很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!
- e' h* B) k8 ?% P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 a# Z b) R3 B- C! Y& o4 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
( k0 F7 M/ d) v- l) C3 j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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2 q7 n( ]9 a/ o2 l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!8 J% Y# e# `: S8 }0 x9 X4 h
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6 ]! | S+ d4 _0 M1 s2 b& E* j2 A
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9 f- q: ~; H7 p9 r4 W. WMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,1364 i, y: n5 O8 K. q
3 n2 y! P- @: I; d; ` g. sWeather in hex: Overcast* Z5 Y3 k1 I5 [$ E) c7 A- N
& M7 ~$ }+ p& a) r9 T% C$ l, y* NRaid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.* j6 c0 c4 D" F
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes, O* D' M! r' P" F4 {7 \
, a' H" @2 O& Q9 r! Y+ }& F* \2 A
Japanese aircraft
3 [$ e0 U+ V, ~0 Y# w) o* ] A6M2 Zero x 201 g6 y6 v/ U, m
D3A1 Val x 5
1 }8 V- w) k& V E D3A2 Val x 27
3 K8 F5 |3 r' M9 N
* Y* f G, _# ?7 M) m+ x+ O) q9 C) iAllied aircraft
9 w8 V" h3 P; T0 D6 G P-39D Airacobra x 26 L, E$ S ^' ]/ Y x
F4F-4 Wildcat x 369 f2 T6 X3 [+ W: P$ S
6 T4 _2 T1 c( r7 i/ Z% JJapanese aircraft losses) K# L1 l+ c. K8 @0 f
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed
; X) K" e1 p6 o. y K D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged( Q0 K$ P5 Y$ f! c1 S3 {0 W
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak9 f3 [* I/ e6 W' J" x9 v% p
D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged
7 q% W& r- F* a) G( ?" `; Z) G D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak
, ?; C0 z3 x) H7 @+ j 4 a8 c& l' R# p
Allied aircraft losses
8 z( ^; I/ j% @- ^ P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed* J/ E% M, {! C, ^ x+ d# S" [- _
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed- d% e8 }* ?' R9 x1 D
1 F9 j+ F& X8 g& Y" u% x5 h D. D' c U
Allied Ships
' ]" z4 U( T" y4 R/ ~1 k {2 D: c CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire
7 E# ^+ {* l% u3 z8 u& p7 ~ DD McCall+ a' b1 e/ G% c# o
DD Maury, X' a- ?2 z- S- V
CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire" Z+ J. H8 g8 v; h
DD Cushing
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% `! j3 ^% B1 d# K: V) rMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,1367 [0 _& h! b) ]& s& t' ]" P
' G' @( X1 H6 @) v' dWeather in hex: Overcast% {- b# O- u h7 h' g
+ R" a% f3 G6 I& P8 p+ n' N
Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
; N5 g% D+ \9 \Estimated time to target is 28 minutes+ _' J, @3 R) O+ V3 @" e# z' @6 d
8 ?! A, n& i- {3 r; _, u$ Y$ C
Japanese aircraft/ N" n; P3 s3 I0 o# F' t" `
A6M2 Zero x 164 D9 U* v& Q8 @4 D8 X. E
B5N1 Kate x 16
" Y2 N( @' C7 K6 J9 x1 @3 y D3A2 Val x 23
/ H- E- `( {( x, q1 a/ L5 _
! w& p2 j5 Q3 ^, J, m8 l9 _% V8 jAllied aircraft! R6 g* ~/ A( G
P-39D Airacobra x 1
6 Z' m0 C. i7 l F4F-4 Wildcat x 223 E, x' K" U0 D
; \- J& |9 t3 z% K1 PJapanese aircraft losses+ p& A$ t/ W5 {; p- K6 O- z
B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged# L+ K+ t3 O. u' \
B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak1 f: {# @, r+ | @
D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged
- o5 z7 S; U* Z& @ D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
( u( p2 i# e ~- g, m* n
1 f& R+ L' z; Y" H6 E7 l$ HAllied aircraft losses
p4 a& B1 R) r P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
! u9 k, v5 o2 l% t b F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed
' `. L- U, w( q" \( X7 q1 Z% K ! y: i% |9 G' d4 z6 Y# `
Allied Ships
6 d; n9 p, j, K& Q3 P CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
7 o6 C2 N v# b0 n7 r6 Y! J0 m DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk; w$ \# N) L) \) P6 w- G2 j" D% ~
CLAA San Juan, on fire8 t+ O- u' w) X5 G4 H
DD MacDonough- y3 x2 k: g& H$ r
DD Benham, c) I: d3 F2 N
0 J8 A! z4 X( O$ {" s
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |