The last fight of the KB!
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; `! j3 d2 o) {& i9 |With several enemy carrier formations moving in from Marcus Island the KB is trapped. 6 C% P, y5 J$ e- R) X5 g) f% |+ Z
I gambled on that Andy would be moving after the KB – not staying in the exact same area we attacked yesterday. Unfortunately our last strike was another grossly uncoordinated strikes with all escorts and 8 bombers in one raid and the bombers in another.
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In a way I’m glad I don’t have to worry about the KB anymore, it’s good to have as a fleet in being from 1944-45 – but the results are usually very disappointing.
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! j# P, ]/ X$ ]The Taiho is only moderately damaged and can manage 20 knots.She will retire with the 2 seaplane tenders. One of the Shokaku’s can still make 9 knots, but I doubt she’ll make it.
9 c- c; a/ T7 t9 G" K, lAll other ships but a cvl are scuttled. & e8 w. L0 H1 C' e
/ Q: m: M4 d! s8 t8 I6 B
Day Air attack on TF at 69,54 ]* T" O2 H- t7 {3 Q1 c: s) C
3 d+ n1 o2 ?) a0 w8 O) HJapanese aircraft 3 a$ t+ p" _* r7 ?
A6M2-N Rufe x 8
. A! S7 t" |" R* OA6M5 Zeke x 85 4 }( O; G' e( Z: G3 F( y' @9 g
. N" [& c' \% g# d
Allied aircraft
8 F; G1 ?, v3 f9 GFM-2 Wildcat x 24 - _# H) U, m& O3 L# v3 a
F6F Hellcat x 120 4 m5 Z" S4 Z9 P6 H, u2 ^. F
F4U-1 Corsair x 5
0 p" i% [- @7 \6 T: E7 ~, rF4U-1D Corsair x 16
9 [/ C" N; U9 l& c7 ]& gCorsair IV x 5
$ _% H0 h$ c9 L4 ~$ l# OSB2C Helldiver x 84 # R* j" u" S4 I, I- {$ Y
TBM Avenger x 48
6 z& N' ^ H. F* f- \
) z+ G' y0 V) L, A2 H( j' X3 QJapanese aircraft losses
. j$ M. y7 ]( Y/ uA6M2-N Rufe: 8 destroyed
; x7 Z0 b( ?% [% QA6M5 Zeke: 84 destroyed
8 [- {, Z2 b& z5 V3 v4 ^# B, y. X* n( n
Allied aircraft losses
% I/ u. w' s* d2 U/ s$ J$ S* SFM-2 Wildcat: 4 destroyed, 2 damaged 1 T/ F; _$ K2 B: X: Y6 i" f5 T
F6F Hellcat: 20 destroyed, 7 damaged
( W" N* P/ d! l6 q2 B# I4 n/ W4 EF4U-1 Corsair: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged & S! A. D* h9 H
F4U-1D Corsair: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
+ Z, t# Q& h- B+ [0 G3 [SB2C Helldiver: 4 destroyed, 23 damaged , v, [6 }7 N% ~! T m* V9 L
TBM Avenger: 1 destroyed, 28 damaged
4 ?/ g, Y: w' Q& i$ \0 N6 ^" F$ W+ I% Z$ S+ Z$ `+ @
Japanese Ships * H8 F0 ]% n" p5 f; n5 W4 B
CV Shokaku, Bomb hits 2, on fire 5 J1 ?5 P+ d8 J$ ?
CV Katsuragi, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage ! U+ R- M9 M8 R* O% q9 h
CVL Ryuho, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
4 s" [1 C3 E: RCVL Chiyoda, Bomb hits 9, on fire, heavy damage
! l0 j5 @4 G4 v' Z0 ~, k/ S' UCV Zuikaku, Bomb hits 12, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage / k9 W7 m r) M
CV Taiho, Torpedo hits 1 5 n( v: |! |; J4 t2 K5 Y
CVL Ibuki, Bomb hits 7, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage $ c' _! J7 q! W$ p4 r K& ^
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: ]( \2 Z2 c: z- t9 B: I; j8 I9 DDay Air attack on TF at 69,54 6 b/ h2 a2 B; X! Z6 ^
, G* v `: u4 M/ R1 ^+ |Allied aircraft 7 Y# y7 Q& f2 W0 P
FM-2 Wildcat x 9
, B. e3 e% D; wTBM Avenger x 12
2 N7 V, u1 X* g- o6 D" s* f
" {, Q6 M% Z( m4 g6 E2 {' yAllied aircraft losses
6 Q K( Y" z4 @ rTBM Avenger: 1 destroyed, 9 damaged
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Japanese Ships
1 Y* h) W) h7 }* KCV Zuikaku, on fire, heavy damage 7 D) q4 H% j9 B. ?, h/ _2 q# z
CV Taiho, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
- { ?$ N$ Z+ ~6 i' K/ K3 l# D9 @% g--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0 T$ [1 Z, H3 h% F. M! D9 c9 |Day Air attack on TF at 69,54
' L! S/ Q, g/ D2 H& t2 E4 D# C2 n2 n* d. l/ v+ @7 E" m- F, D
Allied aircraft , C1 q' c% |& u" N6 N _
FM-2 Wildcat x 6
3 c- ?' t7 @% j; ZTBM Avenger x 12 % R) @9 P* @# C* e
! f+ ~( X; O# u7 O: |" Z
Allied aircraft losses % @5 p# X# `3 _+ p% s1 P
TBM Avenger: 1 destroyed, 10 damaged
4 _9 {6 L5 }. R; Y: v" a
, F0 X( p# a2 cJapanese Ships 8 w6 K' P& V' r" ]+ s
CVL Chiyoda, on fire, heavy damage , s' A& i0 g D. | }
CV Taiho, on fire
! v {8 m: c+ `! G4 B5 }CV Shokaku, on fire : l! e2 p, ]# g( [
CVL Ryuho, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage R: [- R& H! E' `! ~
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- + H O, [' Z! c: Y0 t3 t
Day Air attack on TF at 69,54
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Allied aircraft
# o& x$ m9 k6 J* `FM-2 Wildcat x 2 - y# X; m, U9 J% ~
TBM Avenger x 5 4 ^* j1 t5 ^/ {5 f4 s
) k" ?1 l9 s9 Y& _( e3 Q% z4 U9 T
Allied aircraft losses ) N0 n( {. r' G
TBM Avenger: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged - d2 e) z2 B- [: q) `$ }6 C
4 J5 `: G4 K, ^6 O0 u5 ~0 m. zJapanese Ships 3 [, S1 V6 L# ~' _; W- b& M
CVL Ryuho, on fire, heavy damage
" r& d# y% i7 c. s; q# vCV Shokaku, on fire . n( ^" V5 [* U" _" Y8 n4 X
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6 W% f$ Q/ P0 |Day Air attack on TF at 69,54
; X) [! k' \9 a/ F
2 e$ A: q% l0 F- fAllied aircraft 4 K! q& V! \* E: w
F6F Hellcat x 3
2 L: B$ a3 X" `( c7 tF4U-1 Corsair x 6 " m/ ^) Q% r# w+ J
SB2C Helldiver x 11
$ q6 ~& R( u# T- I+ `9 {' yTBM Avenger x 17
% Q; i* R# E( s$ P
8 G2 @" M9 p, ]Allied aircraft losses . @3 @9 F: {* K z: ], I h
SB2C Helldiver: 3 damaged
0 F9 ^5 J8 \) y1 E; u' ^$ D A# O# MTBM Avenger: 2 destroyed, 12 damaged
* n( F/ N7 F i" g* o, o1 ?: h" t, z* c, ^$ T/ b! }
Japanese Ships
( v k1 t6 r6 q8 d/ {! SCVL Chiyoda, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage , ~% F' c! s7 j. T) U! o% J0 |
CV Zuikaku, on fire, heavy damage 0 o5 _. f5 L! J2 k, L/ }- a0 m
CV Shokaku, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
0 P% R* A& S, Z3 O* mCV Taiho, on fire 0 t+ j: a% c$ N
CVL Ibuki, on fire, heavy damage |