0 G; w- V- }: EEarly 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. " ^ \ g* b, l1 d6 R: e# c$ F6 k3 ^ n7 {' l* Y# q( g
My planes attacked first. 2 L8 t5 A. `7 i6 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! - T6 k1 m4 g5 d7 q) n" SAnother 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. ) f! W# N0 @- ^8 m, R1 p8 Z
Ah, by the way...No Zero shot down... " z9 m; a, i; X; Q& }6 Q, u& N' R& E! m4 r* R8 v S+ R4 {
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. 9 C* U7 e1 K5 j) }' ?# O" Q23 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. 8 O9 b. F. v8 n g3 MCV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. 8 j9 D( z, Y% }8 d! g' i; w j9 x* G3 u2 b3 u. Q
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. 2 Q: @/ [; o' ]9 NCV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. * {2 c6 j" |, l. s7 X' H
; k8 e( N5 O4 S7 Z# J; ?1 ?/ nThere 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. : E$ w3 h2 r. z
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It’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star. 6 R+ k* [- c! |# E
3 Z7 x+ Y& k3 OThen 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. , `: N9 \8 }; P" v6 Z2 s# X
" k% _. P @! o6 I# Z0 `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. 4 V/ j7 I; F" G' O4 i& F* f. W. n# Z
) I# s( Y, r; k$ jThe third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP. # Z2 ]& t: Z8 k+ ~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. % H8 I7 Q! V7 iI lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. # V3 t' n" t K) O& |' r( C! @
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20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them. ' v( Q$ e7 Z4 ~: d- {6 b4 }3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps. - F# a) a) C; k1 D: j+ ?
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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/ J* m9 S$ B4 l1 G0 E) _$ o
All this happened in the morning!! 4 z" X% O- C" g0 D" U) z0 | " `; E$ N, V/ C9 x8 r( H' EIn 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. + |' i4 [3 X7 x9 Q( P9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost. ! B8 l, r- T' _( [" {0 e6 u* I
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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. ) N" C/ p/ J0 p3 z0 t$ z* }' O% ?4 A+ T, G
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. & Q# ~* D z* e$ m* X9 |! k
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. . H5 S, O( F" W1 e: v- Z) U( F) s+ t& [
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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. 1 o" o& ~4 K$ _9 x4 ^& y: N/ i% F+ ]1 o+ G
During this terrible day, this are the air losses. 5 o% \" ] ?! ` % `- w$ X' C* d# F# v89 Kate ~. b2 Y, R. H! E
60 Val * \) x$ o' T0 ?' _! y$ q+ ]
39 Zero ! D8 O+ C1 t; g( x ^2 I
