South Pac
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0 B1 `+ V* e9 i6 J5 zEarly 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. $ {! g4 `. \1 b- d* k% H- p
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! + M' C' p. L: t4 \% P- b
Another 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck.
$ N, X* m' m# z* v! a) MAh, 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.
- y5 G, u3 N9 B8 b% {& _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.
3 ?6 s: q$ @; m$ N/ M# ~' vCV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. * r2 i; ?3 z- n. |3 g4 o! ?7 Y9 t
0 K9 m3 |. x6 G! fThe 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 F* y1 L! S9 s7 i+ S7 SCV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. 3 X; B, l4 t, Y
. o8 b' r& m( B$ NThere 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.
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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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9 \1 ]- R. U+ X; f: p, R) h& U4 _% CThen 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. 8 d4 g( q, o4 E" n; F+ u. a
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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. C7 q% l! T: _4 x. s- S3 @
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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. / i* v( {+ v8 T+ R( N) K
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.
( }2 w* Q, O/ sI lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates.
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20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them.
& `6 `9 O& p# @3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps. + e, i& d! ]" }1 ?: X
( b; k' p2 ]0 {# g6 f IFifth 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. ' w4 L( `1 o$ B" g3 X) Y
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All this happened in the morning!! + H& p9 X, E( q9 i1 L7 k4 U
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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.
7 G) u* o9 t7 c/ h8 ^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. + d! o2 R" J! F
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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.
" n0 L4 c3 c" b ]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. 4 n, O/ T- J! S9 A) M
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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.
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( i2 V$ S' y0 r, T4 F9 GDuring this terrible day, this are the air losses. h3 w. X4 K; b( o1 s) Y
5 d0 b# S2 k6 c# a89 Kate / [5 ?4 P/ ~4 P" m
60 Val
8 J* z+ z4 b5 q1 L39 Zero
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, W' N' ]/ G* R9 i188 a/c ( h: X7 l& q1 b0 k% W4 C0 H
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8 B* M, d# X; ~0 K. t# a5 a126 SBD 2 i# k t5 j4 Y z) y
61 TBD
) ~! n" C+ T( G+ i' w) e! l$ a$ E19 Albacore , K% N) Y0 ~ y9 G. R, _
5 Sea Hurricane
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14 F2A
+ R1 w' K4 E& s& Q2 `3 K- E$ r19 F4F-3
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The damages for my ships are the following:
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CV Formidable 50/69/38 ' F/ ~, O7 |! c4 l: x% N
CV Indomitable 35/34/42
4 f- V8 [$ w4 t/ V; }! M6 m# OBB Prince of Wales 35/6/14
$ C2 H; y9 t Z' ?. o- WBC Repulse 25/14/10 3 F! {/ \8 @# W Z: |! R- q* a
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CV Hornet 58/89/49 % |2 B, b& x* s' U: g
DD Lamson 64/19/25
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5 X4 F) n. W: N) v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。% _# T* w( A" z' D
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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