South Pac 0 X& q1 o8 c9 p$ n+ x0 ^4 z1 l6 @) g/ j: A6 X" [
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. 7 \) u, h$ w: C# L" @; ~ 2 w7 H9 A) {! C! `3 zMy planes attacked first. 7 L/ n, a3 t- ~
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! 7 U& f) j* l! E$ `
Another 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. ) Q7 j% x% X, C1 R! Z7 FAh, by the way...No Zero shot down... 5 f" p6 C" k9 ?- e5 M - W4 I; p) G& j0 _% W, j9 ZThe 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. 1 @0 v8 q( S: G2 G# ^. E7 |! Q( [4 x
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. 7 U! }2 R' V. i6 S9 w
CV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. - U9 l' L8 `% b* G+ i, M
! F6 d0 x" Y% \. y4 F+ HThe 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. ; Q3 h- D j: Y+ W
CV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. 3 V3 k4 ~' N- S0 x; G4 V* T% p; C, [* g# B* f" r1 C [$ {
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. 1 k. k- w: {$ s$ e " |+ f# H; X( h/ u+ hIt’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star. , M4 [4 |! a3 @* i. @* ~. H6 b: i- b3 ]" f- ]$ a D
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. ' x, S6 [& e; v, c& ^8 h3 W7 Z! u1 ?3 f* [ q
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. ' R5 a$ h% t$ i; W) v8 A 9 r. {1 b! K. ?# i- U0 M5 rThe third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP. ; F; m; ^; I6 B6 Y" G: ^3 W
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. * x6 T; c, Z1 H [3 h
I lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. 6 \0 o, Q8 Y) H! j3 p6 H8 O2 K( l1 L# }9 F' r e1 h; [8 f( C
20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them. 0 u$ T# g& \/ P& u' v% f( ~
3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps. , ]3 b( U3 B9 t8 y: J( A3 m( @& ~ 5 b% Q3 N" Q; \1 d: v& vFifth 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. 5 b/ q! f2 ^, W) n9 R) s& _6 [/ D' I: w+ ~" D' L3 Z
All this happened in the morning!! 2 G2 C1 h6 y& m# D& Z& X# Q 1 I, Q) b# W* t! n8 ^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. # \1 h8 H8 Q) a" R' }9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost. . k3 j. c$ d. L" l 7 Q, Q; H' H6 l* C' [( z' UThen, 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. - ]% z: `! [% ?; X* g
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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. 6 P: f, o0 Q R$ N3 G
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. ! |+ y5 y0 \& g! N
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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. ( h# n4 b9 ^! w* D7 e
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During this terrible day, this are the air losses. # X; e, c" B k$ d) z/ X
$ p2 I7 Y- z$ M ]" R. L
89 Kate 5 H+ _8 B) o( }: b4 u6 ?
60 Val . `$ R, w3 q1 L! f* u
39 Zero ( b3 O5 p/ E# K! s" ]5 D* q# E7 G. W
188 a/c 7 U5 S$ ?% {7 K) J$ _+ n6 x% P5 Y
A- n/ Z, U- Z' F, Q8 K/ S8 \% O. {$ N
126 SBD # k* k6 j0 D) I/ u% F& [ w61 TBD ; O( a3 ?1 \6 l5 V# W19 Albacore ' u. ^7 ~( n& T$ v2 |# X8 S% V+ D* J, @
5 Sea Hurricane 1 `# `+ {2 ?" C: [' q/ X: j2 M21 Fulmar - U$ o$ {! a2 c: T8 F0 t. M Z14 F2A " K# S Q' W5 W19 F4F-3 9 c9 C5 n" s3 f1 T( S) g24 F4F-4 , [5 a2 g; F$ w$ V
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The damages for my ships are the following: ( U- R' O8 D3 G0 B
2 m6 U/ f& B, K- S8 b# g
CV Formidable 50/69/38 5 C6 s5 p9 _' n* m0 C; c0 x
CV Indomitable 35/34/42 8 r# ^ z4 h0 I* A4 j9 IBB Prince of Wales 35/6/14 " W$ o* l* s9 C
BC Repulse 25/14/10 ! y& L( W; Y! I9 P) y! b% \% y& ~. N" @8 F7 B- x- ?3 f9 }+ l/ S: T3 E
CV Hornet 58/89/49 # k) M! }: f3 c- w
DD Lamson 64/19/25 $ S: O# }( K# t2 K0 \( U
－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－ * \8 m! W: D. R$ s% C8 O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。 , A) S/ K! [ e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
