South Pac ) G0 z+ ?, z$ Y: q8 ~ E% B: K& H; Q
5 Y, f Q+ Q, K4 \& `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. - `3 m* Z" k* [" @/ c G
$ [' x7 a' \3 }& b0 _9 ~8 ?My planes attacked first. 6 T! e7 ^% L4 F! c0 s1 z
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!
0 c. X2 K4 ^/ c: ^% t: iAnother 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. 2 E* d" r6 a7 z
Ah, by the way...No Zero shot down...
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+ G% ]% t2 |! @; z6 S$ q, i4 XThe 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.
% ~: h& G( D0 Y4 ]" U+ p2 k, b23 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. 2 s: w c$ I4 {& w: |" n" c
CV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo.
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9 w/ ~8 ?$ X! G9 s* R$ }4 Z" S+ kThe 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. ( J$ H- w. m& M& I2 p5 T
CV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. 8 P z. U( R4 J+ z$ K2 a( F* w, `
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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.
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* H" _( C: P+ n6 ^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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' y# f* ]: A/ ]* |' pThe 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. - @* y% l! g6 B) N
0 L# Q8 Y$ D a/ Z5 AThe third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP.
( [* }/ L# e0 j3 i- w3 tCV 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. . X8 J# ?+ ~* }& y. `
I lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates.
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' r; j* G/ I: \. y0 ^20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them.
7 g0 i0 K* _" Z3 t3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps. 8 n$ L% d- {# {$ e' |8 j
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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. $ G( c+ E5 f0 b$ k: Q @
2 i: x3 K7 a( \& h7 B4 ?All this happened in the morning!!
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- I* f- v6 U, g0 b4 B4 Q, ^In 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.
+ i4 e/ f& O6 |/ s9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost. * R( t9 U' @3 `7 n& e* E0 N: c4 T: B
2 l M% ~9 f, t) ~6 Z" OThen, 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. 5 T9 L: q4 P# y% G
# z' } _. u" C! F& I44 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. . b- o5 T' @% X# k
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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+ ]+ G5 e, L4 w9 z7 bBefore 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.
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4 [( N: c7 |! V4 d% UDuring this terrible day, this are the air losses. # @, X$ C6 M0 x, a$ Y
, U5 {, ^0 i5 e" I; Y3 X1 x! ^89 Kate
) a1 \4 s/ e3 X7 s/ U. c F60 Val
. V% z' }9 b: N5 Z7 h+ i. [39 Zero ( q3 o1 j3 v4 D* p' K
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188 a/c 9 F( f( E i+ \ U# P
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126 SBD 2 H9 Z* C* D: Q7 q
61 TBD
" s4 L& B0 g; L9 r( ~+ h19 Albacore
, n+ X# I2 m. z4 E. ?5 Sea Hurricane 3 ~3 L9 @( [ S0 J2 ^
21 Fulmar j9 u4 q" K! q* G; w4 g& ~
14 F2A 8 z$ _, O' V. z! X, i3 Q V3 O
19 F4F-3 ( S$ c$ c( G' g7 ]' I
24 F4F-4
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4 a2 x& ]6 z7 a% u& T+ x8 R; RThe damages for my ships are the following:
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CV Formidable 50/69/38 # G: V! S' \$ U3 o0 K
CV Indomitable 35/34/42 % F8 [( H& G3 ] Y2 b
BB Prince of Wales 35/6/14
8 T) ~0 w6 w5 _$ z' mBC Repulse 25/14/10
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. C# L- m0 X! b/ ECV Hornet 58/89/49
4 O( j9 d# B6 y" D1 LDD Lamson 64/19/25 / q7 t P/ Z0 {( Z
－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－
$ X) |4 s! i+ X8 ]& l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。
" c, f; Z& |/ s; \6 Q+ g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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