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; G* g: p1 J @+ d8 g+ tEarly in the morning the recon of both parts, spotted the opposing force. The KB were NE of Funafuti. My carriers reacted and closed of 1 hex and the same have done the enemy CV.
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My planes attacked first.
2 ]. ]0 H5 [3 k: m$ |1 I; uFirst wave, composed by 34 SBD, 15 TBD and (only!) 6 F4F, arrived over KB. 92 Zeros were on CAP. Only 8 SBD and 6 TBD managed to pass through the screen. 1 1000 lbs-bomb hit Kongo: boink! 1 b" s; ~) U7 n7 j) V1 _
Another 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. * y L+ H1 U. \9 ?8 A3 s3 G
Ah, by the way...No Zero shot down...
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The second attack was more dramatic. 84 SBD, 30 TBD, 35 Albacore, escorted by a total of 30 fighters, arrived over KB, few minutes later the first wave. The same 92 Zeros were on CAP.
3 A' S# n2 m4 g* }& Q" ]- l* Y* U23 allied fighters have been shot down, in exchange of only 3 Zeros. Also 15 SBD, 6 TBD and 10 Albacore ended their flight in the water, but the rest of my armada attacked the Kido Butai.
/ Z# h7 L6 H v" g0 j9 oCV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. ' z. Z# N3 d; Q2 b
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The third were were composed by 4 F4F (!), 34 SBD and 15 TBD. Again, 89 Zero were on CAP. I suppose that japanese pilots were tired, because only 1 SBD, 3 TBD and 1 F4F have been shot down, while 2 Zero have been shot down. 8 N3 y% \: G+ j+ x4 ]# G, f. c
CV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each.
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There was time also for the fourth wave, composed by 15 SBD (1 shot down) and 17 TBD (5 lost), (no Zero shot down). CV Zuikaku and CV Shokaku received 2 more bombs each. + |. n' K3 \" b3 c: M
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It’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star.
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: C# z* Q: K5 VThen came the japanese attack. The first (small) wave, 23 Val and 6 Zero, was intercepted by 83 fighters. 15 Val and 6 Zero shot down and the others Val turned back. No losses for the allied. / w) ]4 g! a/ \5 z
2 O7 S) _8 x+ p6 Q3 |( MThe second wave, composed by 22 Val, 25 Kate and 9 Zero, has been intercepted by the same 83 fighters. Only 1 F2F and 1 F4F lost, while my pilots shot down 6 Zero, 12 Val and 14 Kate have been shot down, and the survivors, again, turned back. 4 w- e/ {; ^# ?. n; ^6 u8 T' m1 D
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The third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP. 9 ~% r- d& U7 O. L
CV Hornet took 2 torpedoes and 5 small bombs, CV Enterprise 2 torpedoes, 3 – 250kg – bombs and 2 small bombs, CV Lexington 5 torps, 1 -250 kg bombs and 2 small bombs, CA Chicago 2 torps and DD Lamson 4 bombs and 1 torp. u( j: W9 U& h7 K( J3 H
I lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. - p! _- r- o; P6 s" a, ~# B- J
7 E# g" b. K! g: {; t) \20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them.
* d! \) r8 r: R' I/ ]. f3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps.
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Fifth wave attacked the same TF (again!). 21 Kate, 17 Val and 13 Zero fought against 58 fighters, but managed 1 torpedo on Lexington and 3 bombs and 1 torpedo on Hornet. 2 Kate and 13 allied fighters lost. + i4 ^/ h6 k3 n* ?- D
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All this happened in the morning!!
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0 A7 O8 |# n, q$ c* s3 a o' wIn the afternoon british TF closed one more hex and launched one small air attack. I lost 4 Albacores during an attempt to attack CV Akagi, without results.
( M! W0 P6 g n9 c7 L( x! C* c9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost. , s3 D( j% r; m0 I" z" u
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Then, 18 Zero and 16 Kate, from another carrier TF, probably composed by light carriers due to the number of planes, attacked the british TF. Prince of Wales and Repulse received 1 torpedo each. Only 1 Kate shot down.
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/ ?" ]+ L$ e5 M44 Val, 21 Kate and 29 Zero attacked again. Only 5 british fighters were on CAP. The closing of one hex towards the KB, leaved the british ships without US air cover. 3 Val and 1 Kate for the japs and 2 fighters for the british shot down.
7 F V3 c) x$ `0 |% nCV Formidable resulted hit by 10 bombs and 4 torps, CV Indomitable by 4 bombs and 2 torps, BB Prince of Wales by 2 bombs and CA Canberra by 1 bomb. # k9 u e ?. y7 N: ?5 \* p- T
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Before dusk, Lexington and Enterprise sunk. No reports of enemy sinking, but I suppose that Zuikaku and Shokaku are in a very bad conditions and they are between the Ellice and Suva. A long way home.
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During this terrible day, this are the air losses.
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8 I+ |/ e$ l" ?89 Kate
& c& E* V; U, v( E' a4 G60 Val 0 r' i7 R1 i" C4 a
39 Zero
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6 Y: o0 }8 y( f5 D2 W6 _188 a/c
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126 SBD
1 P3 X2 F& Q3 w% X- ^8 `) Z61 TBD + a! K/ q2 w2 c3 e$ V
19 Albacore
6 s. a& b# z. c$ f; @5 Sea Hurricane
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14 F2A
$ N1 S0 H2 L2 x/ l19 F4F-3
9 R: ~" G B2 w* z+ `7 T: p24 F4F-4
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" l( J* }3 g* D$ |. E6 BThe damages for my ships are the following: ! a% e. i e/ E! H% E/ N0 R
/ c- N' @0 c1 ]$ V+ v2 y# @5 tCV Formidable 50/69/38
+ I' z4 W. { tCV Indomitable 35/34/42 ! x1 X n' ]" E
BB Prince of Wales 35/6/14
h" z; T9 H" d; o5 N( JBC Repulse 25/14/10 " R6 s+ l; O1 `+ l9 o+ i# K
- e: f7 k+ F) _# [5 W0 q5 @CV Hornet 58/89/49
" M0 a: |* n5 U1 K. _1 `DD Lamson 64/19/25 + T8 P- H! ?' S+ L: M
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1 |" R* |1 X5 Q; t+ K盟军42年4月竟敢在fiji北主动出击，最后损失2：5，日军损失两鹤。
" |$ `9 p4 E8 u" m8 z从战果上看，盟军的结果比我想象的好不少。而且还混编CV. |
发表于 2007-8-29 11:42
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