So, he arrived just one day to early to be nicely obliterated?
Yeah. Which actually could, weather permitting and with some luck in getting enough planes through the CAP, have already happened as G4M1 carries a torpedo as far as 680 nm and Zeros can escort them for 560.
Yeah, pardon my meme, but
Or not. Or it's one that'll fail by the look of it.
Assuming it's not, and he turns around and flee now, will you intercept his CVs? They moved north before that Catalina spotted your CVs, right?
Or could it be that they only sighted CarDiv IV, have another CVBG nearby and think they can do a 4 v. 2* and sink some of your carriers? A carrier loss now would be pretty crippling for the Japanese I think, so he might be willing to take a chance.
* I actually don't think you told us what the respective composition of CarDiv I and IV were, so I'm assuming a 2-2 split of fleet carriers.
Theres the FOW but I'd put my bet on both CarDiv I and IV being sighted, but only today.
Now the plane was sighted only once instead of the usual 3-4 times that happens in DEI area or even for the cruisers at Tulagi, so the Allies most probably cannot be sure how many CVs exactly.
Also:
-CarDiv II was sighted south of Mindanao 3 days ago
-CarDiv III is known to be in the North Pacific(actually Taiyo is at Tokyo while the others are still returning from the fruitless raid), info is only 2 days old for the Allies
-They have been observing the Japanese operating carriers in pairs and away from each other through the war
It could be that what I tried to do in the previous wars worked now: presenting an opportunity to defeat the IJN in detail and turning the table. The "only" problem now is that I'm still 2 CVs short(Hiryu and Soryu are near Truk and on their way) and that air bases in the Solomons cant provide attack aircraft. Just Zeros for LRCAP and 1-engine attack planes with short legs.. That are still underway. The torpedoes are ready but no planes or runway length to use them.
I combined CarDiv I and IV, they are now in one big TF(for flight ops co-ordination and flak reasons) with
CV Akagi
CV Kaga
CV Shokaku
CV Zuikaku
CVL Shoho
CVL Zuiho
BB Hiei (3 float planes, range 4))
BB Kirishima (3 float planes, range 4)(the 2 BBs that were detached from the CarDiv I earlier and destroyed CL Boise and her escort DD near Townsville)
CS Chioyda (24 float planes, 12-12 range 10 and 6)
12 DDs
The TF is commanded by Rear Admiral Tomeo Kaku who is the 2nd best leader I have for a CVTF. I couldnt give the best one as that can be only done at a port. However he does happen to be the most aggressive one of them and that might result in him reacting and giving chase to get within strike range... Thats also why I'm sending in the cruisers: in hopes of making the ENEMY force react and stay in the battle to be squashed. I hope it'll work!
If he flees I will not give chase, but will withdraw, merge Soryu and Hiryu into the KB and refuel out of air search range and wait for the amphibious TF. Then land at Luganville.
edit: I forgot Shoho and Zuiho again.