很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!
! J$ n+ `& }; d8 \: x6 J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
q1 m: {$ ?9 S& 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% H& I: ?/ G3 i+ A
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4 `5 J" m w) i# G p
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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!+ I" X- |; Z$ v2 y( r* i. b
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1 B4 Z" d( b% d( w5 w1 J# r
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136) W1 ?) {3 r- G4 |9 X7 n
2 J0 H: m$ g. V3 R3 S9 VWeather in hex: Overcast
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Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
* n4 X/ G6 N* }0 v7 L8 dEstimated time to target is 25 minutes5 J9 N# L6 N8 h% Y' J2 }- y/ _ U1 ^
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Japanese aircraft
1 [) W, f7 R1 I$ t1 C! q. a A6M2 Zero x 20; |9 x* k5 X# Q/ H" C
D3A1 Val x 56 D, q$ V# M, V6 R
D3A2 Val x 27# b1 q# L* v. ]8 i
5 o7 f" p, O O. [- @& W3 {Allied aircraft! }% }" o2 m$ ~
P-39D Airacobra x 2, P, q) h' j# g9 Q5 n
F4F-4 Wildcat x 36
6 ^4 H F5 n4 C+ h. B. F+ Y0 d0 F$ r, p7 P3 r1 `$ ]
Japanese aircraft losses$ L- |$ a$ X) r4 F# `
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed
0 h1 e/ t( A9 O1 Q D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged% _* j1 ]- \2 }( l, }* }/ D- {
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak' Z( C( K# O/ O4 N1 q
D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged
+ d9 d# x- U4 ?6 A7 @' q; j6 k D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak
+ d9 ~+ y- f @# L+ d: | / Y( Z* n8 h) g
Allied aircraft losses
/ g: m* o+ U+ h, F# t+ E g( ] P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed q' Y% g% l1 H1 d7 D; C( R' D
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed0 ?$ G4 u. y7 I) L9 T
& W2 l. }3 f5 E- VAllied Ships
% _" J6 K) @0 R7 z2 \ CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire6 |8 Y8 o& v" s7 A9 N
DD McCall
$ o& R% s/ c, Q8 D8 Y: S, W, p DD Maury
4 X% G8 R' v( J& b0 u CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire% P" I$ R; }1 v6 a; a) _0 b9 K
DD Cushing
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
2 F9 |3 l+ h7 R
8 n# @3 E+ z8 O0 hWeather in hex: Overcast2 t( E, _+ c6 y/ J
* \, l6 t& [( m8 ?5 lRaid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.1 S4 m2 L/ [* D8 M
Estimated time to target is 28 minutes
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Japanese aircraft+ B- n+ `8 M4 T0 G
A6M2 Zero x 169 J1 w& ^2 {# i7 ^% ~5 j, g6 z" l
B5N1 Kate x 16
( |! [) T; I$ g; r; V( V% \ D3A2 Val x 23* x6 w# Z i2 W9 Y" d: }+ A0 A3 ^
6 D W& S4 f; E/ }9 p
Allied aircraft4 `, L# [. g+ H, W
P-39D Airacobra x 1
$ } W5 V% I6 a, l" e F4F-4 Wildcat x 22" J* |3 T1 ]& _* K4 `
8 B7 W9 w; K4 }9 e4 r, M
Japanese aircraft losses6 g+ F* F& |0 ` j* y' C
B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
+ G* P0 J3 Y2 d3 O) C! A B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak0 N) A9 U/ j) V5 `# [
D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged0 j o/ X- g- `6 B! P' K
D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
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- l2 G' I4 ]! {; v( ?9 G7 pAllied aircraft losses
/ h/ i/ [4 ^& ]3 b P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed9 u9 a* X1 d: |
F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed
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Allied Ships
$ A* f, d9 P6 c! h" ] CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
9 E2 [6 c$ f( B' ~6 G, y' M6 c# o1 r DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
j6 u* g: C! v" x( _! f CLAA San Juan, on fire( U% f; w0 y$ {0 @9 I- {5 f
DD MacDonough. q- ~, ~, y& ^
DD Benham5 o; X, W5 ~! z& {6 C+ t
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Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |