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. , }+ t, Y: |& }
$ X/ N# }$ e, x/ j; e" r5 f# dMy planes attacked first.
0 [& J' ]: j) ?/ b' h4 @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! ' v! x# H6 e a+ j3 P
Another 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. $ ~! k* @4 u: S2 l3 R. k% ~: p$ H2 w
Ah, 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.
$ U! o% W3 w8 M23 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. * j2 Z+ l1 Z% l) K( Q9 ?; y1 w
CV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo.
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: A3 d! I! A4 a) K4 D$ WThe 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.
6 }5 Y- c8 t8 z3 D4 T. H* h( sCV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. ' D: _1 g: G4 a; W& E
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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. & z2 l9 f. ^6 W- }4 ~# e
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It’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star. 9 M M0 p+ x) r
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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. + ?6 ?( T0 l' r$ r
: r1 `$ x& ~7 ^9 G7 oThe 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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: Y, N5 `/ u- B" Y) x. t/ ~+ }- SThe third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP.
; \/ f7 D) `* c0 P2 e0 }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. ' o0 e- ?: E9 A0 f ?5 {% V! T
I lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates.
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9 I8 n0 g+ p6 A; V& I3 N% M20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them.
W" a e& y( H- y' d3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps.
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Fifth 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. # }+ X O l% s2 d
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All this happened in the morning!!
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" ?5 v$ t6 @' q( d5 }' rIn 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.
0 L7 k7 e7 i u9 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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Then, 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.
. B3 @8 V$ g& A. Q/ n8 _" UCV 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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' y ]% |% n: N) Q7 D+ tBefore 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. 3 S8 `. V! p% l/ B( _( }: ~; r
$ C; b5 s) y/ F7 \ U( X0 tDuring this terrible day, this are the air losses. * i1 V. r, D8 `& b W
6 ~: |' X) |% J3 P$ `4 z2 r0 w89 Kate / U- `* k1 Y( r6 Q* [2 s4 R) q5 F
60 Val |! p. y" B3 o# q" m
39 Zero
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5 T' d4 |, A1 `$ y188 a/c 4 E* g; g1 X; |- K; |) F) X2 B
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126 SBD
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+ V: R! W! \% ?$ L19 Albacore / l: V5 E/ ~2 y! E; U
5 Sea Hurricane
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7 f/ c: n1 W: k. JThe damages for my ships are the following:
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3 V$ t% X( C/ t& x7 tCV Formidable 50/69/38
% x: U' a$ L2 R t) D4 RCV Indomitable 35/34/42 ' _- r% s7 G$ d( z+ ~
BB Prince of Wales 35/6/14 4 G5 F2 h) G" v/ r- y2 X/ [+ r# Q
BC Repulse 25/14/10
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CV Hornet 58/89/49
6 q3 l4 C; i7 ?) b( ~* U0 WDD Lamson 64/19/25
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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。3 |% C8 ]) o7 `) u
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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