Time: 3 June 1942

Event

0904

PBY 6-V-55 flown by Ensign Charles Eaton reported the sighting of two cargo vessels.

{Actually report sighting part of Minesweeper Group}

0925

PBY 8-V-55, flown by Ensign 'Jack' Reid, reported seeing a group of ships on the horizon and signaled they had sighted the Main Body.

0930

The Japanese cruiser Jintsu, flashes a message to the flagship that the invasion force has been spotted by an American aircraft some 600 miles from Midway.  Both Nimitz and Fletcher know about the sightings, but both retain faith in the intelligence given by Lieut. Rochefort that the main Japanese strike force was Nagumo's carriers and they had yet to be seen.

Time: 4 June 1942

Event

0400

PBY Catalina flying boats (VP-11) launch from Midway

0430

Japanese Carriers launch bombers and fighters against Midway Island (108 planes)

0430

US carriers launch 10 SBDs to scout northern approach to Midway Island

0534

PBY of Flight 58, flown by Lt Howard Ady spots a Japanese recon plane at 0520. At 0534, the words 'Carrier bearing 320, distance 180' were received. A further flash at 0545 was received from another PBY flying adjacent to Flight 58 that reported a large number of Japanese aircraft flying towards Midway.

0600

B-17s from Midway diverted from attacking invasion fleet to Japanese carriers

0610

Land-based aircraft launched from Midway to attack Japanese carriers

0616

Fighter planes from Midway intercept incoming Japanese attack aircraft

0630 - 0645

First Japanese airstrike against Midway begins.  US A-A fire more intense than Japanese expected and 18 planes are lost.

0702

Hornet aircraft (VT-8 and VB-8) and Enterprise aircraft (VT-6, VS-6 and VB-6) begin launching with fighter escort (VB-8 and its escorts, which accidently also included VT-8’s fighter escort, will return without finding the enemy)

0702 – 0710

US Army B-26 bombers from Midway Island attack Japanese carriers (Evasive maneuvering by Japanese carriers results in no hits and 2 B-26s are lost)

0705

Japanese airstrike commander radios that a second strike will be needed against Midway Island. 

0715

Nagumo orders planes not yet armed with torpedoes be armed with bombs. This would indicate he wanted some planes ready to attack if the US fleet is found

0720 – 0730  

Navy TBF Avenger torpedo bombers from Midway Island attack Japanese carriers (Evasive maneuvering by Japanese carriers results in no hits)

0728

Japanese scout plane spots spot US carrier force (for unknown reasons this message is not delivered to Nagumo until 0800, after arming for ground targets has begun)

0755 – 0805

USMC SBD Dauntless dive bombers from Midway attack Japanese carriers (Evasive maneuvering by Japanese carriers results in no hits)

0806

Hornet (VT-8 and VB-8) and Enterprise (VT-6,VS-6 and VB-6) launch completed

0820 – 0830

USMC Vindicator dive bombers and US Army B-17s from Midway attack Japanese carriers (Evasive maneuvering by Japanese carriers results in no hits)

0836 – 0906

Japanese Midway strike aircraft return to carriers.  Rather than launch his strike group first without fighter escort (which would be against Japanese carrier doctrine), Nagumo orders the recovery of returning planes.

0838

Yorktown launches (VT-3 and VB-3) with fighter escorts against Japanese carriers

0906

Yorktown launches 6 F4F Wildcat fighters

0910

Japanese carriers turn north to close the gap with US carriers before launching attack

0920 – 0930

VT-8 aircraft begin their torpedo attacks on Sōryū {Akagi} (Evasive maneuvering by the Japanese carriers results in no hits and all 15 will be shot down)

0938 – 0955

VT-6 aircraft begin their torpedo attacks on Kaga (Evasive maneuvering by the Japanese carriers results in no hits and 10 of 14 will be shot down)

1012 – 1020

VT-3 aircraft begin torpedo attack with fighter escorts against Sōryū {Hiryu} (Evasive maneuvering by Japanese carriers results in no hits and 11 of 13 are shot down)

1022 – 1030

VB-6 and VS-6 begin bombing Kaga (5 hits) and Akagi (1 hit, 2 near miss)

1020 – 1025

VB-3 aircraft begin bombing with fighter escorts Sōryū (three hits)

1104

Hiryū launches first attack using 18 dive bombers escorted by 18 fighters

1205 – 1220

Yorktown attacked by bombers from Hiryū (16 {13} of 18 are shot down but thee bombs hit. Damage is severe but contained and flight deck patched within an hour.)

1210

Hornet and Enterprise begin recovering their surviving aircraft

1331

Hiryū launches second attack using torpedo bombers {Omit this (6 are shot down, but two torpedoes hit)}

1420 – 1430

Yorktown attacked by torpedo bombers from Hiryū (all {5 of 10} are shot down but two score hits but following this second attack Hiryū only had 6 fighters, 5 bombers, and 4 torpedo planes left.)

1530

Yorktown is abandoned (she will sink at 0458 on 7 June after she and the destroyer Hammann are torpedoed by the Japanese Sub I-168)

1550

Enterprise launches second attack (25 aircraft from a composite VB and VS from Enterprise and Yorktown survivors)

1615

Sōryū sinks

1705 – 1715

Enterprise VB group attacks Hiryū (4 hits)

1800

US Army B-17s attack Hiryū (no bombs hit, and no planes are lost)

1907

Enterprise VB group returns

1925

Kaga sinks

Time: 5 June 1942

Event

0520

Akagi scuttled and sinks

0912

Hiryū scuttled and sinks