The last fight of the KB! ; \. p" p2 b4 V! s; Y
+ C! ^6 R6 J& \& j0 t' ~With several enemy carrier formations moving in from Marcus Island the KB is trapped. * s- _8 a0 g6 H% o) P! ^! O
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.
" c; |5 a i0 {9 c8 C- g( m H2 ?8 b6 _! M
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. ! I& @* l" r% O% H) d8 ^* X
8 W& S |2 C0 m( P; p
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.
: a% G6 d# x" |2 I4 `7 B: uAll other ships but a cvl are scuttled.
x2 {# }7 a+ @9 N+ p0 ^
% ^, M; U/ I; y2 GDay Air attack on TF at 69,54
( T7 r, N, O+ `5 j$ p& f* |1 l& Q
* K( w2 p) e) B9 ~* kJapanese aircraft
1 F! [: p% x/ }4 K( L1 A' nA6M2-N Rufe x 8
9 X7 F6 L% h- G+ @A6M5 Zeke x 85
" x5 @" ~7 D _ W
: j! ~7 H# P4 |* sAllied aircraft
4 `4 L5 E2 ~8 _6 b7 b( KFM-2 Wildcat x 24 5 s- n6 K/ R- |4 K. W
F6F Hellcat x 120
4 z) R6 {$ z. k. |% ?1 HF4U-1 Corsair x 5
" t- g$ ?0 c# VF4U-1D Corsair x 16
4 Y( a. k) C I& L: r8 \: fCorsair IV x 5
1 k' v4 g: r5 C2 `1 ESB2C Helldiver x 84 : a0 s- X* [- N6 P
TBM Avenger x 48 . e' k* R1 h, F4 W. R* |
9 ?% w# _: O, `+ z
Japanese aircraft losses
( y- z6 m2 {* C j* f+ jA6M2-N Rufe: 8 destroyed " w B; a3 w N, r9 f
A6M5 Zeke: 84 destroyed 8 V* ^1 [4 h0 K! e
6 R' o, G% d+ W. a: q EAllied aircraft losses
* F6 Y# m- B" a( E2 r. d9 eFM-2 Wildcat: 4 destroyed, 2 damaged ( N. j3 L& u5 W' n) k+ {. Q
F6F Hellcat: 20 destroyed, 7 damaged
9 a9 W! y: ^2 X" |F4U-1 Corsair: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged $ H( [' v* C* n# A3 j
F4U-1D Corsair: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged - `0 E2 t$ i% S0 r# K( R4 }
SB2C Helldiver: 4 destroyed, 23 damaged 2 E! _& S& d$ l, @3 q F% T0 |
TBM Avenger: 1 destroyed, 28 damaged
- U" v \$ {5 j2 { o* u& y$ [) g/ k1 Z5 u) Q
Japanese Ships m" l; D! d& ~. K D
CV Shokaku, Bomb hits 2, on fire 3 w: o% C: J. h
CV Katsuragi, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage * s: j9 u6 w8 J# }9 i8 F
CVL Ryuho, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage 5 I& `. L3 B" X" \1 F" G, ?5 X0 ]7 Q
CVL Chiyoda, Bomb hits 9, on fire, heavy damage 5 E) R3 f# O9 R% o
CV Zuikaku, Bomb hits 12, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
6 G& m6 N& u# ~6 N9 VCV Taiho, Torpedo hits 1
) T; U1 d* }- lCVL Ibuki, Bomb hits 7, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
- k' v2 j- N8 h4 c--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
; E: k1 d4 o8 N" q! `" \Day Air attack on TF at 69,54 3 {" T" m& M8 y) T0 Z
t. b1 v6 q$ xAllied aircraft
8 \! t# @7 d6 B: J9 F$ Q* kFM-2 Wildcat x 9 & T( d) D4 |0 [7 }3 _
TBM Avenger x 12
