South Pac
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Early 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. " e6 G3 q/ s! m3 G# U
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! - U! C' r( z3 e7 R0 u7 Q! d" U) Q
Another 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. $ }1 q; _4 K0 V
Ah, by the way...No Zero shot down... 1 r9 `1 c- P, a/ v" t. ]
: r8 K0 e* x+ ]: f1 p6 x' LThe 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.
6 D/ n: ]. _# M8 Q. L% B9 {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.
0 c8 o$ e8 D6 r2 lCV 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.
, a2 @+ N9 q0 P4 ICV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. # y* t6 [% m A# y$ j1 M, `
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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. * e; ^6 Z1 z+ x/ \% a5 w+ l9 i
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It’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star. . k. K6 c6 [' ]) z
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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.
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The 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. 6 P/ m$ }7 m3 D+ j; c% o
" K# p: y/ m/ k# \4 AThe third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP. * L3 q: z2 p9 H; S
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.
- ]9 O( M) s# Z: U) `I lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. ) X- ]; Z/ D7 C6 j
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20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them.
( Z r: ^/ ]' q8 v& E3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps. , a1 d9 l1 P+ w. G0 [: i: i
5 |( Z: z* m0 V+ z/ o6 ^* K/ ?Fifth 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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- P0 b) v3 U' E' m0 F; h. eAll this happened in the morning!! ! M3 w0 c" w2 O- y/ D2 @9 ~2 ?
8 g4 l, x% g6 `! c" Z9 B) W7 q5 VIn 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 E. V8 d) y4 u; e) d z1 B ]
9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost. . z( T4 N0 U; d5 A
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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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9 _9 [. h7 {* O/ z$ V% B44 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. 1 R& f/ H# F3 i8 y) ^( a _$ A
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 X! [$ ~# v9 i ? ~- R
" m" a6 T, Z4 |4 M3 [During this terrible day, this are the air losses. # G. w2 O" @/ @: K
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89 Kate
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39 Zero
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188 a/c 4 a1 M* l/ W/ b8 G1 i1 Y8 ~- G1 d
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* A* k1 b, U' E3 t3 o126 SBD C4 f2 I3 ^' d( T, }% A2 y/ ~6 g
61 TBD
4 F$ ?1 i- B' ]) j! T. ?19 Albacore
! g) O k' p7 J) X7 Q, D$ k5 Sea Hurricane
; H h0 r1 P# d# D8 y2 v21 Fulmar * A6 n/ b5 Z( ~9 C" R
14 F2A
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& u4 C$ F/ K6 T$ b5 _ }The damages for my ships are the following:
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- b8 e0 |( F; w9 |4 W; ACV Formidable 50/69/38 & P, }6 N7 c7 H& k* a: [ j2 |
CV Indomitable 35/34/42 5 y' |* e9 S) c8 D
BB Prince of Wales 35/6/14 6 E5 h+ T2 x" {
BC Repulse 25/14/10
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CV Hornet 58/89/49
+ n) X( Q1 A2 D% ~# X* g9 CDD Lamson 64/19/25
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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。
* U* m! a, P$ J2 l. |" u) G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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