很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!
. O8 s# a! i1 c' Z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
+ {4 {, g0 @/ B2 a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
9 d6 F- K* V1 d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: X8 |% r% A3 m5 w9 C
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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" t. f" B# t7 S" O( K
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
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
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Weather in hex: Overcast p5 f% u6 A8 W* s4 X; S
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Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.0 l9 b4 Q/ z' a, b* t, J
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes
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! V6 s' l0 \( B' E0 AJapanese aircraft/ R U1 z* ~' @: T
A6M2 Zero x 201 }3 F' W# A* b+ \0 T0 z! B
D3A1 Val x 5
$ M( F( [0 }9 |1 m D3A2 Val x 27# L2 E+ [: Y+ }8 B1 a6 q8 i
! \; { c8 Z; q3 g& m dAllied aircraft9 s+ H7 B9 }) n9 E
P-39D Airacobra x 2; B- q: S1 x0 [* q; x
F4F-4 Wildcat x 36
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' @8 O/ @: o9 J: @! eJapanese aircraft losses
b) T: q" \8 {) [9 ] A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed
`( M; `1 w8 h X D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
5 Q. |$ Y" v8 z8 F; f6 ^6 | D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak* V* _1 h/ a8 V# a+ E" \
D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged
8 ~, ~% C m# S6 A7 k$ C D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak8 x& G) |" E4 i1 i7 m
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Allied aircraft losses
/ j; T {1 I: ~: [! Q* m$ V$ y P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed" F5 y o. R: s, t
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed& M: K) R1 U5 {5 [. B% M/ H' C
! L. k A7 S& U# y- o* Z. F/ MAllied Ships0 i3 ]8 e6 Z9 H# m k
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire
( f, z6 B: R- y# ]" m1 F/ d DD McCall+ S7 F' l% c9 L1 A# h( ^
DD Maury7 N3 d# ^- f/ d7 W3 h* j3 g; g8 Y
CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire; m- w# W; c1 v8 n
DD Cushing
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,1361 p% {6 E! R' F- [! }1 J1 n# J
5 j5 X; B' u% h5 e! `5 AWeather in hex: Overcast( h, U: D* Y& {! h% t1 ~
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Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
: j$ A) d9 C2 U( P+ `1 A7 x% AEstimated time to target is 28 minutes
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) X2 d5 o% D0 Y% t: |4 tJapanese aircraft
8 I4 L- l! ~# F9 J A6M2 Zero x 16
; z# Q J- I& q' x B5N1 Kate x 16
: g0 K0 c9 Q& w5 I8 v D3A2 Val x 23
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6 }" N3 x3 H* \+ s5 HAllied aircraft! `- E* p2 u+ J; q& ^3 y
P-39D Airacobra x 1
w& v2 g/ r' k F4F-4 Wildcat x 220 {6 O8 B' K* z: t, M* |4 u- d
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Japanese aircraft losses
6 [5 L* N# {- F) J0 ?( { B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
0 F; c% T8 O- d4 H B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
: r% S% d, r# A$ Z7 Y D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged
! ? [- `2 x, K! Y' N* @ D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
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Allied aircraft losses3 |6 A3 }* M5 C6 S. u$ i# H
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed+ |! q6 |5 X) }& q
F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed
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! y# u2 a! {- @: p( s" GAllied Ships
+ ^8 C3 C: X2 I0 @2 E1 Q CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage s1 M! L0 u5 z8 t& {. Y* I
DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
. f! O% f8 P( {, S CLAA San Juan, on fire; c% t" d' V7 K" G8 s; ]
DD MacDonough( k3 c) b) I1 f3 f) R
DD Benham
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Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |