很快,前方的索敌机发来了准确情报,发现敌航母!
; J- s5 u; c# \; I( 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
- J! j3 N9 s1 ?$ w9 y/ H7 [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
5 X$ D5 W' E$ m6 P5 v u$ P6 J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5 {# Q: z7 F5 w6 L3 w
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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 k A: o: z5 A, q% h# {99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 100,136: X* F; ~% {2 s) l3 D' w% H
4 n' p6 K5 Q5 s
Weather in hex: Overcast
( _$ T, w% o: C9 ]' u! q3 f+ m4 q ) b5 o; h7 F% k0 w
Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
" h8 d" }2 }0 Q% D" H! m+ `& xEstimated time to target is 25 minutes
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; Z; B, ` _7 V/ D. E w) rJapanese aircraft, m- I3 H3 I* w; X9 k! d
A6M2 Zero x 20
, R5 F9 Q0 K' R D3A1 Val x 52 G5 Z: a0 P8 W) K! x3 A
D3A2 Val x 27# a0 ~. k, h! Y6 Z- O' g0 s0 |& F" Z
! S/ U2 x) U/ o2 k( lAllied aircraft
) d, i7 X' A7 R6 @ P-39D Airacobra x 2
7 Z2 k8 Q6 g5 n$ ?6 s F4F-4 Wildcat x 363 Y R% u, U/ y+ s+ X/ H
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Japanese aircraft losses
7 h" r$ H' q2 |: T; ^1 { A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed
) E3 B- L* F7 v/ l9 U D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
$ k5 S. M4 g9 H1 i1 }8 t D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
5 [$ i$ R. l2 s$ Z9 t5 ~: H D3A2 Val: 7 destroyed, 11 damaged8 H7 L3 _0 k* v
D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak f, J- ~9 {! b: n" p
4 Z8 Y$ V! o9 l7 o- L2 Q$ \Allied aircraft losses* ]4 Q; b4 K; b( @7 k/ L
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
6 H) |3 Y/ Y% V* j. o F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
! H( w: t9 O+ U( w# E) u! O4 u: X/ ]
" \! V5 y8 [4 [/ L' z2 j1 TAllied Ships& ^5 \7 c6 ?/ I$ I6 @8 ?: Q0 u# u. @
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 3, on fire( y' V- d2 E& v
DD McCall
! U9 f: T5 M, ?9 H, {. K DD Maury: f: C: M' [. U3 ]+ n
CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2, on fire
. p. C$ o( z1 I7 u" Q8 m% p, @ DD Cushing6 }/ u; `3 e# p) D% m( o3 \
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,136
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Weather in hex: Overcast
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7 o" x, J5 H. U, w0 BRaid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
, T5 s6 Y. C% m& @% GEstimated time to target is 28 minutes
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Japanese aircraft
4 a% u; ?0 r1 m' a4 x6 m A6M2 Zero x 16" A) b k+ A7 @$ \$ f1 o7 P7 v
B5N1 Kate x 16
( s1 ]+ V9 L/ Y( c D3A2 Val x 23
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Allied aircraft# O" l% t% N9 S, h7 d
P-39D Airacobra x 1
, j5 r, L1 r, ?, R d' y% r1 l F4F-4 Wildcat x 22
3 ^( i, A" K: S e+ s4 M; I : M {" i9 F: A$ W; p* g
Japanese aircraft losses
! I6 s8 ?* t, F+ @, b9 f( Y$ X B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
) e, g; j+ P8 G% ^2 {; `0 _ B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
; n* j5 v9 o' M0 E; K D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged* S8 M* J9 p: e
D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
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: a7 ~3 B8 {* A7 W) c* v1 M# o8 rAllied aircraft losses% Y; j* ~. W o6 A ^
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
+ e) ] E) F: T, _( d F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed Q' Y7 D: \* X4 @9 B( w& w
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Allied Ships2 E2 A, c% ?0 r
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage3 h7 z+ d) z2 z( w5 x! f; o/ m
DD Cushing, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
0 l. J5 z0 o) \& _0 }1 R+ p CLAA San Juan, on fire$ ~. f" s( x" c* L
DD MacDonough
; b7 T! h- [' g& o) h. [ DD Benham
, {# r) s1 r. x: s7 p
, h* y% e4 V! V+ G1 E6 _Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Saratoga |