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+ p& x% }+ Q, `; fEarly 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.
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- ]' O0 d- Z0 t; n3 F' V, u- BMy planes attacked first. - F/ V, l7 B y6 J7 x' p; ^3 i! b, i
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! 5 D, f- X% Z ^ Q% Y
Another 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck.
' x9 h5 j \' G6 J l, i6 v* x8 iAh, by the way...No Zero shot down...
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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. 7 J* }" v5 c: d" H! H
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.
9 v2 q6 z+ o& S' a7 }CV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo.
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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. : \; y+ w8 c/ k5 o! D
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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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. 2 f, ?* N# g4 m1 `) X2 v
+ B* n3 g7 m/ P0 g: A) l' cIt’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star.
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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. 2 c1 k* z/ `0 q- A Z7 p, w
1 `; B+ I4 \. L7 Q! u" TThe 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. ( ]. E" q1 U* o' K
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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. , u4 i4 _) H6 O {) n x# i& T
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. : ]& Q. Q! w6 C9 g
I lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates.
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& U# l8 I/ j2 A7 T/ F20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them. + f7 W @) i" K/ m8 k
3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps.
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7 t- X/ L/ {8 X" h; p1 o1 NFifth 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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All this happened in the morning!!
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3 A6 W. ]* b) w+ z- W) SIn 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.
% _% `& ~1 X. ?3 h8 w, `9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost.
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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.
0 f3 d' @ l3 b3 }3 l# \2 C. I' ~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. " m2 @9 |; l. e
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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. * W" M! G* n( D# d
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During this terrible day, this are the air losses.
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89 Kate
0 U) |3 O1 n, C; a8 M60 Val 0 _" ?, \1 w( F$ C o& Q6 z
39 Zero
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+ H1 U( v/ b0 f `188 a/c ! e1 |* M; e: H* V3 p
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126 SBD ; ~' R1 z# v# F" {
61 TBD
! k0 C9 C) }0 w' s/ D19 Albacore
0 R7 \6 \; }+ ~5 t) p6 Q5 Sea Hurricane
& g! K. x5 d) E* P2 b21 Fulmar
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19 F4F-3
6 F, E$ I% p5 L24 F4F-4
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7 V" N& n9 H+ O2 M8 Z) e3 t. h' bThe damages for my ships are the following:
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( ?7 [! _. c& A' U* d' Q& s2 wCV Formidable 50/69/38 8 T4 [ Q$ u# M5 P, F f
CV Indomitable 35/34/42
( A% ?) t* s& E! t2 f NBB Prince of Wales 35/6/14
/ e& ~8 W. I( A! }% ]' wBC Repulse 25/14/10
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2 u' h. l0 \. Y/ V1 { PCV Hornet 58/89/49 5 j0 X0 t; C8 _. I3 U5 f
DD Lamson 64/19/25
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1 x+ z1 {8 v/ W1 |4 e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。
4 M5 a" A: D& ^4 x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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