South Pac
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Early 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. # Y$ K g2 x& R! `7 L
First 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!
+ ^3 O: U) O9 F5 K) t8 _3 U: ^Another 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. # I. o4 t( j3 b6 r3 l% E, @2 U" [
Ah, by the way...No Zero shot down... + w5 K7 W1 c4 `# j4 D5 R( O
4 z7 I0 w* J+ n% @5 u6 o3 j3 \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. L- X. K6 p9 r0 V. c- M
23 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.
. |" u$ g7 J5 |( x; \( `! o. oCV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. ! M8 w7 v) i( g% `4 [
; P/ ~6 Q# Q' D; |7 s/ \; CThe 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. . t" P5 Y, G; {/ Z+ g1 ^
CV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. 7 Y9 \1 v! O% H" h
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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. * t8 W Y% n. A6 {( z* @ ?) R
( L* T$ z% ~+ U& l# M) @It’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star. ; ^" y0 ]9 ?; P* N8 P- J9 Y
5 a# q; K7 K# U. t1 jThen 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. 0 c; S1 d/ u8 _) U" C
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The 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. " T, H/ J. V' x" \" @: L) u. p
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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 Z7 y. B! Z) B0 u9 `! oCV 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.
$ {9 @7 R# {. A$ m; C: TI lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates.
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4 Q( k/ U. i1 b( [/ ?- p2 w! M20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them. $ _& Y5 B o# Q5 B
3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps.
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; {6 P9 [( Z& h4 a1 ?; H6 o. UFifth 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.
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* Q+ ]& X, P/ |( v$ M; BAll this happened in the morning!!
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In 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. " R& p( b/ O# O$ y0 q% U
9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost.
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/ e5 |. d" Y8 k3 a( EThen, 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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44 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.
; ^0 B( K" u# B) U* fCV 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. 9 V, p4 a% R7 }0 Y8 C% X
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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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4 j- t( s3 s2 z2 a8 k/ }89 Kate
) u$ d2 L$ S+ }* l$ Z60 Val
3 A6 r0 t# I8 u$ J/ E8 ?39 Zero 0 @) Z. a: x% P$ f" C" P# B3 K7 G
, f5 L5 C+ K2 u, P- H4 p188 a/c 7 P9 c- Q" s, e6 c/ z+ l
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: ^" ? y& }/ C4 \1 t& s126 SBD
, ]# _( T) F7 U' M61 TBD 8 S' G( h2 N7 ~5 \; ~, I
19 Albacore
0 V0 w8 H6 w% S- T5 Sea Hurricane
! `- G, ?0 s) L2 |4 I9 `6 N21 Fulmar
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19 F4F-3
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2 u. }& p+ _7 q& u# jThe damages for my ships are the following:
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CV Formidable 50/69/38 & K* k' q5 q" B
CV Indomitable 35/34/42 * D0 _- i& w1 }
BB Prince of Wales 35/6/14
# v( k3 f8 u5 G3 o+ BBC Repulse 25/14/10
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: h% g8 a% w$ E; ~; m+ KCV Hornet 58/89/49 . p. R( k# i; X' z8 X( @$ l* v, }
DD Lamson 64/19/25 / j8 H* }$ S- z2 N0 r
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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。
4 Y7 [$ O/ o3 t" C# b% a从战果上看,盟军的结果比我想象的好不少。而且还混编CV. |