South Pac ( C7 }0 \$ k( y, Q+ E
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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. : O) k3 E9 \/ F# R8 f) T
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My planes attacked first. ' @& R% L( B9 i. h. }3 J
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! 1 Z' D/ ^+ X0 M2 [9 T' ~( n* m
Another 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. 8 ^+ L/ q9 V6 ?% L0 ^3 m
Ah, by the way...No Zero shot down... ; W% O, e9 w" M7 Y
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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. : M( h, d$ w2 f+ I2 s [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. 3 _( h- x1 ^9 E+ b% G" [
CV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. / B9 X2 d! n. @) E % j* \* C8 G% T; ZThe 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. 8 w+ o, a- [5 c* ~- ~8 FCV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. . U3 P1 A1 ~$ a- I! g. [
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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. + k+ P [7 O; Q : c3 o; L U) O# D: iIt’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star. $ y! R7 y' B9 Y, F9 D) N3 a
4 h2 T* R7 \/ l% a" x9 b: ZThen 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. ; p( T/ R2 @; }; g+ l $ ]. y/ W- x' gThe 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. $ D! m3 K* v/ M0 D; W0 I
) W* N' g+ ?8 W& ]; f' CThe third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP. ( H( q3 o7 K: n
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. " w: \' F% P" c* \$ T" y; mI lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. % D( T1 y/ l; j; g2 s5 ]* k : ?9 j- f# v- }. W3 m( h20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them. 2 L1 ~$ a' _8 Z8 Q8 j
3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps. 9 {( N& U) I) \0 i; m4 E7 E. e5 W
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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. # i. a: g& f- B
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All this happened in the morning!! & j% n$ s; c' D6 [( A/ { 8 k3 k+ b" Q* D% v7 ~) VIn 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. / V" B/ Y( L% z( c5 z0 ^
9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost. 1 h& a* n8 K% B9 `
8 h* T* g7 a9 [+ ?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. ; l/ {: U( S3 C( c3 J7 j& {' _2 ]9 w
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. 2 m2 v2 C6 G, [- b8 I5 r
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. 2 ~. O, w/ }0 {* T0 ?1 L
2 l3 {/ m7 C* o; T! 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. F+ q* q$ f% u
: i8 @% p' O! Z7 s. n) q G# NDuring this terrible day, this are the air losses. ( [+ `2 M) g" B9 |3 C2 G6 n
' }( ^' R, k l3 |+ _# X$ A6 f4 ~$ \, s89 Kate 5 E7 p4 B: K- Q! u2 ^" i
60 Val 4 P& E# f) s5 M% k
39 Zero 6 b1 K: g8 U3 _
