很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!* a& X/ \% e) ^$ P, Q$ ]
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
' @8 _8 A7 I+ f& H/ O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 C0 {) ]2 J! Q( y8 i9 Y) W$ M2 |
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# t6 s+ A" r% w1 M! L7 |1 ^
6 v6 l7 z0 v Q' I6 H5 Y! S: K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!
- \; l0 _1 H+ I; 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1 {- u5 Q) ?: Z4 y
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# P4 z, z- M8 YMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136+ F& u6 D, J1 S5 g% H; B, U
h4 i- g, D1 A, P' v7 R* {0 `# ^2 F
Weather in hex: Overcast
$ |0 g1 |5 X! X l
) N- P; C- D& v' IRaid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
$ |. ?5 i% b: I5 ~7 wEstimated time to target is 25 minutes
% v+ T: c* o! A5 o4 Y9 L
5 u# y6 W# r. Z, `Japanese aircraft7 J- Y# B, Z8 T: R: y1 h
A6M2 Zero x 20/ w( f# E1 v/ U, p3 I7 `
D3A1 Val x 5
3 _, e* j) O- W& V D3A2 Val x 27
! D/ h" I) l. l/ g% O0 k* S
- E# Y; P$ X i. MAllied aircraft; r3 c8 S N' D, b4 J- `
P-39D Airacobra x 2
* D0 f. Q5 B2 T L, P! c F4F-4 Wildcat x 368 h8 o* N9 t* n _1 @0 |4 Q. E; ]
4 d& B& u$ M' T8 {
Japanese aircraft losses: g# d' _! E6 a8 C4 a( w: P
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed
% o9 ]/ b' k6 q& m D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged, B' f3 `* N4 _9 a, e1 l6 X
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
9 }+ c/ R$ p0 Y6 H8 m" h D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged
/ v$ |- V9 f8 t* ?, E D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak0 h, y+ ]; b$ r+ S: t6 V$ Z
/ M! U% S/ T. t) q3 ?
Allied aircraft losses3 Q6 E) a& u: d* w# [$ \/ Z! }6 P
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed; Y1 E8 S! M3 B* N5 E" X; s. A
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
: y9 [$ a: E; }/ V- p! P# z
- O! F. g( L9 b6 x* p- {* wAllied Ships D/ b6 @0 l' P: O& R' E: A" _
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire
- ?# ^- \; F Z2 ]7 h9 Z5 S DD McCall
! U5 x8 s- b) w: ~ DD Maury. d' G, J; o% G7 o; U* O, ^
CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire, u/ r% u; _ N, ]' K
DD Cushing
9 ]* W# K3 [( C# R3 _-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- h0 i0 f: x8 ]
Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,1365 ~ Z+ a5 T9 m& W
0 D+ e8 T" [+ P( a5 R; b* O+ g6 V
Weather in hex: Overcast
1 f1 H& g1 c. H2 H9 ~0 } 9 E# F" S( {0 ^" L0 @6 J
Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.5 m' O; r" s0 J& T2 f( Q
Estimated time to target is 28 minutes
8 l, x0 M' n p
4 ~4 C7 u) l5 w* Z* TJapanese aircraft
2 I1 K) d$ u6 z3 I/ i$ ] A6M2 Zero x 164 {% @9 {& p/ {
B5N1 Kate x 165 O# V' @: {! F0 e7 V b
D3A2 Val x 23
; }: ], @/ p6 s: h( Z. ^# E, ] 6 S9 R" C# J$ Y# \8 f4 u
Allied aircraft
! A6 S& t2 d3 ^% _) f: D P-39D Airacobra x 1 z3 K0 W( s; F: H( s' m l1 L5 _
F4F-4 Wildcat x 22
# Y# N8 M6 K$ g( C6 ~
5 }- S6 {5 }' x) `Japanese aircraft losses
; c( Q. T) |& B; X- z B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged6 M" v) a [+ G+ X) y3 `
B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak% u! {6 }- `: F1 b/ V0 f- h2 o& F6 {% g
D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged
0 z' {4 X% q. h$ ^# [& v; G D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak3 J3 Y T( s! y R$ @: C
9 h' G8 e7 [2 F/ F* [9 I& V& l- EAllied aircraft losses9 M, B( ~9 _9 n5 [5 d
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed2 A1 c+ {# _3 [7 Z
F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed
0 d0 j; a7 e. t: J$ n( T 1 i, |( L* e& Y5 r6 J9 a% _. h
Allied Ships
8 y% y" x, |8 ^; I+ j! i" _- t7 I CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
5 e! S& F R& D# a- m$ i' i$ t Q DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk( F! ]( f" G- E7 N9 k; Z
CLAA San Juan, on fire
, f j* y/ `% j# B. k! C. O" p DD MacDonough- I1 a4 e8 P9 i8 L: K, T" I$ r
DD Benham8 f6 t: y- I( G5 A! s
$ _0 v# m: B6 THeavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |