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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. 6 M2 h( k' x" b# Q 1 P0 S1 {$ j; X5 B; c3 JMy planes attacked first. 6 Y8 D7 [$ X! F: h) p6 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! & w' g0 A% }: G) l, N" m, C4 R
Another 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. 8 ] f) ~ [! G+ x: mAh, by the way...No Zero shot down... 7 v. ^* ]* a' t& w# N2 U( F9 u
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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. 9 l8 H5 m" i! A I. m/ ^: u+ U23 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. $ o; z# z5 E8 R) `) u
CV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. - I3 V7 Q* e9 F! S
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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. 6 J, {" F2 G6 @
CV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. " T) K. i& I' X4 V
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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. ! d/ ?8 {# O0 |3 D) B( _, E 4 B9 C% x( Z0 z* ^) IIt’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star. i j* U6 M+ A9 F7 m+ v, i( _* L" I6 Q" A6 S3 _
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. + _/ K4 _+ g: i
! m1 G2 X- w/ T/ J: x) E1 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. $ c# F( W8 [7 U
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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. * y+ \( N$ V1 O6 Q" |. n) b
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. 3 M% j7 p4 f9 }! }0 \I lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. " R2 |9 {0 U1 g# @4 Q, j7 Q% m& G" \3 @* B+ t* ~' J- T; G
20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them. 4 \- W! z; d. [2 X! O3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps. : `3 h7 x" N) q
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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. 7 H8 O9 C, b( C4 \8 |
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All this happened in the morning!! # g/ i% x6 P/ `4 E! w& i5 y j# P& O+ H4 u
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. Q3 h! M" x8 B2 M1 _9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost. 2 S1 [6 Z. p$ P* f$ ?( `; ~8 Z/ G 5 i* Z% E# ^1 U) fThen, 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. 3 d0 L$ _, _; n. |6 B9 J8 d8 y( O+ T. k: r" A7 i
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. / h% {0 \# e6 W2 p F! d
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. 2 R# v- R" D# `# h; a: |# s2 K. L# A) W# x
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. 7 ]) B6 Y! A; ]3 K# F3 N9 K% u
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During this terrible day, this are the air losses. - i; O! L0 _- R) u6 l
5 |' \) o/ F1 { h+ o! V, U# P89 Kate 1 L% C# Y5 i; ^60 Val ; w/ a- H, h. _5 x
39 Zero * m) h: ?4 t3 G9 u- v
