South Pac / T" U+ [% z6 G% \, p7 B# X# ]$ y: a; o7 u
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. . b' l. `1 I( c; o: ^2 K X# W; v# h6 y: r" o$ ]) J
My planes attacked first. 2 G( y& X! y* l3 k0 I: e
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! + {6 f9 y4 T7 R& U
Another 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. 0 e- I$ C# X' n. e2 X4 x# FAh, by the way...No Zero shot down... 2 f: ^/ S! e& [, }. ]- }+ {" z9 n4 t
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. ! \0 W! D6 Q9 k0 q
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. % q @0 [3 V2 a( l8 J( KCV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. ' b, F/ J4 _# \6 ?* P
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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. 3 @( W N1 _- L
CV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. 4 k _ U! l( c% h4 _) f9 P, {! i0 r5 V
2 r: X- N# L$ S- y, w0 A" f& qThere 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. + l. R0 f- g' \' n! D/ G$ }: Y$ G7 u- h- {. E
It’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star. 6 [. o$ X+ V) O7 a4 A f% o0 I) q 7 k) B) ]) g1 L2 j8 }6 H1 WThen 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. & A+ o/ D# C) f- ]: U7 F6 Y+ s . j/ c: F, H9 Z- eThe 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( x. K% F* M0 ]' S2 I
$ U- X& q3 c1 a4 N t1 T2 X$ ~' }The third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP. ( x& k1 A# V8 ~/ k- y: m. NCV 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. # q, j+ Y4 [9 K3 G8 V5 D
I lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. , J; H+ i+ }9 \; h& ^+ e0 u 1 e0 e& R$ S8 e! C20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them. $ q$ C; Y8 p* h$ o3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps. , e( a( V0 l1 H6 Z# A! d* ?' E7 t * V3 a- n$ m5 u" v! l) RFifth 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. 3 b4 m" ?/ R( l$ j X
N: T) z1 f, u6 ^All this happened in the morning!! " `0 ?" r4 s# |
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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. ' u7 G; ?3 O2 P2 n9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost. z& X8 x: f& Q* |& y
" m! g& x4 h+ N+ t7 D XThen, 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. * _1 d/ v2 c$ ]( a! ?, A8 K6 U
7 ?+ Z. W' J, I U( g3 k44 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. - _) f/ O* A7 ~' ]
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. : I! w9 y, j, n8 c( g' {# `2 T, l) m( D
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. 2 O0 k0 r+ y! c3 W6 V
6 C% S/ j n# ^8 _$ SDuring this terrible day, this are the air losses. % Z4 R8 |1 j4 u6 C6 x$ K . _6 ^# B6 }$ C9 B89 Kate 2 D2 e+ _( r' r6 J: ^
60 Val : n+ B. o1 N) I$ N( o5 F. G6 R
39 Zero - ]: ?8 A8 m3 `% n0 ]- X
2 s; p) f8 h5 J& i5 j0 A& E4 v& _188 a/c / E! q( }) j* ?3 Y # w5 M; @2 N' T* L$ ]0 o& W3 ?8 F- s2 d; I
126 SBD 5 Y# O+ I1 H! F, M) `4 G. g
61 TBD ( J2 S+ a& x' g0 b19 Albacore / ]. S l4 p. q' K2 z( M6 V% e) x+ h5 Sea Hurricane - y2 v5 r$ V- W
21 Fulmar 2 Z. M3 j) n e' @14 F2A " z6 \2 R: M$ X; g9 B, ? O, T3 G19 F4F-3 + F" ^" }9 W" [: ]24 F4F-4 8 }* M" y f+ J
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The damages for my ships are the following: 8 v) H& u) ]' ? x
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CV Formidable 50/69/38 1 Y* k# d$ }! ^& N2 _6 x3 I
CV Indomitable 35/34/42 + I$ m$ U- f8 l9 P( K/ UBB Prince of Wales 35/6/14 ; Y4 K4 l. h1 a8 z7 r; e# K
BC Repulse 25/14/10 6 ?0 Y4 b4 x+ p
* l% ~/ s: l8 \8 I3 F+ s2 uCV Hornet 58/89/49 $ f! P4 i; {9 V8 ^- `& X
DD Lamson 64/19/25 D5 i! p3 f' l0 k. f－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－ $ X: B- v% K |7 ]. f( }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。 / o# u V- J c8 o- Q# f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
