South Pac & Y( @0 t- U, A* M) X% ?$ H
, ?* q% [: x6 K- O1 e A O1 W9 cEarly 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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My planes attacked first.
' X/ d3 ]- w5 X. S4 J8 t- c# W; N9 wFirst 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! & ]# Q- C2 e: z. {
Another 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck.
# C. ~1 z; e, lAh, by the way...No Zero shot down... ; T/ L3 [: q; {, U
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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.
1 S& {9 y n4 O+ ]& i. w23 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 V4 ~* S9 c' F b1 x8 n0 Y- J% y
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.
5 Z" A/ {/ b+ A. h( nCV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. : [) ^% v% W6 j# o6 y: o
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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. * f5 J* k# Y: F, E6 G2 N
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It’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star.
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o* C2 h0 I0 f& A+ GThen 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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) |* ~# p( q/ MThe 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. 7 V7 H$ q7 Y5 w
' |; D( S0 U. ?The third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP.
( G. ?% i1 u6 z F. B0 j$ j' u8 @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.
/ c8 K" [& M7 B0 t7 n5 y' M" v; DI lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. * K( \; _5 j5 }. ]& l H; L" t
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20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them.
: v0 O, N$ {( F v3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps.
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+ j6 T7 Z2 N7 m. gFifth 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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v* N. J( G* CAll this happened in the morning!! / k1 }) M$ ~9 P8 k
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In 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. 9 {' n) Y- X9 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. / f0 |) F) x9 j; A5 A5 i. O
0 {8 O- D, J' U1 @( m44 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. 2 M+ c9 a4 J! d# E/ q
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.
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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. 8 t+ K8 I' q( z3 T1 U+ A! P; v/ K( f
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During this terrible day, this are the air losses.
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8 b# z) R5 p* {, L+ X89 Kate
$ |: V. _* ~! g) F: L60 Val 7 c# l; V/ ]% |
39 Zero
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1 Q1 ~, u' N' H; r; z* [ h+ E188 a/c
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- B4 y; `. W: ^# F126 SBD
( c8 L* N, y, o, p61 TBD " U3 y: _9 S5 j
19 Albacore % T* a/ t& B( L
5 Sea Hurricane
' h( t7 [, d' _, ]" ^: S21 Fulmar
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19 F4F-3
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W8 d# r) O+ i+ [The damages for my ships are the following:
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CV Formidable 50/69/38 $ j2 \+ z1 b& g* I1 j- x: C
CV Indomitable 35/34/42 1 o0 G5 E, g" m8 ^; E) \' o* K
BB Prince of Wales 35/6/14 + H) Q C# U2 C% V) I3 T3 O
BC Repulse 25/14/10
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CV Hornet 58/89/49 % w, h; y# L( a4 T% ~
DD Lamson 64/19/25 ) J+ q* l! ~- _; x$ b
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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。, F! S' J& c6 S5 V a$ [; J
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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