South Pac
0 r* g$ s8 J9 w) ]) V( l0 l$ L& H* O9 l! E4 \) @% D6 n! T
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. % {6 M! w0 B& U, `; d9 c
( J; ?6 z( G% [. BMy planes attacked first. 1 J* {* d8 A8 q+ B! 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! , Q3 |- R" b! P! W8 X; e) x# [
Another 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck.
+ s& T( r& y6 RAh, by the way...No Zero shot down...
1 J8 Q. I& o4 \' t# U% k% b' v; w. x! K1 ?6 A% v
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.
1 [% _8 C' Y( d- ^ B23 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.
6 L1 t6 z- P0 d B) Y) x% V+ C* |CV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. 7 B: o1 f- H' B" a" T( v$ \
4 i: J2 U) E* ~0 n, S, O& qThe 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. / I0 g8 P+ J- i4 `7 G- Z2 w0 S
CV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each.
$ A$ k% ]4 l9 \9 r O+ R; ^8 H
. q& F8 K+ S, j: K* S9 aThere 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. - R, _, j* H* r" Z- [
4 T) ]" e! s2 N$ `: Y6 ^It’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star.
2 c. p# I) L# L1 n/ J
; P$ D! z$ [- x8 J, C8 b# S7 h" hThen 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.
5 n) P e, r) R; ]7 m: W+ n u/ t4 Y/ a! W0 |9 ] p
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.
. N; Y7 R) {+ Q6 I+ S0 Z5 J. P) {3 o7 R2 h/ o& E/ i/ @2 {
The third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP.
+ t' \: Z: @/ ~8 wCV 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.
9 S3 p. m7 W- r" ?I lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. - C( W9 M+ ?2 W) p. M
' _4 j$ T; U9 Y
20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them. $ H) ]" O: Q m( a
3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps.
0 Z& b; O6 D3 i' C
# p. S: ?8 E- W8 P# [7 CFifth 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.
$ Z+ o6 i) L2 N( j
( q* j4 N0 I, U1 C) f4 D( WAll this happened in the morning!! 3 X' D" v) C/ ]" g0 i
" ^2 o# e* A1 x: N# g' G& k& W
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.
$ `0 G/ f/ V. D2 u$ |( o9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost.
1 i {6 h0 a- w4 d( R( |
4 f, E' B3 f5 uThen, 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.
& j+ O( n/ W8 Z0 l/ Q+ O$ m8 e. F1 Q" j' Q, u4 B1 G Z( V
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. 6 E) i% d. I/ E2 G$ b9 z: I, ? e
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.
8 k% Z' |" a0 W" f
' e- C/ Y: |0 o0 tBefore 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. 5 v c+ J& a' @5 h
9 i! ?# V- r! F" x; q2 I% Z
During this terrible day, this are the air losses. 8 R: C4 b O' @" y: p" [( n
2 d( ]1 X/ f7 ?9 Q- b: O
89 Kate
; N8 t/ L4 Y. d4 s60 Val C8 d h- E& i/ t+ ~
39 Zero 9 s7 p; i0 k- \, F' L
! O$ N( c: z! X8 [- a5 @( U188 a/c
" w8 L0 q- ]& {8 i9 ]- }3 M
! x8 r1 u8 x% X, `. `4 d6 L E4 @4 Z3 X( j! L3 F
126 SBD
# ~6 U: {% O6 E7 u5 C% R& k! g61 TBD
# X% a( r3 S5 M) F! I. l19 Albacore
7 _+ ^; p2 R" y0 F: y5 Sea Hurricane . O- v! U& w$ W& P' Y
21 Fulmar ) }' c( b. M# L7 C6 ]
14 F2A
. ~* h0 C6 p8 w0 n J" j19 F4F-3 ' N' ~$ I: S/ Z- L
24 F4F-4 9 W/ b; C; R* N
O" P' |. A# c9 t" M$ Y; JThe damages for my ships are the following: % p+ t% D- V4 F& b6 z
7 t) ?! X5 V9 o1 _; v& k5 T, s) DCV Formidable 50/69/38 " E1 N5 V+ ?4 y1 s8 P6 G
CV Indomitable 35/34/42 : Z* ~: r1 C( v' }
BB Prince of Wales 35/6/14 - z2 u. R: y* y6 `& x3 g. W
BC Repulse 25/14/10 . y. p/ o' |! Y$ u
9 H. a7 U! [) ^; F- y- O
CV Hornet 58/89/49 8 ]8 @' ?: E* P6 R, V% W
DD Lamson 64/19/25
( W+ w4 v* `' i$ b: s1 c; I. Q9 F－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－! o& j) g4 y) J1 Z
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。. a: ^4 J/ S4 r
从战果上看，盟军的结果比我想象的好不少。而且还混编CV. |
发表于 2007-8-29 11:42
| 
