很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!. a; f/ Z' Y3 N, v A0 f- c
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0 u$ c. y# A% U) S
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
9 }+ x+ R& E1 d; U" l+ ~0 d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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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! b' v. \3 Z" T. 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: a( M0 m& t0 U8 U% H
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
2 Q8 i+ \- a; E! C! T5 { ) x# u! @9 E* `- t6 v
Weather in hex: Overcast
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Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
- C; V% I# ~, [! B8 N! C1 PEstimated time to target is 25 minutes
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Japanese aircraft8 y2 n- Z" \1 ]% z# l f
A6M2 Zero x 20
3 f1 D6 e" b1 x# D9 d- N D3A1 Val x 5' w: G- T+ q2 L! ^7 k/ u1 h
D3A2 Val x 274 m. U' [# C$ B
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Allied aircraft
$ J# W) _+ w, N/ A L4 u P-39D Airacobra x 28 i; t9 R1 v' D$ l3 @
F4F-4 Wildcat x 36
. s2 Q5 _- S1 I4 R# ~1 ~* d4 g# o! M$ Q+ {* b- g
Japanese aircraft losses
9 b1 t9 o0 t0 z$ g2 j A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed
3 O9 w3 A0 J+ j: R D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged& o! ]& F1 |: n: v5 U6 n' e
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
$ J* T5 S# h0 F/ e* C+ J- l2 Q* D D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged$ b4 I6 ~9 w3 W; B" g
D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak) l0 Y$ c3 x- j2 g9 G
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Allied aircraft losses
/ |8 `6 ~, q. M6 k# Q( f, ` a% ^: Q P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed% [7 t' p+ h; _' K9 o4 B: Q, V
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
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) [% K& D! e% A+ L9 HAllied Ships$ U$ p- u9 W4 o: Z
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire
4 e' x! j- L, b! U6 F4 L DD McCall
4 e x1 m& C. c1 R% W8 G7 _& m' b DD Maury
- y' ?. k# N8 s CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire8 u: f5 E/ k1 T% Z s! Y4 R: t
DD Cushing
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
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, V1 R5 p$ W( p0 U5 SWeather in hex: Overcast
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! S' I% `' U% |5 x" ~! CRaid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.8 J. J0 w; `6 c( F5 y2 M
Estimated time to target is 28 minutes
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Japanese aircraft
8 X3 H% Y5 ]$ v% x9 K A6M2 Zero x 16
+ H- h1 A! Z- f) [( K8 h! B* U B5N1 Kate x 16
% [% j+ Y. ~" s D3A2 Val x 23- s( P- H$ w. ]; V9 [6 e" R! S% E/ t* J
/ J/ `3 v, t% n/ S( B. uAllied aircraft
7 j0 F$ R' R: b# a m P-39D Airacobra x 1
! J- \4 |$ c9 J$ o' E0 c, k3 @# x F4F-4 Wildcat x 22. ?* _$ D/ J( k' K3 j
+ ^* R) @, p' e0 `+ h- o! ?
Japanese aircraft losses. u; H8 Y. S0 N* g& l |
B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged- s6 T& ?" E3 H3 ^
B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
0 B$ G# b: K) i* z0 Q7 g D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged
1 N# m8 D! r% `# w1 ]- c D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak' h2 ~* c, ~# C3 ^! C3 W. S5 V: v
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Allied aircraft losses
5 J8 U7 H- N+ \! m% Y: V& Y P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
5 Y; o0 Q% \% _' h F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed8 ?, T5 u' L; t( T- J6 E
+ y. k; o6 P9 R+ vAllied Ships F* F& f; I; n o# g
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
! Q2 m! E1 B( @& P+ [+ @ DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
% }; t3 i9 K$ g6 B% S' d, u/ e' a2 L CLAA San Juan, on fire
R- N& D+ }" P; ]' Z/ l DD MacDonough0 X l5 i; s8 t
DD Benham
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Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |