很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!
9 b, R# N+ K. r6 x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 M9 y$ L0 E" ~$ O, f/ 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" Z' A, t! Z# p+ p0 s9 P
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8 O y- ^# G* w* J; E$ a) e
0 s- @; f1 ?; N) b" {; 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!
4 g# e! [9 b7 V; B- J0 v! S2 t99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; F7 d) Y. f- |5 E# M
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/ M+ | }8 l# r( R6 a2 W4 BMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,1361 y) n u$ E1 G, Q+ q
% e( _* e$ d9 ]) i& s2 v) B
Weather in hex: Overcast5 k$ `0 O9 x; u* `6 L
& ]7 p2 p, t2 R0 c
Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.- W- t" x D! Y- h' g
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes
0 k/ p( g% P5 A2 x1 o2 S) d9 A9 j7 `
* Y( v/ m6 g. g- N8 ]- |% mJapanese aircraft
- L: ?4 [/ j5 L& F; H% l, M A6M2 Zero x 20. y$ l; M: c& g: u2 t
D3A1 Val x 5
+ t" \: B# A! c D3A2 Val x 27
0 v8 c' K, ?/ ^! o! ^. L# h8 s, n) |4 J" M4 n% W9 f
Allied aircraft
, L' e+ q0 A) Y" B4 [ P-39D Airacobra x 2
Z4 k' j0 y3 t* s F4F-4 Wildcat x 36
; d' i' e& `+ `! R% F6 V: T8 P) G" b; m" X' G# S2 @. j9 r h
Japanese aircraft losses4 q4 y- P& _! b! o8 Y
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed7 n9 [, I- |3 Y
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged6 e+ }! C# _# o) _
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
" J( f, g ^3 s# K# ]0 p* y" ] D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged
$ p5 v9 K6 e9 O3 h D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak
( f9 l3 y" I8 G2 C S+ `
9 C6 N- N2 g: G7 \Allied aircraft losses
+ {% T# y& q7 Q" X6 Y P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
+ y* I8 j1 s1 t$ i4 h9 s. U* W" B! h F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed) }& f; }+ a/ ^, V
( o9 h `/ E% P9 o5 Z
Allied Ships0 t' C# H& l8 _
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire
1 P- @+ a, ^# q8 \7 N7 V DD McCall0 U2 e* z" t! A
DD Maury
- [5 t; f2 C' F3 M' V CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire- e/ [: Z8 U$ N) v1 S1 `0 T6 |( _
DD Cushing
1 a. s0 D# \1 @1 Z+ z8 Z--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
X. ?& M l! Y- Y: F$ c1 HMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
% Z# @1 E1 S. g7 O7 h
l' `% ?, h9 F I K5 g/ ?( f1 }Weather in hex: Overcast: i. Z6 l( U+ c; g4 {" L z
$ Z" Q' _! S7 ~# ^ }" {Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
8 E! n* @( r% iEstimated time to target is 28 minutes- X: z$ h3 ?& f7 z" B6 o# Q
. |( {$ v& {# G8 k. D* RJapanese aircraft6 r: v! T$ [$ j: s3 U8 P
A6M2 Zero x 16
2 P; ~; }: }2 C+ E7 H B5N1 Kate x 16+ r- \6 m2 \7 t5 @0 u" A8 V8 q
D3A2 Val x 23! Q- f$ p5 i5 ^) Z
" ^2 {$ ?& t6 z- `7 `" FAllied aircraft* b" r& R+ J- Q W' T+ \
P-39D Airacobra x 1
# b3 {% M7 O& S. n" t9 Y* Z F4F-4 Wildcat x 223 S9 }- v9 D# ]8 L) E
% R6 X- E3 E0 p1 r, f& L/ ]6 x
Japanese aircraft losses
! |! l) J0 O# ?" V, O/ k B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
7 {# U1 H p( H+ Y( j' Z/ i6 | B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
7 y1 a7 @1 P0 W; e3 i" i) n D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged
5 K1 W. ~/ N. w! }7 g D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
8 O5 E7 B8 u' n* t- s
7 d; q& { i C( ^) r) fAllied aircraft losses. f' L' w" z3 A& ^
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed9 W+ r3 O8 {- O9 D/ E
F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed
; [8 \" k) s- K, L, G4 E* [* Y! L- B 0 U" W$ N- l# T( h {6 e
Allied Ships
& D7 c+ L) T# `: r- a CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
8 |% _5 b5 q& W+ p8 w! M DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk, r+ v$ E% U4 _) j. L
CLAA San Juan, on fire
* l0 E, v' `- J" M% ^8 P1 |1 c; i' w DD MacDonough t( p F) |$ ]" _- E" @- i( ?9 g) g
DD Benham5 M" J! f8 o) J7 Y& R
9 @! _0 z, x* e- d) ?4 RHeavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |