4月11日，一个晴朗的夜晚，帝国战列舰队自43年中期以来首次与有力的敌舰队交手。% K4 f: W9 o! l6 X% H
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这是一场双方都有所准备又都没有料到对手也有准备的战斗。
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库塞伊岛玉碎后，紧接着波纳佩岛就陷入了暗无天日的轰炸之中，每天盟军的轰炸机都像苍蝇一样在头上盘旋，而帝国并没有放弃斗争，恰恰相反，波纳佩如果再沦陷敌手，那么帝国在太平洋上的海空军中枢-----特鲁克基地就要暴露在盟军面前，覆巢之下，安有完卵？连接着南太和中太的关键一旦被切断，对于帝国后面的防御态势会造成无法挽回的结果。因此波纳佩作为特鲁克基地前方屏障的重要性已经越来越凸显出来。帝国决计投入一切力量加强此地的防御，避免再次重蹈库塞伊的悲剧。因此在3月底4月初，帝国陆续在波纳佩投入大量工兵和防空兵部队，防空兵用来干扰轰炸机投弹的命中率，而工兵部队则负责不断修复机场设施和跑道，于是此地的防空袭能力达到空前的地步，盟军的双发轰炸机已经无法压制住波纳佩，唯有投入4发才能暂时压制机场。
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因此波纳佩方面的态势暂时处于僵持态势，帝国乘机用运输船往岛上运输补给物资，盟军在4月初觉察之后也调来了一支包括CA和CL的水面舰队驻扎在库塞伊岛，并不时出击到波纳佩岛海域执行拦截任务。帝国也布置了护航舰队，双方舰队在多次战斗中各有胜负，但损失都很轻微。
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此时帝国大本营觉察到此处的战机，决定部署一次伏击对这支水面舰队进行打击，机动舰队和驻岛舰队都预定参加行动，务必要全歼这支包括多艘CA和CL的盟军舰队。% R4 f9 m) h0 Q$ A0 }+ l
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4月11日，所有参战舰队都已到达指定阵位，帝国在波纳佩岛布置了一支水雷战队，并部署了100多架战斗机队准备对库塞伊岛进行扫场，同时在波纳佩西部海域配备了拥有陆奥，长门，山城三艘战列舰和其他重巡洋舰的强有力舰队准备天黑后进入波纳佩水域拦截可能的盟军水面舰队。
# u2 M' ?* I: F$ t: n) N而机动舰队则在后面待机，准备趁夜突入到库塞伊附近海域，对盟军水面舰队进行毁灭性打击。
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& @7 C& d& K z) d# l当夜的前半段完全按照预定的计划行动，盟军果然出动了水面舰队企图炮击波纳佩机场，结果遭遇到帝国有力的战列舰队以逸待劳，在被重创一艘CL后主动撤离的战场，纽卡斯特号轻巡洋舰在撤退途中沉没。帝国舰队仅有两舰中创。
$ F g# a/ N7 ?+ PNight Time Surface Combat, near Ponape at 119,113, Range 12,000 Yards
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% l$ O* n2 i9 U. KJapanese Ships
5 E8 [! t6 N- V( r$ U- w BB Nagato
$ a+ ?+ \! J: y" H4 U- a5 a BB Mutsu
o8 B5 ]+ @2 `2 j5 \7 T BB Yamashiro, Shell hits 4
& g% \5 o6 ?: }( g1 W8 q6 b CA Mogami
5 d1 H x% j# y9 z/ J4 j" d$ F5 b- Z CA Mikuma, Shell hits 2
0 T0 c$ E4 L2 v! @* w( k/ F4 t3 O8 B CA Suzuya, Shell hits 11 H2 P2 | {+ l5 F2 `; U1 G
CA Kumano, Shell hits 27 W9 g/ m w4 i, W' a
CL Yahagi, Shell hits 4
- {$ V- s7 z" i0 n) S CL Jintsu, Shell hits 5, heavy fires
2 e8 z7 T7 m/ F CL Tama
' V/ {9 E& `) P& O CL Kiso, Shell hits 1- W* x2 k7 R& }# }3 w0 k$ M# W
DD Usugumo# k1 I4 p! v; ^% C& N
DD Uranami$ P8 i& S- B) U7 i/ a4 t
DD Shikinami$ v( ~) a/ s* |; Y) N$ ?8 q! _! f, C
DD Ayanami" } j! n8 h4 r2 t+ C3 L( X! R/ i
DD Asagiri, Shell hits 2, on fire
9 [: ]7 E+ w, T6 @ k/ @5 A DD Sazanami
# M7 c' g, u# i' i8 L DD Yayoi, Shell hits 3, on fire2 t. T' K( D: S2 C4 k! n4 v& D6 q
DD Nagatsuki, Shell hits 5, on fire
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Allied Ships
& V' i0 f; y! Y: S0 f CA Quincy, Shell hits 1& L+ a0 K. w6 h( n( ?! ]! A
CL Achilles, Shell hits 1
; H) H7 N; X3 L! _) \( ? CL Perth, Shell hits 2, on fire# B( P9 h6 Z3 M% X& u
CL Hobart, Shell hits 2, on fire9 [. X5 g7 K$ f: ^' [
CL Newcastle, Shell hits 15, heavy fires, heavy damage
9 e% \. x$ z, D( A3 C& ~5 F DD Charles Ausburne
) R- n/ ^/ c# S" Z DD Capps
" x e9 S4 G0 M% R DD Chauncey
5 f1 \" i+ `5 l& o3 m; ] DD Claxton
% Z1 E0 H& n, y) A DD Cogswell8 B& r; X# i/ N
DD Colahan, Shell hits 2, on fire
0 ~! D9 O- I/ T( W7 W8 \ DD Conner
8 e% C$ j, `4 P8 X2 e: ?, }5 V DD Conway
5 ~ T: E; {9 B% D: q DD Daly/ v5 J2 ]+ g I
DD Gatling
' a$ j7 O5 `: m4 { u& C0 } DD Kimberly
8 a; a& I/ g! R" n' f+ I- v8 _. q DD LaVallette
7 ]/ c z& n& e/ j4 O DD Tingey, Shell hits 10 c0 A2 X9 S) ?- u, K
此外，另有一艘驱逐舰在途中遭日军潜艇伊-33号击沉，同时伊-33号也被盟军深弹击沉。; C7 J4 J' C0 e4 q' s+ A* ^
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Apr 11, 44( e' }" K+ a( U7 r2 Z9 C
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# S f1 k& @, c* @2 c' ^' DSub attack near Kusaie Island at 123,117
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W0 ^, @* P+ G/ Y" r( a4 Z' O8 L p/ DJapanese Ships! u, `7 S5 A. _
SS I-33, hits 13, and is sunk" g; \6 e7 f8 M3 |; {7 ~* y
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Allied Ships' X) c$ p6 ?% g3 _" B1 V; ?
DD Cony, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
8 ~8 T, p7 b8 R1 Z( p CA Quincy
. j3 b$ N9 u" N& D; x: | CL Newcastle3 } a# O8 r" S' p
CL Hobart
6 w8 W6 y2 J2 E4 I- n% Q CL Achilles1 q3 u. v4 S% Q) ]$ R
DD Conner
* x3 H2 a8 _" I# T! n: j0 B DD Claxton
1 B& F) W1 b! p F9 ^ DD Capps0 S0 z+ m6 A/ O p6 r. e, {0 ^, D
DD Tingey
6 F# }, Z, Q- l0 Y DD LaVallette
, X. U4 Z8 Y9 J* w9 i DD Kimberly
3 { D: q7 J2 v4 R6 d3 h6 S+ @ DD Gatling0 h6 a, @2 d5 s
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但是盟军舰队没有撤回库塞伊，推测选择了一条靠北的航线撤回罗伊-那幕尔，因此竟意外躲过了虎视眈眈的KB的打击，全天KB仅出动烈风舰战对库塞伊盟军机场进行了扫场，攻击范围内没有值得出击的目标。* c* y/ s }6 a1 a9 }* b. U' c
同时，波纳佩基地的陆基航空队也对库塞伊岛的盟军战斗机展开了猛烈的攻击，这本身是为预计的攻舰行动扫清直掩的，但如今则失去了意义，全天帝国以30架烈风舰战和7架紫电改5的代价击落29架海盗，烈风虽然是帝国最新锐的舰载战斗机，但是战斗力仍然不及海盗。8 {- C5 S( Z3 b2 W+ {& i
Morning Air attack on Kusaie Island , at 125,118 3 A. k, q+ }% W
. A! h+ J9 W5 I! P; }! s# HWeather in hex: Severe storms! x4 q; _3 w7 H
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Raid detected at 20 NM, estimated altitude 37,000 feet.
8 s4 z3 v/ c- ]Estimated time to target is 5 minutes- w. G: y! \/ t7 R1 |3 I. U
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Japanese aircraft6 r3 |4 ]/ e6 k- W b8 b4 `
A7M2 Sam x 34$ O6 x( R( G, u2 O5 a1 o: h+ h
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Allied aircraft$ ]# @" o; L/ O/ K4 D
F4U-1 Corsair x 17
' @0 m7 L ~+ N F4U-1A Corsair x 36
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Japanese aircraft losses3 ~7 b# w5 d% z! W
A7M2 Sam: 9 destroyed
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Allied aircraft losses; P" S. h( `) d% p/ K
F4U-1A Corsair: 3 destroyed
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' c4 s! o- q' S. b, C$ _Morning Air attack on Kusaie Island , at 125,118 2 } R9 @" h, \# S% m8 a* ?
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Weather in hex: Severe storms: T' G+ Z* n: j' i7 m- u \$ r
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Raid detected at 31 NM, estimated altitude 38,000 feet.* Y& g3 C9 {, T9 ~. I* J% T' Q
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes: l% e; H8 A- n" p6 R$ Z& c
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Japanese aircraft; W2 i! u# a) \$ s# R
A7M2 Sam x 26; W* y; V* G6 E5 ~& \
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Allied aircraft
9 z/ g5 I/ b: f7 D0 [# x F4U-1 Corsair x 14' Y# t7 Z8 W. Y# r1 D
F4U-1A Corsair x 24. T$ ~; c; S: N5 o$ z* Z6 _0 B
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Japanese aircraft losses8 ~0 P0 y$ A1 j0 ]5 Z9 J4 P
A7M2 Sam: 10 destroyed s5 d6 h* c. _! r- V
' o8 ~* |: {5 l/ W" k( ZAllied aircraft losses
( L7 k9 k1 Q% t6 }# N& j0 J F4U-1 Corsair: 2 destroyed
1 O, C2 j: O) O- d) o F4U-1A Corsair: 1 destroyed
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Morning Air attack on Kusaie Island , at 125,118
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Weather in hex: Severe storms4 w- e0 o. {* i! [
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Raid detected at 12 NM, estimated altitude 44,000 feet.
0 Y" `" ^, y) E9 E0 K; wEstimated time to target is 3 minutes$ j5 y8 m* i8 `% w
5 _- M3 t3 Z( V w4 T9 e9 P9 p9 k& S& nJapanese aircraft, g! T3 j- i' c' E/ I5 n# [2 k" _
N1K5-J George x 18! P4 i& L& ?8 B# N) r0 v9 a9 q
4 b1 u1 b8 H' E8 q/ T; z0 ~1 iAllied aircraft
2 R+ L( r$ M7 W# c2 w6 l+ v/ ^ F4U-1 Corsair x 77 B6 b5 Y( q# ]
F4U-1A Corsair x 19
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Japanese aircraft losses
! I2 J) W$ J3 `( N; {8 ^, L% u N1K5-J George: 2 destroyed% V, j, y' p4 f2 ]
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Allied aircraft losses0 ? z& p' Q4 A; Z
F4U-1 Corsair: 1 destroyed
& i& w; V- w5 _- [* } F4U-1A Corsair: 4 destroyed
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Morning Air attack on Kusaie Island , at 125,118
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; a0 ~' d) B+ B& H3 {8 R5 K+ IWeather in hex: Severe storms
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Raid detected at 33 NM, estimated altitude 39,000 feet.
: o6 G R9 j0 M" J m5 rEstimated time to target is 9 minutes
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7 L& z+ m- g" g1 c/ E) Y" G5 T+ z4 OJapanese aircraft# _# w" N w s7 d0 F" r
N1K5-J George x 42
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Allied aircraft$ c/ d0 t3 k/ e/ I0 }7 c3 m
F4U-1 Corsair x 49 s* ^4 l- F7 f2 m. s4 ~
F4U-1A Corsair x 8
0 S9 {# b2 L* _0 i5 i) A 6 l! F% ^, u% u' x4 {
Japanese aircraft losses+ B7 f! `* G k& k2 S
N1K5-J George: 3 destroyed
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% d+ l8 P$ a% p& q' W# A' j/ ^* RAllied aircraft losses
7 y1 R" X1 E2 y F4U-1 Corsair: 1 destroyed
9 N$ u" I3 z5 H/ ]+ h F4U-1A Corsair: 2 destroyed
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Morning Air attack on Kusaie Island , at 125,118 . a/ V8 _; v: v1 @7 a" J) y8 s
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Weather in hex: Severe storms3 R: V% a5 v k
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Raid detected at 25 NM, estimated altitude 42,000 feet.
; ~- [. E t2 F/ t) b9 N0 O8 y7 yEstimated time to target is 6 minutes
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Japanese aircraft: E/ a2 c. U$ b1 { L" R' `3 \
Ki-84r Frank x 32
2 m0 R+ e8 T9 x + }2 ?# M' I3 T: L: r! N/ L
Allied aircraft$ ^" o, v3 q3 S
F4U-1 Corsair x 29 \, o8 f7 E C" Z( M5 Q
F4U-1A Corsair x 1
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No Japanese losses' C" V. \9 `8 M4 |
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Allied aircraft losses, t. A7 x) C: y' O a% {
F4U-1 Corsair: 1 destroyed7 Y( e" u' M- i6 \& \1 f- r
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帝国痛失一次歼灭盟军舰队的好机会，盟军侥幸逃过一劫。 |
发表于 2013-4-30 21:18
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发表于 2013-5-2 23:14
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