3 X) x' }( m+ N) b5 i
- B3 F/ b. r! @# T t. H3 G4 }Allied aircraft losses 0 h' D( X2 A, B
TBM Avenger: 1 destroyed, 9 damaged + `% ~0 a1 w* ]( q2 ]7 S i
' _1 b6 _3 A* A! T0 m$ ZJapanese Ships
r$ U: W7 \- J( v3 ^CV Zuikaku, on fire, heavy damage
* S& j' _5 u! nCV Taiho, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
2 |3 H7 Z' Y* w( I2 J& }-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * v r& E5 F2 W, x9 {4 A
Day Air attack on TF at 69,54
7 L: _" F* a4 \* g- Y/ j$ \- D+ R' Q8 {, l
Allied aircraft
2 p# \6 j5 X' x7 r9 K2 UFM-2 Wildcat x 6 . l' {8 W/ N7 E5 m
TBM Avenger x 12
6 u& Y" W( A7 z& E. [& f2 g
2 X" k( V( h: Y9 J! qAllied aircraft losses
: S) L; \7 l# {; tTBM Avenger: 1 destroyed, 10 damaged
6 ^! P" O( B- v- i+ u- K4 t% G3 L1 k5 D/ c- G# Q+ W
Japanese Ships ; s" c1 _% U9 U5 g6 A( k
CVL Chiyoda, on fire, heavy damage
* I* V: _# T9 u3 _& `( cCV Taiho, on fire
2 N3 W( W8 f' o7 ~' @3 O1 l! ^( jCV Shokaku, on fire
( }' D- ^# R5 L. D# {' M8 H9 kCVL Ryuho, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
% t8 }+ Q, F( l" Z R8 X% r-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - x, N7 d- o5 D2 D' k& m
Day Air attack on TF at 69,54 # j7 T. m8 v4 x, L" a
! ?9 l; ~. g0 @, u/ ZAllied aircraft 7 f; K$ n& z9 ~# S( A# m% j, d
FM-2 Wildcat x 2
; b3 T$ r) u& o4 z3 k! G1 J* v# KTBM Avenger x 5
' y) o& X, s. x* Y
) O( k6 e6 D3 M; Q: {Allied aircraft losses 5 \- _. f* @$ Z- Y Z- E7 e
TBM Avenger: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged
) B) ?# W8 P0 F) a
6 O8 o. \9 V+ f. |& p( q( GJapanese Ships $ w: {. X) Z, s" T+ v
CVL Ryuho, on fire, heavy damage
7 v: P. F! V/ F4 hCV Shokaku, on fire
3 _% M2 C9 n/ q' [8 I: Y0 x- D-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ( }7 F8 J$ Z! g4 R& G' Q& k
Day Air attack on TF at 69,54
0 S2 l1 S; I* X. N7 L$ n) l' ~/ L/ ?3 q2 G* |; r
Allied aircraft 2 p$ C* B, r) \) D! s9 Q1 i
F6F Hellcat x 3 ( D1 y9 b+ g+ z
F4U-1 Corsair x 6 $ T" m$ @/ r3 h* m' c% ]7 ^; `9 O
SB2C Helldiver x 11
2 Q# b4 x* |! @9 L9 ?3 DTBM Avenger x 17
7 ~, h; m: P+ ?+ t
9 E1 l$ P6 |" z' H3 k1 `/ L! V$ {Allied aircraft losses
" v0 ?8 ]: b' I3 r- G$ k/ y' ASB2C Helldiver: 3 damaged # ^' v8 p9 I8 D E
TBM Avenger: 2 destroyed, 12 damaged
- q: M7 b k1 A p% ]" f& C- |0 T3 U4 _8 I* P6 s3 g" x; I! L! O
Japanese Ships
5 Y) m: o1 Z" l% h+ Y, M9 a3 |CVL Chiyoda, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
1 F5 M( u& C2 L- lCV Zuikaku, on fire, heavy damage + K% c( J! w1 [, [
CV Shokaku, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
9 E9 u& d+ Y5 y2 Z V+ x: VCV Taiho, on fire
" ^; \: j P* p; P+ ^: SCVL Ibuki, on fire, heavy damage |