很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!
i, y- P, M+ [8 E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9 w& w7 D9 e3 q6 E8 D
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% s6 S z3 E' U6 r6 o9 M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) J8 y8 k! Y' v7 ?1 g9 N2 h
- D( G6 H! f% V7 `1 C$ k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!
, y" Q* H9 P8 M99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9 S8 E( q. C( p! X
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8 i+ u1 _( G# _* X0 j+ IMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,1367 w1 q, q8 V5 @+ P1 v ]
0 P# c$ X7 Q9 g2 s1 R! w, c
Weather in hex: Overcast0 C7 s7 y; Z! p$ }* P ^7 c$ n
! c e0 F0 e/ H. M
Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
: F0 c7 N5 d1 D6 w2 R# N9 IEstimated time to target is 25 minutes
/ V4 s8 ` d6 d3 j
3 Z5 E: b! {0 t5 d* K' Z0 i0 I3 z5 [Japanese aircraft* Z' t7 G+ Q/ d2 [8 ?% |
A6M2 Zero x 201 c o! x* \% n: r
D3A1 Val x 5
X$ a7 \1 y" q: V D3A2 Val x 27
1 ?! z, l) O. r: ?$ D n" t/ G: V" s* q/ U
Allied aircraft
! Y0 \* x {2 _6 S% E6 l0 N k. q P-39D Airacobra x 2
! P: `1 B/ V4 E0 n3 v( e F4F-4 Wildcat x 360 w5 i; n* r; l8 N
; J1 C. K) ]2 T
Japanese aircraft losses
# ]/ G# {( t- \/ k' ]5 r A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed- d* `: O/ z) C
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged- T$ r1 t A1 g. Q
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
% U$ b' M( y& F/ m D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged# h1 H% \1 s' M- f V
D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak5 o2 z) _3 E7 K; {
" X, \7 y: q5 U6 j' ^
Allied aircraft losses
) v' c6 s! @# W2 ? P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed$ A2 d5 H2 V8 R. d3 E/ N: m
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed- A* F; j9 R/ A
) M. M+ W7 n) X$ g6 ~Allied Ships
_7 Y. `& u5 S( y CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire
3 |% [; A, i" q DD McCall% ?8 M2 V1 y% V2 o" h1 V
DD Maury) m" R$ n3 |1 \5 M; [. P* Q. O) j
CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire
# D4 T$ H: k6 v* V8 @ DD Cushing+ ]. p/ g% ~1 N7 j7 |( q( l
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7 L$ r1 t1 ]1 e# |Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
* X. O# b. y$ w( ~* ~- ?7 w& }. o* m
5 m- P8 s8 j- K$ X! h% Z$ m6 cWeather in hex: Overcast$ R% l' h8 Z( _
4 Y# p% v+ q- F+ a; z5 {: h3 i+ M
Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.9 ?3 I( B% H$ f& w1 A& X3 a" F" `+ C
Estimated time to target is 28 minutes" f3 G4 @+ O6 Q
4 G! V% Z0 s+ R6 `
Japanese aircraft' p8 P1 ]! b- ~8 a
A6M2 Zero x 16; I* l$ v5 H/ d9 B' C8 A5 s
B5N1 Kate x 16
; U& }: z( T4 h" [+ Z2 K9 N1 U+ n D3A2 Val x 23
1 Q! R' H8 c4 [ 6 `. Z) ]/ o ]# _8 S1 H4 X3 S. o
Allied aircraft4 b0 |5 c1 V. H) x% y
P-39D Airacobra x 1, X+ K6 i3 C0 {0 `$ L5 {/ r7 X
F4F-4 Wildcat x 22! |1 N4 R& ]/ `7 @3 Z6 E
9 @8 m, E4 d* ~; a
Japanese aircraft losses! n- \1 d0 R' g3 [% z7 `1 q
B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
# `2 i1 y: I, e6 D1 b B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak0 C! }9 [' K3 j4 n
D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged7 j( J0 }2 N2 o: b" N5 S: K
D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak% \9 W- v) m) g
7 Y3 c# J6 H5 W3 B6 eAllied aircraft losses5 o! q2 B m% T
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
- k# ~: o, L4 x6 C F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed/ E; N) L6 {" P6 S
+ [+ ~* M( ?% F" r }: Q b$ J1 w' q# t
Allied Ships
6 ]# g$ `( b. I% | CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage, Z1 o2 d/ q; z) l6 l
DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk) g2 x) `; j, w" K4 Z
CLAA San Juan, on fire
- w* E, ~) F3 n0 j3 b/ q- z' i$ ^ DD MacDonough6 b; P: h3 V9 |& n% p& g) T
DD Benham
9 d! h$ A& V4 ]0 ^+ q
# ~0 q& w3 j3 g' ~" L8 yHeavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |