很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!
. I, v% c7 d( j& j( n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# ^, v/ E: [2 @" U+ m
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
' C( E; v/ O' T) U9 K: {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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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!
+ g- D9 g; ~& W# y& G W99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, ^7 L$ `6 ]1 y8 d- i
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
/ |( _0 X4 I0 \: P4 `2 {& U 5 @" }7 H9 m( m5 j
Weather in hex: Overcast
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Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
& j( ^8 s' Z6 i1 C; O' l$ dEstimated time to target is 25 minutes' T/ X# P8 G: R& f( x
$ \4 z* s3 N* f% Y4 T' u0 T3 U0 t3 {Japanese aircraft
$ O- k8 s r0 e" ?' M2 |6 j A6M2 Zero x 20+ L7 U: i8 o; Y6 N/ K( Z a) P9 V
D3A1 Val x 5
: n) _# E9 r. Z o( y% ~3 e1 t5 h D3A2 Val x 27/ E- S" H' E; u* p2 X
5 V7 Q& R# X; v8 B. s3 P
Allied aircraft
% p3 S5 V0 n' t' ] P-39D Airacobra x 2
- ] J& b9 G z$ }" G F4F-4 Wildcat x 367 Q" d2 _ U- |# C$ O+ Y
& N6 [2 w( R) D$ O P
Japanese aircraft losses
2 G" Z& p* G. b1 g0 b A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed8 N& M7 B$ P; ^
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged' S. V1 w# j" d, b
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
$ I$ R; w3 G' Z- l0 p% ]" u D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged4 A) y5 Z4 W4 |% B E: v
D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak# k) p% J' ~1 L+ N. {# E. }
, Y; n! N0 p; ^% Y+ Q
Allied aircraft losses
; f z$ u& }+ L0 s# C' f P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed' q S) o3 q; |4 q1 i, q; `6 |. j5 h
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed- }8 D9 F) e' a- w
y( J5 E) A5 q+ zAllied Ships; t6 b( {2 Y. x( [6 y9 K
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire7 K8 N2 y! w/ U3 f
DD McCall6 G# t/ e* [# q, b; ?* E
DD Maury! e! _: p1 z& s
CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire
% @2 ?# J3 [8 C DD Cushing( ]' O: ], z7 q7 V
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& r3 d7 `/ s. {$ W' Q" ~0 iMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136. ~3 z# _0 r! @( Y) W, K
* O0 W+ }8 ?: z- m& U/ y% FWeather in hex: Overcast: o' G) M' M& B: u+ k
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Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
9 [: R% x! {1 F3 ]4 g) q8 }1 ]Estimated time to target is 28 minutes
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Japanese aircraft" T- c. j, A6 O& H
A6M2 Zero x 16' ~3 d2 L" U( Q, j9 A, i; K# \/ |
B5N1 Kate x 16/ ]2 E8 e9 K$ \3 A
D3A2 Val x 23
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Allied aircraft# Y+ m. e% j6 ^4 U! b" e
P-39D Airacobra x 1" S( [9 E* @: g5 Y8 Q" }: l- ?
F4F-4 Wildcat x 22
7 V$ [5 J' Z, d$ }9 F3 i% G 8 D0 X" Y4 s6 @, M/ b2 J- O
Japanese aircraft losses
* v( H9 ~/ L O$ Q2 P# L B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged5 N) v7 U$ K# Z. X6 D4 i3 s
B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
( l- ?. a6 i' y8 v" L/ f D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged: Z; i2 [1 G0 a
D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak$ S4 C. |" f H% W# \ u1 ^3 c
# v8 B8 W* Z5 c+ K( |Allied aircraft losses3 r, h' l* h5 g6 l0 F
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed4 d- B( L7 e# |4 |( h& X% j" C. U
F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed
3 ^- G3 d) ]) U/ X9 }" Q8 ^1 ~ 3 q2 n' ]+ C9 `3 ]5 F3 ^% m
Allied Ships& Z' ^1 B6 ~1 A
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
8 k( C6 ?8 J! Z4 l3 \, g DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
M) x" ^, H" W) K3 E CLAA San Juan, on fire
3 W6 ]% I& D1 {% [2 T4 e DD MacDonough- C8 s( @7 j, H3 U
DD Benham$ q( I8 c: f/ M6 `+ ?% j
^" m9 {% q" rHeavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |