很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!
9 A6 K; i! P6 I* _) H; 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5 N5 Y9 w, F* h# K7 f4 Q0 R1 h
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
' n& _) e: `) [6 H/ \% Y4 h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
- d3 Q! F; G3 U* m+ n) O
" L4 ~/ T2 m8 c2 k. j+ t' C' G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!
6 ^* N+ l1 l0 _8 C99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* W. U! B: y- T* @+ C# x9 n% m# y
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: A9 a% c9 K5 F/ XMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
) o0 H8 `1 u2 E( d; I4 l / C$ ?5 T$ L+ C/ j& N" \8 r: q
Weather in hex: Overcast
1 C' c! g3 S; L# n/ J( Z
@3 J% W9 C2 I" ARaid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
& @" i4 |7 k- i. h- nEstimated time to target is 25 minutes6 [* k; N5 |; Z, m z
* t- ^1 V D8 k6 ^" O3 ^3 B
Japanese aircraft
. [1 i5 v2 A7 J b A6M2 Zero x 209 N# O3 e: Z) r1 z8 t1 i: A3 K1 ?
D3A1 Val x 5( W% U- c- ?6 P: u8 J
D3A2 Val x 27+ T& q: e; n \
( `) E- V# c R* jAllied aircraft
' B+ N8 U$ n, h$ R9 M I P-39D Airacobra x 2
# M; y- _- y2 U% c# f7 T: V F4F-4 Wildcat x 36
) a2 D1 K( Y6 q. z5 V
( X9 q; R' v% I% tJapanese aircraft losses' F9 r6 m. c( W
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed
* y$ c1 y N4 | B v( m1 c D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
2 s% \1 C8 ]* M/ \ k D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak& @$ s; d s/ x; ?% I
D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged
$ F* `% M% X# q: U$ w D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak6 ?. X) E& J2 v
; s! Z q0 C8 L: N6 D9 i: CAllied aircraft losses I0 b+ L# s. ]/ k9 A
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed: ?& @) Q' E% P1 R8 G% m% l9 @ g! _# Z
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed( _) e# h- J# r( @' n
7 m1 [0 H; u a/ g Z9 o
Allied Ships
4 q9 z4 s+ N G; p( X. V CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire
* K0 i# L8 X( b; `7 [% m" K DD McCall6 h- f- F* M: i/ r: ]5 {- O
DD Maury
9 n& F0 D6 b& c3 l CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire* }7 `& W( \, {& H) G
DD Cushing
2 j( B" R/ R! T--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
. a5 ^, ?, I: o$ g# OMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136; q* G% i, Y4 b# n
0 Y4 }7 @/ c/ u7 N2 Z! @+ yWeather in hex: Overcast
7 z5 Y1 S5 \# a) D9 L- v
: Y7 ~1 r5 @ ]% URaid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.& {% U" F+ Z$ ^! o0 V
Estimated time to target is 28 minutes
" _! R* n& _( v/ {# J0 ^; d
! Y6 f5 C% _* u* V7 FJapanese aircraft
- a$ }) W$ A* [' M A6M2 Zero x 166 J7 ]# P+ ]/ d; }
B5N1 Kate x 16
7 l4 D' p. s4 O/ @# n D3A2 Val x 23
- x. I9 p4 Z7 D" r7 M; ? D 1 L" o8 i! j# s( x7 b& l
Allied aircraft7 i( b) `7 A- ]# C; p: T- D8 F" \1 C3 p
P-39D Airacobra x 1
: Y; y8 y: w T$ f* [! ?6 u F4F-4 Wildcat x 22
4 e3 J, w* J( q8 k, n 9 I# C( i) p" R7 [ N( Y i; i
Japanese aircraft losses/ [ w1 f& S( U2 l3 t6 [+ ~
B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
! i5 ] w8 P/ j9 o: ^ B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
, X& |) j0 w% F D D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged
* U% _2 f# G# }& V: G4 G5 M D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak6 N& Q- G1 S" H! J' ?$ u
; u' C h% Y) sAllied aircraft losses
. Y E6 p- U8 ]' b. Z$ w6 ?% j r P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed# \$ Y* h: G1 g6 {% N5 X( F1 d
F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed/ C- u# m4 v% W7 V/ T* q. e
3 y. `- Q$ p+ A. ]! Z4 J; k
Allied Ships
# V; f( D+ ?4 x3 [ CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage( V) J0 i9 w; l+ l! h
DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk8 w, |4 A' }" z
CLAA San Juan, on fire! I' K+ M# m+ Y9 ?# \$ T
DD MacDonough9 ~# _8 g) u2 h5 V( q
DD Benham3 `# T# p' z W; n1 L
7 W1 A9 i: R, o/ }& ~- v, e# tHeavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |