很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!/ f+ E: r" ]2 }3 I5 ^ f; o i$ F
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
$ `- n. r* S# O9 t 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; _% v$ c' m+ N/ ?* ]
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& x# C* z$ r/ b1 D. r/ w. [0 T( K- y4 o
6 n9 c7 g% a7 g& [- V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!9 u5 k. {! Y7 o1 H% o# g7 ] i3 Y7 G
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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: I) Z4 v/ k, iMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136* I, h5 ?1 t# _+ A! c& H; J$ b
+ [0 S' o8 U8 U4 _9 R
Weather in hex: Overcast
8 h: x: @+ z! h F' h9 v; |8 b 3 f* _5 i3 Y- F2 X
Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.2 Z# P9 p7 i. Z6 D
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes$ L+ p4 p0 Z8 n+ ?9 y: [" ^, w
& ~9 K; y3 B& r* g) G; ]Japanese aircraft0 e7 Z: \7 E6 L
A6M2 Zero x 20
% n, @7 m; R7 ? D3A1 Val x 5
4 q& z" Y }9 ~% i' L D3A2 Val x 27
& A$ P- V8 j) Q, P: n- z- |
' @/ \3 v% ^3 c N# d0 OAllied aircraft
+ [# B: B9 o" C M P-39D Airacobra x 2
" p* h5 h+ n# b' R; |; p$ V; l F4F-4 Wildcat x 366 j8 @0 C Q: @! q2 v2 O
/ z7 Y1 m( h/ C! ~* w
Japanese aircraft losses
& L0 i2 S& u' j. g+ V A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed! N1 _8 D6 z N, s7 r5 k1 \
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
. d! M, s2 X8 C! S- ^0 _ D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak$ N- `/ C ]+ _0 Q$ ^
D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged& _2 t& d" t) r; n6 n9 i
D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak
0 f! n0 e0 g2 Q7 M3 d1 J/ d
& `. V3 Q! Q& a" @9 b2 m) p" yAllied aircraft losses0 @& x- t! ^* k1 E* q+ p8 p
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
5 u. |+ Y4 N+ K" h/ N+ B9 h" V F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed. A! y' ^- `+ p3 i& d3 M
& K& k7 @- w2 H
Allied Ships5 g* d ?: ^ ]: Y% [8 P
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire
2 E+ N# F. ]+ P8 ^7 F DD McCall
3 c( F+ T2 J0 Q8 ]9 ~7 O2 }5 `* s' e S DD Maury
- X: a @6 Q `' m2 h9 n W: v CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire6 i0 |" _) U( F3 L
DD Cushing3 j7 I' ]) h6 F7 ]
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0 L! _$ o! C* y* _# hMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
) W1 `; i( U4 Q y 6 l" o0 D% n: O" r7 j
Weather in hex: Overcast5 o2 w# @, y. u. k! V. B: s
! A* S y( w* `* R+ L. ]Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.6 e1 J& I4 t7 Q; W/ q5 i
Estimated time to target is 28 minutes- z& ~5 ?5 F3 k5 ?+ K
, V) |* P% X. nJapanese aircraft
4 d: a- B/ a7 D j/ R2 R A6M2 Zero x 16
$ e3 i& P( |* M* s B5N1 Kate x 16
& N$ i6 A8 a: g1 _) l% r8 c1 y) @5 g D3A2 Val x 231 c- S/ K; x' p$ j" q# K" D
1 I9 u1 r- `! {; jAllied aircraft; o" Y0 S- v0 H6 M0 D# @4 k
P-39D Airacobra x 1
# ^% x. w8 G3 C8 ^* `* S+ t F4F-4 Wildcat x 22& Z. p! ^6 D6 c; w& `
$ T! G$ l0 G) L3 f8 w2 |: pJapanese aircraft losses
( G' f6 |0 t& \: K1 U8 f$ s: f B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged$ _) t. r& x; Z6 Q) [+ }
B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak6 D2 x+ H9 v+ I0 S5 S
D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged6 u/ O+ ?$ [; L1 J* z, k5 u
D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
& Q: w: w* L4 v
" C0 S9 V+ j4 L" X* CAllied aircraft losses
6 [! r7 l) c+ e& q2 q P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed' {+ u- X8 ^. @
F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed7 E. x& |/ U- t$ ~7 ]: A6 K
N8 f. s# }! c8 I- d/ b
Allied Ships
3 S' X! ]) [" v( X* p9 ?0 J CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
: A2 h6 P- n; Z n# o* V DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk( }; k2 y1 S3 q B3 B
CLAA San Juan, on fire9 ?/ f$ S& u2 y0 K r' W0 U
DD MacDonough1 u5 m6 t4 ~) \! w% X3 |
DD Benham3 l" n# v& g& Q4 {
* ~- z# D- f/ cHeavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |