9月2日,珊瑚海上空又爆发一场海空战,残存的海航航空部队集中一切力量准备对云集在莫尔兹比港的敌运输船队展开决死一击,各部队成员均写好遗书准备以死谢国,但是9月2日战况突变
" D+ w' x/ m: K3 P8 l) |0 j盟军58舰队在损失了黄蜂号航母后仍然保有一定的航空战斗力,尤其战斗机部队基本没有损失,而日军KB舰队攻击力量损耗殆尽,陆攻机群也受到重创,因此,已经受到损失的58舰队仍然逗留在危险海域没有撤离,9月1日,日军派遣一艘小扫雷艇准备前往米尔恩湾附近扫雷,顺便探查58是否设置对海攻击。4 t7 B; e( J. j z! P
结果果然发现58舰队并没有设置对海,这条小船一直前进到离58只有4格的位置才转向驶往布纳。$ G( K! x1 ~" m0 v( c) ?; a
而58舰队也当然发现了这条小船,但是估计由于飞行员误报,58舰队以为日军水面舰队出动,于是在9月2日往东移动,企图在躲避日军水面舰队打击的同时对其展开攻击,结果,本来处于零战护航航程之外的58舰队就此意外进入了陆攻机的安全攻击范围,结果在9月2日昼间遭到数量不多的精锐海航航空部队打击,企业号航母再中一雷,重创,北卡罗来纳号新锐战列舰也再中两雷,此外新型轻巡洋舰博伊西号也中一雷,日军飞机损失轻微。
# m, g! p5 _: @& xAfternoon Air attack on TF, near Rossel Island at 106,135
. X- d, b8 ^! i3 H% \& h! F
" L6 F$ C3 H6 A6 Q; E! I% C+ }Weather in hex: Light rain
" g+ \/ ^, a7 m" v ! \% b% o6 c6 `3 U; e f: d- _
Raid detected at 118 NM, estimated altitude 19,000 feet.
- a/ `) ]) x0 M4 h, ]% C7 { h1 IEstimated time to target is 41 minutes
( A0 z1 M& j/ h! Z" P$ ~. u + s/ f9 ?; n9 x, ?0 X) D
Japanese aircraft
" F8 W' D# X: x( N6 m* C A6M2 Zero x 21
! j. H2 ^' `; |4 \* Y9 C' p A6M3 Zero x 11
* j S; C9 K9 r( y G4M1 Betty x 25$ q3 s" J% v" l) _2 r m+ @% A
' Y$ J8 _; z' G/ [! D+ h
6 h7 ]4 `( N% J" {* N+ _( E8 }1 o
& q% k9 V* O$ E2 nAllied aircraft! E/ I6 w1 |7 s2 n8 t
F4F-3P Wildcat x 11
" f% q/ {6 M2 v6 h8 Y& X% u F4F-4 Wildcat x 599 h* r/ M8 l/ W6 @& F/ M
5 I, f( u( W0 t7 K5 `
0 z% g7 Z7 d: ^6 A! O s$ PJapanese aircraft losses
9 R0 e8 I" h. O/ Z) M" T3 P0 S A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed' v* y1 ], m. v3 N+ Y& _
A6M3 Zero: 2 destroyed
! {' n& ]* k5 b( a- e G4M1 Betty: 8 damaged5 g# o7 f% X( P. I7 @, r: ~/ x
G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed by flak
0 c. R Z% i" ]7 g; Z: _ - m, H# U a2 U9 A) Y0 F
Allied aircraft losses
$ p) S3 j$ W9 a5 r. c, J F4F-3P Wildcat: 1 destroyed
+ ]* V6 C. O/ Y6 }. l F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
* y. K3 ~2 p; ]+ ]' m8 i% x7 N. K 6 O2 I. D$ O( Y) D4 s/ H
Allied Ships# W+ d7 H! o7 t& F D: b, ^: a! E
DD Worden; z8 s7 j$ w4 l+ P/ B6 c* H$ Z7 x
CV Saratoga
( n3 j- ^, L4 ~0 ]5 Q9 M( U( X4 i DD Balch: V% b& f0 E2 @! ]4 L* O
CV Enterprise, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage; [2 a5 J: K9 n% l1 X
CLAA San Juan
+ A: A% h; r! u6 I6 P* J! F DD Dale
a* I2 z! y# A) J BB North Carolina, Torpedo hits 2# V- E+ z4 T7 g- `; D7 z5 c
CL Boise, Torpedo hits 13 {% `& ?% l: B* Y
尽管58舰队上空有大量战斗机护航,但是在从航母部队上转场到腊包儿航空基地的两鹤战斗机队的强力掩护下,陆攻机群毫发无损地突入其中并安然撤退。. u8 T# j: P& }* x+ H4 Q
同时一部分陆攻击队还攻击了位于米尔恩湾的一支小型快速运输舰队。将其全数击沉。
2 I6 o+ f7 j2 d* ]5 R! W4 U, `) gMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 101,133
; }& O$ T, {, G9 T9 Q# A! e
. T" S: V3 @. S( J! r8 n: qWeather in hex: Moderate rain
`% I+ r- s) f1 \, [( u$ k4 ^- k
7 r: W( ?( j; U, i# R6 q2 T/ XRaid spotted at 28 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
/ x+ l g+ d% N& `! \Estimated time to target is 9 minutes: ?# ^% ?9 G9 S
4 w% @: |3 _( b& k
Japanese aircraft
! m& H: h; \' k- X A6M2 Zero x 21% V9 Z, u+ `8 @9 @# ]0 `8 J
A6M3 Zero x 10
! @: q" o! u' T6 w: G7 N: R _ G4M1 Betty x 31
7 Y1 E& M4 C0 t; Q 9 s( h, q$ v8 _: s5 q: f7 |2 z1 H
/ |8 |3 s2 P5 x8 P# d. J9 S( U+ O
" X5 K+ K K# v# v2 h6 n1 a5 t5 wJapanese aircraft losses
& G% b% N# ?; [' v G4M1 Betty: 1 damaged% p+ F) O; q% S6 _3 D- D. X
( @6 F' W$ u3 m& ?% s8 g+ TAllied Ships
" r3 [' V) S8 m4 C" [ APD Little, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
. y4 y% I, a4 Z9 x7 H P8 m APD McKean, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
1 \2 G# l. ^2 F' h0 D8 x5 `) f* A4 [ APD Colhoun, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
0 F7 j; B& U7 A, m( p APD Manley, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk4 n1 X/ [2 Q, A0 k2 F
盟军有理由感到庆幸,如果攻击米尔恩湾的部队一同攻击58舰队的话,估计58舰队此刻已经全部躺在海底了。 |