很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!
, Y( a" y2 C+ m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
" ?- t5 g: i& p- R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: i0 I3 L' u0 g: g6 l* O5 P- v" \
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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1 A9 I: d% S7 ^4 O: U- _% ]3 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!" ?0 j8 i" P0 \( \; n
99舰爆立即进入俯冲轰炸轨道,97舰攻下降高度进入鱼雷发射阵位,零战负责在上空护卫,激战之后,萨拉托加号先后被命中4枚炸弹,敌舰浓烟滚滚,丧失了飞机起降能力" I+ A R9 |/ n1 P# J8 Z
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' F. q+ Z5 b8 z7 C, SMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,1362 N" b6 f3 J) Q0 c
( r! `, S7 b0 g! `# JWeather in hex: Overcast
7 P- y5 U4 }0 O" K7 _3 b4 j; N$ k s' x( v* q; Y8 P5 i
Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.& P7 Z, }4 q: E( C2 d0 g
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes
; k2 @4 H# S# J7 @; W
9 [& r- B) |3 oJapanese aircraft' Z) u9 e% {: P) h; u0 u2 \2 B
A6M2 Zero x 204 w: m- _7 P+ T. X, u
D3A1 Val x 5
7 D' w% j4 H$ k$ l' ~( a# f7 P D3A2 Val x 277 P# F: {8 K1 {0 d
, g f' m, F6 S8 f
Allied aircraft4 ?: W, e" l: @& @
P-39D Airacobra x 2/ r2 d4 _% \4 E6 D3 U
F4F-4 Wildcat x 36# ]+ _+ | M0 D' y
0 E4 m# k8 t' i* _- Y$ s4 N
Japanese aircraft losses5 Q0 t# j) j, m$ s
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed' O5 v8 q! P# [/ v! @8 Q0 O
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
# n) f4 ?" O2 B- a1 F* _) ^ D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak7 v+ J; a. h$ b/ Y4 l
D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged
* D1 C- B. T9 X9 f" r! M3 I' w3 z, Y2 U D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak7 t, \! A% S! Q* E% G" ? f3 @5 x: d
+ H9 W1 z- x6 T! P- QAllied aircraft losses5 @( \) E% W, H* v2 F
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed; w2 f9 v( o4 U( f) Z9 S* X8 |
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
+ x6 x5 e. N" [! b 8 b5 n9 ]! H( t& w
Allied Ships
. W/ u+ b+ q* [- q CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire
, Q. h: I# S/ b' T5 } | DD McCall
; [" {3 W( [, y8 S: X6 ` DD Maury P9 g% x E5 Q3 k; b" V
CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire$ p/ ]6 W/ {8 g% e
DD Cushing, ~( a7 A) b ]" m/ ]. Q
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- j; l% V7 v( @Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
8 s* i# B1 G3 ^' d! J5 p 8 G3 E% n" x) s) a
Weather in hex: Overcast0 d5 n" L7 o/ l
/ u( [7 B/ |( m1 c% z: ]Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet./ v: c( ~/ c' o" v
Estimated time to target is 28 minutes; P- t' H. A$ e# R/ V d# X
+ b9 s3 B( \ G P xJapanese aircraft/ C, R, S$ F6 f+ G- k! J6 c8 [$ R8 ^& P
A6M2 Zero x 169 `" ]9 B: Y- S! Y. U
B5N1 Kate x 16% Z, I* c: U+ \0 s( ?8 i
D3A2 Val x 23
! H/ w5 L+ I+ q2 A
, {4 v8 L5 }" l' V4 l4 `Allied aircraft7 F4 `/ M* P/ r: ?3 d. G
P-39D Airacobra x 1
0 s- I% h, L( A- o F4F-4 Wildcat x 224 n8 h, e+ S6 }& u$ I/ y
6 H' k. e9 W, f r6 n k% n
Japanese aircraft losses0 Q& C" D( s: S2 s
B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
# H. X" V* g2 l0 z( e& }3 E B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak7 B/ S# y& }& c* f9 i$ e
D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged, f2 d, ?& H% W" N6 H. O
D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak& K9 J! C, E' ] p8 B+ ^
3 G V' p- J5 S& G( \, F
Allied aircraft losses
! l% B# U! Q# \) f5 B( m P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
j) ?( u$ g) I0 j" k0 X- ^ F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed
& f) U$ s+ t' w- d2 X 6 S7 M h5 s: v5 W( j _8 k
Allied Ships* h# M9 A% q5 v8 K' _
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
i/ @+ M6 S5 p$ Q3 p( _3 Z DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk/ J& w5 h2 w: ~/ Q. S
CLAA San Juan, on fire
' O t2 ^5 s" v; s DD MacDonough; f8 h7 B/ [! P: C
DD Benham
9 {* C6 U2 h9 `' b0 g9 e
' e+ Q! {2 p$ i6 H) _! i' r0 PHeavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |