很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!1 j- a$ v5 A& a6 y$ H9 ]
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
! t6 I! t& I+ s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) f$ @% V3 i% ]2 G* o& W8 {
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!7 ~/ d$ e* H3 c( t0 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
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
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Weather in hex: Overcast2 G* a5 i. H- X: S- s: @/ h
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Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.+ R& {! a% g) P0 m" x4 K8 ^% Y7 {$ Q
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes
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Japanese aircraft3 r" J- g K2 z* A \0 f
A6M2 Zero x 20" K& w3 J( I* V0 T
D3A1 Val x 52 w4 r8 `) S( u1 A3 o$ \& Z
D3A2 Val x 27& i3 @8 q G- c, F% B C
* k% }2 k) v6 \# `% wAllied aircraft
9 F$ s6 b& l& T+ b3 b5 @# r P-39D Airacobra x 2, Z7 ~* \/ k2 H; A h4 Z# z; z
F4F-4 Wildcat x 36( g, ~) W& C# ~% D, o! \
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Japanese aircraft losses
0 w/ f: N. ` p0 U( q+ F+ l( ~ A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed
+ ?) M+ i) I& H( O1 k* [ D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
$ @: {, N" T. M- o" N) X D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak, m; s$ u% C% Q e
D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged- O$ f: ?$ ]# \. R& _. ]
D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak: A: r- e& k2 M6 M5 w N3 [6 `
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Allied aircraft losses
, f1 n, w+ c! Z/ J8 M% O P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
' V+ B! U9 k* T) X; g* Z F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed. K: A1 z5 a* m2 x' F& X* y, a" h/ ]
& [' P( d _) w' X. T( X. G( sAllied Ships
; g& u) ~* }! X& w) V$ [ CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire
; x7 l' O( S% L0 Y/ } DD McCall
a7 G; j, T0 h DD Maury
6 Q* k7 P; D, V: L+ |. L; I CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire3 ~8 ~8 b. H2 v. I% U$ @+ B+ U
DD Cushing
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
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0 M1 `7 ?! V* JWeather in hex: Overcast: z! p2 T3 e; Y" X* q) U
{3 W- x) ~9 ~+ s& W- Q* u7 }: \/ nRaid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
( c' [$ l: D: ? VEstimated time to target is 28 minutes# e4 r& c0 h- m% U! f
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Japanese aircraft# x# h" a* g4 F! j* n
A6M2 Zero x 16
; b5 @+ t) ]/ e B5N1 Kate x 16
% a& W1 V( i9 h' o D3A2 Val x 23* F( B) |- W5 ?6 Q, A0 Z" P o
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Allied aircraft
6 q3 `! @4 o1 e: m# s6 O P-39D Airacobra x 1
2 x5 i5 r( v( {" W7 N5 c6 d F4F-4 Wildcat x 22
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& b6 N' V( Y" l' V5 mJapanese aircraft losses. U& }: h; ]# w
B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged2 V% D" f' M+ @. F& T% D
B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak9 \; r l; U0 i. ?% m- I; O" j
D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged9 J- D3 Y" F- f5 B! {' C7 J
D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
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* w0 s( w8 x( m6 b: U9 oAllied aircraft losses
: U, R5 h, T% o- U$ T0 W" D P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed, x9 M) A. A6 ^/ {9 F- o9 }
F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed1 g' [ E8 |9 Y* `
$ V, @9 F! s3 r6 PAllied Ships
# R8 L# o# @$ ~9 X0 V CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
5 t6 \8 H% |, C) t9 i2 m DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
6 ?! E5 p9 r4 |$ X: N CLAA San Juan, on fire
1 a5 q7 ~2 h1 x DD MacDonough
9 {0 O' A$ [+ q* k+ s DD Benham
# P% u$ }" _- {0 V+ `
; ]; L* n7 \# F& @5 SHeavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |