South Pac 3 b: z4 F5 y: s% ~' [
1 e. L7 G/ Q3 w+ @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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2 V0 ?$ K3 f1 ^% }1 uMy planes attacked first.
/ ^# c" n d8 ~! x; k1 q( D4 l% aFirst 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! ! z6 }1 k, f- G% q' M" i/ h
Another 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck.
% Z9 T( ^, t5 L- e( aAh, 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. 1 ^, G$ A. g9 ~: ~" c9 S
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. " ^% N5 R4 b8 l6 R
CV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. 1 }5 K& z" M7 Q" ]5 w8 [
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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. 2 G: p: u" Z8 n" M) {
CV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. # W8 Q3 E# T/ I" k9 H% t) {1 D
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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. ( v5 j, W' B5 D5 O9 C* H
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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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Then 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.
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* m- u" ]0 t6 B/ w/ M2 j# {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.
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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. / {' Z1 i+ S% y
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. ' B- S: J+ n* l! [/ c; r
I lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. 3 M8 O/ j: J9 |* r
. A& x0 k+ G- R# x0 P0 z5 R20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them.
" K2 _( ^0 p! ^9 r4 V3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps.
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. i& S( \- h# g) P5 lFifth 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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All this happened in the morning!!
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; c/ l5 j) J" q q5 L0 fIn 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.
( f1 F2 R# k/ x/ \7 Q0 I9 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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; ]0 i/ b0 W8 y7 P+ z2 j! t+ O, MThen, 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. 5 c! I5 }8 j7 q* S e- F( S
CV 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.
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- M" p3 }; R3 g, xBefore 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. 4 E7 G! j9 }2 B5 d9 j
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During this terrible day, this are the air losses. 1 N' p6 N) C3 }; H9 l/ F
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89 Kate
U( S; X# L2 x, v60 Val
4 N2 y* m0 w( d& k$ n% o39 Zero 8 D1 i8 \* J$ d7 P
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188 a/c * D1 G j7 R7 R5 A7 D& V
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126 SBD
: H5 `, C- V V) n; u; v( E61 TBD ( f# e7 r* H( k c" [7 w) E
19 Albacore - I& M2 A# H7 ~1 \7 K' [
5 Sea Hurricane
9 J- m( z, j$ q9 a* J2 m21 Fulmar
1 Q! w/ x" {$ z' F u+ _. t14 F2A
' H7 m3 K9 B; y3 Y7 ^" W19 F4F-3
! w0 e( V& d. E& \3 {! N8 O! N; `24 F4F-4
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$ a/ L) |1 Q; AThe damages for my ships are the following: ( M! g& P" w3 T2 b% Z: A
8 T, x( R7 J5 H( qCV Formidable 50/69/38
/ E" @3 I+ k6 L/ H0 B1 s* aCV Indomitable 35/34/42
+ V, U7 I8 C3 J+ wBB Prince of Wales 35/6/14
" n0 C- U, F* |BC Repulse 25/14/10 : i' |+ S5 r. m& {
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CV Hornet 58/89/49 2 S t2 Q6 K3 e( Q, t; G
DD Lamson 64/19/25
4 V7 v9 H) k, q e$ K. Z9 N4 q3 X% j－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－
# o5 U0 J a' N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 [0 k8 a4 u+ p) p
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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