很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母! R5 H% ?1 t- h4 }
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
3 I' O/ N; e, X3 s/ ]3 C; 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
2 N) u. h& g9 _6 \+ H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9 n5 z w, f: _4 p3 |( ]
# i, b) a6 B5 R" Y$ ?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!9 G* [/ Z" o$ P
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" A4 z* M. o. R: \1 I
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
$ d- u8 M% E2 I* x" B % \: | [7 n# O4 _- @5 ?5 M5 l
Weather in hex: Overcast. s) T) `! b" F: `
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Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.$ p; J/ T( G3 t8 Y4 y( _
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes, Z U9 H9 }2 c/ b+ M0 ]1 R5 M
7 o5 b8 p0 R+ ^
Japanese aircraft% d8 y/ n3 J2 P0 T( {2 V
A6M2 Zero x 20
O' p0 ~1 B8 ~ V( v D3A1 Val x 5$ f V5 E" l1 i; }3 Y! o
D3A2 Val x 27( P+ T3 \7 B8 f5 h# y
' f1 s2 h8 ~! m; e: Y% M2 y' }
Allied aircraft$ P/ `1 J! f4 D t# x$ p. |6 c$ H
P-39D Airacobra x 2
% D* h3 n( I! ^ F4F-4 Wildcat x 36* }( I2 n, z! S& ?" i
3 _$ L/ d3 r6 z6 {2 I9 G* FJapanese aircraft losses, L9 B6 z+ R! c( D. z% q
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed
% c& y- S. Z) R0 N$ h D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
d- p X; \6 | D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
6 }0 o2 h3 i9 o% [9 {, o D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged
& o8 @9 _* g- z1 y1 x- Z9 s) v( T# F5 y D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak& {: h" R1 |8 @+ T0 }2 M5 j( t
x5 M) y5 q2 jAllied aircraft losses
6 X' y3 [3 a& J' G: `- @2 u P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
% @0 l; n& F+ Y: D' {7 M F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
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Allied Ships2 P9 q. g' S# i
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire
4 E$ |1 f6 [8 B2 c( D& e9 N8 g DD McCall
( { k6 ?& Z7 z0 H: T: m* P* D3 s DD Maury( ], `. U1 J2 n2 P
CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire
# x+ F! R, Y1 _) L; Z DD Cushing
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136. i0 x1 e* {7 f
m% c( n* U6 j0 t
Weather in hex: Overcast
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`4 \ h+ M( d' E$ XRaid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
+ ^2 Y" D1 j% H s8 wEstimated time to target is 28 minutes
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Japanese aircraft8 V5 S- c4 \+ [1 f
A6M2 Zero x 16
; B- w. `& b1 I- w: ^' V! M3 Q. Y B5N1 Kate x 16
8 |9 W- X: n* G$ ]; c D3A2 Val x 23' |) A5 q: E7 L/ P
4 }2 U; `" B' m, w, s1 yAllied aircraft
( t; Q8 o. N4 u9 ^ F2 y M( c P-39D Airacobra x 1
9 x" |- W" a& {! ^3 b F4F-4 Wildcat x 22( V w1 j1 s9 A/ r6 K) V
a: e! p- h. A; uJapanese aircraft losses$ `+ q: c( Q" K. }' V
B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged/ Y8 S$ D% I5 ]9 y" a4 I
B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak2 {$ Y$ ~8 F0 F5 b& o
D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged
, Q7 H* J( b0 W% j! V, n D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak% _7 h+ a. j" i/ b# v* f f
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Allied aircraft losses
5 B2 ^' b. ~0 ]# e5 {* b# k1 y3 @ P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
3 ^1 y" ?+ j% H( Z9 W% I. m F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed: d* g0 t: m0 N3 n
9 k; G: N* l4 V9 s7 ^* q) ?- `Allied Ships
" m. R+ f5 _) H! |6 } CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
6 j, h$ Y: Q( H' |2 u DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk3 ]' g8 \& _) A- w m
CLAA San Juan, on fire& }+ u$ S/ q: R' E% Q
DD MacDonough( |) K; x! Z% W) N: }. f; G4 p
DD Benham2 G, ?3 z( K4 m
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Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |