很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!
6 G4 Q8 p7 t6 A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! B. M/ w# X# |! Q0 Q
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
* Y4 |2 j2 G. t3 X) Q( A: V# }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
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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!3 U$ q3 E+ w5 V" j2 `5 X$ a
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
0 L' d( u0 @& ]: @2 z# o " I9 P4 K) p" k x3 Z* e
Weather in hex: Overcast
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: d& `) J, u& aRaid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet." u4 B2 A8 p# Y8 Q
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes0 G" Z1 [$ F/ k# `2 ]/ C
) E$ {8 E5 r( O( I2 M. DJapanese aircraft
0 d0 x! S9 J9 w! k% { A6M2 Zero x 20
. U% b7 H8 F S1 q( N4 V7 g D3A1 Val x 5
4 h* ]$ r! R& W$ Z# n9 @, q' X$ c D3A2 Val x 27
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$ C! d9 S& R" k# kAllied aircraft
, [* F1 M `* g7 V% ` P-39D Airacobra x 2
5 m" m" r4 o! g+ h1 t/ \& J) D; L& U F4F-4 Wildcat x 362 O6 Z5 W% ?) c* d
" p! G( I1 b/ P4 y$ ^Japanese aircraft losses1 V* v7 i0 @+ S9 h3 i1 A' `+ ^0 B
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed
" D; U& x4 c6 j$ p- S4 g D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged& ^6 x: Q; S# K$ {# @
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak5 ]5 d2 c3 C& E2 E; q
D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged6 _- e3 @+ w+ Y' F. Y
D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak+ W3 C4 G7 x9 o9 l) u
, W% W4 [; {! xAllied aircraft losses5 q6 i5 ~7 }" v( g# w
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
$ B9 t' N% F9 ~( a F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
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Allied Ships; ~# A Y$ n. T$ R
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire$ ]0 N' L5 {* n+ |
DD McCall
0 r. E* p/ K: {2 P9 O DD Maury
/ A# n% N+ i$ {0 P5 G- _* S: x9 I CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire
0 F) L& R4 J9 g4 x DD Cushing
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0 Z+ t5 L) {+ O. }; j1 hMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136- l8 Z8 V- o' u
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Weather in hex: Overcast3 A# Z- G3 r \8 c2 z4 }
+ v7 G) Q7 W2 _) n0 _7 Q" tRaid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
( X% J. }' t/ a- I& mEstimated time to target is 28 minutes; e- A! p, J* G. i- H
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Japanese aircraft6 `) a' o5 Q7 d2 t
A6M2 Zero x 16- P) D c% E9 r- ~, |
B5N1 Kate x 16
8 P' @/ A% \' L4 S& y D3A2 Val x 23
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/ _0 l2 x: b& K/ t4 xAllied aircraft
0 n D C4 X7 R! m9 e. J3 {2 [- {, n P-39D Airacobra x 13 Y {9 V. G: H) R4 m4 R3 K" D
F4F-4 Wildcat x 227 P1 ]6 D5 l- [ ^
0 [* t% ]; @1 ]. f' y& aJapanese aircraft losses
% ]* \# e# C8 G B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
2 e3 q @- o8 l* M! x3 j! c8 y B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
) y, K. ~% F2 c- H8 q8 l D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged
7 D) U: u. u+ r6 q1 Q D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak; R4 K. S2 l/ z. W2 L7 x3 A
/ E& {4 [' p* j+ V1 y8 m: P6 q }4 hAllied aircraft losses& F3 t/ ]% V$ [) X9 w
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
& _7 |4 j) p0 a F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed" s7 _& ^9 f+ a
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Allied Ships
# G) }/ V' V; C: w) x1 W CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
4 G0 _3 L7 L# U S8 d$ v DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk( s, h, R0 W: v! g4 u, \9 Z
CLAA San Juan, on fire
$ p, U* y- \& b, e0 `- T3 V DD MacDonough
; f; X. L; e& b( ?, \ DD Benham
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Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |