) u7 V3 V$ Q r$ F) x( y3 ]1 m" D" V8 O* y" pEarly 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 h% @; d: R: h8 G/ A: u8 R4 F' R/ e' A& l# S& i% z
My planes attacked first. ( Y6 I5 T1 J% w) x
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! 1 J8 Q, t* V1 S* c
Another 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. $ q( ?1 `- \9 x% _8 MAh, by the way...No Zero shot down... ) q7 {) k' H( O: U0 V, } # ^5 a; `! S1 WThe 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. # h# Y% Y# Q$ J/ }9 s9 o; w
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. , D, F5 H) q% ]. ~9 d) CCV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. - Y7 I5 @/ P/ ]/ } ?9 h* r# c' Y6 Z1 _( G0 x
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. ) U! S. u9 Z7 f% K6 ~& t4 P0 q
CV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. " k. I- {( }% H0 @; S6 Y) ?3 E ' q& p- e1 G. FThere 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. + b8 _3 q: I6 H, T3 x; W5 R
' `- a4 c4 _2 lIt’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star. + o& e( d; O+ v1 p: u- _
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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. . e, ?+ e' k! u0 l6 w5 c, t# G
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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. ( L2 b0 t5 b& P4 Z) ~( ]4 {( S2 @
The third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP. 3 ^6 E$ @! I+ y/ Q' E3 j# o+ eCV 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. - h& x" ?5 V. @& ^' h) i4 H% y5 n- _
I lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. # ]4 k7 ~6 x3 G) f, R& d
( U' w/ y: A' h \( ]& u20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them. + \: L) b! v! g, Q4 @, b" g- [
3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps. - ~" Z" d7 m+ q0 Y' J, S) n z- M8 h
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. ) [0 l7 Z! ]+ ]( p
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All this happened in the morning!! : G1 _( Z5 q5 t' R, Z( } 0 {5 X4 k( ]& x+ l: A1 F$ eIn 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. ) u* h0 o; G* ]/ x! o9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost. % A G; K0 j; }5 G# d$ E0 y3 v
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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. ; ], K7 H- s" M2 p. _+ s' _( N `) y- N0 E% F0 m! o$ x; Y, C8 Q
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. ! v- d: e! Q' n, f) t" z. y% ?# q
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. / `4 k. R& {) v% U9 S+ N; Q. `( j, u2 [+ b7 m/ w
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. ! H3 F4 s1 b. v& _* t0 |0 x) \+ i- m( R, k
During this terrible day, this are the air losses. 3 j& w$ \" f& h
" O) ]1 x! w7 C. K& ^- }( |89 Kate " d, Z: H" V/ ]1 q4 V% q; t4 c: ~" T
60 Val - I3 ?5 t7 k( W. g39 Zero ) E, q/ O$ ^ Q) j0 x4 _4 D# H! |& u+ q D( x
188 a/c 5 U( V9 k- A0 }5 V, l
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126 SBD 8 P/ o( Y+ H. k3 w; \- i
61 TBD k* \/ f% z$ M9 t9 p
19 Albacore 7 w3 E8 N$ Z- b: J" o5 Sea Hurricane : Y4 @1 ^! f9 M5 _
21 Fulmar - Z. D% T* M3 j6 Z8 b6 @/ _% U14 F2A 6 z1 Y& ^9 F4 c8 {19 F4F-3 - y$ o- D3 K7 `6 D6 r/ S
24 F4F-4 ?( @4 c. Y. q5 Z, E8 {+ H1 Y) o9 r E1 m8 c' k
The damages for my ships are the following: ( P1 u r% D5 |: m+ P n6 W+ O1 d S7 x
CV Formidable 50/69/38 8 ?8 `+ S4 Z; P
CV Indomitable 35/34/42 * C( x ^1 a! c9 F7 vBB Prince of Wales 35/6/14 $ ~# T& k9 ]' _5 jBC Repulse 25/14/10 ! L' R+ d: E( k! a \, R1 Y5 s8 }- x& }
CV Hornet 58/89/49 8 l" j. v+ W, m f! E6 P
DD Lamson 64/19/25 * A6 L/ c) r" a$ O- n2 Z7 A: f. Y
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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。 9 ?; D% u1 G: M# z5 ^9 o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
