South Pac
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3 ]/ Q3 J7 C2 i" r/ b' iEarly 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. # q& U" c8 `# W# q: ]" @) ]! N
: M) T8 g: `3 AMy planes attacked first.
0 J4 s5 r9 G: m% ]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! # m# q; k5 A! y' K* g) ~+ N
Another 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. 6 W! p3 c- s% s/ b8 B. X6 z2 ^- i
Ah, by the way...No Zero shot down... / I6 T4 t5 K$ }' y5 v
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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. ( a- P( k. p+ L) f3 Z' P4 o' `$ a8 z- n
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.
/ ]5 ^* p7 q, m$ H) A% NCV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. ' W: G9 U+ ~3 E% u1 G
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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. : H8 \1 t( _ ~
CV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each.
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0 @( U6 y3 O9 O/ s+ m. R8 v3 T+ mThere 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. g3 j* e: t7 K5 s& t1 `
; L/ L+ ` Z T5 F6 V% b. ^It’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star. 5 E* o2 ^& F+ ^; |' O" [. _
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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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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. 5 f) I$ ~+ m3 t- Q3 U- V1 r: M
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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. 7 Y5 ~5 B% a5 o. o+ W5 D$ k
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. . C; X. V7 ~1 ?# i/ q
I lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. 8 s; X! @/ ]( B! F& k
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20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them.
2 h0 h8 X$ \+ ^" N8 y+ ?$ @$ i" N3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps.
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v& K: p5 y) A% W! l: XFifth 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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: j4 h2 \# y. t( D* L6 |All this happened in the morning!!
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% i, i$ J I5 t3 K, \! tIn 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. * R1 }8 M* H6 ?4 I
9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost. ( F8 Y3 u1 T( R
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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. * ~" j, ^" g" Q& y5 `0 z
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. & W2 a1 G1 l, T7 j2 j! I8 G
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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. 2 ?- j4 U U! q
- m/ V: s4 A& e3 @6 T* F3 LDuring this terrible day, this are the air losses. 4 U J4 z! S1 n# w
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89 Kate % p2 x& l" S7 R" x" U# P. }4 Q
60 Val
5 Y: O' C, q$ ]3 \. z39 Zero
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188 a/c
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126 SBD ! ~. Q& q3 R' |* g! p; i' c @) S
61 TBD
4 B3 w% a% R) ]" u( S19 Albacore * s+ ?; R9 N7 N
5 Sea Hurricane
# r4 T7 e7 Y: e21 Fulmar $ u& ~$ [# J$ h& U. Q# l
14 F2A
7 n) e2 K! N0 g' ` A: {& `19 F4F-3 8 x+ @# O( o2 c: v0 a W2 M' |/ i
24 F4F-4
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5 L u+ L% } @% HThe damages for my ships are the following: 2 ]7 o4 L" T; Q& F# \) {
6 Y; S r! Y# ~, bCV Formidable 50/69/38
! t& P8 f' w8 @CV Indomitable 35/34/42
( @9 \' t. N7 U+ X. JBB Prince of Wales 35/6/14
1 V. e! ~! B H3 u: q) ^0 `7 ^BC Repulse 25/14/10 8 \8 Y" K: |7 H& P) u! B4 o
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CV Hornet 58/89/49
6 F% w. [6 E3 f( E& V; O' J% j, pDD Lamson 64/19/25 7 }" |+ r! C3 c6 g" [5 R/ D( S
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2 N6 k6 S- l% \8 N7 [$ N3 u, e( r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。1 y8 I* W r3 W. I
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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