South Pac - z0 a* J. w+ ~$ N0 ]; e- g! [
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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.
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8 P9 y) b7 Y6 M+ |0 B1 gMy planes attacked first. 2 j2 Z8 C) N5 D2 B6 P8 P
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!
: l, E. W( k: [. J9 k1 |4 ~) U- lAnother 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck.
" z7 B! A% ^ [5 hAh, by the way...No Zero shot down...
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2 @ r1 C7 K& I' U# R7 `' xThe 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. # Y% a! h+ z0 P
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.
' I: c2 M( H1 f- W, OCV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. 6 Z4 a) k2 n" T5 z
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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. % F: b8 E& G1 t/ A
CV 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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8 G3 x/ R5 m( t1 R$ Y4 _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. 9 C* r9 F4 S/ B i4 ~5 k
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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. 1 \" Z8 r% C" _( v1 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. / ]" f) G, l0 ~6 ~
9 J) U$ u8 W7 B& WThe third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP. # x2 O* ^5 n. ]9 i; t2 b& B7 O8 \! X0 O
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.
. h7 ~* n- h6 [2 @4 `* i; E: KI lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. , q& f. { T5 S# a2 f
$ L& i/ l' F& X. v9 h20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them. $ o. B# J/ X; ?' B
3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps. , ?) m. j4 `/ U
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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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% ]8 o0 S& P2 F vAll this happened in the morning!! * x4 S H' w4 k
4 V1 @, e0 `/ ~7 \8 jIn 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. * Q6 Z, W2 r+ \
9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost. / G o% @* j# a+ t+ X6 E
& `4 y) ?7 e% [2 e2 x* 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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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.
0 @' Z8 m! B7 p QCV 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. - }5 X9 Q. ^* a
" U; R3 `* V+ A0 ?& l2 {0 c3 m KBefore 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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! T* \1 I8 a+ W/ R! ADuring this terrible day, this are the air losses.
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89 Kate
( g1 B2 q* C7 `/ ~, u! J2 k3 ~60 Val # L, x) ~5 a4 e' |7 m+ e+ A% \& m
39 Zero
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188 a/c # R. |# e+ ^$ J+ v6 q) V! m
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3 h; C2 {: i+ p+ P! j1 e126 SBD
4 j: Q% P7 T3 ^9 ^. |) m) s61 TBD - o i+ x. T' D- p
19 Albacore
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D# i2 ^/ A" k+ u1 c' j$ H6 k5 L21 Fulmar
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19 F4F-3
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The damages for my ships are the following: - w8 `# H" \ R5 ?: o v
- Y* F* G4 w% j0 F7 XCV Formidable 50/69/38
9 s# D2 t7 t) G7 k" Z% t2 TCV Indomitable 35/34/42 ' Q# X$ X! i, t1 b/ T
BB Prince of Wales 35/6/14
" R! n8 n. O1 }! _BC Repulse 25/14/10 ! }, Z6 s; D. s' k9 x: }
0 G( }; W7 I8 _ x. aCV Hornet 58/89/49 * Z6 _5 v- g: G/ [6 ~; f
DD Lamson 64/19/25 $ e- G+ ~+ S: n/ \% i
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: Y) @/ w. k5 w# d% k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。) P' U1 T" T( Z! K3 f ?
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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