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+ x( d) \' ~* I# Q% U" 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.
+ _; I" K$ Y, k4 G' LFirst 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!
/ Z% ]; F8 J: iAnother 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. / H& g i: x; R0 ?" s L. K
Ah, by the way...No Zero shot down...
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+ i0 a" u+ i: JThe 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. # `' ^& y- l- Q3 ~9 a4 c# j' \/ u
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 H( w/ f- u& h- H
CV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo.
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. ? R+ b1 v3 a5 O1 f" ~9 X; M. hThe 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.
3 a1 g! k0 d) W6 s2 v% Y( jCV 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. & N* x. P6 ?4 ~
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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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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. 5 }- f4 [/ \' l8 Z! U; x
1 a3 W5 w* [$ Y+ l) l0 J0 ZThe 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.
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8 B6 b+ |. ]" k0 [! h, @The third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP. / x% C0 Q* l8 y5 \3 X
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 n4 B, F3 k/ Z% K F
I lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates.
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3 H$ v) h. v* h* v/ [20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them. p4 B/ D+ Z: \# e( y# F
3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps.
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5 Z5 X. P& _/ E7 lFifth 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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7 g& a$ F' O% u) lAll this happened in the morning!! - S4 V/ @2 z3 s& }* {- `
0 X& i) Z) J3 l6 R- x* z+ DIn 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.
8 q4 ^8 s* j2 E& k% y l9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost. : [3 M5 x, w* i, J
8 ^% O( ~: k) a) C, CThen, 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. 1 a1 d; L( b: J6 n' e
: @5 Q* R( K. F7 G+ U" e, g44 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 G" D4 C5 }) o
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. 5 F& m# C7 U' ^
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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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During this terrible day, this are the air losses. $ h+ D3 z3 E! x( k' t
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89 Kate : ~! j, ]* X0 |/ J/ T5 [6 G
60 Val 6 D- `1 O+ z% M4 v
39 Zero
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188 a/c * M" t; {* R9 @- G& i& P
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126 SBD / p$ r0 v- w* W& r
61 TBD
, c2 L0 U* W: u) s K6 M19 Albacore
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21 Fulmar
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19 F4F-3
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The damages for my ships are the following: & |7 Y' X! z0 b0 t5 s' _9 W
6 f- A, v! {! T# GCV Formidable 50/69/38
2 Y! }1 _2 M; v2 y* jCV Indomitable 35/34/42 + j2 O$ | v# S4 N
BB Prince of Wales 35/6/14 ; `- B! x9 j1 \4 O
BC Repulse 25/14/10
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" ` A" Q% L! w! N: L1 O! \1 x" h/ _CV Hornet 58/89/49 6 [% X% ?0 o2 G0 O5 D: o. X, l
DD Lamson 64/19/25
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M/ s1 k$ u9 ~# j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。/ \- z. \- Z" W% f* V! N. x8 q, a
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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