South Pac
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Early 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. ; L4 q4 G5 v9 s4 L2 z: \5 I* @
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My planes attacked first.
3 B8 [# B4 n3 sFirst 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!
/ F; {1 Q: h7 |+ `" x% KAnother 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. # G4 F$ x Y' o! H9 p
Ah, by the way...No Zero shot down... 2 Q, Y* o3 Q& ?# V( B' D
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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. + R9 K- _/ j' g2 l
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.
: {# [7 ^- ?& b4 ~; @/ S' ^CV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. % }* z2 r% L2 [! ?# v; H/ u
3 v0 C# E( `0 Q; Y" t- P( ], `+ 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. - l X8 j' ?& n9 ~
CV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. * b, M% m4 e0 [! h4 P
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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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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. ! M, u% z" o+ c3 V0 \" K/ o1 ^
, n y1 c b( G2 rThe 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. # Y }+ O6 A* 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. 3 ~8 O, ~1 U$ ~. i9 T, b2 f) ?
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. ( x* M% o; ?" K$ ~2 x
I lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates.
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* }! J3 V& P4 c3 t/ ~% w& w20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them.
X, M! e3 n4 y0 U j: L+ |% k5 O3 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. ; y( X6 [& H4 B! H N7 Q5 I% N$ c
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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. 8 r% X# q8 O8 A# C, N, N# A" D
9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost. . ?7 X3 ^: l8 [& j
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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. j- U: k- p9 r8 {
" z: {$ Z* n" J; d& c44 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.
% `% r. K- s I2 ]8 Q4 }+ E4 lCV 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. $ ]: J8 J' {, o. }" A
C: O A' a3 d* b8 M# [, }* 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. + ?0 |3 m3 | C+ f; i" K
) [! u' W8 K0 [3 PDuring this terrible day, this are the air losses.
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89 Kate
) Q4 D7 h- \& j# S60 Val
/ ]" x1 E. K2 p* e' U( a! F+ J39 Zero
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6 M/ g& {2 ~; G9 K+ Q188 a/c
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1 V# _+ T- G E126 SBD
1 t: k; Z; d+ \" \9 l- E, p61 TBD ' n9 D; u5 h: O8 E$ n
19 Albacore ' R- a& I1 k+ }4 C {
5 Sea Hurricane
9 t3 D; V$ B9 o/ i) d7 k9 {21 Fulmar - X2 D9 G' @6 X) L% R1 X
14 F2A
8 z; @7 _. m+ S5 |' \4 \9 t. X+ M9 D19 F4F-3
7 h1 ~& E3 a H" M, f2 u/ D24 F4F-4
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8 f. t% C) u! o( f! L, @: ^" @9 g1 NThe damages for my ships are the following: 9 M! k. ~ A, K7 {
5 q. q! O. ^4 f# P5 eCV Formidable 50/69/38 - c6 G Z% U, N/ e/ ~' q! j2 C- y
CV Indomitable 35/34/42 ; w# M9 u7 F; |( }; g! m
BB Prince of Wales 35/6/14 2 H, s8 {" ^% M4 a% q
BC Repulse 25/14/10 2 c* F2 P/ x9 I2 d; `
; B* ]3 j9 [( P3 ~8 Q) C2 CCV Hornet 58/89/49 ) t4 e4 ?- T7 Y/ [4 B
DD 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。, M+ V A( e4 Y& m" h- b0 F' P: l
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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