很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!& x2 Z$ Y6 r. L, b6 M# 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4 T h% T; d3 k6 @$ t% A; f
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
% q" z4 ], Y9 h( |9 c) z* o" J' ]3 v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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# W5 M( u( J% w) J/ M' |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!
# Y9 M( P7 P( _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- p" N! D+ v/ i8 b5 o8 @
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* o1 W4 p9 }7 c9 o) rMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
+ C \9 K4 D' ^# H, ~ 7 k0 h7 l ^5 {+ x4 C# S
Weather in hex: Overcast
+ J& N6 W% y6 O. A! e) P
1 z k/ Z4 C0 V, A/ w5 x* R6 H6 ]Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
0 f7 r6 j# [' K+ AEstimated time to target is 25 minutes
) C! f: H3 N7 u: f
2 u# Q+ V3 [1 |: p% p1 BJapanese aircraft) K5 R8 o! K0 Y5 u" G! Z/ Z5 a
A6M2 Zero x 20; m5 P& P6 R5 m; j( k" O! G
D3A1 Val x 51 y/ a- ~, s$ i9 a; r, P: n
D3A2 Val x 27
$ t* k+ |0 V6 P7 n) [5 u; d, A9 ]8 ?* I6 h$ k! F3 H9 N* x
Allied aircraft
7 k; |, l1 G3 [, \ P-39D Airacobra x 2
: [7 s) {0 E" A0 m \ F4F-4 Wildcat x 36
3 P& u$ E; d+ c. ]3 Q0 Q3 T3 ]3 ~: I; }
Japanese aircraft losses
4 G8 a$ d# A1 y, g, V A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed, ]8 C, B6 I" u, K
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged) y! e2 W8 x: s
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
4 y& k: r4 W5 T- H5 R: P D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged
2 b1 \; e8 c: `! J, G/ j: ] D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak3 Q" d1 Q8 V/ m+ h& K
; A) a$ V* M; X) V: }* D2 |Allied aircraft losses
- M H! a+ {+ t4 s. W. b P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed9 |# ?' x. l4 M6 P$ U- Q7 K) z
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
/ X5 u- e2 C" Y& _ 8 V5 u2 F2 _3 y5 W C$ \7 s
Allied Ships7 Z! j7 o9 L8 ~# ?# q$ k
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire
- }$ C. E. [; |3 H. K/ z# x, j DD McCall
8 S/ J3 t; A, g1 | DD Maury* C& t+ B0 @! n% f, @
CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire/ y: i" S3 S; _& ^5 ]; e
DD Cushing
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% ~7 Y+ C& k% z, k) H0 {9 \7 HMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
2 M/ q4 A& e' @: v: p' H, s1 M8 l/ ^
5 _' `4 a+ j; E5 Z% }: w# F& EWeather in hex: Overcast
9 ?7 r- @: z9 o, | % \6 q% b, i# b4 `! c) \- R
Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.1 P; [8 T* q$ ]6 B% I
Estimated time to target is 28 minutes
V" v8 I$ f7 Y* T6 [) H 8 I# q/ l$ p1 k' `) s& P
Japanese aircraft
+ {# _$ i* S G A6M2 Zero x 16 ?" v0 D) o% k' K* B
B5N1 Kate x 16
" v! k' M! T" n) R( J \6 X/ _, c5 M, T D3A2 Val x 23) g9 {0 b4 I8 Q9 v4 R; P
- Y1 l7 W W- I i Z2 ZAllied aircraft6 z0 l; ]# L4 U7 C8 \
P-39D Airacobra x 1
2 B6 f# {9 b8 ~3 }; G$ V F4F-4 Wildcat x 22
5 Q5 d, Y* y( }' `& y. p " }) i3 ~' q+ _! R! @# e
Japanese aircraft losses$ d! A; ^- r9 O: x- g
B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
9 h) i. _! L( P8 b! Q( B9 v' ]9 a B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak5 E, u2 p/ ~( z! c# j4 ^. u
D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged
w. v+ X, t9 u9 D- v ]# K D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak& {0 V8 ]5 T4 [+ y! l1 r
/ H8 J+ B9 p) Z, Y8 J. D0 `3 B
Allied aircraft losses2 B7 Z: G; m3 c3 _$ V; u
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
( H3 {8 Q0 S0 S5 E) H F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed) O7 L7 {8 ~. {! D8 X
7 r' q2 Q9 Q# ^Allied Ships
( S: L6 i# C+ x2 q, u, m7 ^4 @ B& u CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
3 q9 |/ K8 n2 a% M5 B DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk; o9 ^. [3 X$ z: @
CLAA San Juan, on fire
8 v( g, G4 p: X+ j5 P DD MacDonough
$ b6 p) d8 J+ I8 ]" T- n4 N DD Benham0 t; b7 R. \. K" j4 U
" u7 w& N6 R# B O
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |