) O, \* T1 k& YEarly 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. ) a- K% }9 U7 \! l- F; i% i: F
4 x0 x( T# E- [7 UMy planes attacked first. & _- q3 @* D" {" VFirst 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! * C" h& S7 B* f0 \3 S. d+ I; I& tAnother 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. 5 A! {: e* c6 u0 c; L2 B/ w G& vAh, by the way...No Zero shot down... : F* M3 n7 }. D* P Q# ], b
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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. + Z1 Q, U; g' f7 @5 C! P2 x W$ t- J
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. 5 u( m; p, n0 Y9 M6 d! Z
CV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. ) A' X/ M6 ]- n# ~) ` ' e3 z+ |' b; |1 m4 DThe 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. * p; m, M+ y3 f0 v5 yCV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. 4 g7 H' z& E( w2 e! c& S2 u4 K! K& y7 X2 \% G q
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. ; @" Y% G+ L( Y
+ c) _: P+ H8 n: CIt’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star. ; l# i) @8 y) `" R$ W" F, ^ % Z- g f( |* [* j* S9 `6 [0 UThen 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. 1 ?" N/ }8 h% C8 }& b' G - M& M# E; t& d7 dThe 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. # b) [) }2 h& u0 ?' h & v& }- L0 O) ^% `8 F- t& AThe third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP. , w+ K A. Z p5 ^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. ( }! M) g9 U* ?6 y' ]3 z5 ^I lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. 3 q ? W4 z9 N0 k V
! D. P1 Q. ~1 y: U20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them. l9 l0 Q+ a: s% O4 x$ F9 S3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps. 4 ~6 p8 d: ?" ^3 p$ `# J g' ? & {9 Y& S a. e0 kFifth 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. $ Y1 O* R" ?6 @8 C . k" }9 W; a# Z1 H1 JAll this happened in the morning!! ]8 D7 b. j4 l4 s4 a( S" A
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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 f _1 s. g) S' c( p3 V9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost. - n2 V1 T% h9 j' k7 r
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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. t: ^) }" E8 G4 s$ X* F
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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. 3 T' O, w6 @5 `( S( Q/ gCV 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. z9 p7 c4 A0 t o
T* v0 z! Q% YBefore 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. : d- E' b/ Q/ f1 w! F! v! _3 ^/ |
0 R6 F* L0 c% WDuring this terrible day, this are the air losses. ! F0 M# X" }4 o
# I" |# Y( e! ~& k89 Kate 0 N5 b9 _3 ~8 a& D i
60 Val / Y0 I) H1 f) |# g/ Z- z5 |' _39 Zero 6 y6 {/ L4 y R- W( {2 a+ j, {
