 Compared to the torpedo bombers which arrived, you know, just flying just a few dozen feet above the water for their bombing runs, the dive bombers arrived over the Japanese fleet out to just several thousand feet and they were able to make visual contact with the Japanese fleet, line up their bombing runs and make their runs where they go up and then they turn into their dive and line up the aircraft itself with the flight deck of the Japanese carriers. At this point in the war, most carriers did not have armored decks so these bombs were extremely effective in penetrating the decks, exploding below decks in the hangars which contained all of the ammunition and the fuel. The American planes were able to mortally wound three of the Japanese carriers right away.