很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!$ o1 W* Q* f+ M3 E. e* C
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. Y9 q# ?, x* B2 k0 Z
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$ Y6 m2 I1 U i
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8 E5 B. T6 J, X& K
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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!! f* ]! k% @* ?9 G
99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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Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136( e9 `5 e- d6 c5 `/ f+ ~
; D! A& _/ e4 M7 W% GWeather in hex: Overcast
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& Y, t- ]. Y+ U+ P4 N$ v5 H s$ K7 URaid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.7 o: E) A/ A" V; ^0 N
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes
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Japanese aircraft
- B$ j {, O. ?9 Q6 l# t' | A6M2 Zero x 205 d$ z+ T; ^" g/ S; z5 i
D3A1 Val x 5# C% g" W4 _- w; o; y1 s" y
D3A2 Val x 27: F* A& i# H q/ n2 v
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Allied aircraft
% C2 B9 d8 E# i: ~4 K% ^, q P-39D Airacobra x 2
; c( f- ^& S: ~ }* a F4F-4 Wildcat x 36
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Japanese aircraft losses0 N9 ]# N/ G7 s G' n6 p( ?. g8 N+ f
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed
9 O$ f, D8 I" M2 x6 a D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
+ N% I( P: l! R) R( L& N! A D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak6 i, v$ a6 H" u/ l& W
D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged2 k+ f# X# P3 U' _; P+ [5 ^
D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak
' C% x+ F+ P8 q7 G3 c* f! l2 b# B: F
8 w l4 u; F0 @* V% G( HAllied aircraft losses" |' T0 y# `% ?2 c, [& Y
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed4 P0 B8 G: {$ v; Y0 w
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed. Y, \. _& b! Y) E- C9 w$ r
$ e, @# X) ^$ v8 B; mAllied Ships; T4 q6 X T8 q$ {
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire0 @- \( s2 a3 E9 R' \
DD McCall
( _1 `3 h7 m1 d: M1 `6 {# a% }! q+ R' l DD Maury
0 G5 s3 n* G- z' Z CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire- M$ K; }% c% J9 e0 i1 x
DD Cushing; p4 O& m+ x2 e6 b s# H, k0 X
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, J+ V) a9 E2 P3 }7 UMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136$ ^3 s7 \: |6 _5 n
" l4 k) p# z0 K/ k
Weather in hex: Overcast
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Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.7 d+ x7 K E# b9 u& g
Estimated time to target is 28 minutes! Y5 p4 l. Q; {' F
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Japanese aircraft3 p8 D1 M. t& ]6 N
A6M2 Zero x 16
8 l9 r8 E5 y5 x/ I. b+ x0 M B5N1 Kate x 16( U4 \# f+ O: X
D3A2 Val x 23# b8 R3 `# ?, m
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Allied aircraft; k# \& a- R% x. n+ f: o
P-39D Airacobra x 1/ b3 s& M- [+ t+ x1 Z
F4F-4 Wildcat x 22
0 d2 f; o6 I- c$ b 0 |+ E$ t8 Y0 |! x
Japanese aircraft losses F* _, [9 n; V9 M' X6 ^
B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged, c$ k* s8 N$ f! x! r- ?0 f) P# N
B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
* i& n7 t5 Y7 C8 C. u D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged8 V5 F: r: {5 a$ d$ w( U9 q& w
D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
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0 b, w5 N8 r- q1 SAllied aircraft losses
! n% O& P3 @- K$ J2 ]3 s P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
' f' X# T" C: H. {1 J, d F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed! ~& Z9 ?$ R8 X+ R
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Allied Ships5 O5 L3 M* ~5 l. V: `% K
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
0 F- e- ~; w2 r- I4 Y. Z7 v DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
$ [ N; A5 e( M& W; r6 o CLAA San Juan, on fire: e% k5 F0 x C- K& \+ C6 x
DD MacDonough
! |7 f# v5 J2 z4 M; L$ F DD Benham
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Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |