South Pac 9 z: h( v% d n3 T G4 {# `
" C9 y4 Z. T5 p2 kEarly 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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. |$ A* {( h6 d% cMy planes attacked first. 1 v, p9 b5 G% r. J( |
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! 6 b/ T/ E9 Z2 v8 j5 N
Another 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck.
# d: D1 z, E; zAh, 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. 1 q& H/ Y! }( [9 H
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 j- a# D1 [* c. xCV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo.
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4 c& |5 l- c& rThe 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.
- X6 P6 m0 {9 v% f" {/ X5 cCV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. / B3 P5 _2 f4 l# y/ E: \0 y
7 M# I% Y& v" U3 _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. : V0 z, h* T9 M$ V9 V% W" o
: @* @" t9 h6 {7 i: {# r! r1 U ^It’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star.
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3 j5 f. H3 P4 M7 k3 |# X" {0 C( hThen 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. 4 M/ a0 `# J' i+ B& B6 f+ K& m
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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. 2 w7 j" N+ ^. w
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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.
d6 `. @" G3 |6 B1 e6 B3 _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. 5 U$ I0 S6 C% A. ~0 I% l
I lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. , i' m/ Z' N: O: D7 F) l
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20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them.
# I+ j' Q: Z: }8 `3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps. % d6 }- Q# Z& s) C
0 Q. V/ M( [. k) f; }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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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. * y! q1 }4 U. q0 p! @# P
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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' Z# G n7 ~( Y, D: UThen, 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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; Z* t. g3 l; \" @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. ! W! C2 `# a9 e0 W+ W4 |4 ~$ A
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. 2 y. Y2 W& w# y
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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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7 L+ J9 K6 ^. }6 X5 u7 o% G8 A5 }" }# NDuring this terrible day, this are the air losses.
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89 Kate + M0 o% i: S K- S( M4 @" S5 r
60 Val
" W) b" m" s9 y! Q39 Zero ! u/ i: g0 {2 b
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188 a/c # _% C" T# H7 k/ d6 Y
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! q. m; t! D |6 n+ G7 l& l7 T' q9 O126 SBD $ m5 n4 c7 _5 n
61 TBD ) s& m8 [3 W# i: @5 D
19 Albacore
1 l' @8 ]4 D, ?5 Sea Hurricane ( ~1 f y, x( L6 X
21 Fulmar 0 }" h1 ]* y' A! M
14 F2A ' D, b& k D/ E2 r8 r7 D: k* c4 e
19 F4F-3 " t* n+ e' h- L5 P+ ?, e" n. b# N
24 F4F-4 * s. g: z8 j2 J: A9 E
5 g$ {8 |2 ~" S* G' N) F; N* R9 dThe damages for my ships are the following: ' P8 s7 M: _3 u4 B( B
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CV Formidable 50/69/38 5 J4 z5 o3 m. U8 {2 Q+ w) n
CV Indomitable 35/34/42 # g# s" f2 I7 a7 z7 E! I
BB Prince of Wales 35/6/14 3 U& y0 j, `* U- K& r) s# ~
BC Repulse 25/14/10
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CV Hornet 58/89/49
& N4 D/ @# X8 \) m" Q0 }, qDD Lamson 64/19/25
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% u0 F, U3 [ @& `& J7 y# L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。
' C8 m/ h' W7 ?5 w2 m; b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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