South Pac
( V& H$ U0 u7 k. O+ V! \1 r$ H# x K2 N% A* H& J- [. o
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.
: G( g- i- i P6 u+ R* f! G f
g; `2 @+ j6 R2 s" hMy planes attacked first.
/ z+ g; z: c6 x: \) T4 V+ T5 eFirst 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! , c* n4 E0 a1 e4 O
Another 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck. 8 r q# G0 W7 q1 L: [
Ah, by the way...No Zero shot down... 8 m7 h2 `) e/ D
4 F3 Y% e" Q T$ f
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. ! V# b" c! {8 X" B$ x. V* g1 t
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. $ u8 g# v- Q* h F5 }
CV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo.
. T# Z" k# E0 k7 q+ C3 ~* U3 s9 A- V+ k F# q2 l
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. " N! ?9 p0 L% @
CV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. ' ?- k% j, t$ g1 p
: x. D* H, w& Z. |
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. ! K' k% D1 Z# J
; J1 q: s$ s1 g6 j& J
It’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star.
# H$ L# s5 ?/ F/ c) n0 Z4 S7 b
+ b0 U N0 @2 O+ }9 `+ a1 }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. 3 ~6 U) @+ g$ Y3 e, H; ]' a! d" s
" ^ x7 v- c# w( AThe 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 J1 H" ]8 p9 o& v
( P& c" P. @# |" G& X* h. s' i
The third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP. $ g( z5 }( A0 ]; R( P: a5 R
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. 4 W( y; O- _4 r! W4 d
I lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates.
: w5 y3 F+ R" b+ W# b2 p& C3 m3 }; J: Z
20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them.
f0 k3 r6 c: u) [1 H7 ~3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps.
; r- ` v+ _3 J: s( P% }2 l' r: X( a! M% @3 q3 _6 k( C: |( x! m
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.
9 m. E* ]: r, N n v; ?' K) [) K. H
All this happened in the morning!!
, S: a7 E4 M- P" w$ }; f' J+ D9 O3 q J. Z1 @; r7 v" i% L
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. 1 P9 u, u2 d# Y4 {' B/ y/ H; p0 s, U
9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost.
( P$ U+ t v8 y! p/ \" I' ~6 e/ _( P1 O5 u, V' q
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. # }2 R1 I8 I- C+ t
4 G/ B$ E3 |7 _7 R3 m
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. * U4 ~: |0 m8 {
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. & A* ^) K& h5 _
+ O. Y5 d% d( i; l! i( C |
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.
5 Z8 x+ g/ q6 P: A$ }( ~" l x; o# [0 j: ~2 o8 \. H
During this terrible day, this are the air losses.
/ C. V7 H3 o) U+ x h$ w! D$ y4 r3 \7 [
89 Kate & z! }3 ], I* X9 l1 Z
60 Val / N ~# t* ~4 I: {$ N+ E' G4 |6 p
39 Zero * j( |1 m8 l6 ?1 ~; r2 V. Q& h
, u1 b* R- z$ l: W2 E t+ _% \/ N
188 a/c . \+ ^7 `* P: l
( p$ x% \5 P& e- g4 x
8 d, B/ A0 z' Q' Q126 SBD
. @) u/ k; D0 m' H+ D61 TBD # Y4 G- ?2 L' S7 F8 P
19 Albacore 8 ^+ a5 P' t# x1 ~2 Z! {: Q
5 Sea Hurricane / _1 n" ]/ N" @7 a, M$ G
21 Fulmar
3 P" k0 X) m0 E0 j5 ~14 F2A
$ [* O2 b. E" G; \7 p' j! _19 F4F-3 5 {9 O- e% Z7 S/ {4 H) {
24 F4F-4 + O9 H8 h& a0 d# K. l* i
, Y, K1 X( s$ b! Q7 `The damages for my ships are the following: 8 Y$ \2 y; V- B
- r2 X% K" `% Y& O! H6 BCV Formidable 50/69/38 # d) ~: ]8 B) _2 I
CV Indomitable 35/34/42
9 ]; I! B2 Z( j; I+ D+ pBB Prince of Wales 35/6/14
, M# f2 C+ x7 TBC Repulse 25/14/10
. z0 F o+ i& l! k. J
' o) f/ c8 l- E K$ O' zCV Hornet 58/89/49
: z' o0 f2 G+ ^9 i1 uDD Lamson 64/19/25 ' q( ?9 p6 d! z/ E6 q" B& s
－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－
& A" {/ R' L/ ?/ }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。( r; l/ c, F3 d4 @4 J, G
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
| 
