很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!
3 W9 o2 t$ c% e" `& M+ @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 j! ]5 `$ ], r6 ?& X$ ?9 v; |3 X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 A( Q% O+ p0 L( n1 V8 f
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: G$ ~& [- i" l$ q$ e) @0 Z$ m
, q% [- o+ {, Z* g
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!1 ]: V+ A: Y" ?$ j4 Q4 ?' L& W' c
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 z3 L+ i# b' W% U
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! _ d6 I- V, z1 i; h! a2 tMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136; B. S6 N; o+ z2 Z# x
3 C/ `' g0 w2 ]& B5 ^. v
Weather in hex: Overcast+ R4 @0 P, R8 \5 Q) |" k9 M
+ L: }6 J: i: T I8 s6 ?1 p2 g ?Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
2 S2 U+ g: y2 J4 e5 z* I8 g& c) i& UEstimated time to target is 25 minutes
1 U, i6 ~: }0 ~! g1 E, z , H4 o& E0 e5 D) b' ?: q
Japanese aircraft
3 A+ S" y& S5 v5 L' l; ^" ? A6M2 Zero x 20: o6 g6 c; D( K$ ^9 A$ h L
D3A1 Val x 5
7 }$ m+ Z6 H1 Q- }+ k1 Q3 N& Q D3A2 Val x 27
& `: P9 u0 G Z5 I- ]# Q2 T \; u1 {, \8 y
Allied aircraft
# i) p2 Z$ T: ~ a0 K4 t9 r P-39D Airacobra x 2
7 M% ]; A' y# G6 ]1 ~$ O$ F6 } F4F-4 Wildcat x 36. n+ |0 u( t9 O
2 _ R- j7 d% @ KJapanese aircraft losses- x# E6 w( g; W
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed1 i: e6 r; ?" E0 I) x4 |' g
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged& U( \$ n. B6 Y6 X) P" r
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak T& Z9 Z% k, c9 Z3 L9 n
D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged
) B1 B% U7 D* w6 Y. x, X1 S D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak
. l7 q" g, U+ A( r; z4 w& W3 K 2 |, L7 d+ A' V8 T' L4 U; _6 e
Allied aircraft losses& g' I9 @2 B0 s& c! v6 m& v8 z+ w
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
) O/ h$ ?; g7 n Y8 Z- f F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed: t& N$ \# t, X5 K3 R
. u' {: H0 C: z- S% s1 e
Allied Ships2 C, n" ]6 U+ [2 ~- ?$ V
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire a: N2 [5 L$ @. q5 v) R/ B) ]
DD McCall+ c" [5 w4 D4 m! o( b+ M" L- \3 \
DD Maury' N- i5 z j5 L: q' {9 E
CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire
" k% w: a/ s5 w" i o& u DD Cushing$ J5 Z* R8 O7 R; q- w' ?! o) s5 W
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. k) V; ~* K t) b5 VMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
$ Z e& x1 \, w1 ~0 V 1 g$ U) T" S$ F" C
Weather in hex: Overcast
2 k% _3 h, F2 t& p# m: V
& j8 {( f7 r, t5 i+ t9 dRaid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
6 S( \ y `0 c8 x1 G$ IEstimated time to target is 28 minutes7 ?( L7 P4 q& E
& G9 x$ ~0 }) B. k0 ~0 b) d
Japanese aircraft
5 m0 T3 D6 J. u7 |5 d( ~# | A6M2 Zero x 16
8 I* l& o: ^7 D* S8 L B5N1 Kate x 16: V+ e! o2 w! ?+ q
D3A2 Val x 23/ @4 Q' Q( ?2 E$ M, G$ [
/ i6 q5 d# ]. S' H/ R" M0 k
Allied aircraft2 Y+ F/ p& E7 N6 I
P-39D Airacobra x 1& D R" _4 d" n C* e8 f& h
F4F-4 Wildcat x 22
, [: H9 N* @2 {9 J
; R: Y O- r5 ~. ?/ d" P, |6 {9 qJapanese aircraft losses
9 T7 _' x; h% E" p. x B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
- F# y" M! x) S0 l! T# r8 n B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
8 M0 W7 Z8 C; G* I% z: s D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged
2 a3 e) W' e" _( P1 [$ \! C1 d D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
0 y/ @" [0 L* D; R# t( t
* z7 C7 H, i) j3 ^7 e" p1 }& qAllied aircraft losses
! {$ O) ]) E) c9 U7 ` P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
3 @+ J, V; f% X8 @( O9 g6 U F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed
- s8 }! J* V8 x+ L6 o! W - Q8 q2 T3 R4 D3 \. j1 v
Allied Ships. o0 l2 `+ |0 F* ~1 v4 K
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
# B* P" j# F0 @" z- v$ B DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
5 z3 A3 A- C5 h" S CLAA San Juan, on fire# F C0 r" [0 s+ s2 x
DD MacDonough
: e& S0 @7 ^) M# }: ^8 H/ a DD Benham
7 o" p( P( j% y8 n8 q- S/ m5 @9 N
; c% N: m0 |+ KHeavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |