很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!
5 q: k' y8 P* c/ ^, q! \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
' ` Q. G/ Y1 V$ P9 d+ ]" r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
# P# H# N: ?9 Y1 F% I! V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!
/ ~% V p; _. t. A9 P+ D) o* S. I$ S9 t99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, c* x4 `2 E9 d& c* {/ j( x
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+ N. ?; g. Y$ L- U; OMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
5 q) E, ` L2 d( e" K
% a [0 V, }7 r% I, Q% w- vWeather in hex: Overcast1 Y) O; K0 K5 ~/ K" O# P
. @( F& I: ?- @$ \0 W/ [Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet./ I" J3 X A+ U1 x
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes
2 @% `; Z ^6 l. ]. Q ) Q! Z6 Y3 Q1 ]; E: X n
Japanese aircraft" I& E3 \ u& b6 k
A6M2 Zero x 202 S; E8 c) v' I8 F! e
D3A1 Val x 55 e3 X" L& p. D' R# O1 _
D3A2 Val x 27
- o5 ^* g# U4 C' `
8 l0 X8 R+ q. ~, M$ d ]Allied aircraft3 ^; F+ T* [4 |
P-39D Airacobra x 2; S9 u6 z( K: j- W% c% m3 ]4 k
F4F-4 Wildcat x 366 T( ]0 v8 ~3 k/ U* r5 L: D- N: I5 D
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Japanese aircraft losses. B8 {4 h7 i, a$ v0 ~- a5 w
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed
5 Y( _2 J/ M+ u4 g' V. n D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged9 v0 ~1 e5 e; ~1 _% k7 t' f
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak. d) x& | O9 q( |$ Y' `
D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged
: k$ c4 {) Q5 U* a a D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak
" y3 e8 k( G9 W1 D. }8 ~3 w; \
6 u; t6 W* R7 n t) r4 E/ \7 d7 sAllied aircraft losses
1 ]2 W5 I% D6 k8 X# I v5 { p P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
3 D0 c: B2 q0 G/ j F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed' F$ [$ D5 K# ~! W8 Z6 \1 o
7 B7 }/ T6 {( R% H5 S. a3 D8 iAllied Ships: N- H# x# w1 X w
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire/ Q5 I% J& N6 n- `2 V4 B
DD McCall
. L9 H/ ^1 t5 k" x3 h9 Y DD Maury/ f7 U2 m8 z7 Q( M& Z# ?
CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire
7 a& S- E6 p5 u3 K" p1 b DD Cushing% j, {% B; `0 g6 `( r1 g: N
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( O2 D6 [) U& P4 k' L) O% Y; ]- KMorning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
" b# d% t) M/ C# n1 @/ T/ W 2 y! d: y: R6 a( s+ W; r
Weather in hex: Overcast
- z% ~/ L0 t0 Q V( i5 C 2 c, o) j: ]: b' P5 D) V) i
Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.! M9 H# l9 G* n" _: K4 P$ Z
Estimated time to target is 28 minutes
3 A1 Z' Z. y% q! w4 T# j, V: U $ k* x5 s4 b5 b; B* B3 A, J
Japanese aircraft" w0 W9 c5 L) b5 [6 u' F/ Z P
A6M2 Zero x 16! N, g- t" H" j0 E/ T! \
B5N1 Kate x 165 ?. |" X6 G; P6 d
D3A2 Val x 23* D8 \& K; l( ]+ N. y
+ }3 W9 ^7 S Q9 [& L
Allied aircraft# k/ K, Y8 {2 y! O
P-39D Airacobra x 1# b+ V0 n+ z7 _2 @" b+ N" O% i
F4F-4 Wildcat x 22
9 Q* z) y' T. \. x2 M0 Z / G* O7 F. A9 |, B% b; q
Japanese aircraft losses* P5 y5 h( [3 q+ t& M) v+ L6 K
B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged! m7 \' m0 X' F2 a
B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
E# k" `3 U: M. I( \2 [1 k D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged
6 x, v& v0 ]& C$ q; H) O D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak, F: |% Y; Q& x9 u( z% b8 V% C6 h7 a
0 B# O: ?0 n1 k% {2 x/ oAllied aircraft losses
# D, e1 w& N, _$ R$ j/ y5 V P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed7 \' f* c( u3 Y5 k2 [+ a
F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed- M6 L! H$ l. G6 ?0 r( d. g7 `
2 |. k/ @! W7 s4 f+ N( IAllied Ships( P2 ]- D1 U$ n3 B
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage* ^" ~$ `3 K/ Z- _
DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk) w4 Z" q+ ]0 V7 e7 A0 w
CLAA San Juan, on fire( s1 C' F% \( a; @8 f
DD MacDonough8 E. O$ `* N; q4 s: r) E
DD Benham4 V8 V' r3 F. p
$ r) b& K8 T, w
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |