很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!
1 q4 l# `' X; z0 j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
* C: L# f: M5 o2 c- [0 L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
h5 I! `; E4 O' D9 J! M. P6 [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: }; v+ l7 i9 s. f/ |% c* Z
4 W: l" ^& [. d4 Z1 t; x0 |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!) j, E0 `# g; q- m3 ^
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/ A" W* m/ k" _1 H8 o' F# d% F
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! {* K3 I. ^' e) oMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
$ ~% \, @/ N# P9 _7 T
( f' r6 g) H/ iWeather in hex: Overcast
6 W, f. X4 ?( ~* [ & T) K$ X/ L, n6 S3 x; X" B1 H! W `
Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.* M, w& G! ]) T6 o; a$ Z! K
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes
6 l: F- \; B4 F0 \' B
# Y; b- ^1 a* p# V2 q, n) zJapanese aircraft) t: X4 P4 i. z' @( X5 O4 d
A6M2 Zero x 20
/ b3 j6 o0 l( K. e" A4 ]6 b D3A1 Val x 5: P1 }# h3 w1 T& [# ~& Q
D3A2 Val x 27$ n. H7 q- e# Z1 w6 h
6 `! n8 I+ R; E
Allied aircraft' X# k4 n9 D( }# D/ f6 n- X
P-39D Airacobra x 2+ d. a7 k) M4 w' L
F4F-4 Wildcat x 36
0 ~+ h# i [5 X4 Q# G0 O( U& [1 \+ R0 t
Japanese aircraft losses: x4 r0 K( \9 f
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed R" K* L$ s3 G) }0 r
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
# k; X+ ?$ V2 c D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak) |4 U, y0 B- W6 w
D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged0 T. [3 S S4 N) h4 l- V3 F
D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak
$ `: F: w4 E+ [3 d; N
8 l) o4 I0 H, T1 u1 T! d: wAllied aircraft losses3 Q6 B* l0 c2 _" p c0 k/ x
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed% I! G8 ?+ U9 w: m
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
6 ~+ d+ ?, l, @! q " d, y4 x g& [) F3 k' n9 e
Allied Ships+ t/ l1 D/ ?* F% E% a/ E! \
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire; L; h1 Z5 W6 O9 [0 Z
DD McCall P q; X S7 s2 Y
DD Maury
0 r; o7 q Q, a- d/ s- I! ? CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire
+ E: ?( Q* a# g! ^ DD Cushing. o3 r! ?# e g' A% T
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. C$ [) T$ W- A( E) s VMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
0 ^$ J) [5 E" Q1 J4 P3 ]
) C9 b' \- M9 kWeather in hex: Overcast
( P3 k5 M# w" z% I
; f4 u1 Q4 O" w. g% \' QRaid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
1 o/ `5 K9 p l4 j$ i! ^Estimated time to target is 28 minutes
, n9 k- L9 S, C3 c
, ~, D3 e# Y: {8 H' B+ aJapanese aircraft
6 E6 B# x9 n/ o- I7 q5 Z( Y A6M2 Zero x 16
) X& I" Z, x! g" D' p7 D, U- p; _3 C B5N1 Kate x 16
. {" o( h) p5 I( n1 `! q' q- @9 w D3A2 Val x 23& j) }' P. y3 c3 S( m; Z1 j+ n: u
# D3 N( b2 `, @8 a' _- o/ h, W. g
Allied aircraft9 d8 E6 U! s4 i' R" V- A
P-39D Airacobra x 1
* r( A5 y4 C( M# e6 }# c8 \ F4F-4 Wildcat x 22
2 P8 Q2 G8 C3 E* Q U
. T( J+ t# \( d7 VJapanese aircraft losses* ^$ R( J) F0 t4 ]) f' l
B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
" [4 ]3 V2 ]: A$ K, S* ?) X) f" G B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak+ a: N/ ]2 z8 N& c1 j
D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged
/ b, y3 N1 E8 @+ a! i" L D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak! R' [( P$ b- f+ W5 q
/ ?% j$ w' g0 O: }& }- d9 N
Allied aircraft losses0 Z# q% F( h* I; O
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
& ?) M9 q, A8 F" d F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed3 w' P. Y! E3 ~- C+ t' h: A
' E4 ]/ E7 H* p0 u h
Allied Ships5 [, ^7 I/ M. g% e
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
& L- F. ]) Z1 |2 m' E DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
' U6 K& O4 v; h: C; P; W CLAA San Juan, on fire P3 t' z% s) N( o( m2 z5 U; S
DD MacDonough9 k9 w7 Y" x+ ], y! ?' i
DD Benham
" H+ J7 Y7 I" r: F" u/ F- o0 X2 d: T6 J0 |& C
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |