December 10 Hiroshima late: Captain Onoda, Naval Vice Director
Captain Onoda has finally gotten some news. Wake has been taken basically on schedule. But more importantly is that Shokaku passed by late in the day and was able to get word that has since been passed on from Wake.
Shokaku is badly damaged, no flight ops, but fires are out. 38/20/9/0. She is limping back to Hiroshima and requesting main RSY space upon arrival. Estimate arrival to be at least one week, will update arrival from Chichi-jima.
The battle report was transmitted:
Code: Select all
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Taongi at 147,109
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 12
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 6
SBD-3 Dauntless x 30
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
SBD-3 Dauntless: 2 destroyed, 9 damaged
SBD-3 Dauntless: 2 destroyed by flak
Japanese Ships
BC Kirishima
CV Kaga
CV Zuikaku
CV Soryu
CV Shokaku
Aircraft Attacking:
2 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
3 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
7 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
6 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
3 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
CAP engaged:
Akagi-1 with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(2 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 2 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 10000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 19 minutes
Kaga-1 with A6M2 Zero (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 10000.
Raid is overhead
Soryu-1 with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 2 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 10000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 16 minutes
2 planes vectored on to bombers
Hiryu-1 with A6M2 Zero (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 10000.
Raid is overhead
Shokaku-1 with A6M2 Zero (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 10000.
Raid is overhead
Zuikaku-1 with A6M2 Zero (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 10000.
Raid is overhead
---------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Taongi at 147,109
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 8
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 6
SBD-3 Dauntless x 47
SBD-5 Dauntless x 15
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed, 13 damaged
SBD-3 Dauntless: 2 destroyed by flak
SBD-5 Dauntless: 1 damaged
Japanese Ships
CV Kaga, Bomb hits 2, on fire
CV Shokaku, Bomb hits 5, on fire
CV Soryu, Bomb hits 1, on fire
CV Zuikaku
CL Abukuma
Aircraft Attacking:
7 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
7 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
7 x SBD-5 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
11 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
8 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
8 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
8 x SBD-5 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
CAP engaged:
Akagi-1 with A6M2 Zero (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 10000.
Raid is overhead
1 planes vectored on to bombers
Kaga-1 with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters to 16000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 28 minutes
2 planes vectored on to bombers
Soryu-1 with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 10 minutes
Hiryu-1 with A6M2 Zero (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 10000.
Raid is overhead
Shokaku-1 with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters to 18000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 19 minutes
Zuikaku-1 with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 27 minutes
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Shokaku
The battle continued at least 2 days, because they also transmitted a 2nd attack from 8Dec41:
Code: Select all
Morning Air attack on TF, near Johnston Island at 157,109
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 5
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 8
SBD-3 Dauntless x 13
SBD-5 Dauntless x 14
TBD-1 Devastator x 12
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 6 damaged
SBD-5 Dauntless: 2 damaged
SBD-5 Dauntless: 1 destroyed by flak
TBD-1 Devastator: 1 damaged
TBD-1 Devastator: 1 destroyed by flak
Japanese Ships
CV Hiryu, Bomb hits 1
CV Zuikaku
CV Akagi, Bomb hits 2, on fire
BC Hiei
Aircraft Attacking:
6 x SBD-5 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
11 x TBD-1 Devastator launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 22.4in Mk 13 Torp.
2 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
8 x SBD-5 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
7 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
CAP engaged:
Akagi-1 with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 2 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 10000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 17 minutes
Hiryu-1 with A6M2 Zero (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 10000.
Raid is overhead
Zuikaku-1 with A6M2 Zero (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 10000.
Raid is overhead
---------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Johnston Island at 157,109
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 3
Allied aircraft
SBD-3 Dauntless x 3
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed
Japanese Ships
CV Akagi, on fire
Aircraft Attacking:
1 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000' *
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 lb GP Bomb
CAP engaged:
Akagi-1 with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 1 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 10000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 11 minutes
Hiryu-1 with A6M2 Zero (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 10000.
Raid is overhead
Zuikaku-1 with A6M2 Zero (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 10000.
Raid is overhead
Shokaku had not transmitted the damage to the other ships other than to say "all fires contained and able to resume at least minimal flight operations".
The original TF arrangements had been:
TF1: Kagi, Shokaku, Zuikaku, and Soryu
TF141: Akagi, Hiryu
Obviously after Day 1 where Kagi, Shokaku, and Soryu all took damage, the TF's reformed with the Zuikaku moving to TF141. Then 8Dec both Akagi and Hiryu got hit, with Zuikaku the only CV remaining not damaged. The fact it played out this way meant that whatever the actual losses, the US CV's had been hit, and hit hard otherwise there would not have been pursuit. Also, it meant, at least on the 8 Dec that there were still viable USN CV's to launch attacks. Also based upon the battle results, the IJN fighters had been seriously depleted. Only 5 were available to defend the first attack and then only 3 for the second.
Next assessment, was the battle damage itself. 5x500kg bomb hits. Shokaku had been both lucky and skilled to have survived. Hiryu and Soryu just lucky. He knew how thin skinned those two were.
Enemy aircraft Id. There must be some mistake. SBD-3 had just been released. The next version SBD-5 was purportedly still a year away. How had they been involved with the attack? Has to be faulty ID. Also, F4F's? should be mostly F2A's yet, where did all the F4F's come from? Hard to miss-ID those two as they are quite different aircraft. What is going on?