很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!4 ^( }4 N; U0 R2 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
: v4 Q5 \# l9 V$ T8 n4 _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
/ s. P0 B. w. j! }# n. V% D3 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!
5 [9 o' o$ D, g" M, J6 ~6 N99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% k" s2 e0 t7 o+ P
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& H( f* a. P- ?' V& VMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136; W, K+ ?3 a% [
( \" t( f9 D1 ]9 S6 u( n- h" O0 k% S: tWeather in hex: Overcast. _4 X9 ^, N8 w& G; g
: n% ^& J! Q# H- C+ ^( X
Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
% @! c0 p5 }3 O1 X. M, ~* O; lEstimated time to target is 25 minutes2 M) R* I/ i2 C4 N1 ?
% Q `; K- B& q; {: ?& Q0 y
Japanese aircraft2 X; L5 F. b: c! A0 h" m2 p
A6M2 Zero x 20* h( X3 m) B2 G5 S5 }" A# w
D3A1 Val x 5. V6 `9 n! V+ k/ ]
D3A2 Val x 27- i/ ~; m. p K" B; e
+ U* _* O0 i2 q" JAllied aircraft7 \( X" Y, R$ I% y7 H* w K: [
P-39D Airacobra x 2 R P" H7 J9 w l/ d
F4F-4 Wildcat x 36: e' {1 f; M" ]2 v, P6 [
2 V1 u1 t: `: B
Japanese aircraft losses5 e) b* {, e% X% z0 _
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed3 z' x2 A# o& p; h8 ?
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
( v; G1 }8 P; m6 \ D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
3 X# O$ B x- _6 D2 V D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged
6 e( _. H' e' {- F) o D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak0 T- q* {* o% J5 s* ^
. i$ g" l$ x2 D, Z4 I/ Z# [Allied aircraft losses
# |8 a$ f- A5 O/ |; J$ g* a P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
9 O9 s, ?8 l; D; h& ]5 H F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
" ^" f" v' s3 t) l: g7 o% C % M3 |: S6 R; q+ a, G1 H* X
Allied Ships
& a( y( b% p" k& R CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire* z# n4 T+ h4 C B& Q' g9 E" }1 @
DD McCall
) z/ N( @* F& y DD Maury; c: c2 Q$ h8 H) Z9 P
CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire
& i) u" i# k5 c5 K% h( j2 N DD Cushing
9 `' ?4 z( j2 M3 n% q7 q2 a( J% ]. S--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7 H( `4 ]% Q; WMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136: Z) X3 e4 B. e& A8 m& u; |
1 i. p# o/ I% B: [7 l0 _
Weather in hex: Overcast2 @1 l& W9 }( {
: i9 p! J) } [; u5 m0 p, ORaid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.2 `, B# G3 \2 P6 C
Estimated time to target is 28 minutes
1 E6 ?) ~9 G6 q
8 _; Y' G6 `3 U3 T* E) A6 iJapanese aircraft! r) O ]8 W' u3 ^
A6M2 Zero x 169 w( M! @9 ?6 t( b- s3 V: ?
B5N1 Kate x 16" p1 K, s% X% Z# ^6 w3 ~" ^( @" t
D3A2 Val x 23
) `, [! Y6 c' F$ w
' f. b2 l/ x; ]+ x" @% EAllied aircraft8 k0 L( H$ e% h' ^% T
P-39D Airacobra x 1
; I' ]( r7 A$ {! } F4F-4 Wildcat x 22
$ b1 }1 O6 G2 v7 `9 J- k, U6 O8 I! y , q! f: u9 Q! n1 A$ s9 f# S
Japanese aircraft losses% m% U* ?" K) f
B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged' J0 D- M* A0 w7 n1 r
B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
" w5 X* h8 S$ Z w D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged E, B1 y8 \& z& P. |& K( G
D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak# Z5 F/ m) V( T
1 h7 i) d) b3 m1 g* o6 }
Allied aircraft losses
9 d' B# ^& D8 d' |9 {. D$ } P P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed% c: \$ K0 D8 J' k& P- D
F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed: L; w+ Z' g6 {- e9 E$ @- f# c
5 |$ R+ S" y/ i$ E6 ]7 RAllied Ships, c( n/ `" {8 W& F4 z0 B
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
; S6 ~" U ~: X& O/ R' V DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk6 r6 f' k/ d5 I2 O
CLAA San Juan, on fire
! y: J) m1 w) O4 f. v, e! G: X DD MacDonough
+ V1 O( S/ P$ Y& z3 f; V- _ DD Benham/ D5 ]( d. H# J) v% [3 }& p
- s) g8 V& {; k! {Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |