很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!# f& M& W- S" S
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
# z- J- y' ^& C( h l$ \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
3 C) |4 }9 e8 [# ]# q+ _- n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; R; t% E1 Y" H1 _ [8 [
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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!
0 n2 v$ ^& }* ]( f5 `$ H& I4 y- a7 J99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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( ^4 H) a( A# x" UMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
3 h6 I. Y8 e3 _0 K- |+ ` ' k6 |- T. N, S
Weather in hex: Overcast' H4 \4 H6 X2 H/ E2 v5 d4 P
4 v1 S0 U: t( m. w8 l( _4 Y( f1 X
Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
- b" X8 y3 X. r1 M+ S0 HEstimated time to target is 25 minutes3 P; ~' o6 o; Y0 B$ }3 [
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Japanese aircraft
; m+ R6 [) Q5 @6 P, z A6M2 Zero x 20
' }: q1 L6 M4 \7 S7 g: a D3A1 Val x 5
1 q J& N; v9 n5 e6 q/ g D3A2 Val x 276 o. m' I1 j9 c0 C/ } n; t$ X$ G
9 |8 Q" C% ]! {- U8 Y& r+ fAllied aircraft$ Z7 @6 X) V8 m9 V+ ?! K
P-39D Airacobra x 2
X5 Z9 d$ o% P4 Y- R F4F-4 Wildcat x 36
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Japanese aircraft losses9 h/ U2 o, f! _( q
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed
; c& N3 l/ t" @6 w/ `- I" D D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
- o( R: |% f* `- l+ e6 G D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
- g# c+ e t- h! {2 W D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged) B7 l7 Q1 P0 J% p$ W" r) _
D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak
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4 u/ R8 W2 m ^Allied aircraft losses# x1 k2 @) u# z4 Y, Z6 W
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed" U8 Q {, n' K* d0 e
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
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8 `+ u- T% O( X- U k! M+ Y/ ?5 GAllied Ships
+ b! d6 ?8 i3 W* F3 U G% y% C CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire
% J6 ^+ l% G5 [, u% f DD McCall
4 J6 L, V4 W* r- k DD Maury
" f8 y7 o: s% e; O- x7 ? CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire2 i) G3 @ C6 D
DD Cushing
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4 t5 I; q8 N" }; L9 oMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
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Weather in hex: Overcast
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! u! j$ o. R& m! `Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
& ^, T4 u0 ]# S. I7 sEstimated time to target is 28 minutes
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8 k9 H7 x' k9 ^2 R% u% oJapanese aircraft6 M! q2 _6 n1 ~" I' a" }# U; p- I
A6M2 Zero x 16( t c) P6 b j; T0 l# o! m
B5N1 Kate x 16: n3 ~. e7 Z; ]# [* `
D3A2 Val x 23; V( A1 `: c* `% Q9 m
- _/ r& i$ h5 }0 P0 Z+ YAllied aircraft. _: l8 D' H5 U( M, F. Z6 z) v
P-39D Airacobra x 1) O2 X7 B0 d/ k! H# H- N6 N L
F4F-4 Wildcat x 22+ m5 C2 G8 ^/ @* m# T3 e) |& c
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Japanese aircraft losses
C( a& X9 i* {/ a; m5 `0 ^ B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
5 n0 O! L" h% Q& H% o+ C B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak/ f2 j& D# T% \+ H! O
D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged* D" ^9 [ b: t
D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
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1 e. P( |: w( _0 n; a. r! VAllied aircraft losses
8 @7 y+ R2 d/ X B k6 s P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed# H4 F7 ]1 D* i1 @
F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed
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Allied Ships
) E K% i& F, E4 y0 c CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage+ s' a( N/ ~+ T# h& D+ q w
DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk# }1 R0 C* [2 ~& H( S
CLAA San Juan, on fire C, R7 V3 @: G, a* Q, d
DD MacDonough
! t% q& g8 g3 `" }; @ DD Benham
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Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |