很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!* v$ n5 Z0 S4 I' e2 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) Y. O/ L3 ^9 _: U
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2 o/ |* m. b! [/ r, X0 j# ?
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!
- g0 _6 Z5 q6 X d99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7 V' c* z( D# o8 w6 o
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
$ }5 w3 a$ M9 k# y+ @ 9 h! k$ B o' v# O8 Y# Q$ _$ P, \
Weather in hex: Overcast8 R, r. K8 h$ X: I d
' R/ b: n9 N A0 tRaid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.& L9 g; |0 W8 U1 @1 n
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes
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Japanese aircraft
4 w( g& M2 i$ \7 `- }, L A6M2 Zero x 20: {- r9 u; V" |/ Y. E
D3A1 Val x 5% R$ T& A8 a" ]
D3A2 Val x 27
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Allied aircraft) f, a1 [' I& ~
P-39D Airacobra x 2
4 a9 W4 s6 }4 i* P$ F) J: O F4F-4 Wildcat x 36
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$ _! T8 q% u6 v9 s2 h! r5 GJapanese aircraft losses
1 r2 V1 h( p6 b3 }, p6 r A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed+ L. Q T, K3 J5 s4 u; b# n
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
& S( q ^ C2 L) h D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak+ y2 }2 P* l, K8 s1 M" e1 q
D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged) K0 K* [+ V4 t7 e, k5 `
D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak
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Allied aircraft losses
$ w6 q# P; I# D( b* R9 \* q P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
W- t& m8 {1 q8 c+ k( ` `6 t ?) d F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
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Allied Ships
% B6 d& g: M5 D5 v6 w4 n8 L CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire
( w3 }' ^7 \( A" i/ Q* [7 t DD McCall# X8 f. Y# i/ _
DD Maury9 `1 }' Q1 v6 V6 K7 `0 h
CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire/ e1 s O9 M4 x* H$ J; K* j( G2 A2 z4 W
DD Cushing0 [# U/ ?% o. B, ^7 a; O. ?
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7 x# n! j+ g( \# L9 lMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
4 s% n+ z& K6 z
/ _/ E7 ], b1 T( vWeather in hex: Overcast
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' r0 Z3 [! e) t" p/ e, B; K% IRaid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
+ B; _/ K4 k9 XEstimated time to target is 28 minutes
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8 b6 O- k' z; V8 iJapanese aircraft
5 h" F( ~+ C1 \; S& I: e A6M2 Zero x 16
( G1 T9 J& p# |0 r6 p4 |% u8 v B5N1 Kate x 16
4 S: [) F/ d# Q1 e+ R; L D3A2 Val x 23
9 C7 C i9 i2 P5 |) R6 { ! b- b( y: |: c
Allied aircraft2 {& v5 t3 W) I. X# W" L6 \
P-39D Airacobra x 1
/ Q( I& g' P6 R/ I1 r, ] A4 r5 d F4F-4 Wildcat x 22
. R3 ` l8 O) _ 4 V, f% J' i$ I
Japanese aircraft losses
) \' n$ A3 U$ k5 T B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
: ^9 c2 ?3 a w5 ~( o B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
0 ~5 E" U7 _4 K' T, @( s, c! S& X D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged
5 l! S2 V8 I4 j7 R D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak+ R+ S# Z+ x" a4 E6 G1 o
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Allied aircraft losses7 I0 I7 r7 M% G
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
* V5 m) u) U8 \& i F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed
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Allied Ships
& b i9 r0 _ I4 c/ J CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage3 Q% `/ E4 m" R3 ?1 a
DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk; P. c9 Y1 D% P, y6 o
CLAA San Juan, on fire, t6 f6 a( y" j6 W8 j
DD MacDonough1 z/ m! N0 o* r4 Y9 n) e- z
DD Benham
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Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |