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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.
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( \* o9 f t ?# Z: r$ d G7 VMy planes attacked first.
1 }/ _7 S. ~. a' _- l: n7 P' xFirst 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! / X) U5 f' P. }; R6 v$ m0 }
Another 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck.
' b4 Q3 | V5 tAh, by the way...No Zero shot down... 7 i8 `4 ~9 @, f$ U# G5 D
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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.
1 i5 z! J, y, E23 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 T0 ]) @5 L* _: k. ^" b
CV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. + v- D7 a# y, e4 }3 Z a
" d5 n U( r3 B. Q% y; CThe 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. . ^ Z+ q) S+ l) m4 {
CV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. : M2 }5 y8 n5 ]2 e9 |; W
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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.
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It’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star. 4 z% S2 L% a- S- m7 w$ H( h
6 Z& J/ u4 s8 l4 z& K& AThen 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.
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' o' u4 n0 d2 Y7 [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.
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* ]; Z& [4 W9 X" oThe third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP. % U& R' }+ r8 Y. o8 o0 z
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.
1 R, x: H+ g: {5 \I lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. : ]" _( b' J2 ~) E
( A, V" D' b/ K# |7 S4 N. T20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them.
% l# c5 x6 [2 x5 n9 }/ H3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps.
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, v& r& ^5 \/ u/ bFifth 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. / t |( h; o& X* M; \
+ `) v" f5 ^/ g1 {& [5 J6 f4 E7 GAll this happened in the morning!!
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6 f: u9 k! `5 n a2 E! AIn 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.
& N. }/ X- s6 ~9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost.
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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. * q( j7 V4 f* G3 U. U0 L
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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. 4 c+ m2 @' E: Z* u2 B
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.
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- W( l1 p" U- G& Q) yBefore 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.
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During this terrible day, this are the air losses. # F# u2 b/ C: J$ G6 ~% e
9 }, k Y! O' L) [/ i: Z% {0 q89 Kate
5 ^+ l* `, ]. |& K" ~2 ]60 Val 5 K2 m6 H7 I$ l4 f* {: E) ]& O
39 Zero
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" ?; f5 A2 `/ L1 W2 w2 }188 a/c " X: N5 ?; e- H0 ? y
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+ g; R) T% a W `7 X% u2 W$ B! E126 SBD
% ?( Q- L/ B, x+ o$ f; E61 TBD
% B7 I$ E; D" U! Q3 F# m19 Albacore
& f9 f! `' D' }+ K7 |- G# E5 Sea Hurricane
& ?+ Z& m! p1 ^9 o) O5 ]$ x* @21 Fulmar
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24 F4F-4
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6 b0 _0 F2 [& b' M3 Q- ]1 z- SThe damages for my ships are the following:
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! f$ f; j* x yCV Formidable 50/69/38
5 u* O; h' c, Y9 f4 G4 m! }CV Indomitable 35/34/42 , Z8 L5 F5 {& v0 ]' e s/ `
BB Prince of Wales 35/6/14 6 U- c$ [, h; ^, O# _+ Y5 s
BC Repulse 25/14/10
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CV Hornet 58/89/49 6 {4 X% M: Y7 \" O# P/ j$ E+ H
DD Lamson 64/19/25 8 G8 G% \/ i/ {3 K9 l
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$ V% k' H* Z8 c/ L# z' M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。' k t: E) S( e U8 l2 U B
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
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