很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!
: b6 F/ ^+ g1 u1 C' B% I+ c2 E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6 {! p2 t3 [& e* \) u- e8 }9 s& o
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 e2 R+ D% g' {6 p2 i$ E; Q
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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4 a, I6 _. |; h: _4 g% P4 K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!$ V. y$ s# t% O9 s
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: T. d& b+ ]" j# H9 H; @7 q: G
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5 N+ P( x+ W- ?. |Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136" i' `4 b2 M1 g, F
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Weather in hex: Overcast
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7 E* e8 i* C' D5 z( K5 }Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.8 i b8 m, y5 U6 R: {
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes9 A4 {* S2 E8 {2 k2 b H$ e
3 ?" W& Z& p/ GJapanese aircraft' S( ?- G! \ e. R! f8 Z
A6M2 Zero x 208 @' s, J7 T% s5 t1 g
D3A1 Val x 5% u4 A' p1 {: n& m8 F- U
D3A2 Val x 27# D0 ], |6 O; h: s7 {* o) p$ H
( y6 k. Y; F5 l9 H- ~% k
Allied aircraft
9 p' R+ V8 j$ Z* l/ m9 G P-39D Airacobra x 2
V; B1 x* ?' x& O) g2 m5 t& T F4F-4 Wildcat x 36
% Z4 M* y( F" J* N9 B2 i2 q, L7 N7 `6 q; d: H
Japanese aircraft losses- d- H+ w4 s: T, R" I3 y
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed5 E* M+ M B6 v1 r
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged7 M9 h6 z& z$ g; [' F' P
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
% t2 n, F" X) d# `* M" ~% y; v! A D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged
5 Q+ |3 O H- z6 Z: F D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak1 q2 o- e+ V2 m: N& E
7 v, O' t! a/ Z5 T2 j/ G9 yAllied aircraft losses
: H! S& _# A( n) T! g) l P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
* i2 E4 c% e6 t! H# C F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed& Z) v: K2 a5 w+ V5 ] ~
s! e& m' }! e. W0 T
Allied Ships
8 Q$ b* P; N6 N CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire
' R; ]0 C2 O( \( y% U3 f DD McCall
, {$ M' C9 W( R4 i" l DD Maury
5 Y; _# I. G2 N, g CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire
/ l+ w& H$ @5 p: a5 v1 K1 [1 e DD Cushing
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$ r$ w* B# v; x AMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136+ X4 y6 w9 O' I9 D* b3 L
( H$ ?& q Z! X" w2 D% a
Weather in hex: Overcast
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" M- t1 j4 y; C( {8 N" E3 F! o. nRaid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
: k: c: H: ?( y- lEstimated time to target is 28 minutes' a: i. r5 H- `% O4 _
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Japanese aircraft
* i3 {/ o$ T S4 `& e8 m2 c4 i& Q A6M2 Zero x 16
; i6 z- E5 p* f0 u' ]6 P B5N1 Kate x 160 A" T, a4 W& z, }! H% I7 ^9 ^
D3A2 Val x 23
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Allied aircraft* a% e% o6 z |3 d: p6 Z5 l3 V
P-39D Airacobra x 1
$ ^$ v/ W1 w8 A2 j6 j F4F-4 Wildcat x 22' D- g% }, a8 u+ P4 T' D
% d7 c5 _1 X' |3 uJapanese aircraft losses
% c, O' e, i7 W; A# x B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
9 U5 H& j- @1 W! S, m7 m B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak+ e& |( V/ ? J* [
D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged5 C5 u9 b" O8 M! v: Y# r+ H
D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
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Allied aircraft losses) S9 E" ^, V; a5 K: s% H2 ^
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
* P. E; L9 _; ^2 [+ K F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed
0 {0 S* [$ c! o% J. b - }% m) U; Z4 l+ s. w1 N( F
Allied Ships6 ]& p* @* H# D4 ?3 |$ a1 G# z5 p
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage8 _) J, U- z& C. e M1 u' H, k% g
DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk2 l/ `7 J7 B- |3 D- H
CLAA San Juan, on fire
0 ?+ ^4 V: ?5 }. F X$ E1 g7 J DD MacDonough
! L# z F+ f5 |/ K* I5 m j! } DD Benham: B, C) J% k6 g7 w S' A; K
1 z J; U5 q, C2 I; VHeavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |