South Pac % L# M0 G, S8 C$ z* F% x0 @' u. h0 N/ E: v; d
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. 3 R- t, w* z$ r: A2 S& j( _( s: k
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My planes attacked first. * H" j- b, H, \$ z: h0 [7 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! 9 ]5 n7 h; w7 G
Another 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. p3 r2 H r' M# {
Ah, by the way...No Zero shot down... " s' u* |" _; Q1 b( Z/ w & m- c# _3 @8 a$ IThe 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. 7 R0 ]! M( g& Q) q* g4 H" l3 L% `2 x
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. 9 W. z( V7 P0 N, f: }3 s) a1 L1 z+ FCV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. 9 ~4 s1 {- \' k0 n3 t
2 y* Y9 O- S3 |! B4 zThe 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. + S9 T$ D- e5 o2 M x; zCV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. + [' h. N5 o" w3 F5 _. `
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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. . H# G1 ~6 j: G F4 f, E! @/ A1 M' i$ n. l
It’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star. 7 o$ @' \. }8 G1 o! y: r+ o" z4 N" X+ u
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. + `: R& w% e$ K( W/ \
' N+ ]+ |( O% V1 YThe 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* q8 L3 m X" u% {$ L& d0 W. C( {) s9 m
The third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP. ( [9 ~( ~4 @3 h! v. U K
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. ' q8 X; I. U+ L( i9 @" g" wI lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. $ f% a3 y/ S9 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. 4 R9 a6 u1 F% W* B# m! ~" u9 Z3 K6 [3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps. ) n6 d+ H: \" _9 ^ V: z& [; |' k, H( R3 i% [9 l
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. - x4 K5 G m2 x& e+ ?. a$ n# Y6 j
/ e+ ]+ W; N& _+ RAll this happened in the morning!! % [5 C" ?0 B' v+ E$ W
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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. 3 G1 Q" |* F" V) \; Q4 |
9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost. r. {, w9 O9 @5 c6 Q" H! } ( ~2 c' |+ L1 W6 }3 rThen, 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. " y5 E- J3 m' x/ z( b. e
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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. ! @7 p& w0 I) ]% ^; |3 J$ S
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. 5 j: w( N8 |* @8 ?' M- b
0 E0 ?& g: q5 T; m2 SBefore 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 _+ X; D" u6 w' V+ ^- S
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During this terrible day, this are the air losses. 4 q4 z/ X! W6 U, i1 k) H
% r# n/ F- o4 X0 W1 D( k# b) a89 Kate 6 L. C Y# [) v) R: z60 Val ' N l: ^6 M2 V9 E( ?* K39 Zero 3 B( x0 e) Y V x; X1 Q2 q! B" I" c* e# ?5 K' g' X/ T2 c
188 a/c : D4 V* T P! R; q. o0 X8 ~0 f5 W0 ~
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126 SBD # N: y9 ^2 h/ W: K& t
61 TBD $ D& U1 L6 e( X9 Y19 Albacore : L. H6 f) T" I% Z! {0 z% f* i5 Sea Hurricane , H" G9 h( x& F$ \! R+ ~
21 Fulmar ; K, G8 q% k- E* D3 `( s14 F2A " ?" A6 |) T6 C Z
19 F4F-3 ' W9 K2 @' @$ i Q0 }
24 F4F-4 ! a j8 l* M+ p6 ]9 @. {
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The damages for my ships are the following: . e4 X {# N: O( w8 C" ] P; H, i) k5 k+ K
CV Formidable 50/69/38 . a+ j: G3 b9 V/ m+ ECV Indomitable 35/34/42 L6 A, k- G [' N" u4 z e' `/ W, nBB Prince of Wales 35/6/14 % T8 a! \, J6 y% I' g1 v) d( G2 |
BC Repulse 25/14/10 ' y: ?- n3 _) }( W9 [
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CV Hornet 58/89/49 ) c' K3 d6 u; r( x6 i6 g) s( s
DD Lamson 64/19/25 9 a. W4 F# R+ s" [- ] ?* j－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－( O8 k F! ]" L3 N' F" i. E/ T
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。 9 n2 J6 n2 M1 k; Y* T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
