South Pac 7 `! f4 a+ F5 G9 G" q9 B0 z( b% e2 s+ `- [! k. G
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. 1 N" x2 n0 D5 W9 O
$ u1 L. ~, q3 m8 Y3 H0 a& N" }, }My planes attacked first. / S3 g9 [! |0 ~/ c0 A- U3 X
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! * J7 u! ~! c9 `/ q
Another 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. / R1 w9 a$ r9 V S9 O, ~# Q; M
Ah, by the way...No Zero shot down... ! }* N% f: E/ m( P: M9 o
9 E/ A- k3 L& O6 z8 U; r
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. 3 f [9 ?2 c6 O e$ ^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. ) t! h0 y; c+ b v' y' OCV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. / i" u% l2 ]6 |) ]8 F9 `4 I' J
* z2 W# g' P4 f4 y: V8 @8 O0 ]# Z2 i; `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. ; S' ? a& D2 S# u
CV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. ' \- E9 ^6 z5 Q* g5 R1 d" S& u$ a) \% x8 d* j1 F- ]) U w* r
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. # q( G2 b& d! @- ^: ?9 v; V5 t- J) O4 p
It’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star. 5 I) h% s, E$ w5 L/ e2 u 7 M3 i+ `4 C% n* `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. ' v1 e! E/ n; d3 i$ M8 Z; W7 F5 m. S/ N + h; o/ T: _* c" Y7 y$ KThe 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. " R& P3 A4 J. H$ ~& C4 F
* J' b8 m/ `& k8 ~% R- @! Z- F
The third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP. ' N5 f9 Z8 I0 z3 {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. 0 c# q9 T: l8 C( K7 `
I lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. / v& g% u/ c' g5 Q* n8 G7 |7 N
3 N4 c, Z& Y1 n4 R20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them. g r9 M: J3 B7 x7 D! i- }5 g: K" y
3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps. : r1 ?* n! R! P3 o
& k8 }' a/ c7 ]; W3 T
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. " ^! _- h7 m9 R, e9 {
, r; l+ f3 |$ Z$ s! N
All this happened in the morning!! * y6 e4 q2 `4 W9 k9 h. }5 s9 U
5 o/ R% y! ]" l. U# y7 l( wIn 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. $ b$ Y' R: L: r5 p2 Z N4 c* O
9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost. # F) s" a+ [8 h' q7 g 5 u! e4 U0 [: Z" [9 b/ @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. ; \ c1 F( M9 h 3 G& N( s4 P1 H! X, |3 X44 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. $ n4 y) i5 s- N+ |' x
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. ; |6 u1 {& O) L
% C" M h7 ^9 ?& c' q; @
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. & u5 n9 m8 o8 `/ T5 u! p1 i" X7 [; p9 K9 A
During this terrible day, this are the air losses. * L/ g8 W0 i6 |& P+ I) m$ _( h
- Z" C9 ]. M ~2 E+ T8 U+ w89 Kate - v, A% w# U! w% Z s/ }
60 Val ( f9 G5 |6 U( l! G% v& [39 Zero - u* i2 t0 u V. U
4 A3 }/ m6 c$ \# y$ {188 a/c 9 K) m% \ `" U6 @
2 p' u( R7 f+ ] W) c: n3 w' G
, H1 U1 W& G6 e& P
126 SBD + K7 V! o) Q3 ]' {# s! r, f9 v" Z
61 TBD # O4 F" X2 p+ a. ^3 s, N0 V8 ^( h3 }0 Y
19 Albacore " ~3 H: M8 P* v, N4 [7 F% q1 M
5 Sea Hurricane / c& h+ b- k2 C3 z6 M
21 Fulmar 3 f( ?+ \ c* u14 F2A , e( j- y, t; N- _8 j
19 F4F-3 1 m" y. X, e! |0 J
24 F4F-4 $ Z+ Y5 x, p6 z( S8 G 6 |$ k1 Z' m' U- QThe damages for my ships are the following: 5 i+ b2 B0 x4 V5 R% }; c$ Q8 z5 l
; p' Z2 D2 n* L5 W7 K9 J, iCV Formidable 50/69/38 - c! E( _6 H+ fCV Indomitable 35/34/42 1 L3 {3 S2 i, v
BB Prince of Wales 35/6/14 2 y- t3 h) [: o$ d& VBC Repulse 25/14/10 " t% |3 | e. M0 u9 i; U4 z( C- |
$ h* b: _) u4 Z4 T# Z9 O6 g& Z
CV Hornet 58/89/49 8 F4 S5 b5 S' A$ K1 cDD Lamson 64/19/25 ( F u. ^( e8 H: i$ e8 K) |2 E－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－" D. {9 i, M& H9 y
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。 . z2 W( T7 L- [" P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
