; f% [% E1 g0 e. ^) R+ ]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. ?; f; H9 z$ [: P& o
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My planes attacked first. 0 @+ I- ^/ a1 k9 s" [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! , f2 Z% z8 k' y: w- u5 b7 TAnother 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. # \% R, |: X8 ]9 O: R: @, f
Ah, by the way...No Zero shot down... " l7 c' ~# ]% |8 u2 K7 w9 X' D/ d
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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. 8 `0 y% N2 J; K3 O7 z! ~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. # i d. ?& k+ p+ d" ~' I' RCV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. ( ~* r, [! C5 `5 A$ j5 G" y; d7 ?* s d
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. 5 \# z/ c, k& Y% U) H. ]& eCV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. % ^, j7 X0 P, e0 a
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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. 1 L: {! P: d) a) R# _
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It’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star. " g7 d& f- Z! I4 E5 W
3 w4 u, d7 }9 L: Q, _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. / G5 x- D- F2 V/ Y7 P1 p. ?8 a) @2 e
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. ! V2 t: p% M; e4 e) ~& Q0 M 1 c% X M" U. s% NThe third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP. ; L6 _" H7 |# }: M+ VCV 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. - P( ~1 Q4 P7 i. D
I lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. # w ]$ j& X! \8 ?8 w, C9 J8 q/ x/ l5 `+ a+ h* E% h
20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them. ' _5 g! M9 x, i+ g3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps. 0 q6 G3 w9 f3 U8 A* T% K4 P8 b 3 P# N- [+ \2 N! S+ ^2 ^3 v, EFifth 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. # W5 O5 p6 N# v Z
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All this happened in the morning!! . i! r" G0 C0 T$ W; z$ n B* G0 y" K0 r7 h6 i# F. E! CIn 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. # b0 n+ I% V7 c7 q9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost. - j$ k; y. n! S* g2 M. k
' U; W7 X. P- `" b8 r6 ~& jThen, 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. ) j2 c( [% Y3 S! Q * F8 u$ `! A! b3 m4 v44 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 l7 @* T6 C- l* T
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. 9 {& Y3 \. g7 K2 h$ n+ ^! b: U 7 y; g; ` c7 M" HBefore 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. + c2 e: f3 f! I$ H" Z* `7 w ; Q, i+ f7 r) k* b, x: z+ zDuring this terrible day, this are the air losses. & l& I: A i9 {; D
- F3 Q* H7 w/ N0 F89 Kate * ^9 \3 \$ q- R G* G
60 Val H. y8 J$ ]6 L3 w! P
39 Zero - e6 {3 R5 ]+ }) O& `
$ L! v) c; K9 ]3 \$ L188 a/c + B& ]+ o; z+ O6 S& Z% q5 ~7 _: T% n, A
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126 SBD ( m: m5 Z5 e1 o9 ^61 TBD V, O) P5 T$ y, y: S19 Albacore 8 Y, l- t% M( |* J |5 Sea Hurricane 3 y: r' E% n. J/ ?* h6 d1 [% E6 s21 Fulmar * W" g# `" I6 r0 @- H14 F2A 4 Q% x& M8 f( I$ O; c+ [, S
19 F4F-3 6 z1 ?5 D2 T1 v( M# |) x24 F4F-4 / U2 t; U! I$ g+ s7 h: t# \9 W6 Y# O! Q$ y
The damages for my ships are the following: / w N' a( |4 l' l8 N3 e
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CV Formidable 50/69/38 , J0 K/ H* ~/ O/ N. J2 c8 w
CV Indomitable 35/34/42 % `; m& w6 m" ]' u4 m
BB Prince of Wales 35/6/14 / B( W$ P A& s* ?BC Repulse 25/14/10 1 V% j7 c, F& q; r: D2 k; L& H4 @ $ P+ P! \% W9 ?+ n6 g B6 OCV Hornet 58/89/49 2 f3 r$ F* J8 j- p+ u
DD Lamson 64/19/25 0 A# c3 ?9 ~. ~! c8 o: i% K! S－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－1 s! e. n/ L7 r4 f& K$ |
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。 ; D0 G# j+ w( S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
