很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!# X" V! y) w; `2 M' z/ [
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
' j+ b* i$ B. B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
; E" o, Q( K$ u9 d, Z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! h3 T' @# T$ O i( T2 Y$ {
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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!
" P: G: w: M2 K. F4 V# q7 [& D99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 }* ?" k( p3 y1 J
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136- S' I+ A; J9 [0 U, d
. T2 {0 L! @9 e- yWeather in hex: Overcast k; a) T( I' T, s( P
, L9 \% }0 Y3 [; zRaid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
3 e n+ H2 W0 u$ r, N& W$ VEstimated time to target is 25 minutes' z) B1 c+ C& i& u) j
% ^9 _6 O" @+ Y0 |% O9 e; \- X
Japanese aircraft
& l( j1 k9 N* A; O6 x) L A6M2 Zero x 204 O5 M1 |6 k3 z/ B+ J9 G* v
D3A1 Val x 5
) _# J9 t6 l6 e D3A2 Val x 27
; z7 w" j9 y9 ?' ]
) P' G; P: {+ NAllied aircraft6 R8 O. V- g0 ~- H( P
P-39D Airacobra x 2
: j7 }$ @- N9 Q% [) N: \0 }0 f F4F-4 Wildcat x 36$ @$ k" j% ?, m, W' J0 {0 S, t b
& m% q+ X2 X$ w0 u AJapanese aircraft losses
6 s) K% h, W: X A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed
" H3 [9 @+ Y$ t. s; ~) ^/ b$ J D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
$ \1 u( a d0 H9 u! R( W, @$ u* c D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
. X9 R/ V4 I( z. i4 p D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged
: g3 Q. T& T# a7 R/ I D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak
! q6 a; y+ Q. ]0 x; r/ X1 _
8 z R4 D' M' e n; g! TAllied aircraft losses
+ x" R4 Z' g, k- w5 n. Z P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
6 ]" H5 |8 w7 k) X) @ F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
7 H' n' N+ W& b% |5 e& ]+ d
8 f) J2 u7 y7 i$ [2 U) ]; zAllied Ships
% `% Z! S$ z6 V% r CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire
7 \- t+ g/ N) D' a* M# V% d4 ?4 h DD McCall
, C9 K" k; L5 ^4 M) E2 S, _ DD Maury5 W1 H N' ]- P9 T' u8 n- Y
CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire
' H5 ]7 U2 ?3 x: _& Y; H9 ?( f DD Cushing9 n) E/ z. e5 O
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136+ N' X: E2 o" a* E C# C$ U
# y9 v3 e- f/ N3 W3 R/ y
Weather in hex: Overcast' u2 O0 w8 ~5 i% u2 F% k
* @- F$ B' ^% `/ f* `% m8 c
Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
5 S5 W+ [3 G0 D: e& _Estimated time to target is 28 minutes- J: ~2 `# O$ v' k7 g; s
3 g( F- i1 R9 l/ x5 |3 G
Japanese aircraft) E# Q" o8 ~+ l U0 I$ Z8 U
A6M2 Zero x 16
* h: u/ _; h0 l0 s B5N1 Kate x 163 P; D- r, E8 g
D3A2 Val x 23
1 Q6 z6 B0 s r* |+ W, P , E; c# p! X& f! G
Allied aircraft
0 k' c: \, R, s P-39D Airacobra x 14 A/ p2 J' I; }- U
F4F-4 Wildcat x 22& T7 e$ h: w; _2 {% i
3 B- j2 |2 Y4 z, Q' J& z! F
Japanese aircraft losses
; N8 l9 n9 i5 p. Z! u$ x4 C% L1 X B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged8 U8 l7 }" G L0 m( h0 N" q0 X* k( T
B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak' H% Z w b/ Y; P6 t2 }7 W0 R
D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged2 y9 f1 V, P0 ^) f* L
D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak& u2 l) _! q/ \0 N' I. [
& \! M. B" u0 l9 y! L4 k; e# W
Allied aircraft losses
, y+ U0 c9 o Q P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
; o8 G+ L' q: J* Y2 s% _5 L' x F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed
6 c( m$ ?2 ]: Z. L o, u) w/ ]
- \7 i, @& `. a: R4 e" vAllied Ships
4 _. h+ c" z( m CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage( n8 E6 d8 e# B, e7 m! ~ L
DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
6 H- @. X' `. o8 {4 z5 z CLAA San Juan, on fire
2 J- n4 g; N+ t' C$ h5 ~* v DD MacDonough
9 W# q1 S1 s' E7 a DD Benham
7 f. h* @! |( Y4 P8 b+ c1 R" M6 _7 }6 }, d. b6 O8 q4 A" ~
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |