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6 q4 J5 H0 e, _% 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. ; ^. T( P7 _0 Z6 J `( f- H
2 j1 J, N3 O% f7 B+ X" t: a: UMy planes attacked first. 5 | {) z' r: P, N" z, B
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!
`& r# }) x$ p- W2 g! y3 ZAnother 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. / _& Z$ q( v" r: M- b7 z% x
Ah, by the way...No Zero shot down...
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+ { b) ^2 U+ {) @, R: zThe 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.
% h8 P# L6 K& X# E9 N23 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.
1 g8 P6 y0 }/ j4 ECV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo. & E) C5 B |- i, {$ x
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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.
, Y( e% A# ~/ e3 A( u1 ], c( xCV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each.
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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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" w# z: I. a3 G6 }1 BIt’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star. ; ?0 r# O% Z2 }9 G
a6 b) ~- W/ A! t/ O: GThen 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. ; g; k: d- h& ~. f! _
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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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# e2 e( V; Q/ ~! H9 b9 K# K/ vThe third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP.
* g! _. \9 B' m) }7 u3 xCV 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.
, p: ?" g1 P5 Z& c7 A7 iI lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates.
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20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them. " }( x. I; |4 Q/ z6 U) d
3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps.
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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.
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All this happened in the morning!! * a8 I3 G3 ]2 N( k2 Q( q
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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. $ \ c1 P5 b1 @2 n$ M
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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4 ?1 D% A( E6 v [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.
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! C1 U- h& d, A8 O) x6 H7 ` t/ T44 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/ _& _- z0 A4 l) YCV 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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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. / h4 Q& L P k3 [& l8 S
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During this terrible day, this are the air losses.
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# L* ]" X+ R) }' P' Z" ]' m) V89 Kate 3 \8 p2 M0 Z8 T8 z. O. W- x, ]
60 Val ! I( K7 |3 G1 M' `
39 Zero / E* ^0 _! O% x' B9 z
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188 a/c ; U, T! m- B4 R( T7 o
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126 SBD
, k& Q6 C2 U; ]$ X# \" p" K7 t61 TBD 0 h% b, B! G" G" a* @. d
19 Albacore - _* g8 v7 O# h2 d
5 Sea Hurricane 1 F' [; U. J+ w; J. u3 k( J
21 Fulmar ; X( k! t8 x6 o! Q! G/ ]9 R
14 F2A ) ]6 n% Q! r1 _! ?2 Q; J0 [2 K8 y
19 F4F-3 % z/ r! H% k+ ]; C( D3 O. B
24 F4F-4 0 T% L5 l) a# L* `+ v% [9 v* ^
9 p+ \6 r8 y# Q2 X5 e; y' ZThe damages for my ships are the following:
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CV Formidable 50/69/38 ( M& O) p) V( H9 L! t2 I
CV Indomitable 35/34/42 ' W5 y, X( C c2 j- d" V
BB Prince of Wales 35/6/14 " B e" n4 m9 |, _$ m
BC Repulse 25/14/10 ( m: n' A4 H2 a3 w" }9 l$ [9 S/ |9 I
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CV Hornet 58/89/49
+ C3 }: x1 y8 s/ v7 tDD Lamson 64/19/25
. ]8 R7 J2 E5 R－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－, x$ ] r# r' \/ L* X- K
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。
2 S' w' E$ n/ l& D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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