South Pac
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' W/ j) N, R5 }3 m, m: ~4 b3 N' 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. * h) w7 C2 F$ U1 E$ d0 ]% O
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My planes attacked first. / v# _$ x2 ?6 L5 S/ b
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!
/ k5 Z/ b7 d( rAnother 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. $ a: `9 ]# V; N3 ], U
Ah, by the way...No Zero shot down... ! t* [) j5 I+ D' C: _& g
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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. 3 B1 Z# A9 }: K' t. M
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.
; F8 C) u6 z% P6 A% N0 rCV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo.
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4 T1 B3 ^( Q6 X& k) ^5 mThe 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. 2 e( ^( \2 o, r: E" P6 U# Q
CV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. " |+ \( g# f& [2 v8 \1 Y# y: R
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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.
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5 `( P% C2 S# |' l- CIt’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star.
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* P# w% p7 ~- xThen 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. : J( g! f4 G' X# X- X. Z) }
" O- d' U4 _2 U( x: nThe third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP. - {& Z% S# L$ _, Q
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.
. q8 d0 {, D5 E6 i( ?7 MI lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. . N0 o. b. N5 Y; K- X8 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.
6 x6 i- v9 D7 P, D' a6 R( ~3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps.
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" }: T; M Y, x+ C b8 oFifth 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. 9 _, w9 M! f4 p
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All this happened in the morning!!
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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.
; K, K5 u i( R3 ]4 @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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) r& ?6 r9 R5 xThen, 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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3 U" h8 k2 J+ J. w% I k! A% E, n44 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. . B+ q7 ]2 ^7 k$ r
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.
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During this terrible day, this are the air losses.
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( A1 J) x( E) ^% q$ h9 I: F) M89 Kate 6 H1 l' f$ S$ s' V
60 Val
, l4 h* S. O* q) a9 a39 Zero 2 x. Y) {3 V6 f5 ]7 J" s/ e
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188 a/c T3 f% n# c3 ~
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126 SBD 0 v: O1 e: z' z8 m. ^: l6 b6 {
61 TBD
3 l6 [9 w& e ~6 \, S2 V2 x19 Albacore
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21 Fulmar
1 z$ G$ q! O/ [7 u1 S$ b1 }14 F2A
. e" Z# q& Y0 t6 l. H1 ]19 F4F-3 % N1 x( l; T4 Q" ]
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6 H/ |- U) P: v( i/ dThe damages for my ships are the following:
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CV Formidable 50/69/38
H# |" M. L$ t2 d z, hCV Indomitable 35/34/42
/ t( h" d: a! Q K3 OBB Prince of Wales 35/6/14 & Q7 c- C0 |5 n, J
BC Repulse 25/14/10 0 Z& `3 [. }! g4 t
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CV Hornet 58/89/49
; j4 ?0 q4 t% ^0 E% k8 M5 {DD Lamson 64/19/25 " v4 ]2 W8 k: g/ Q* i) E Y! b+ F
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5 w2 X' q! {. l6 ^ P) J4 i) P$ I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。
/ i) f+ t+ U5 h& u% ], `4 e3 [4 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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