South Pac ! t+ k3 k1 w+ N9 r# w# G8 p
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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. ; S: {; F9 ~" d6 y a6 Z / U9 J' P! n. C Y1 RMy planes attacked first. 9 @8 u: i) _2 D& r+ F
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! 0 @) E* Q7 v/ Y6 v+ E4 J' p7 g& w
Another 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. , s% T+ X: A& \6 {" V. _
Ah, by the way...No Zero shot down... ' Q7 u3 k& }+ S0 x" Q3 q* { Y8 S1 g. b8 j+ B, r
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. . p: Z4 B- z8 a* H2 d! R2 X' c23 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. 5 L; R8 [! O- j
CV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. a6 x' \, J; q6 l" q& Z
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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. # _2 y8 q8 }/ o% v$ fCV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. t0 ~! W; b3 u* O; J4 s& y% F! [, J
' G0 M* B+ h0 U0 J! v( 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. ) ?3 R5 @) O* Q3 P * H; J9 L6 l# B% O% u uIt’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star. + O$ d9 B9 r1 [6 P4 h% s
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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. 5 L- M- b0 y7 ~9 b% b9 T0 t% S6 B) t: ]
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. # v# R; T9 }2 Q2 q) g; Z1 r A8 F9 j, k: r/ k0 |- d9 x
The third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP. & q- r8 M" A4 F; z& a
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. 0 ^3 _4 ~* _, ]* d+ _$ H& j% j" T6 F
I lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. ' M: O4 p: H6 H. \
. C6 [5 W1 o" k. t% f, V7 p" n20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them. ; [0 }% b' d" M1 `) b" q3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps. ) ^$ o) U! E- V2 i
+ w/ h& j/ C3 s$ d% O. H2 {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. ( i5 F+ J; R( x7 Q! T" Y8 W6 P, l, a, l" h
All this happened in the morning!! , m; D, _, e$ H% c/ z; ?4 V [
% k; ~% D" F$ k/ OIn 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. 8 e5 i2 X7 d3 i, E4 [9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost. ' b' J3 n. n* M2 A/ p7 Y
' z: l8 v* n k KThen, 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. 4 |% l& F% B# u4 t
, u2 g8 M0 z8 c* X44 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. " ?4 M3 @9 D7 d- C( Q7 {
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. ! t! F9 M% A7 g; a$ t) f5 c; b % Q$ b: W$ W! Y- W6 z3 \3 D; b/ j, WBefore 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. , I7 l& e8 h+ ^' W - s8 n: A/ e L7 x2 o$ }: aDuring this terrible day, this are the air losses. r, ?8 |/ D8 `
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89 Kate ; g" d. i" x7 A& Q* ^60 Val h& a! R1 G! h) i; _
39 Zero ' r) C& h! w- w4 u5 S' W6 R4 n* i% w& d
188 a/c - n+ i: _& \2 S, h7 @( u8 G2 L0 m
! Z8 N/ \" A7 c1 B( G( P126 SBD 6 v; n) j7 a# }- h
61 TBD - g& a- D c/ J/ p3 X19 Albacore : a5 K/ D" q" D, l/ M9 l* I
5 Sea Hurricane w& ?% V: D, s# z. I5 W21 Fulmar / z- `; @5 \7 V8 Q( W2 \
14 F2A * D( W. J. x! W- i( {2 D( B
19 F4F-3 $ z% D7 {( v- p. n) O3 r24 F4F-4 8 l9 E( ~* [# H+ f' I: `6 q2 y5 K! y/ l+ E6 y! U) g6 N
The damages for my ships are the following: 0 C9 [, y1 }5 a- x7 `
