometers away. The Queen Victoria-class aircraft carrier battle group is in The waters of South Georgia Island are beyond the reach of the Argentine Navy.

Ordinary naval officers and soldiers did not even know that South Georgia had been retaken by the British, thinking that the subsidiary islands of this archipelago were still in the hands of Argentina. For the vast majority of Argentine soldiers today, war is a bit too unfamiliar, far more unfamiliar than British soldiers.

Although the British surface fleet has not officially gone south, only a squadron participated in the operation to recapture South Georgia Island, but it definitely represents calm under the sea.

The nuclear submarines of the main fleet had already left Ascension Island and came to the waters around the Falkland Islands to build a blockade against Argentina.

On South Georgia Island, the British officers and soldiers who had regained control at this time were unloading the supplies delivered by the ocean-going fleet, and the airport on the island also ushered in the figure of the Vulcan bomber, which was normal.

If the main islands of the Falkland Islands are recaptured, the British Expeditionary Force will suddenly find that there are more than one battlefield airports that can be used. They are all built with the money saved by the supreme authority from between the teeth. As long as they are leveled after landing, they can Putting it into use, not to mention allowing fighter jets to take off, transport planes can also take off.

At that time, it was established under the guise of building an airport for Falkland Islands immigrants, but later because the Falkland Islands had more than 1,000 immigrants, the commercial value was almost zero, and the route was not opened, but the airport was retained.

The wartime cabinet in the London base camp received two reports at this time, whether to bomb the defenders of the Falkland Islands, and to discover the Argentine task force with the cruiser General Belgrano as the core. Do not take the attack?

Defense Secretary John Knott and Prime Minister Thatcher discussed these two issues, but in Alan Wilson's view, there was nothing to discuss, "Of course it was sending that second-hand American cruiser into the sea. But the Falkland Islands It is our territory, bombing is meaningless, it is better to leave a little precious ammunition for more valuable targets."

"I also think what Sir said makes sense." Mrs. Thatcher immediately stood by the cabinet secretary after hearing this.

"Well, the Prime Minister's thinking is right." John Nott hesitated to speak and finally didn't continue. He always felt that after the war broke out, the Prime Minister's reliance on Whitehall was greatly increased, as if he was being manipulated by the palm of his hand. Hope this is an illusion.

In fact, if you think about it carefully, isn’t it obvious who has been standing firmly behind the prime minister and who is unswervingly implementing the privatization reform?

If in another two years, the richest woman kicks out the cabinet secretary again, he can live directly in No. 10 Downing Street.

From the beginning of the war, the Prime Minister, who was under tremendous pressure, was being bullied by the cabinet secretary all the time without knowing it, and his understanding of the war with Argentina became more and more similar.

The frontline commander, General Woodward, the commander of the submarine force, requested to sink the flagship of the Argentine Navy, and he got the approval of the wartime cabinet directly, and let the other party boldly do it.

If left alone, once the British fleet starts to land and operate, the three Argentine naval fleets will surely stab the British army from behind, forcing the British to divide their troops to support the defenders of the Falkland Islands. The fleet is in danger of being wiped out under attack from both sides.

London's approval determined the fate of the pride of the Argentine navy, and it was better to fight it than to kill another pride of the Argentine navy, which was an aircraft carrier sold by the United Kingdom, and it would be embarrassing to sink the United Kingdom.

The nuclear submarine Conqueror, which was hidden in the Baddold seamount in the south of the Falkland Islands, quietly approached the General Belgrano and began to seize the position. At this time, on the General Belgrano, because the Afghan army thought it was outside the 200 nautical mile blockade area, most of the personnel were taking a nap, and they didn't even have a surveillance post!

The current "Conqueror" only needs to wait for the prey to throw itself into the net. Its reactor core is stable and the temperature is normal. The torpedo compartment has already been filled with ammunition, and everything is ready.

An hour later, following behind the target, the Conqueror, which was already in an excellent launch position, was able to make a decision on the fate of the cruisers within range. There is no doubt that the cruiser General Belgrano should use its talent To the bottom of the icy South Atlantic Ocean.

Lieutenant Colonel Riverd Brown, the captain who has already made a decision in his heart, does not need to use the latest "Tiger Fish" wire-guided torpedoes, but uses the old unguided 8 torpedoes to attack.

Famous British dramas have said that new torpedoes cannot be used, and torpedoes designed and built during World War II can be used.

The 8 torpedo is a traditional weapon of the British submarine force. It has been used for decades. The British submarine force has achieved an excellent record of sinking the Japanese heavy cruiser Ashigara with the 8. Now it will demonstrate its usual reliability, sending the US-made cruiser to the bottom of the sea, highlighting the special relationship between Britain and the United States.

"Launch!" A minute later, following Lieutenant Colonel Riverd Brown's command, three 8s roared out and flew straight to the General Belgrano.

One hundred and twenty seconds later, the first torpedo launched by the Server hit the rear of the port side of the Admiral Belgrano, tearing open the hull of the No. 1 engine room. There was a muffled thunder, and the internal lighting system of the ship was suddenly interrupted. The Argentine naval officers and soldiers who were relaxing were shaken and fell to the ground. Most of the officers and soldiers had blank faces, but some people speculated that they were attacked by the British.

God didn't give the Argentines time to think too much. Sixty seconds later, the second torpedo hit the large cruiser between the bow chain locker and the front ammunition depot~lightnovelpub.net~ A violent explosion broke The keel of Admiral Belgrano was broken, the bow of the cruiser snapped off, and the forward deck bowed downward.

The Argentine sailors on the ship woke up like a dream, rushed out of the cabin and rushed to the battle position. The captain, Colonel Bonzo, ordered an inventory of the damage and tried to carry out damage management and rescue, but the more than 10,000-ton Belgrano had already begun to tilt violently .

The first torpedo was quite deadly. This torpedo hit the No. 1 main engine room. The violent vibration immediately caused all four main engines of the shellfish to stop, the power system in the ship lost communication, and the damage control system was paralyzed!

The second torpedo hit the bow of the cruiser, just between the No. 1 turret and the anchor chain. This is the end of the cruiser's side armor belt. Without armor protection, the torpedo damage was particularly serious. The bow keel of the general was blown broken.

The communication was interrupted, the tube was paralyzed, and the screen was empty, only the echo of the waves. The sonar operator was in a hurry, and there was only the noise of the ocean. The captain's instructions can only be conveyed to each cabin through the original microphone and messenger, and then conveyed separately by the responsible sailors.

General Belgrano began to bank sharply to the left. Captain Bonzo was still trying his best to rescue the warship at first, struggling in vain for half an hour, the tilt had reached 30 degrees, the helpless Captain Bonzo ordered to abandon the ship, and the Argentine sailors sang the national anthem and boarded the lifeboat.

The nickname of the Atlantic Ocean of Storms has always been well-deserved, not to mention that it is close to the Antarctic waters. The sea conditions at this time are very unfriendly to rescue. The most important thing is that there is no one to rescue.

After the General Belgrano was attacked, the other two destroyers panicked because they lost their command. Not only did they not carry out anti-submarine attacks, but they quickly fled the battlefield from south to north, leaving the fate of their comrades-in-arms to the cold sea water.