+ u% a$ w2 w0 [/ m' 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. 4 G' t4 {' F- ~; _0 C5 H( i( e 9 @. `! n0 ]# u. Z0 }My planes attacked first. 3 O2 R( L ]4 b1 E/ q; lFirst 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 q0 O9 w _7 D, f7 {2 YAnother 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. " r" G: [* Q8 u# H3 s( `9 fAh, by the way...No Zero shot down... 2 S) l; r1 @% Z8 w2 T; n+ I3 Q1 T A+ N" x/ [
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. ) N K: h! j5 r, ?. _
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. 4 u+ z9 z- Q9 ^1 |# P" sCV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. 9 V+ \' s( p; a+ ^+ l6 r' [/ X " ? W) W% _* Z' v/ o" o2 nThe 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. * T/ I* c; K$ z) A/ A N# MCV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. - {2 _$ s9 x9 H. I) e
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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. " p- [2 Z. F, g2 c6 N
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It’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star. ' b' i, P4 m% W" I; k
3 I# o0 I" p7 Y1 PThen 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. 7 H6 n3 n$ s8 ~' e% Q- c \5 [; ]) L8 J- j/ W
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. 2 p7 T- w7 \: I2 a- g9 O: ?7 H( |4 f7 C1 [: E1 a& v
The third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP. 7 J! B# k$ E& q! L' O1 P; G
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. 5 b, Z0 B, B X7 AI lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. ( H+ F% C- n& F7 a7 N1 K
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20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them. ; Y6 u& C8 p4 M# d, M$ Q3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps. # O1 }: p1 R* f1 y' w$ I
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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. 6 f% e# I' W: N; z; r; T ( T4 m9 J4 V# [8 @' n; xAll this happened in the morning!! 7 G: T. F- Z0 r' {; T3 i+ x" f3 ]: c
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. 5 i# _4 D& [7 \! @
9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost. , g6 p! p$ X$ ?8 V I ' e( l9 O% c' m9 [4 G. T; NThen, 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. # X3 I/ \4 q7 K: S3 n/ v
( x7 v, L0 t2 S# I44 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. * P$ C( C; D! x6 i% }
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. 8 }* t& Y: X( ^- T0 W3 _3 C7 O; R: f ^- f1 ?
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. : O7 [1 S; n1 I* T1 D ! w1 @5 a+ L( S5 \( S% A, ODuring this terrible day, this are the air losses. ' m& r7 }1 b! G6 I
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89 Kate % u# `; g7 p0 t' W60 Val / h9 ]" z* W! w, o/ ?. R3 n
39 Zero 9 o v! H8 x9 q2 @7 a/ }6 O; O & v) ~! u! y9 b! H0 X" Z4 U188 a/c * i p5 c n" t; O $ n! X* ?7 K s+ U) I. f) V . K0 n3 k3 V8 i126 SBD # z* o& w5 j% w- {
61 TBD : v n3 E: ? ?+ Q4 H
19 Albacore ' F+ T, ^7 K) d- K* i M
5 Sea Hurricane # \) |: }. ?0 y, b/ m- M& P21 Fulmar / E( s* N: Y- |8 @2 D* O" j
14 F2A ' y+ N. z8 Y3 P2 j19 F4F-3 ' H2 r; V- u; m0 F8 X; K24 F4F-4 % [1 J% X9 ~% ?, O% _2 d; Q; _5 x# x B. x% L
The damages for my ships are the following: * j* G5 P) f* {9 y" W3 M# x8 w/ f
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CV Formidable 50/69/38 , Q" q ? I0 s
CV Indomitable 35/34/42 % ^7 u4 [5 E2 _: F$ @/ d- g
BB Prince of Wales 35/6/14 2 s( U& Q i b' q& T( eBC Repulse 25/14/10 1 }- m6 Y) K& ?% z4 u) u+ b6 F, ]. Q1 t" F
CV Hornet 58/89/49 j) [6 w& H2 ~# M- J* q, SDD Lamson 64/19/25 8 k& i9 }# @8 a& L p+ \－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－ 6 B" Y; j, v9 z9 B% G+ n" j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。 0 e$ g' N8 `$ B0 I9 C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
