很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!6 P, \* f! C) 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
0 E% w" [4 g6 m3 |& N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* D7 G5 ~- ?1 [; S
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" F: ]" o0 }4 q3 c9 ]
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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!
1 M; I H+ O; O# N, x( K8 U99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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" g: n; C8 m0 `# {. h, |Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
- i K. y1 c0 G 1 |) O6 P) {! x9 K2 O( Q
Weather in hex: Overcast5 ?7 c- m- I% z9 I5 x) Z. m
8 r0 F5 w3 F8 l. d
Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
, b9 y. F2 l/ ^/ C# K8 CEstimated time to target is 25 minutes. _ T: i" S! F c1 p# c$ I* r* j
g* b! H- L7 ?7 Z4 {4 d
Japanese aircraft
$ Y8 I6 j t# B7 M8 s" [8 p A6M2 Zero x 20
. P& R: e" O% |6 D: B( v& c5 e D3A1 Val x 5( b; P; O( T$ |& c8 @
D3A2 Val x 27
% M0 y3 d2 V6 ?+ I2 p0 k& I6 ~
% U' L. x( y2 t( DAllied aircraft) b7 j( m- F% i6 X
P-39D Airacobra x 2
2 {# i, _) S! [3 r5 [ F4F-4 Wildcat x 36
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Japanese aircraft losses" u7 `6 b- ^" @9 g4 b
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed
8 w6 [% Z7 b' `0 ~, q" I D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
) [ [. U' L _ D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak) d! I& u# }0 e
D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged
% X, K! T1 I( P7 B, ^ D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak# \. j: M3 L9 U- a. }
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Allied aircraft losses) d4 P* e; ]1 i, J
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
, L: H! t5 h. n- l0 I/ w7 T' {, Y9 U F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed: K- N0 `' g, _) g
b4 E9 M' Q3 x; l k. ^( c" G
Allied Ships* Y; J+ j$ X4 B" N7 V5 A
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire9 k4 g; t# g- V8 H
DD McCall5 A; e( h: Z, s) O3 ?
DD Maury8 F8 R6 R; |( Y
CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire9 f% q- @. w' ]( \
DD Cushing7 t9 i" a e; l' l" {9 T4 d( E
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
; E2 v' w+ Y6 ]1 l" ^ " C7 V% ^1 w9 K1 F% O) I" |
Weather in hex: Overcast. A, I+ E P& i5 \, a/ M" J' [" a
7 ?" A) m g# ^. @Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
6 y4 R, x4 D r4 lEstimated time to target is 28 minutes9 h0 a1 B) H- Q" i
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Japanese aircraft
0 O. ], u& x+ X6 @* M A6M2 Zero x 16
% w( _2 ?& ?7 J6 c B5N1 Kate x 169 ~0 t) n1 q/ G3 \: D
D3A2 Val x 238 C- Q1 L! R; H0 P' H+ w0 R$ \
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Allied aircraft9 ^; R6 Q3 Z8 D7 Y4 ^3 E2 f4 z
P-39D Airacobra x 1
4 ^+ A1 H$ r1 j: @ F4F-4 Wildcat x 22
( d; k: n) p7 w& [! S- h p ' I. a( h1 g9 c( Q' H
Japanese aircraft losses- u/ I4 q* v$ q
B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
% b0 V) m5 K n f B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak* b! J/ ^: c6 ?5 \% [
D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged+ \- [; H$ P; j* d: k
D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
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Allied aircraft losses Q4 a: l! b" N1 T& k: [
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed; P1 P/ E0 Q( ]3 k
F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed8 w5 Y) Z8 j8 A3 d9 k2 \& a" n% S7 @. K
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Allied Ships5 G; y4 X3 H/ c8 s
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage5 r; a+ q: g5 g# U
DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk) R3 z; k' ]+ y/ v: G# _
CLAA San Juan, on fire
5 m3 R* A8 M6 ^0 L4 j5 p8 p2 F* L4 ^ DD MacDonough
# J% ^$ ^4 w% G; A7 |, T+ X* T& E DD Benham- v* u' s5 A. G3 V8 W
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Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |