很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!
1 H, }0 C# d1 r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. {: L/ l6 Y6 _+ G% _5 C
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! j- F/ y7 ?/ z! H8 B0 F9 B7 B) b
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!* B& {3 ]9 E7 R" E8 f- `4 \
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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$ N' j& [1 ?9 ^7 Z2 N/ S, hMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136. m5 ]! O/ q, Z* `# B7 r
+ {9 h9 X1 e$ F9 n8 e1 Z3 [( M$ SWeather in hex: Overcast
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Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.4 b7 ?0 n4 v" C* c/ q. ^
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes' ]- i3 F1 e& C) ]9 V' u" A
3 j3 M+ ?8 y" i$ jJapanese aircraft
6 {. o2 Y) E! [ A6M2 Zero x 20. G- t" M4 C# y9 B5 |, i7 @9 U; {
D3A1 Val x 5
; @. x; l( \7 m' A D3A2 Val x 27
1 t9 z- P" w5 `' V* ?5 ]7 E
8 _ z9 H7 }# l9 }( x2 Z% JAllied aircraft
/ S6 E2 k+ }4 q8 K+ b P-39D Airacobra x 27 D- |& \1 Y0 c) `+ V- V5 J" d
F4F-4 Wildcat x 360 H3 \* T) q9 t
4 G# m m! `8 h5 ?9 a& S" d! E
Japanese aircraft losses+ J Q+ C+ |' W/ U0 \
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed# y. s6 R* ^' s4 T
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged- U+ O7 X2 |/ {. |; ?9 z
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
6 S5 e7 h2 O/ [" @( v# ]) L D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged- b8 n1 X8 K" P: ?- X" h
D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak, Y0 f4 i* |+ y& W. f
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Allied aircraft losses7 l8 N3 k" s, s4 o; c
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed, |# I4 {! @, P
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed% [: H6 `% {5 i
l% y1 U8 n7 ?Allied Ships
1 H& d8 h& _, q) d: c# m CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire+ ]1 h9 \) l4 G* x3 P
DD McCall& V. `( l: l& J
DD Maury# v2 j* z& F, d) V# G& P+ O5 y y
CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire
# h! M+ t5 D4 f4 j# J" J% n* F DD Cushing* R6 {8 h- Z& x$ n
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! x. Z5 ~7 ]+ t c& Q4 O4 u( x( BMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
6 H/ \! T8 s6 N, K0 ^7 L
6 a( {" Q3 ~. ^8 @: fWeather in hex: Overcast% g6 F/ u* W( y
" ]+ \. o$ @' v% Q% E
Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.( o/ c1 j4 e, g3 L2 e- D. ~# ]
Estimated time to target is 28 minutes
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) B- q6 [# Y) _3 H8 EJapanese aircraft
1 a! Q7 t O6 t" w8 f, L A6M2 Zero x 16 d# w5 U& x3 F- u
B5N1 Kate x 16
1 r, O& n4 {7 ~' A( b7 h$ J D3A2 Val x 23
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+ e) G, T) k' z( _8 r" Q/ oAllied aircraft
b! T7 O3 Y" S4 k P-39D Airacobra x 1- S- \8 L, I, r, e/ ?. E
F4F-4 Wildcat x 22
* r- [: o$ S$ X4 F% a n Q4 G5 |$ L
Japanese aircraft losses
! U( t8 t' k0 I B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
x! @5 B6 @% K: G) n B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak& V( N7 t* W% Q+ c( i4 m1 a
D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged
" z- k: M& P/ r, B- K( m# d D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak& c, Q& A, a) w4 u% b% E
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Allied aircraft losses, t' H. r7 q3 B# X k/ u V6 N
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
C* r9 G( \6 w5 w7 r F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed
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/ a( e6 f9 D" o* i; H* L* vAllied Ships
0 K! y5 _7 G* F, z: m7 w" r CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
# b" t/ B0 C. Z DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
/ V- s$ n! M$ H# P5 v CLAA San Juan, on fire
' H5 ]6 N& \7 e; r9 L; j% u DD MacDonough
& O' [1 d5 D; d: l# n, R$ { DD Benham6 l3 @% z" w$ ?% h% p) ~
5 ?/ h0 M* f$ G2 k9 qHeavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |