South Pac
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6 G. K) a1 q/ `! G4 HEarly 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. / B: I& z4 R# {" |. O
" r" A, u. [0 ~My planes attacked first.
( x; N. r" F$ f5 V8 N; G4 vFirst 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!
. K2 V7 k9 y* o( r: c( A+ gAnother 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck.
5 b+ `- O5 h8 i6 D/ W8 |Ah, by the way...No Zero shot down...
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% L+ [4 B, h. c; Z$ {7 C6 aThe 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.
" a2 i1 L2 x: A& u23 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. . X$ Q- N5 P5 B. n3 i2 i; ?5 q$ S
CV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. _6 T+ ]& f7 h$ V$ ?; q. b
: V" n% d- U. W( DThe 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.
1 C. H) K* |0 q. A: m* T7 eCV 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. - P9 X$ Z, U* F/ H( u8 E1 r
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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. ' D& `* f$ l& g0 w8 d/ b! `" j
: t C+ o; Q$ U' k! d# A9 ?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. ; `$ z$ k( ~: z
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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.
/ F2 l4 V4 p( D S4 nCV 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.
$ W3 R( i% y0 c( S* a0 D6 oI lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. " P% u6 e: R* \- w \5 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. / A. C( M& H. a+ H0 l) V! w
3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps.
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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.
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All this happened in the morning!!
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0 V" v0 W7 A, c9 `4 o' UIn 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. " i+ k1 j j. F( q3 ]
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. 4 r* C3 \! R& E- G9 u. f5 b
. V. d& ~- A& {( j% 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. , C% H* G9 e, y
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. * @* T! [. U3 D: f
0 u7 ^1 ^2 _7 eDuring this terrible day, this are the air losses. 6 q2 a3 n) o _( y
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89 Kate ( {7 c7 l4 P% V# {$ s% S& `+ Z9 Z9 ?* Z
60 Val
- I/ _% ~1 y' G5 s& a- n# ` r39 Zero
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$ X) o& P; [8 |# H188 a/c
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7 `% k# U. F/ n* U5 f126 SBD
; p# E4 [" V* M* b! d# `+ g61 TBD , e4 f$ c& t+ A% g+ Z
19 Albacore
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14 F2A
. P& s* I+ i2 ^: |: l6 Y19 F4F-3 ; Q! ~7 g# c: D6 a. Y, v( l1 N% w: N
24 F4F-4
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1 v0 W$ ^1 R E; I4 w, CThe damages for my ships are the following:
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# m9 \" J+ o* e8 y2 g$ cCV Formidable 50/69/38 , w( L. I4 m; Z6 c( Z3 F
CV Indomitable 35/34/42 # ^1 \4 m2 A( ^
BB Prince of Wales 35/6/14
3 N7 o: S) Z9 Y4 \- {1 _BC Repulse 25/14/10 4 H+ ^6 J$ K7 a/ J l5 D! W9 J7 |
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CV Hornet 58/89/49
1 @: M3 a2 g4 t9 uDD 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。
' D" O# S: C* \( P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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