South Pac $ O9 Y2 b. t% _4 p ( y. N/ ^3 w2 P7 d, D% O9 OEarly 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. 5 F9 {$ w4 n$ B8 [( }. o
8 L! o8 F& F( |" uMy planes attacked first. + G8 w& @ N' T, b* j+ IFirst 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! / b1 _+ ^; ~7 o. S5 F Z+ P5 C6 |+ iAnother 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. 7 r, f7 H7 C0 t6 oAh, by the way...No Zero shot down... d/ P$ P+ z! f9 l1 h4 {( ^% |, C% Y" M2 }4 H$ g& m' F
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. ( E, o7 q' N" M; p$ c; l5 z; q1 s23 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* _$ n. L- s- M" n: p2 L, l+ |
CV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. : N3 y( X4 h) K, W* X& t 4 v% w( v% T9 F, \+ q# uThe 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. : r/ p2 I; M, ~2 f8 x# b6 C' Z9 O+ u% ACV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. * j: ^4 D5 S9 e7 L7 y7 @7 S# i6 [5 |% P
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. ! B# \0 ?$ V b: X" g2 Z# {2 ]$ M3 n$ x. G! p" r
It’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star. 8 i6 x; S; w2 G- W" o' O& D7 k ' |# F8 W/ Q& H, }/ a, [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. 9 a- @( U; D: c 9 Q' y" v) f- f T( oThe 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. # |3 i ]9 D8 v {
0 o. [ e X0 v7 rThe third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP. " ]& F6 z$ o0 v$ H, I* A0 N* ~
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. ) R& u7 Q$ u0 ~8 p7 F4 _# J; v
I lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. K9 o0 c: `) r5 N$ Y" u- ?- P& E; x7 y( {
20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them. - G2 J% M, V' Z. \' p4 d2 z
3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps. " @5 D+ r! u2 D: k" k
' q9 O/ A# j' Q' B3 b4 ?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. ( g( X7 V+ B V& d- h- h# K O9 {, G
All this happened in the morning!! 1 O3 D# ?: S, h
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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. % e, B: P) M' h/ @; ^9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost. 9 V; f& {6 B8 d2 V4 ]
U O8 J- U( a9 B$ ~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. 7 m' H h" `. g
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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. $ @$ T; o# L1 kCV 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. ; K: v3 W+ N9 R; E: U
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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. 9 `& R* _& |. e
7 c9 D4 ]1 A, W( t, NDuring this terrible day, this are the air losses. $ a4 K3 O! |4 N% D" z* o
2 E( _% Q: A8 n7 d89 Kate 5 `* Z! S! {( x2 J) {2 ]60 Val . m9 {! T8 a5 I
39 Zero & Z k2 ]; e; @+ t5 Y- h: D; j
