很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!
$ J, e6 ^, Y0 d3 i' v4 `" R4 }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$ N( B1 b% h. N4 k
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
3 P$ h) b; G9 w. ?2 q+ {- t6 Y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5 N8 _: W2 t H" Z
1 n- s! V* E" \
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!: `" n+ n9 L' O+ R1 B
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$ @9 C/ A! b2 f. h
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4 G- f4 c% X, W( @Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,1363 E/ L# s" x) k8 ?
0 Y0 p' U( q" g0 t% a3 {Weather in hex: Overcast% P- U" J2 m6 C. ]0 ?) I" k& m9 Z! i
2 l1 s# F" X6 \, b
Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
% X0 q+ z4 K NEstimated time to target is 25 minutes
. h& o& i5 `1 e # U2 F' `" k* _9 F9 C i
Japanese aircraft0 ?8 ] @/ X- u: h% I/ ~
A6M2 Zero x 20
: Z6 q1 w' y0 ~/ ]/ Y D3A1 Val x 5
; g- @ K& o* L4 D5 r% F D3A2 Val x 27& H" d. l% t4 a% ^" g6 x- W
( v% q9 R( H+ ]2 |2 JAllied aircraft0 s9 Y1 g4 `" C+ q% f
P-39D Airacobra x 2; N/ U, G& X* A' C8 P! {% e
F4F-4 Wildcat x 361 \+ ~5 }9 S3 }7 s e
2 G( w$ [6 h4 kJapanese aircraft losses8 x7 q' }5 Z+ q
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed' W$ z' O3 m* v6 q
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged2 _+ w) {& D! G: w# R
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
* |. K" \; M% G* j+ u D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged
0 C3 W* O L0 V/ a; q D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak& E) r, o& ^8 y' f+ z7 Z1 h
4 f) t- G$ p+ w% D( T
Allied aircraft losses8 T3 D5 w5 D' g: K# i: x' G
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
. C- s' ~; a8 l l( O F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed' {2 O- @# Q$ {$ @& y# z1 h
$ C/ p3 ]" E7 J) L0 P6 u9 N) d
Allied Ships7 P/ [" ?( V8 i# w, z: U
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire8 S4 ~7 D1 N9 \. w- R5 i# P
DD McCall/ z- {& x, ]3 d
DD Maury
& `# l% ]" i3 S8 ?( O& F! _ CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire
* h* k- d6 q! k4 t& ^ DD Cushing
. R. {" z* U- q+ F9 f--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0 V& t' N0 M; Y; G4 n. V: o4 Y- K* zMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136! V& B) ^2 ?: N$ o& J
( s8 ~# L2 t5 R/ A
Weather in hex: Overcast
5 T2 t& ?, i# x1 a" R+ v
Q; A7 b/ l. l8 z1 R1 jRaid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
1 X u4 V$ v( `6 {+ b8 X! s& pEstimated time to target is 28 minutes4 b0 K8 ?1 c0 E& u5 m5 g+ i
. m Z- b$ @6 f- V/ j! e/ Y
Japanese aircraft
, u }/ S0 M) x6 o5 m2 b A6M2 Zero x 16
# {/ g D# M9 Q2 k9 { B5N1 Kate x 16' Q! g! H5 \) d- E# g1 G r
D3A2 Val x 23: u9 `' }# i% D( w& ?5 j l
% x( \# K- A' H* H [# i5 h7 x
Allied aircraft
" F( u% z- X6 _3 d/ v: U P-39D Airacobra x 1
6 {0 s* C. j; }0 w" C5 V2 G F4F-4 Wildcat x 225 p6 {- _9 U" r8 n6 g0 _
' e- p6 [. Z8 Y7 {Japanese aircraft losses9 [1 Q* `3 Y R- {
B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged( n* d3 Y+ s/ C3 e; M: D% L
B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
- k+ J8 p2 c( U% J D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged
+ o* o; f9 |) R5 J& D9 W$ M& v: Y' q D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
- ~$ @$ G" x5 t! L0 B8 j9 ?$ ~ 0 q# x, L5 E6 }/ Z
Allied aircraft losses% u: k5 k, F [& ~% q
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
8 C9 M# C+ `" T& ]+ ? F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed
2 b0 U, x* b4 t8 U' h' [
9 ?, D4 y2 p1 t6 J) ?; RAllied Ships5 h6 o( n Z a- h, j
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
2 P6 D+ M' G; X" {: T DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
4 u! u; U, L, A CLAA San Juan, on fire1 i0 ?/ h" a8 t6 W' J" w' B
DD MacDonough
: A6 Q5 v3 t) n3 @* z* [. n+ p DD Benham9 P: F' z! k& O/ O. J; O
3 ^. d) Z! _: ?8 N$ Z& X3 r1 R BHeavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |