The last fight of the KB!
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. X1 D, U# G2 M0 rWith several enemy carrier formations moving in from Marcus Island the KB is trapped.
' b' m) q# w2 d; Q1 D$ m/ aI 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.
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4 e# d# L/ X7 d8 V- F% u% _In 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. # u. c* M- J4 w4 c# ?
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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.
- L/ |. P, S3 {0 eAll other ships but a cvl are scuttled. " m* P7 b! S" B( t9 f S
/ V+ ~6 ?( d( \$ g
Day Air attack on TF at 69,54
7 S% y' W/ S- m. p
8 Y% a/ d1 _* o2 @8 G6 ~7 eJapanese aircraft 8 W4 R6 }8 t9 y4 x% G
A6M2-N Rufe x 8
7 ^; R1 b! j* c" {; qA6M5 Zeke x 85
, T& {% T4 v) `: C+ ~
8 l% v$ c6 T% e& W! D& {* N$ kAllied aircraft 2 `" ~7 F9 n+ p
FM-2 Wildcat x 24 4 P8 K7 _. Y2 d" k" Q9 ? P4 z/ F/ e
F6F Hellcat x 120
1 b/ a1 [3 M- Q [, Q# [0 eF4U-1 Corsair x 5
3 N% I N3 w; x; k8 |F4U-1D Corsair x 16 0 z' k; u. c/ E$ f1 ?( E5 I
Corsair IV x 5
$ M0 x- C" `0 LSB2C Helldiver x 84
1 x5 Y' f1 z7 l: h$ x' t ^' F- OTBM Avenger x 48
5 S+ j% L @4 T. X6 `. ?6 p A' ?& K" s0 v/ | L, Y
Japanese aircraft losses 9 k0 y, O9 P& q3 { t
A6M2-N Rufe: 8 destroyed : [/ b% u$ [6 \4 Q
A6M5 Zeke: 84 destroyed 2 A6 n3 ^4 a& r q& m' }
: v) m2 {8 S5 ~) m; j1 ]: x- A$ t# |Allied aircraft losses 5 \; ~6 l4 }- E% ^ z' J' ~
FM-2 Wildcat: 4 destroyed, 2 damaged
) K2 f) e# s" B$ w, q' R* WF6F Hellcat: 20 destroyed, 7 damaged
/ ~5 k) y" F) h9 @9 t3 M5 OF4U-1 Corsair: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged ' H! D9 t" `1 V, a2 H
F4U-1D Corsair: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged - N/ Z' s% F% n; X
SB2C Helldiver: 4 destroyed, 23 damaged 3 u+ C6 `7 _) f! m& I$ N
TBM Avenger: 1 destroyed, 28 damaged 2 h2 b) W5 E1 d! X2 n* {! q. s5 q
& ]1 P* C6 D- M' `3 x: T9 S
Japanese Ships 0 h' n% I; ~4 J! O) t
CV Shokaku, Bomb hits 2, on fire
" z* |6 O* x6 [& t, T5 p4 vCV Katsuragi, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage " H! \" }9 V6 {& r' S8 l1 B
CVL Ryuho, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
5 v8 h! x- z/ T2 Z3 Z; y5 `CVL Chiyoda, Bomb hits 9, on fire, heavy damage
; r/ D' a: }9 A, y8 L$ l/ \CV Zuikaku, Bomb hits 12, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage ) b! D9 {, n* L; I! g2 c* i/ S) m
CV Taiho, Torpedo hits 1 4 x3 X9 V# l, X2 Q
CVL Ibuki, Bomb hits 7, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage : ~2 C; X6 f& M0 f5 U" f
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 B$ X/ y) s6 {# j$ @1 H8 [Day Air attack on TF at 69,54 ' _6 H. h9 v X+ s+ ]% F9 c
/ X+ x- i% v$ b. S. RAllied aircraft
% V7 y) O, U: ?% jFM-2 Wildcat x 9 * h$ [4 {; J' S
TBM Avenger x 12
$ j0 F) ~; _/ p& ?7 i( D
, X" ~1 M7 C: z' s+ L: v# ZAllied aircraft losses * |) u* d' y- x$ @
TBM Avenger: 1 destroyed, 9 damaged % C9 Z' n) {& F$ V" m" o4 n% W: b8 z
" p+ J- [: ?) X! J9 M& nJapanese Ships 2 k7 _; i" w, e' y" w
CV Zuikaku, on fire, heavy damage ' g# w1 ?( J3 j. @: f7 J/ }
CV Taiho, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
0 M* M; s: b" d6 i--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
, d% C8 x* ^% o. J! p8 yDay Air attack on TF at 69,54 4 w1 N6 [% H6 g" s U
$ }8 Q' g& J& mAllied aircraft
! X% l( w; v, R/ {( J% }9 G3 N8 @FM-2 Wildcat x 6 ! a% h' r* K1 C/ I, k
TBM Avenger x 12 " X" @4 d/ z$ R7 ?& v! I
# t! u% }: h9 K+ O& N0 D; s
Allied aircraft losses
" c2 ]" E: t/ QTBM Avenger: 1 destroyed, 10 damaged 4 C9 s& w4 w+ d2 {+ T# O' T6 n
+ B6 c$ C2 d- @+ Z
Japanese Ships ) I" F1 c; }5 m1 D2 B) F' `6 o0 m
CVL Chiyoda, on fire, heavy damage 7 [! Y/ f* i/ s9 ]6 w! g
CV Taiho, on fire
5 o; i- a- v5 v' XCV Shokaku, on fire
1 U4 i: D y- T, yCVL Ryuho, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
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$ b6 n! Y. S) t4 H7 ODay Air attack on TF at 69,54
" e8 w+ G8 Z; |3 j. J
5 N1 |5 { W [7 y! j- {Allied aircraft
1 t/ z% C9 _8 b+ ^0 [% ?3 OFM-2 Wildcat x 2
7 u, s1 _0 J) _: @* FTBM Avenger x 5 9 g7 D; N$ R2 f: G; p
7 U/ u* V5 w* `& fAllied aircraft losses
4 |4 F9 y! ?% p- E: A# U# OTBM Avenger: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged , w8 p% @" g; G; K; {: q2 y
% F1 M) j/ P" F, o' m1 Y. }, N
Japanese Ships
7 h! U" V0 g0 D6 lCVL Ryuho, on fire, heavy damage 7 [ m3 x$ k5 c$ i" ^+ [7 \: h
CV Shokaku, on fire
9 {5 ]. j' Q+ C: A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 P. j; d6 r- j7 k6 ~0 E6 qDay Air attack on TF at 69,54
`* Y4 v e6 Y" k: v0 Q+ y7 T' i0 ?6 |2 C/ ~. q8 e
Allied aircraft 5 m2 e6 l% D1 D2 x) M$ {
F6F Hellcat x 3
+ t, j0 k( v7 d) H9 S5 \F4U-1 Corsair x 6 8 ^8 f' N* a0 x5 f9 Y
SB2C Helldiver x 11 : c4 @& Y+ s9 C! u7 ~4 p2 T
TBM Avenger x 17 % s. e5 O% f. o: k) u6 n# v" X
9 z4 a! f- m$ O' V, F+ a
Allied aircraft losses ( c' m) O' ?. H V& V3 y8 E
SB2C Helldiver: 3 damaged
$ H: L# ^. X9 K/ X' R% zTBM Avenger: 2 destroyed, 12 damaged / `6 [: @! X; C( a7 W
2 x5 E0 J& C9 X HJapanese Ships
+ b2 r- E5 _5 E5 h1 b P: f7 bCVL Chiyoda, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage , }; T" Y1 w& m# _3 f' A! C' c5 D
CV Zuikaku, on fire, heavy damage + T8 X( ]1 f, `6 h
CV Shokaku, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
O- P4 I/ r, wCV Taiho, on fire
5 U! _; u. m6 E$ k' y& x3 r QCVL Ibuki, on fire, heavy damage |