South Pac
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$ d/ \% R. d" k8 c9 w4 z% e& l `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. 5 ?6 E6 [ r0 }" g7 K' u
* G# G) E0 H' _8 U; F0 h1 }3 EMy planes attacked first. * ?5 L5 r/ m0 ^0 ^4 {$ D+ }$ e
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!
8 g# Q) A& ~- ~ NAnother 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck.
) O2 f' R' F% |. m& X+ }1 CAh, by the way...No Zero shot down... 2 o% x, \5 h* u- D1 L0 u1 O0 o+ F
- n: { J1 `6 i6 j; j* m! ]; KThe 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.
, Q1 N3 i! W+ L5 t! Q% V# a23 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.
4 G- Z3 K5 J. ], yCV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. 9 C9 d5 m `; Z6 s4 P: \0 D$ F% f
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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. , D' L7 z6 _ s: H* h1 Y
CV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. - ]' I: f+ g7 s9 h
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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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( k: ^3 ^+ ]2 N/ E/ C' KIt’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star. $ B+ b p- R% d6 C
- [& c' q" K5 NThen 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. ( V4 \8 U X5 c7 C
4 w$ d9 Q' ?! n& H; eThe 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. 3 @, g7 _! D; ^2 s3 n. P
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. 0 D3 }# Q: \# V
I lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. : h1 U+ a0 B D; s9 r' S w7 Q1 H3 @
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20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them. % }0 ~% b5 o; x9 _
3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps. , Q- V% n6 @ M, N N
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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. / i S$ C2 K8 w+ r
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All this happened in the morning!!
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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. / d* |2 L9 y, i# m+ l; [/ Y
9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost. & {8 m0 k5 |: T+ B6 C ^3 A
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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. 3 K! [: M. {$ s, U; }3 H0 Q- l
/ F, N# Z" z }/ o3 A" ]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.
& s% ^9 o5 z! J5 R( |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. n1 n: p6 j& B, i% F
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Before 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. ; f9 p1 d- D- e/ L
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During this terrible day, this are the air losses. 1 `( y/ Z# H# {) [& c( \; u. }9 r/ @
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89 Kate ' @. Z& R( e4 B
60 Val : `. I+ g: O" D5 k
39 Zero / l3 Q+ ]! l' D& j
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188 a/c
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+ n" a8 c5 W# r5 `126 SBD
* ^5 K8 u4 h9 x% F- I2 h" i4 J61 TBD 7 h& o1 E! E! `' g* V# P/ J
19 Albacore ( M1 M' s- P3 B$ e( m! Q" a% @% Y
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21 Fulmar
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9 e; E8 P( j7 S6 p6 _% n24 F4F-4
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The damages for my ships are the following:
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d0 f" D7 @. L0 W- s. xCV Formidable 50/69/38
% `6 a A* n MCV Indomitable 35/34/42 8 p% P/ i- d% r2 X9 _
BB Prince of Wales 35/6/14 6 H4 m0 i a0 j
BC Repulse 25/14/10
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- o/ ? h. m; ?# z( v1 JCV Hornet 58/89/49
) V. M; R A4 b' c- M' t' `DD Lamson 64/19/25 ; b! y) V3 H. Q3 ^# f2 Y( A
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! S: M5 T9 _. v3 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。+ [ Q( e" X) c
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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