很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!
7 O- h1 U. J$ Y7 w3 G- q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2 W% O8 K) E0 G6 W l$ }/ V
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
5 z, H' K! @" v8 l) |1 G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# l3 A+ Y! f. W% e. {) U i# Y1 T
1 ~# r8 @2 e4 F K: u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!# ?2 F, H2 ?. z5 G; F, q
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" i+ @0 s) L. l# O+ [! Z7 ?
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; _$ U* m2 Q5 x+ x: U& \Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
7 L& l% i3 m1 _ `3 _
% ` E* U! I3 l% ~2 fWeather in hex: Overcast* ]9 e0 L4 Z& L. R; N+ ~) j
$ U) |1 l: l5 V" }1 D0 j- }Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
6 n) [- @7 E* z# [- q/ |2 ?Estimated time to target is 25 minutes: I! j" O) \( H7 k
( c2 d; B6 U+ Z' m1 h; `8 M, I& kJapanese aircraft
! e. G$ Y# a4 l0 X8 [ A6M2 Zero x 20
6 G, h- G b: ]8 z+ L1 _ D3A1 Val x 5
! F& s' n. L2 i D3A2 Val x 27& n/ j. c( Y9 u
# U6 A( `- n/ G! Q: c, Z' WAllied aircraft# ?. L/ Q- j8 k5 M7 C: v
P-39D Airacobra x 24 l& N1 q7 ]0 E
F4F-4 Wildcat x 36/ q6 W! { t& I7 Y8 {
5 B+ d) q' T# u4 o
Japanese aircraft losses! y. h+ _! F' t. y0 k7 V, x
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed" M: z, |& M/ f3 E6 K
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged. w3 p( \% y2 B1 S/ O7 u4 X3 M3 y z% N
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
; q1 U6 s5 D, r0 C# s D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged
$ H1 A* @% o0 r D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak
$ P9 J7 P) Z+ [ 4 u0 K C) H; A* m. q
Allied aircraft losses' q( y+ }. a: ^$ M% O
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
( Q/ Q* t8 v3 ~9 W$ d" w F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed+ S. g+ A9 ~9 }7 i
1 \$ n" Z# @( \3 B( X5 r6 Q; w7 k
Allied Ships
$ d0 k3 P# A# d) C6 s% z% E$ L T CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire
" `7 y0 F! h) |/ I- l DD McCall0 d4 h3 M$ ^. D* T
DD Maury
5 e7 s# D6 n& |% _6 M6 ` CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire/ j6 G# F: ^/ L; M
DD Cushing
6 _* i( M1 b* w" l; ^--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
. z" U; c7 f5 c/ eMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,1369 T3 D+ t6 _2 F2 K& X
" C% O* |+ F) G2 s% xWeather in hex: Overcast3 g9 [4 P6 K1 a2 e- Q
+ H$ i' h& e, [: Y7 Q' h: Q q) i5 V SRaid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.7 [( `' d7 \2 v
Estimated time to target is 28 minutes* S4 O; f$ C7 V# e" s% J
( T9 G- r9 v/ g$ fJapanese aircraft; h, V; b# S* J' p% j
A6M2 Zero x 16
* G# e* J- f" c/ n0 ~; | B5N1 Kate x 16, B9 d4 S* \6 X& i6 j
D3A2 Val x 23
1 D3 S. a7 s. N+ ?1 @
, M6 B$ S+ U" ]; K) dAllied aircraft: y0 M$ Q3 i9 w8 i$ x7 V/ b* r
P-39D Airacobra x 1
# b* Z' P& ~: a3 k F4F-4 Wildcat x 22, T6 U. {' b1 v+ H" |
- N/ b9 d' R- xJapanese aircraft losses
0 K8 N' y& ?0 j& h5 h B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
4 p6 ]0 ~! }2 i* T# c/ F B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
3 z; `! w' z7 ^) s [ D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged+ k0 m' a; H1 Q! r) [8 m& C
D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak5 g0 v- y0 U c0 B# O f9 c& X
1 d: }' t2 g+ J) w7 Z4 qAllied aircraft losses
( l- N) p' b6 x P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed, m4 E( A2 `" c" v; R
F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed9 b) R* R# h9 L$ x# A3 _
* C1 n; f& T/ S# i1 J. j
Allied Ships+ S: N: ]- N2 j# b @
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage. E, P( M4 x) F) h
DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
2 y( L* P8 e0 f) {" O. R8 _( ~ CLAA San Juan, on fire
4 _2 U) W% K$ r2 w1 V6 V DD MacDonough
2 `) r. Z/ F/ }& F% `: K DD Benham4 V" P) }: u1 v& c, K8 }. F' f9 B
! j$ w# x2 d. J# dHeavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |