Fletcher
Posts: 3386
Joined: 10/26/2006 From: Jerez, Spain, EU Status: offline
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FROM: VADM. CHUICHI NAGUMO. 1ST AIR FLEET CINC. ABOARD HIJMS KAGA. TO: ADM. ISOROKU YAMAMOTO, COMBINED FLEET ADVANCED HEADQUARTER AT MUNDA. SUBJECT: ANOTHER TSUSHIMA ! DATE: OCTOBER 8TH, 1942 Today will be remembered like the Second Tsushima Day for the Empire !. Enemy have committed a big mistake looking forward us into our LBA range. Three carriers have been sunk with a fourth damaged. WE only lost a escort carrier (TAIYO) from the "Bait Force". Reporting waves over enemy fleet: - 1st Wave with 49 A6M2 and 19 A6M3 escorted 25 G4M1 from 11st Air Fleet to strike enemy. 52 F4F4 and 10 P40E were on CAP over the enemy ships. 1 A6M2, 3 A6M3 and 2 G4M1 were downed with 1 F4F4 destroyed too. CV YORKTOWN was hit two times by our torpedoes. Our pilots reported heavily damaged and listing to starboard. - 2nd Wave with 49 A6M2 and 34 G4M1 from 11st Air Fleet at Munda launched our second punch with 28 F4F4 and 10 P-40E on CAP over enemy carriers. 4 A6M2 and 2 F4F4 were downed. NO hits were reported over CV SARATOGA, CV ENTERPRISE, CV YORKTOWN and BB NORTH CAROLINA. - 3rd Wave with 23 A6M2, 12 D3A2 and 6 B5N2, all from 11st Air Fleet. 11 F4F4 and 2 P40E were on CAP. 2 A6M2 and 4 D3A2 were downed by enemy. CA NORTHAMPTOM struck by 1 bomb hit and CA CHESTER struck by another two bombs. - 4th Wave (STriking Group from 1st Air Fleet) with 67 A6M2 escorting 68 B5N2 (torpedo armed). The face with 4 F4F4 and 1 P40E. 1 B5N2, 1 P40E and 3 F4F4 were downed. CV YORTOWN was sunk after 4 torpedo hits. CV ENTERPRISE was hit by 3 torpedoes, heavily damaged. CV SARATOGA was reported hit by another torpedo. CL NASHVILLE 2 torpedo hits, CA NASHVILLE, 2 torpedo hits. - 5th Wave (loose contact with main strike group): 26 A6M2 and 3 B5N2 intercepted by a lonely F4F4. 1 B5n2 and 1 F4F4 downed. NO hits reported over enemy ships. - 6th Wave with 30 A6M2 escorting another 18 B5N2 (from Light Carriers...they have been aclamed like the "Greats"). CV SARATOGA, 2 torpedo hits. CV ENTERPRISE, 2 torpedo hits and reported SUNK. CL CONCORD, 1 torpedo hit. CLAA ATLANTA, 1 torpedo hit. - 7th Wave with 18 A6M2 escorting 4 B5N2 (loose contact with main group). 1 B5N2 downed. No hits. - 8th Wave with 16 A6M3, 5 A6M2 and 29 G4M1 from 11st Air Fleet at Munda, were intercepted over enemy ships by 4 F4F4 on CAP. CV WASP, 1 bomb hit. - 9th Wave with 58 A6M2 escorting the second main striking group from Combined Fleet 1st Air Fleet. 3 F4F4 were on CAP over ships. 1 A6m2, 1 B5N2 and 2 F4F4 were downed. CV WASP 4 torpedo hits, reported SUNK. CA SALT LAKE CITY, 3 torpedo hits. CA PENSACOLA, 3 torpedo hits, reported sunk too. and CLAA SAN DIEGO, 3 torpedo hits. - 10th Wave with 9 A6M2 escorting 21 B5N2 reported two torpedo hits on CA SALT LAKE CITY, sunk. Total of 740 air sorties over enemy ships, with CV YORKTOWN, CV WASP, CV ENTERPRISE REPORTED SUNK, and CV SARATOGA heavily damaged after three torpedo hits. 05 ENEMY CRUISERS were sunk too. An amazing victory to be remembered!. Eternal Glory for the fallen heroes with. Enemy launched two strikes against the "Bait Force" (OZAWA): 1st: 44 F4F4 escorted 45 TBF and 97 SBD-3. 2 A6M2 and 2 Ki-44 were on CAP (planned more than 50!!). 1 A6M2 was downed. CVE TAIYO was sunk after 5 bomb hits. CS CHIYODA was sunk after 6 bomb hits. Our Battleships were struck by several bombs but only light damages were reported (BB FUSO, 6 bombs and BB YAMASHIRO, 5 bombs, both with 12-14 system damages. 03 transports were damaged by enemy bombs, but they are near to empty and only 180 ground casualties were reported. 2nd: 13 TBF and 20 SBD unescorted attacked Lunga Point. 38 A6M2 were on CAP with 8 IJAAF fighters. 7 enemy planes were downed by our fighters (?). Escort KUNASHIRI was sunk with 2 transport damaged by enemy bombs (both with one hit). An enemy coastal boat have been reported sunk or heavily damaged off Guadalcanal Island. Reported like dutch K-IX, she was hit seven times the first attack, and another 7 times in a second retaliation attack after she unsuccesfully try to engage invasion force. LONG LIVE TO THE EMPEROR !! MOBILE FORCE WILL PURSUE THE ENEMY UNTIL DESTROY THEIR LAST CARRIER AND BATTLESHIP.
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WITP-AE, WITE
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