South Pac ) Q2 C4 z; X8 P! L # H; o9 |- D fEarly 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 o3 Z* X7 J* M4 t# E+ z2 q0 h. X( T) }% M+ l
My planes attacked first. P( j2 p; Z) I+ B, L4 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! ) J) v! R3 f; `7 m& o
Another 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. ) t$ n X M. O0 pAh, by the way...No Zero shot down... 0 U( ~& r2 c# B$ f
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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. 0 a- W5 J$ P# T+ P( I7 `7 f, q2 k23 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. ; U3 [' G* m4 W" O7 y8 mCV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. 6 l) r+ I/ D0 T2 k ?& t9 z 2 c- ?0 a5 J. R# LThe 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. & X) Q4 L. F0 C% i# W5 d2 SCV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. # S0 P! h' y! x% C W5 l, `9 a4 h* T
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. 6 [) _9 m1 j3 Q; I& j3 V$ d+ o R# U; h3 k
It’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star. 9 E. R$ a. H% ] W$ H; T5 `0 L
" f. X- r1 |2 ]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. % a/ ~7 O5 C+ m, X* l0 p 6 c' w6 j7 V" X) F: HThe 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. / ?; F2 L; p% L y2 n" u9 p! g! R* `
The third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP. & G' y) Y+ s4 q, kCV 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. 9 |: ?+ r% H' i" l9 O) m, pI lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. 9 }+ @4 o8 K" F# w, ^6 W! e# Y9 w" }
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20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them. : ]+ t8 V) B3 l, c3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps. . |3 F4 M4 s- D7 s! g) m! p ) E. X" P; s& [3 y- u$ [( b. h& gFifth 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. / w* _6 K' D' e. b$ W$ Y* g; U! U 6 }7 K7 `+ j, f3 k! H+ kAll this happened in the morning!! $ p( {" Y4 d; K9 E% j 3 d: t) e- Y: C0 f! ~( M' m1 ]9 x0 _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. 2 b. ]4 p$ C: k8 J. l6 U! x9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost. : Q* M) h* I0 t4 B! L. a- `8 U& i( T6 S" ]* m% P7 p* P# l+ K" S
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. + ~2 Z3 B! Z: Q2 T! M( m
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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. 1 ]+ a- k; f( ^6 [
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. 6 d' G4 n h' E1 {2 e' {6 G2 {/ K4 _* G. r, y* \. R+ c
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. ) |- J, T- ?) o7 Y' ?, Y: I4 P# D3 R) s. q7 F! u
During this terrible day, this are the air losses. " ]3 P" Y+ a" U" O/ c5 X8 R
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89 Kate 0 S( `$ I. n8 B- ]: A' D60 Val , o( q) J) d8 E- O5 \% B
39 Zero , A8 ?& t0 }+ I8 b
T) H2 @: y$ K% x m
188 a/c & d7 `7 U8 f( }$ H
) E$ L8 X- d1 ?/ w8 ~4 d + L9 o7 m z0 z8 [126 SBD + E4 M: ?3 _4 P1 p; q
61 TBD 4 Q% }$ i7 X7 s% ]$ t$ a/ a* E
19 Albacore $ H+ U6 g! J, r; a+ C. E2 \
5 Sea Hurricane 4 E& c1 _$ S& k1 E: r+ e9 w& {21 Fulmar * o) `3 Q7 Y& `7 l14 F2A $ I4 R5 x' B! e+ Q0 A; M0 |# {2 F% G
19 F4F-3 1 k' O' V, f/ p24 F4F-4 $ r) b( Z4 l0 `( j- ]" N0 } + V+ h' O0 [; A( ~! hThe damages for my ships are the following: : Z3 ~% W/ }% l G
1 X0 t) L9 T! m' z* p- H5 ACV Formidable 50/69/38 + ?+ `, O' B9 P( t y! U
CV Indomitable 35/34/42 2 j. a% Q$ n' h6 w) x
BB Prince of Wales 35/6/14 ) a" s/ L/ Z. K8 r/ O
BC Repulse 25/14/10 9 E2 H# ^0 P$ l% ~9 |( f
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CV Hornet 58/89/49 + w- G, I$ @% K( K. B+ XDD Lamson 64/19/25 / H9 x, f$ G3 G; u* U( P. }2 u
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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。 * b1 J- b1 N/ _/ ]1 g从战果上看，盟军的结果比我想象的好不少。而且还混编CV.作者: harry 时间: 2007-8-29 12:04
