很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!, J' T0 I8 ^1 O% z5 d% H/ _
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) A6 F: O! X$ {" i
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; L& p3 M1 O* T- P: P9 Z
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/ d- p2 L- R, d% \' D+ d
% X; v! n4 o* u/ ~$ l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!$ e1 a1 S0 e; b+ q: @
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
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( V5 m& P8 b8 I' |7 w5 O. D2 nMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
2 B; \; {; W2 x; O' [, q- V0 _9 t2 Y& ^ . K. R* @" ~$ ]: [9 ?! k- C& k
Weather in hex: Overcast
. ^" I# Q9 C+ H3 @: I2 F7 R
( K1 E' `: [+ m" jRaid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.8 F. G ]1 s( j; Z$ Q s
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes! s8 H, J. t. |! f/ B
, [! o; n2 U* e) `1 T( }5 i
Japanese aircraft
7 }( M1 X# a- Y0 A A6M2 Zero x 20
8 J7 C9 S8 R1 p: v/ N3 _% B0 V D3A1 Val x 5
0 D# W+ X/ x! D% I/ ?' U! b2 o B% D D3A2 Val x 27
5 k3 Q& a7 g1 _7 F. t4 v8 M
/ Q0 r7 h0 T4 k9 K; i$ ]Allied aircraft8 q+ _; `3 F- g' K& c
P-39D Airacobra x 2# _/ k: G6 l: N
F4F-4 Wildcat x 364 `0 X$ {' y2 @ w9 c
$ A M' @$ X$ @9 r" d% C0 ^' G6 DJapanese aircraft losses
" _/ L3 g& ?0 ?' [ A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed% h/ V9 @% I3 @ V% Y1 w5 q8 P
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged( A4 A8 W3 u T2 e$ Y
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
0 y( f j7 ^+ A9 c D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged4 F+ {) O. ]3 g9 k- A) r
D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak
, L) v2 {/ D7 y& c5 ~# I
3 N9 j4 w: D0 f( q1 OAllied aircraft losses
5 H2 U) s6 @8 y, B7 u P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed! f* V6 s3 h4 k
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed; B; U7 n/ G) j& K1 f1 R/ K( ]
2 G7 ~) h4 s y, e# b) lAllied Ships% @8 N) K+ o6 {- q: ?$ d; K# D
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire
2 P4 i& m; v' K) q( U DD McCall
' p Z& m7 v3 C3 W" C4 W DD Maury
" }2 r& L9 X( n$ |7 X. n, Q X CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire
) A7 |: t9 n; s, p) Y$ V6 l8 a DD Cushing4 ~$ q. s; q; C- \8 k- G
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/ ?# P5 h0 N5 ^Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
6 c8 v3 c/ U2 o" i 8 n+ [( q5 e& ?; v( W! d4 P/ b8 X
Weather in hex: Overcast& {& y8 W$ D _2 S9 i
! D/ r0 s, T; o' Q1 XRaid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet." o+ S# r: v4 U$ _
Estimated time to target is 28 minutes
1 k; |* X" J" X) f: T- v ; O. N+ z4 [- p7 e% V* S
Japanese aircraft
3 Z' g. E" ^, p1 f A6M2 Zero x 16
- A+ W$ U0 s! f+ G, Y6 ]3 [2 R B5N1 Kate x 160 L# i1 d4 T- f6 k6 ]+ I
D3A2 Val x 23. {6 Z& O3 Q8 k& v1 [
$ k2 K' ]* M$ P1 t5 w
Allied aircraft( B; v+ ?2 H m
P-39D Airacobra x 1
2 P4 K6 S; D; [ F4F-4 Wildcat x 22& v4 f, Z4 W( ?# P7 h/ k* N
7 Z' m, i2 l8 n% y
Japanese aircraft losses
1 O" z! I. e7 u% q" Q) F$ Y B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
6 K8 _; `7 f# e& F: c F' |: D+ R B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
, g; j) N3 S3 R D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged
% t' B! Y! l! x! p, [ D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak% L; R3 B0 B& L
8 ]% J6 l% ^; d- L
Allied aircraft losses
3 }8 {; y0 G" C* h P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed( E- o/ S+ h: U/ V
F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed2 E/ p/ _+ A2 ^5 Z; a9 s
& v" S' G7 |6 R0 N2 PAllied Ships' B- M7 `2 a' e
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
4 l8 l2 r5 ~2 w: E; ~1 i DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
9 k- o: M$ y3 M/ B% m$ i CLAA San Juan, on fire1 O6 y( y3 T2 ^9 L. J3 A
DD MacDonough
" j. F3 n5 Y5 l# Z DD Benham
/ m1 n6 i8 H* O3 X; I: N7 _. T% _5 m; E+ K1 V/ t" N* w0 J
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |