The last fight of the KB! . }4 }" }7 P% B- n% w4 t
; N7 {7 Y* j4 q# o& N. L6 I; ]With several enemy carrier formations moving in from Marcus Island the KB is trapped.
. j( H+ O' J* v; mI gambled on that Andy would be moving after the KB – not staying in the exact same area we attacked yesterday. Unfortunately our last strike was another grossly uncoordinated strikes with all escorts and 8 bombers in one raid and the bombers in another. 2 Z" A% C [/ i) i3 `
~$ ?, b$ @# uIn a way I’m glad I don’t have to worry about the KB anymore, it’s good to have as a fleet in being from 1944-45 – but the results are usually very disappointing. - i9 Q: r0 \8 K1 r$ D- \8 N6 j
7 z0 {9 V. `8 C0 hThe Taiho is only moderately damaged and can manage 20 knots.She will retire with the 2 seaplane tenders. One of the Shokaku’s can still make 9 knots, but I doubt she’ll make it. % ^; r& l9 S, h' {' h4 M/ Q; }$ ]( K
All other ships but a cvl are scuttled. 5 @; d7 }1 m5 M* ?
! \7 c% m$ R, [, J+ l0 q
Day Air attack on TF at 69,54
6 @1 h# O4 F( }" l4 f' z: `- ^% ?& i, p& P; J8 g4 ?
Japanese aircraft
, B* G- |7 P( S+ U/ S- xA6M2-N Rufe x 8 0 L. a, Y) ~9 } V; z
A6M5 Zeke x 85
$ a2 r- o" I* ]2 }2 K9 m ~! ~% a) |) Y
Allied aircraft . w8 I, m. z+ T b1 d. z3 w
FM-2 Wildcat x 24 + `9 p8 O! Q$ p
F6F Hellcat x 120
5 Z( D, g- t) ] m1 V8 F. n4 cF4U-1 Corsair x 5 - a+ b3 v( M8 Z) Z: L4 K
F4U-1D Corsair x 16
$ x* [! T& J' `+ X; u0 R( y( mCorsair IV x 5 8 L' y2 Q/ p: S$ G- y" b
SB2C Helldiver x 84
4 `( ?, K# H0 r* q2 RTBM Avenger x 48
5 m5 v) x: T) ^- c4 y: x1 R; c$ I t
' J( @0 S5 n; i" cJapanese aircraft losses
' q# z, j1 ^& F3 @$ w1 Y$ |: bA6M2-N Rufe: 8 destroyed . a7 f; z$ D8 j! P Q W+ K/ v9 E
A6M5 Zeke: 84 destroyed 4 s8 s( n; k- Z" G7 b* m% i
! Q1 u( _ o! }( [: _+ o
Allied aircraft losses ! C3 G+ U# F/ C2 d3 l C
FM-2 Wildcat: 4 destroyed, 2 damaged / Z' `: R' f( S ~/ D4 y
F6F Hellcat: 20 destroyed, 7 damaged ( @7 [' j. ? J0 }- c; H
F4U-1 Corsair: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged & @/ ~/ y% z, i* J7 m
F4U-1D Corsair: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
7 Z, v* k, R6 E" v/ G! PSB2C Helldiver: 4 destroyed, 23 damaged $ N) t/ l/ c' j" a& |0 `
TBM Avenger: 1 destroyed, 28 damaged 9 ?- R- s# ~8 ]0 H* _
" k; {# q, b% |8 P& N7 N
Japanese Ships
% n; E0 ^5 L3 l" p( f% ^CV Shokaku, Bomb hits 2, on fire
' r0 f6 G" P) P; |CV Katsuragi, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage 6 W2 C2 M& h9 Z' _1 z, @
CVL Ryuho, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
4 Z6 F, F- X% ~0 P; X, z/ x$ lCVL Chiyoda, Bomb hits 9, on fire, heavy damage 5 H# h& i! S1 o! J& h& i
CV Zuikaku, Bomb hits 12, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage ! l- R V9 [7 |$ ?/ A* T% u$ ]
CV Taiho, Torpedo hits 1
: H0 B* k: H- D9 Q6 g: N6 BCVL Ibuki, Bomb hits 7, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage - o7 U$ s3 e f
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
) m* L0 k* s2 i E3 SDay Air attack on TF at 69,54
: v$ C5 |+ Z9 K [, X: @! S s
6 v' {6 t K9 H& x" v2 Z) h! QAllied aircraft
J, A: u3 z+ M% c7 m7 h5 F$ ?- CFM-2 Wildcat x 9 0 h/ n& l6 r( Z& |( S4 w8 q2 z+ b0 n
TBM Avenger x 12 8 S; r/ E& z7 s l. x" M: u- A# {) r
% h0 r2 k2 P1 `Allied aircraft losses 6 e, E( c; ~' u `1 V3 q1 o
TBM Avenger: 1 destroyed, 9 damaged
& C. f, s" |" V9 U* T
4 e( a, e H, JJapanese Ships 5 B( ]5 P1 M5 |2 H- ~
CV Zuikaku, on fire, heavy damage
) _: [7 v: {9 T- t9 X$ gCV Taiho, Torpedo hits 1, on fire * }; [% @$ n- X# m. A+ z$ b
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- & ~9 }- B+ k5 Q$ O! ^) T. ?* E
Day Air attack on TF at 69,54
8 ^# i1 m: L6 v" ?- f
4 g v3 r) r- s" ~! T' n! ?% jAllied aircraft 6 b9 p9 G7 q, u7 E/ {
FM-2 Wildcat x 6 7 w7 }: A) f9 K* P. R, ~. C% O
TBM Avenger x 12
" i6 [9 t5 x* p1 b
, @" @$ k1 T) I% P" ^# EAllied aircraft losses
% `8 S$ Z3 i6 Q, LTBM Avenger: 1 destroyed, 10 damaged ! W( S1 L6 [1 P8 Y( i2 {# d" b
, G+ H) g* N( G+ V+ w9 ]4 B0 r9 {Japanese Ships . c& J9 @( [6 p- T1 {7 _0 q+ x
CVL Chiyoda, on fire, heavy damage
/ ~" `/ a0 I, K/ [CV Taiho, on fire 7 h: k( P/ i7 j5 U# W
CV Shokaku, on fire
$ g: u8 Q7 k L' x8 z- G/ {+ N9 ~CVL Ryuho, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
; ^/ q% k2 c8 A, \, w* d-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ( X& W1 M! j4 m L/ m* f9 Z% M$ W
Day Air attack on TF at 69,54
0 p8 V0 z& R& z/ \& L! O$ F5 l- D, ]+ M$ z% O
Allied aircraft
$ F8 {' [/ u3 I* ~% g* e( `( Q( E2 SFM-2 Wildcat x 2
3 [* c) E! ?) R. |5 KTBM Avenger x 5
! n. N: `$ N- L0 H. B6 H5 l, H7 V
Allied aircraft losses * H! `1 z3 p" v6 f
TBM Avenger: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged
z6 q* K9 _& ?( k! k* J" U5 I N# t1 m y0 |* |( t" x& S
Japanese Ships 7 a0 N1 H) B- f: j0 ]5 u+ f" b
CVL Ryuho, on fire, heavy damage
# p X* F7 r5 _& ^CV Shokaku, on fire # f1 O1 |; O) L, _" U8 m, t- f m) u
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - E. J: J5 f; i0 D" D
Day Air attack on TF at 69,54
& L. j) ]0 N1 v8 S5 [* D! k2 v! M: C+ p3 D
Allied aircraft e) j4 Y- ]) @7 O# g! `9 s) W
F6F Hellcat x 3 & U" e* f" I* c; B& @8 B3 Z( M
F4U-1 Corsair x 6
?( I8 \) N& e8 j7 V S7 hSB2C Helldiver x 11
& x' v% r" O! A( M$ z OTBM Avenger x 17
8 V6 C: R F5 W8 u/ @* r1 l: D* Z, z. _, @3 |# r% ]3 c$ Z
Allied aircraft losses 4 v* e( |) ^7 }4 P! H
SB2C Helldiver: 3 damaged
8 ?/ i: ^4 ]" [9 W9 B' t0 tTBM Avenger: 2 destroyed, 12 damaged
! u+ ^/ x4 i' v" Z# B7 g
: x/ V% N- [ L" D) oJapanese Ships 1 W9 l1 Z6 m$ o. v% _/ {
CVL Chiyoda, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
' S1 X0 {4 N0 n& y' E& dCV Zuikaku, on fire, heavy damage " J5 b% G' m% Q' ]7 N6 d# }1 }
CV Shokaku, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
/ x; Q2 s$ l0 c8 V9 c8 bCV Taiho, on fire
# y) }+ Q" g, c, @" aCVL Ibuki, on fire, heavy damage |