很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!- M- I+ i& M4 `. 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
1 M4 e* Z2 ]. M4 @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
8 J3 R1 D+ G) l" c' w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# c1 V5 s8 J v5 ^! @6 e
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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!
$ s3 X% b9 A$ v' {8 F q& v& H9 A2 z99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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) Z g7 L, o# ? x4 S2 lMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
3 n, j: h2 A* u: T. @% E
# [& Q p4 h5 F5 U; A8 m! _Weather in hex: Overcast& `& i& q" x1 p4 U
0 ^ A* |3 g* P/ E0 mRaid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
3 T' Q0 z, {% i$ q4 \! ?8 ]Estimated time to target is 25 minutes! Y5 P5 ?6 n1 o4 Y
, Q B1 [6 E3 _' x3 W* I+ D, p( ]) ^/ Q
Japanese aircraft/ @" r9 q2 @. n! j" x
A6M2 Zero x 20
6 u& Y/ J' b ~5 P8 b/ Q D3A1 Val x 5# o( C7 H9 |% w5 ^; i
D3A2 Val x 27
* R. ~+ A) o: A! m7 Z
) ^' c% |0 y1 KAllied aircraft
& d1 R- K/ @9 B' l P-39D Airacobra x 2
. @* Y: C: S3 Z, S) a+ x" W F4F-4 Wildcat x 36
1 U6 r+ X& a4 T$ k' `* i
; ` p# v. N5 i0 rJapanese aircraft losses4 i( X0 ?! \3 y, T
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed) h4 O" C4 D1 b7 B4 j
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
0 O* ^& |( k1 k7 n D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak0 N5 n" e {: ?" y
D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged
6 J) t2 T! K% |# a& r D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak
% r4 [7 Y; [1 n
' ~" {. X, ^8 K' f( |! c: VAllied aircraft losses
5 k/ K) _/ [4 V2 q- C3 | P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed5 T' ?+ u% s. Q5 j' D
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed% A# f" t8 D: d& a7 r" q
. r6 ^2 [: ]' ^9 E: H) ?; sAllied Ships$ I. A6 X6 G. J9 o a: r" ~) \9 j
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire& t# s5 z0 s2 G. M+ N7 ~4 W7 C
DD McCall
0 j: h. y1 z# |4 G- W9 N DD Maury
# K( Y9 ]5 z# O6 |4 Y: } @ x6 Q CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire
, I+ Z* ], x" P5 S DD Cushing: \4 C! S& b2 Q7 |
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136$ S# L& B3 u5 s: r3 T4 F
$ f" u% a: i, o. d# [Weather in hex: Overcast3 f9 t/ h8 \( f% D7 D4 \
0 |+ g% `: k" |0 r
Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.& A7 Q( \) P4 c6 c5 V* x: z
Estimated time to target is 28 minutes4 T9 m# s2 B/ m2 K' z/ Y" P5 {6 V
! T* _4 s+ n) ?. N; \/ x. l: Z
Japanese aircraft g w; T* C0 Y) z1 P+ X% W
A6M2 Zero x 16
! U% z6 {# k5 z( X9 F1 o' q, G B5N1 Kate x 16
+ C! c, M1 r* @; I# T, ~ D3A2 Val x 23
) |2 u$ E: ~9 e; Z. [( B* r. _+ M , _$ K5 W1 b6 s5 N9 B
Allied aircraft8 C7 v) o, T+ k- @9 Y* ~. b1 b1 b
P-39D Airacobra x 1
, ?( ~7 N8 I3 T0 Q1 q2 T& ^$ S F4F-4 Wildcat x 22
$ ], S6 a6 }8 J+ c: K- j
- l- N* S% p2 f" FJapanese aircraft losses
: ^: E; u8 m' i& O9 T( o B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
0 G, U. |) p& h4 G. M# ~7 q B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak* s" O# p R5 h/ V3 s; E
D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged0 v, w$ S& Z% b5 q
D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
* R6 Q' Y6 \2 G& `+ C
/ e2 b4 a2 W f& c I" A# e9 G mAllied aircraft losses' w; v2 M1 m6 P& |+ C. b/ k/ J
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed& h" d0 p U% i
F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed
4 I% }! o: U1 j9 B8 A! q4 ^ ! N. \+ b1 `5 a- c9 n2 `4 K$ Q! V
Allied Ships
% S! e f0 \5 Z, ?4 R4 q CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
- R9 ^0 v, I# n DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk6 ~# Y- c" q6 _3 x. O
CLAA San Juan, on fire
& F4 D8 Y# l. j6 [+ B DD MacDonough
5 x3 l' h: w. i% A DD Benham8 L8 _: M2 ^: A6 A6 c) }
" W7 p" \8 b) V5 o8 n e$ H" g) UHeavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |