South Pac
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+ Z9 b# [9 u0 Y7 w \# `( _; R; JEarly 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.
: c" K5 Q, ^5 ^9 F' C! `( g0 jFirst 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!
' g. |& d' x( i( ?3 `! T& i- MAnother 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck.
% v; X* D- e0 q! w& }Ah, by the way...No Zero shot down... 7 I- f' S2 m5 W+ y* M
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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.
/ z: N) |( X( X23 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.
* _7 Y) V9 ^+ P; o4 Y' i7 h% y1 ZCV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. - v. E7 h+ s& r' y
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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.
" _; U0 A6 y5 Y" b& u# kCV 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. 8 u! O& R' B9 F
) m) h2 D( a& G. b1 x+ \( CIt’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star.
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9 [7 \) n, }: [ mThen 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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+ m6 |1 s+ b1 O4 p3 V3 k+ h" xThe 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 `4 S: }$ S9 C& Z& L" M
v0 z% Y, W; l# r# d+ rThe third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP.
, i: R$ m( D3 c4 n/ mCV 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.
8 b& v) u! @, E$ MI lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates.
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' }- T* u5 d9 f20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them.
: t9 Z! Y; B1 ]4 E% b7 b3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps. 4 d6 }* ]& @: o+ y1 B
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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. . d( K' t0 q" u. g- c
$ ~9 Q/ g( S3 X' S- H4 OAll 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. / _' J0 _! v& v/ z4 q
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.
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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. $ x2 t2 a5 h% [. Z' i5 B v
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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: c8 c+ C+ m/ `! v* FBefore 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. 9 _+ d/ P' G d/ o6 C
% h. R4 O4 }7 { [* x0 F4 \! k5 ]During this terrible day, this are the air losses.
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2 P- m- n. v( `- m; T3 x. n; C89 Kate ! N8 `) Z/ M6 J8 ]
60 Val 2 J }: z H L
39 Zero
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2 u$ a( }+ t. f' p) k/ I188 a/c ; D9 T1 @* b; R5 s# v- @! K+ V
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126 SBD
% n0 Y ~" ^# D% _* \( J; s. F ]61 TBD
) {' I$ _: y. B% S& y% |' ]19 Albacore
! P6 {% s! ^, g, \. X5 Sea Hurricane
; h) x( j. v' i( t0 P# `21 Fulmar
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# @4 F7 M* M0 P) F- J3 h& d19 F4F-3
8 F5 w" o# q* j) E1 u24 F4F-4 0 J! ?7 _/ Y# R0 J/ Z+ H) l% B
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The damages for my ships are the following:
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CV Formidable 50/69/38 : V' H5 `/ x% I( v
CV Indomitable 35/34/42
: t! u6 K, v5 T$ p7 y% zBB Prince of Wales 35/6/14 $ D; O5 ]4 B6 @2 z, g! h9 H$ Q# I
BC Repulse 25/14/10 / `/ w W9 `* w
* `# g( H5 ]# j% L5 x: uCV Hornet 58/89/49
# u/ ?" q0 f" _$ k; O1 _DD Lamson 64/19/25 2 ]" j4 N9 t5 U, D( _" F7 L
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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。
' s* m0 W4 t% l' y$ s3 M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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