很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!
% t% M/ n5 M7 a4 |! b: j0 u此时南云舰队的上空也发现了美军的大艇和索敌机,这意味着,自己的航母也被敌人发现了, W. n/ _4 s2 }1 e& c2 W* O
帝国海鹫迅速从各自的母舰上起飞,舰载机各自组队隆隆向目标飞去& X+ b0 S4 D. r" W3 Q9 X
同时,直掩机开始在甲板上待命,部分战斗机已经升空巡逻,全力警戒- Q" M2 z) `6 t+ A7 J1 p1 t7 S `
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经过一个多小时的飞行,KB舰载机分两拨飞临目标上空,正是敌航母萨拉托加号!
* l( f; N) d9 ?0 ?# Y99舰爆立即进入俯冲轰炸轨道,97舰攻下降高度进入鱼雷发射阵位,零战负责在上空护卫,激战之后,萨拉托加号先后被命中4枚炸弹,敌舰浓烟滚滚,丧失了飞机起降能力
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5 `4 }# W) }7 _" Q/ m0 wMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
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Weather in hex: Overcast
9 s) J `& o; i' O " D+ y8 `& I3 s$ k- V! [2 E# Y
Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.* K8 u; Z5 l6 U+ D
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes2 d- G, N& E) g4 Q2 a0 c
& c: t6 D7 B' [& LJapanese aircraft
" V. J. ?- A. ]% b0 w& r2 w8 | A6M2 Zero x 20& H% f" @" ^4 ]; F
D3A1 Val x 5+ i6 t% R9 L8 ^ m2 }' T% F+ P/ x6 ~
D3A2 Val x 27
! W9 ^4 D/ t+ `3 y e
( W1 ~: h E0 Q$ c+ AAllied aircraft
5 g% z& @6 X" }" D$ W) ? P-39D Airacobra x 2) N n( x* P$ o$ Z S
F4F-4 Wildcat x 367 J, a, `/ f- C5 w3 ^
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Japanese aircraft losses9 I5 G% f" H3 d0 [6 a+ J; `
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed" M% P& P' h; H' i
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
/ q9 f4 F0 y1 U; A1 y/ R4 Q D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak9 F2 u; W' g. [5 o
D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged
' L* y1 H0 l& \% Y* b2 v1 B4 O D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak
8 i% v/ V" R( z
8 B) I. ?2 l$ s; f2 IAllied aircraft losses5 G2 D1 M# o. w
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
1 k+ N. n2 k R+ c) q$ h5 j F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed5 i1 |/ {3 e; X s
: Z2 M$ t/ l- G' M! sAllied Ships
% x* ^2 c! _4 }6 I& E CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire
5 v; A7 {# G/ G DD McCall6 w* t$ n1 V) a2 D: i- B' A
DD Maury' _3 D# P" Y U1 F& h5 X
CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire" p* b: C, G/ u* U. P- a+ M) G( V' `
DD Cushing: {5 _# e: r `
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
2 s0 p* e) z, {! V. @: `% ?
* M# ]6 [: Y" @! z( G% eWeather in hex: Overcast
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6 [# `# m6 I6 I* g3 [$ FRaid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
: B, E* T7 [1 HEstimated time to target is 28 minutes& e N) B$ S+ f
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Japanese aircraft6 T6 O% L" Z0 e9 L
A6M2 Zero x 16, D3 y7 y* L( i0 z- L, k+ H
B5N1 Kate x 16
6 `, T# I) u5 t D3A2 Val x 23
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. N5 `$ O' ]2 P4 X2 TAllied aircraft* i& P* {8 i, g
P-39D Airacobra x 10 g7 P J% `( C, K* M9 t
F4F-4 Wildcat x 22
j! E1 f3 E) R |0 a; T1 U& [8 O5 C $ J9 T9 e' [ i
Japanese aircraft losses& c W! b% `7 B- ~, b+ y8 E# k% a
B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
, |& H& m, r1 Q& M0 f" `' @ B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak* U, `, ^( D" Z* X0 p1 c6 ` g
D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged
/ H5 c/ `2 p5 ^5 O- R2 a/ o7 f$ B D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
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Allied aircraft losses1 X' j7 e4 y4 _( `' u$ |
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
8 v& W; T& v, ?7 ^3 d F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed- u9 Z5 @# R5 _4 i7 u4 h
3 P4 i! \5 {) ?, F- F9 ^Allied Ships
" r" h8 a5 Y- X0 ?& u5 B& B0 E CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
/ ^; S9 i, R8 P0 n3 n DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk4 [+ Q2 Q8 i2 ~3 {
CLAA San Juan, on fire/ p2 m1 l9 r8 ^1 ]0 ]
DD MacDonough5 D5 o& w3 i2 [" w- L B; f
DD Benham; u) w' f/ t9 ~8 K- Y
1 T! e( F t, C: dHeavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |