很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!4 A# S. p7 _& E4 X/ e4 a. @
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" `, ]! E% s) K) g+ H) 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2 \0 M' q% ?* w3 c
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
6 K- {+ X( Q# j- u
. a- Z: U# Q8 @7 P. b, S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!
* \$ B p k$ v99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: r$ U8 N1 d1 C& l
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Z$ i, q3 G' r3 x. B5 _Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136. O, L' j* E7 x6 w4 G
: P6 `! c. I9 y$ a2 j$ y/ k
Weather in hex: Overcast
0 O, _9 ^' V: g: j1 F2 z: k- l
3 R0 g g, \2 p5 s" s8 w# ^9 JRaid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.. c: F* |% _/ U* f" P- Q* Q; V
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes
" i8 [: f9 K$ u& l, n
% \2 w ?! Y3 dJapanese aircraft9 Q) f3 Y8 e8 B* H
A6M2 Zero x 20
7 o4 H" V4 O% u; n M V6 t D3A1 Val x 5
+ q7 U) w, r' c: \0 x& b3 n' } D3A2 Val x 27) |- \. D% A6 D+ h. _
! a+ a( V- Q" [" [+ r; _
Allied aircraft& X$ Z4 f. R* q# o( ]# x% C1 B1 _
P-39D Airacobra x 2; K$ u4 f5 L) O6 `& w
F4F-4 Wildcat x 36
$ v' A. ]5 k' h( K! D5 t0 N. h9 m9 y: I4 ~3 k
Japanese aircraft losses
& o: ^2 J; A4 b7 b A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed% l1 h$ }4 k/ } J) q0 c
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged0 h, p: m9 i2 S8 u0 I" w
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
0 S9 V; x4 t7 g+ \) ? D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged+ J/ r& A" e1 n1 e. b' T3 q- n
D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak" k; M# W: e2 f. W, J
9 }: y; b' O! A2 J/ J8 a
Allied aircraft losses
- J: p* O4 S8 d. w3 e# y P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
$ y* ~9 a* c# }" t; M F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
* C4 }* ?0 d2 r0 m1 n+ r9 ~ 5 [- Q* F, Y% w4 ^
Allied Ships
! t/ h4 l* B1 d) u4 T CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire8 p/ ?. I d. G' m
DD McCall' v- h: V: X% v2 s
DD Maury
$ p+ m: z4 p6 Q( s. x6 Y4 r4 U CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire' T+ R: X. C# M0 p$ J
DD Cushing
! C, t0 X1 Y) J8 [+ d+ Q--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* j) O7 _( P! i4 {0 |Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
& j; ~+ w2 I( H( O0 O: n 9 M. N. j/ R2 {
Weather in hex: Overcast' L p0 I" ?% ~! |! V
0 n5 s3 ]; `, u9 L$ N+ z) S" uRaid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
( N1 D$ i, P. a: T" Q# kEstimated time to target is 28 minutes
/ X$ o& o r% _* k7 W: K ; e9 j* ]' v% A/ O" `8 ~, O3 w7 B; M
Japanese aircraft$ Q7 q0 ^; J, I% i0 p: h& {: u
A6M2 Zero x 16
* a) v h" z0 N B5N1 Kate x 16; c, T- u' a, ^# e$ M* x4 E& T
D3A2 Val x 23
+ S6 `: ?% p* r$ b4 r( ?# h' C. D 6 I& T' z9 E4 f+ G, d- L" W
Allied aircraft W, H0 ]6 V; a# j
P-39D Airacobra x 1
( B* o5 p" {$ [4 t, x/ ? F4F-4 Wildcat x 22
) x; f* u3 |/ I8 N" j ) x$ R+ u2 n7 E5 _" g3 p9 g& r
Japanese aircraft losses" f. {! g. l n; {/ X; G$ p
B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
# O t. C) {, F; b9 i1 @' ` B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
0 M& { Q6 Q' P( n* n: z D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged
8 s! R8 v: E3 A% k D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak* q4 X6 B4 Y8 y! u: E
. l% d" @$ @1 @4 Z- u/ {# V! z) HAllied aircraft losses
+ L* k8 |! }0 W% u% S1 { P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
2 N: e7 g1 A# M- f8 P. P' ^1 h F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed
" R& L5 m/ `4 M; {/ u , W3 V. M; t% ^8 T
Allied Ships
- ?7 j d6 W+ w8 {, m9 l CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage% H' i1 k5 f% r: Z+ Z
DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
. U3 r; _3 i+ w# ]! b, j" E CLAA San Juan, on fire) c" T& o: H. Y) }( `
DD MacDonough P! ]# y/ n5 I* `; E$ i9 y% [' \2 h1 R
DD Benham$ g4 q; }, o: q% V1 X" ~
% }) A8 n7 C, L+ U1 H5 e5 X2 ?Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |