很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!" s7 k+ E2 u# |$ h! ?$ @. D
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
( W( S( Z) n$ u# S' I; N1 ?2 e. ^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/ [' L6 N% M+ O& u. p! i, U
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+ w; w5 `3 H8 r3 \* K* t+ |/ @+ W8 _
6 x9 o5 K0 E! ]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!
, i1 d W- h/ d& u/ H3 |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
! \$ Z/ W" d6 Y3 n$ x--------------------------------------------------------------------------------' K0 y! \# c \& m# Z
Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
& ?! x' A$ { l( N! s' m 7 i/ W1 I; @7 |# i" _
Weather in hex: Overcast
. z, a0 Q1 U8 I' w* E. q, v k
2 V" H: I3 x& f2 @1 `/ J( z1 JRaid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet. h4 |. R- E4 O. @+ j# m$ u& Q3 H$ _
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes3 U! c& [5 ~8 T/ T
8 M. b" T3 Y* R5 h! n0 E
Japanese aircraft
. O7 E) m5 K2 J: |1 a' X A6M2 Zero x 204 S0 {0 _4 J/ a4 l3 x
D3A1 Val x 5
( E$ k3 \0 o; D6 p% u) Z D3A2 Val x 27$ Z/ v3 o4 j \3 Y e) ^
/ E- U: c" X1 ~* p' b& w
Allied aircraft9 c5 ]6 D% P7 y5 D8 _) o6 @/ j
P-39D Airacobra x 2' r: N' }/ d; `3 V# K# o
F4F-4 Wildcat x 36; }% O) z9 V x5 l9 g: U
# a. B' N9 Y, _" g3 f8 p3 r0 V
Japanese aircraft losses1 w% f! c' E9 S) q3 X* _' H0 G
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed& a8 N+ y) {6 d0 w p
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
$ l1 @% ?3 H! J D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
! A" `( b, E, j6 r D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged5 X/ b$ }# E! t% T5 t1 e
D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak% @* G+ T" }" T! T6 B. J
" M0 s) i7 ?$ G& L
Allied aircraft losses
3 P3 q; Z0 h9 { P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
; J+ Y9 t1 w5 U% n' p: B! Y/ ] F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
# l- Z9 ]8 D/ w) {, E& v! q. l
9 ]9 p# }# }8 S8 T( w e. sAllied Ships
4 Q$ G; U7 y7 a CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire
9 d- h, @2 {) E/ X, q DD McCall
7 h! {1 e& m* V8 s" R. n DD Maury6 {9 t! q% n+ ?' u0 R! D
CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire
R' Q. L- A, k! y DD Cushing
# T; m; P5 F% A) V1 R--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- R) q0 W. Z2 J% `Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136+ ], R% J$ U; j. p
# \! }) J! z' q2 EWeather in hex: Overcast) [" i* y' F `! y0 {8 |+ Y; a
2 B$ q; [# h) ], C6 w. b) H+ DRaid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.! _- q& p$ a N* @ E; C' O
Estimated time to target is 28 minutes/ R( U$ |" _' B: f. d. _0 w8 O* y% g
0 C% S* K: Q. F0 ?8 T6 f7 x8 d
Japanese aircraft( r# y' r4 P6 G3 t/ U8 P5 }; I
A6M2 Zero x 162 i' o( L) u0 G( a# _+ u
B5N1 Kate x 162 x( @" w* [, K( F
D3A2 Val x 23
1 `* |3 r) a n- W 3 W' D" O, z x! j4 L
Allied aircraft k$ o- J, U. [2 K% ?
P-39D Airacobra x 1; @: u/ ^6 } M+ q- R
F4F-4 Wildcat x 22( Y+ K4 F4 m' j" b
: V8 [' W7 o) T N6 l4 C) g4 v
Japanese aircraft losses7 z7 s0 X# o9 t5 e) d
B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
+ R0 z. |8 G2 ?2 J9 K* a B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
6 t9 W1 U% N2 R3 n5 ? D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged0 H# W, G2 C& J. v4 {# Y
D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak# D+ p) C' F( O9 `; F
! \, l! l1 ]3 i! o7 a& r, q
Allied aircraft losses& l4 {6 R$ W4 Z f: k
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
# R4 n+ S$ @7 w+ M& V4 k1 p1 ^ F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed
$ d; k' p; O0 x3 _2 u& [& N: V 9 P* Q4 K$ C3 |; d7 Q- `
Allied Ships$ _1 _6 c3 L1 R" y
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage7 _% o+ S9 Q N# j2 c# R" k
DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk; |! w) }; _( E7 f# V6 a2 X
CLAA San Juan, on fire
# ]: s% u7 c& C+ v9 S/ Y' W DD MacDonough3 T) N {$ D) L; N: C6 {) q. B
DD Benham
% H6 t$ A: N, t B' U
- b5 ]! Y4 U8 P! D$ x h6 I5 [2 k# aHeavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |