The last fight of the KB!
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With several enemy carrier formations moving in from Marcus Island the KB is trapped.
" J: }# {' \. R9 K' r( d* TI 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. & x. y' y! u- h0 k6 r0 K
6 z9 e6 u3 \" F1 o# b. e9 QIn 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.
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The 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.
) u9 T5 x; r$ V, c/ oAll other ships but a cvl are scuttled. ! J5 f$ G; I. m% B0 S6 c
1 }4 ~2 B4 Z$ `
Day Air attack on TF at 69,54
% c m) g! Y, F M/ h3 ?5 ]5 o' D0 A$ A: t
Japanese aircraft
8 I7 Z+ S \+ {7 p2 b6 a/ H5 E+ ZA6M2-N Rufe x 8 * I' D# A) g! v1 V4 `
A6M5 Zeke x 85 7 V$ K5 J" @+ G+ M/ p" e
' m& D* |( W7 U0 }4 O# l
Allied aircraft
/ I8 @# n8 ?8 @FM-2 Wildcat x 24 : h9 n$ x* G u2 z
F6F Hellcat x 120
1 ]3 t; {6 S% d6 L' a/ i5 V" iF4U-1 Corsair x 5
+ S( G% o! K% g2 Z) R% A! \7 pF4U-1D Corsair x 16 1 t1 \( ^9 o- W6 R0 |! x$ u
Corsair IV x 5
5 {7 r4 T+ X4 e1 `& ~4 KSB2C Helldiver x 84 ! U' `3 E6 ~4 b* z4 H
TBM Avenger x 48
3 s ~2 B1 M* ~9 p. B5 j# r. V4 B. S
Japanese aircraft losses
) i* T$ e) ^0 E& \4 kA6M2-N Rufe: 8 destroyed , F( v6 n8 W+ b, o
A6M5 Zeke: 84 destroyed 1 |$ Z9 X6 O% L7 [2 }
, X, u) {$ k: o; b2 EAllied aircraft losses ( C$ P; q1 c ~) [' |& z, j
FM-2 Wildcat: 4 destroyed, 2 damaged + C% v' G. g% }7 f/ @/ [
F6F Hellcat: 20 destroyed, 7 damaged
$ {( j8 j4 J; m0 [) [F4U-1 Corsair: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged * W9 G- o% X) H/ [; U* @
F4U-1D Corsair: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
. v& y0 v0 W# \" T* SSB2C Helldiver: 4 destroyed, 23 damaged 9 N9 b6 \# d" ~# H, Z J/ B
TBM Avenger: 1 destroyed, 28 damaged 7 `& K; W9 S: ?) ]9 L
9 D2 M9 u: w7 z! M2 g* ^Japanese Ships
0 r5 U2 j5 C# S& v% m, X8 U& @; {CV Shokaku, Bomb hits 2, on fire
4 N8 D0 K8 g5 f) T7 @CV Katsuragi, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage 9 ^, G, V4 s( T* x/ Y
CVL Ryuho, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
! ^2 o& v1 y! c7 N: ~CVL Chiyoda, Bomb hits 9, on fire, heavy damage
: h% ~2 A0 ~: |+ n. WCV Zuikaku, Bomb hits 12, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage . `. v. k! b( a i
CV Taiho, Torpedo hits 1 0 a# k: J6 r& x# o$ K! s2 s
CVL Ibuki, Bomb hits 7, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage 2 H* T2 p/ p! z) @- }: h
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/ m/ [+ K/ O" G8 V1 |- dDay Air attack on TF at 69,54
2 v7 |7 ~* ]- n. `- i- @
" q$ c1 V& @( H: B+ N( `0 Y& d7 NAllied aircraft ; y* l6 [* A9 b; J) Q, A( p( q
FM-2 Wildcat x 9 ' k+ b! L! I1 O$ x. X
TBM Avenger x 12 : p; g% l7 ?8 \# w4 q; [4 v) }
) A0 m. _. m, a$ V( u- ^/ \
Allied aircraft losses
0 O" i$ X# ^; |$ [TBM Avenger: 1 destroyed, 9 damaged - {1 H/ o+ s$ A) S; r, U, W7 A3 z" M
6 X! m9 _- K9 z" {( ZJapanese Ships . m$ D* @3 B3 N0 K( |
CV Zuikaku, on fire, heavy damage
+ f- r& i( b* `CV Taiho, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
0 v6 ^8 n: i( {+ c; F/ k* h-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0 Z8 R7 Z4 M6 F" I+ o+ s1 U
Day Air attack on TF at 69,54
1 e, T9 o: P% {3 V# p, w# d7 d. O% j! [1 W- a3 f; t4 I( g- L
Allied aircraft 4 u$ u+ ^5 }) e% z3 b1 D
FM-2 Wildcat x 6
0 W+ W, a6 C- W3 {# OTBM Avenger x 12 ' X: U5 X, V# }3 k5 H0 Y
1 b, r" U' H6 X+ ^/ @
Allied aircraft losses
9 w6 c& l7 i E: {# lTBM Avenger: 1 destroyed, 10 damaged ?# R+ n1 [; M9 t
! {1 C+ b# [3 z/ t$ a* S5 Z
Japanese Ships ; I/ H2 X J! d% Z! t E' m- C
CVL Chiyoda, on fire, heavy damage
3 d9 C, V5 t5 X! @0 KCV Taiho, on fire
! |/ a" b( J9 e0 J3 ?& PCV Shokaku, on fire
& s# Z. M: o( M1 W' w- VCVL Ryuho, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage $ z; y# F% N5 U, ~
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
. {# D$ V8 }8 {Day Air attack on TF at 69,54
! H; z6 Q( i `9 z+ ~& l: t' N+ W/ |; B& G& s/ f% e6 C/ `* P8 j
Allied aircraft
, W, v" z1 f, BFM-2 Wildcat x 2
6 }2 Y! [9 \7 @TBM Avenger x 5
3 P' J9 A0 x* T7 Q4 Y3 n
4 K# _/ e' B" O# }/ {6 X& ]& sAllied aircraft losses
9 Z) o# F- U2 Y. O( STBM Avenger: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged
6 H% v+ L: R6 k8 O& U
$ H$ u3 l q5 V8 _$ eJapanese Ships 2 U, d2 q# {4 A( q# K; T8 c
CVL Ryuho, on fire, heavy damage 1 W0 A T |) N
CV Shokaku, on fire
, m3 b! c! X4 e. r3 z-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - m( Z8 t4 f1 l
Day Air attack on TF at 69,54
: b/ c) E$ y2 @) _1 g6 H+ u) Y. h3 m) [ X/ l
Allied aircraft / O+ }, x+ g0 ?4 ^# |2 [
F6F Hellcat x 3 2 g% R: q! c$ a$ j( `$ n
F4U-1 Corsair x 6 " F5 ]; D" B1 R
SB2C Helldiver x 11
- H8 h8 L1 l4 y9 U8 ATBM Avenger x 17
% h! `8 ?1 A) w% v; z" h! M7 {
7 o" A& ?4 ]- I- u$ M% n3 jAllied aircraft losses ( l5 i; W5 l" @ Z, {$ U
SB2C Helldiver: 3 damaged
- O5 a2 T4 ]+ Z. xTBM Avenger: 2 destroyed, 12 damaged
! b& d' y( H* U6 g& }' y+ v& z9 y1 n s/ L6 b9 S! j
Japanese Ships 9 I0 Y H* F/ n" ?, b5 |* Y8 R
CVL Chiyoda, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
$ n9 i3 }" [7 f* _CV Zuikaku, on fire, heavy damage 4 S( i0 i# n$ I! X) _7 |
CV Shokaku, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
) u0 w' O6 ]6 f* W9 CCV Taiho, on fire
6 l: f! ?: F6 q8 `& WCVL Ibuki, on fire, heavy damage |