The warships of the Royal Navy were largely equipped with anti-aircraft armament. When facing the attacks of the German naval aircraft, they at least had some means of retaliation. However, the warships of France and Italy were completely devoid of anti-aircraft weaponry. They could only helplessly watch as the German carrier-based planes launched their assault.
"Damn those British! They truly cannot be trusted. Why did they not warn us to equip ourselves with anti-air weapons?" General Lame raged angrily.
The same fury was felt by Admiral Paolo of the Kingdom of Italy's navy.
The French and Italian commanders were filled with trepidation. This was the first time they had seen aircraft attacking surface warships with such formidable force. In their minds, naval warfare was meant to be a battle of ship guns, until one side's fleet was sunk. When had naval combat evolved to this? These commanders felt, for the first time, that they were out of touch. The gap between them and the world's most powerful navies was not only in strength, but also in tactics and doctrine.
The German carrier aircraft soon noticed that the flagship warships of France and Italy lacked anti-aircraft defenses. Instantly, the planes, like sharks sensing blood, pounced on the enemy.
After all, sinking the British capital ships or those of the French and Italians was of little difference. As long as these main vessels were destroyed, the German Navy would gain a significant advantage in the ongoing battle.
Thus, nearly all of the remaining aircraft armed with bombs and torpedoes rushed toward the French and Italian fleets.
"Sir, the Germans have turned their attention to the French and Italian fleets," Admiral David Beatty reported, his face drawn with concern.
"Damn it, the French and Italians have no anti-aircraft defenses! The Germans certainly know how to choose their targets," Admiral John Jellicoe muttered with resignation. While the German attacks on the French and Italian fleets relieved him somewhat, as it meant the British Navy's strength would not be significantly weakened, the heavy losses of the French and Italian fleets would severely disadvantage them in the ensuing battles.
"I hope the French and Italians can hold out against the German assault," Admiral Beatty said quietly.
"My God, here they come!" Seeing the German aircraft approaching their ships, both Admiral Lame and Admiral Paolo's faces darkened.
Despite the lack of anti-aircraft defenses on the French and Italian warships, the German pilots adhered to standard tactics, first sending in fighters to clear the skies and then following up with bombers and torpedo bombers.
"Rat-a-tat-tat!" A fighter aircraft zipped past the French Navy's *Jean Bart* battleship, opening fire with its aircraft machine guns. The dense barrage of bullets poured across the battleship's deck like a torrential rain.
"Ah!" A chorus of cries erupted from the *Jean Bart* as sailors were cut down, many torn to pieces by the machine gun fire. The others scrambled into the ship's compartments, their eyes wide with terror, clearly overwhelmed by fear.
Following the fighters' attack, the bombers began their assault. Four bombers dived from high altitudes, releasing their bombs when only six hundred meters from the ocean's surface.
Four heavy bombs arced down toward the *Jean Bart*.
"Evade! Emergency evasions!" the captain of the *Jean Bart* shouted.
The massive battleship, displacing over 25,000 tons, swung violently to and fro like a frenzied bull.
Two of the bombs splashed harmlessly into the sea, but the other two struck their target. One bomb exploded on the port side of the ship, destroying a 138mm secondary gun and setting the side ablaze. The other bomb hit the bow, piercing the thin 70mm deck armor and exploding inside, igniting a fierce fire.
Such damage, though severe, was not catastrophic for a ship of the *Jean Bart's* size. However, the terrifying nature of the attack left the French sailors paralyzed with fear. This was their first encounter with such an adversary. They had no countermeasures, only desperate evasions. Under these conditions, their chances of repelling the German assault were slim.
"Torpedoes! Four torpedoes spotted off the starboard!" shouted a sailor from the starboard side.
Four torpedoes, released from a distance of less than five hundred meters, sped toward the *Jean Bart*.
"Turn! Emergency turn!" the helmsman shouted, his eyes bloodshot as he wrestled with the rudder. Yet, a ship over 166 meters long and weighing more than 25,000 tons required at least two minutes to turn, making it impossible to avoid the German torpedoes in time.
Three out of the four torpedoes struck their mark, with only one missing.
One torpedo hit the bow, while the other two struck the midsection of the ship. Despite the *Jean Bart's* 270mm thick waterline armor, it could not withstand the 450mm warhead explosions from the torpedoes.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The violent explosions below the starboard waterline tore through the ship's armor, creating large gashes in the hull. Seawater flooded in rapidly, and damage control teams scrambled to seal the breaches. They knew that if they failed to contain the leaks, the *Jean Bart* would be doomed—and with it, all the sailors aboard.
Despite their best efforts, the sailors' attempts to save the ship were ultimately in vain.