很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!* {6 h) e, Q( G% b& 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6 s" [2 W q0 a' `+ n2 t
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
# ^; \' A6 @4 X; {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!
2 M8 g. G$ a# Y. \$ j6 n99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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& ]3 F- \* ?. B- u$ nMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136$ w. m+ k2 |$ y7 N- W5 B' \6 I
% c3 `7 w7 y7 X6 PWeather in hex: Overcast
' @' \1 v- F9 a " r# \( w0 |4 {3 D! G
Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
! O# w( L; n: a: T1 W$ ^$ ^) ?; W3 hEstimated time to target is 25 minutes
6 Q" M* u' s& ?" L* ] 2 Q. o: q- f# G w% S
Japanese aircraft) ^0 M; j9 g9 v) u# w8 o/ q
A6M2 Zero x 20% B" S# L6 ? S1 k
D3A1 Val x 5' J( j6 I) [/ `, `8 S5 _% H
D3A2 Val x 27* C7 @ |" m7 p+ f, F" i0 ]
$ n: r) z( L3 m* F0 b FAllied aircraft
l% n v/ ^' R8 c5 X2 z- V' A P-39D Airacobra x 2# A2 r C- m% s5 b
F4F-4 Wildcat x 36& Y: N4 H& o# f* k! Y7 S( ^
+ @& F0 d, G) ~Japanese aircraft losses: r2 J# s; a- G
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed" ?8 H) i, F+ F: m1 S
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged7 o* g1 |, w! y: h: }
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak$ ^9 Y7 L3 ]! U
D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged4 w; Q; s4 U( Y3 i
D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak$ W' G) Q3 F. j5 v( o2 p) u
! N4 S" E1 z7 _& t( [; O% G6 E
Allied aircraft losses8 |) A+ \1 F7 A5 B4 [# B6 O: E
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed6 q# A( U: t( W/ u3 C6 R! J
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed8 g, |+ ~1 M( }
* C+ b0 `9 [0 {6 s& V1 ^# M
Allied Ships
. X* w m+ B7 @& }! A5 P CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire
3 l3 X4 a, n4 O: z# ^' ?; f DD McCall! y7 o9 M' U+ g3 l$ h* [7 c$ Y
DD Maury
0 w9 a- K" [3 t" E CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire3 Y d; E" c* J% y0 C6 { {; j' ^
DD Cushing
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
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Weather in hex: Overcast
7 T5 T: t$ N7 [7 S# x$ w# W 8 y+ s7 F4 F5 I% u2 ]
Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
+ u) z1 ^" H0 Q$ U- Q3 @: S! rEstimated time to target is 28 minutes% A# ~8 U; K, ~# J) m, X: m: K
7 m7 t% ^" r7 h+ RJapanese aircraft
* h6 K1 @) {+ v. q A6M2 Zero x 16
' z; v8 \5 E" P0 _2 n B5N1 Kate x 16! H/ J1 a4 X# w/ ^" M, W/ V
D3A2 Val x 23
: W# z! m" u# f
" [ L+ [; j: a0 G( xAllied aircraft
3 P/ g4 J$ l% q% G+ q- N! H7 X) u P-39D Airacobra x 1
/ H) g |% W* Z6 E- y) ~7 U* @( h F4F-4 Wildcat x 22
( s/ E2 w+ C: ?8 L1 v 2 ]7 h& i7 h @9 r
Japanese aircraft losses
+ W/ y- s" y2 U9 I9 x B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged4 {0 g* J, k* T8 Q
B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak' q/ k, |2 k4 N; O% v! b
D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged
6 F( p6 D+ f! e+ C. P D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak$ d/ D, } ?' j L. a6 Y
$ c6 o$ W" q; A2 E/ x
Allied aircraft losses) T+ `* y# | P( w6 `$ m" C) B- n
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed2 ~8 c8 a% _5 w% t# l% _/ S& l. Z$ O
F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed
1 b9 s1 O" K9 x9 x7 X
! X6 A/ S* N/ l. j" F; r7 ]: ?Allied Ships8 k# i* V2 b$ f4 L1 `9 L
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
; x/ y2 |8 N* K- C$ g& u DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
4 _0 }9 o n$ ^* [; s5 P% I- x! O CLAA San Juan, on fire J2 n7 f; U+ h& ]
DD MacDonough# s {0 U( B: Y- f( i
DD Benham
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$ m3 C0 d2 ^6 C: p- N, [Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |