很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!4 @1 d' R9 `+ P
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6 f4 x, p4 P$ x) h
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
& g; Q: T, s7 s. ?6 O% F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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; f( C: ]/ I! t* ^& t0 z+ T5 q" n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!
; f6 L' {' F. R3 p7 Y99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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Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,1366 {" a$ q6 P' \: B3 r* V1 d
/ }* B4 l1 F! cWeather in hex: Overcast5 U/ o: n$ `! L$ T6 P( U
; }, o9 n* v: g3 h( z" `3 f
Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
+ ?2 {7 p; n* n, mEstimated time to target is 25 minutes1 S# F1 ~, I c$ {3 q1 s
: h+ A- |" e( x3 c, ^) Y2 |Japanese aircraft
# V( Q0 E* i& `# J$ P A6M2 Zero x 20
5 F1 f. P& _) `$ K& v! V' k D3A1 Val x 5, C9 j" j6 Y! |4 D# v) @
D3A2 Val x 27
; s- C; e" H& s @2 H6 J
4 q+ [+ E. g; ~) XAllied aircraft
+ L ^4 o' p7 C8 ?$ V, m P-39D Airacobra x 24 N9 T2 \0 V- {: w
F4F-4 Wildcat x 36
* r: t. i# s& p4 A0 u
' s, u, s N7 }: A; l8 LJapanese aircraft losses
, R) `( H- U. K+ u0 N A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed- Q( ^! z5 G. o* f
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
1 B/ @$ l I6 ?6 t1 ~3 x D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak7 D4 x+ H( Z: H) z5 g
D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged6 D/ E" x. n6 k g( H
D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak
9 } ]8 h2 d- |: W% V P( K4 N3 i3 T K# y% ], l! `# s/ b) m# a
Allied aircraft losses8 n5 j4 p! m; b& r2 ~& j/ l7 c# a, m
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
5 y& t6 Z, s1 z6 b1 D5 I F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed& c3 R# ^: |4 V0 t4 P/ p* f' T
0 V+ t6 ?; E! {9 d2 {Allied Ships) E% ?! s3 [: c; T) d# h6 |
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire. Q' a* c9 L+ k4 |/ ?" i
DD McCall
7 \) i7 E) l9 \& x0 I/ a: } DD Maury4 P) O: I: \% G/ B q a
CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire; k$ L7 e; I$ P& p* Y" h; L
DD Cushing1 [+ \2 U) ]/ @
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
; p% h) h( N+ s, r( e
( } K/ R1 l& i( LWeather in hex: Overcast/ Z( a8 E+ A- l1 d0 L* _
* F9 f% b' @/ N! w, K7 @3 ]Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
: m! m: ]- W: U0 [+ oEstimated time to target is 28 minutes1 U( Y' y- s8 l9 s8 J
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Japanese aircraft
, g% F D+ H/ [" v% k- b8 [ A6M2 Zero x 16
( [% H0 b6 b/ j% v3 [' s" J6 R B5N1 Kate x 16! f2 E7 v& t0 p7 S* x- p, Q
D3A2 Val x 23
2 i% x, h) U; w% {+ |, Y
; b7 ]5 r% Y4 [ p- d; K: j6 kAllied aircraft
# Q% w! l: K6 I' y# s3 Z0 s P-39D Airacobra x 1( K: T/ e- Y0 O9 O4 B5 p& }( d L/ {
F4F-4 Wildcat x 22( @0 t4 a, b. L6 N# G4 H
" c' T6 H+ @8 g7 G. DJapanese aircraft losses' g. g& `) ?" C* h. i
B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
1 n. P: ?# I1 g- k4 H; ?% e) w9 w B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak2 x4 { R+ I7 R8 z- h+ Q
D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged( ?* y3 Y0 D/ i- ^ \) R0 ]& `# P
D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak9 g( R, ]- h# @; m" q& M# Q
0 f7 }5 u- O6 ^" G# X/ |5 W
Allied aircraft losses2 Z: k+ e$ B4 h% }; a1 v
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed9 R5 ]' d, Z9 ]. ~9 c4 t
F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed
+ `. v; t+ s% T ) M' V8 C4 F( b/ f7 ^
Allied Ships+ b' M* E3 v4 m b% K# c* G9 o
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
; S& y( z$ M, Y' \7 }! w; D% P DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
" a0 ]% s a/ P7 ^' p. o; V CLAA San Juan, on fire
! e6 @) X* \' m0 J4 B DD MacDonough
5 |0 S6 W y+ J) _' L- m0 v$ o DD Benham. x% A( O s) y6 x4 s0 P; k
/ x: U" p8 N7 dHeavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |