South Pac
: p: w& u( L: O: U) l' G; t- j5 a6 s. N. V' X, U' s& S" Q# x( ^
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% [3 R/ E9 t2 q# b
- `7 }& F7 S% S3 c) AMy planes attacked first. ( v2 ~! C8 k* }: ^& [% v; |$ Z" q6 x
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! 7 K7 e2 E9 x7 `! X+ Q* u1 l# H3 m
Another 1000 lbs-bomb hit CV Soryu and exploded beneath the deck.
e6 F! f/ V2 @) G( h1 ^6 VAh, by the way...No Zero shot down...
8 v9 s4 J" T* d- J7 i7 ~2 u3 k6 j- \
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.
+ a l) `2 E ~4 S; `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.
2 R) h' Y" a# s" MCV Shokaku received 11 bombs, while CV Zuikaku received 9 bombs and 1 torpedo.
7 n/ M1 }, S( [; A% `
& |4 k0 W0 P t. H7 I# i1 ], _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. 0 _! v! a' v8 X" U* q! {
CV Shokaku received 4 more bombs, CV Zuikaku 2 bombs, while CA Aoba and Kinugasa have been hit by 1 bomb each. + F2 d" m2 X% |2 ~2 ]3 s
* s( |' N* [/ T+ i, A! _4 u7 fThere 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. 9 @7 W8 K$ }1 O' A
$ N( p I$ m. k; C: c- S
It’s obvious that Chuck divided KB in at least 2 TFs. This decision saved the death star.
) A9 X+ [/ K) R+ x! ]5 P! x" {8 ~2 |3 i+ `7 r
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. 2 |! `3 F x5 q/ a ` T- @
8 e0 G$ t0 t. m
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. 1 e4 W d. i3 V% k
8 v9 [- \$ _9 L# X
The third massive wave, composed by 61 Val, 78 Kate and 37 Zero, easily escaped from my 81 fighters on CAP. 0 e" v0 |- u1 q' ^7 T
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. ) g9 Q5 \) i1 @; @5 r- O( l
I lost 15 fighters, while japs lost 10 Zeros, 6 Vals and 9 Kates. ! ^0 W& C) ], L: }/ G+ J
4 l" y& N' G2 s# G2 ~, z20 Kate and 6 Zero formed the fourth wave. 65 fighters were on CAP, but were unable to stop them.
4 U4 R8 i! G4 B% V6 J3 Kate and 6 of my fighters shot down. CV Enterprise took 2 more torps.
" c$ ^8 Y8 }, _' m# h1 q' r% A/ A0 \' B/ O4 V" j6 B. G$ v
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.
8 S% ]5 g; p" v
6 G9 n# [1 A! i9 gAll this happened in the morning!!
' l: a7 R: z8 h/ W" S/ C$ I! E+ n0 A+ `8 V( r
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. 8 O } B, m( @/ k. L, o/ a
9 SBD and 2 TBD tried the same, and a SBD scored 1 1000 lbs – bomb on Akagi. 2 SBD and 1 TBD lost. % K2 w4 Y5 y+ O1 S# c7 z
2 N1 r% t- Y8 o; t3 Q5 rThen, 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. * U7 i; ~( J. v: x2 u
" s: E5 ]+ Z- q5 A) S- v+ O5 ^3 ^# f
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.
# r& b5 O+ n9 K6 M3 pCV 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.
5 U J* \; q7 a2 h9 e$ \3 W; I
) F4 r* E! m, W( JBefore 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. 6 `! z, g$ n, @6 e$ F
8 h. |7 z7 k: `9 [3 @During this terrible day, this are the air losses. ) j7 x8 z4 n, j9 [1 M- h7 p7 I
4 p! l' `3 u7 K( ]7 B2 H$ k" H: ]89 Kate # R8 \! p+ ]* Y a$ j
60 Val - w: | n# d5 g2 }! V
39 Zero & C* w' S% L; Z+ e6 C; h
- f* t, K' u) K5 D& l" i4 T V188 a/c
, V8 N ~: m! W% y$ Y# [) ]5 t; ]9 C7 ]( z2 P% J( [ a! h2 \
3 R+ E6 Y. b" t6 T7 l ?# C+ P
126 SBD
& l5 w3 T2 L: i61 TBD
3 }; n& P1 R0 i19 Albacore ; O- W/ Y9 e6 x. [. |6 U& V# r' G
5 Sea Hurricane 0 m- `1 k! {0 ]0 q0 U8 Q
21 Fulmar
; r8 q% V4 x' z! q" m14 F2A
# {- I$ L; h' U8 r19 F4F-3
# T" j! K2 u5 F$ s24 F4F-4 ! ~& L2 h' t$ B- \5 p* @
; V5 A9 @2 y% NThe damages for my ships are the following: . @$ G3 S) I1 ~' x% Z, \; O
8 E0 U5 A1 f0 w* B/ f. \
CV Formidable 50/69/38 0 r- a5 j% P6 y, Y" H
CV Indomitable 35/34/42 " ~6 H- z7 H' G g0 i
BB Prince of Wales 35/6/14 4 K9 r/ u& T I7 o
BC Repulse 25/14/10
5 [1 S% K* w- u2 ~1 [! L
$ P9 ]; ^# i6 ?: y" x" N6 wCV Hornet 58/89/49
( F/ g) E! G7 M m$ R BDD Lamson 64/19/25
( J/ k+ h" D3 I# {－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－5 U/ s% B0 k0 {( L& j
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。
( p f; H/ U, {: R8 ]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
| 
