Lowpe
Posts: 22133
Joined: 2/25/2013 Status: offline
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Went back and re-read some of Spidery vs Mr.Kane. It is grim reading. July the CV clash occurs just prior to the invasion. Plenty of warning for Spidery, but he never spots troop transports. The fight was a meeting engagement, were the Japanese had tactical surprise pretty much. Spidery knew there was enemy carriers there...and Mr. Kane did not. Weather plays a part in the battle (severe storms for the Allies and clear sky over the Japanese), and as I remembered Spidery used A6M5 as escorts and A6M5c as CAP. One of the final strikes...we don't see warning time; we don't see patrol height; and we don't see scrambling, but it sure seems that the CAP should have performed better. Japanese aircraft A6M5 Zero x 18 A6M5c Zero x 116 Allied aircraft F6F-3 Hellcat x 54 SB2C-1C Helldiver x 31 SBD-3 Dauntless x 62 TBF-1 Avenger x 54 Japanese aircraft losses A6M5 Zero: 1 destroyed A6M5c Zero: 3 destroyed Allied aircraft losses F6F-3 Hellcat: 2 destroyed SB2C-1C Helldiver: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged SBD-3 Dauntless: 9 destroyed TBF-1 Avenger: 9 destroyed, 3 damaged Japanese Ships CV Hiyo, Bomb hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage CV Kaga, Bomb hits 1 CV Junyo, Bomb hits 7, Torpedo hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage CVL Ryujo, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage BB Kongo, Bomb hits 5, on fire CVL Shoho, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage CLAA Tenryu
< Message edited by Lowpe -- 2/24/2017 9:17:16 PM >
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