 A series of U.S. Navy carrier raids against the Japanese, climaxed by the Halsey Doolittle Raid, was the catalyst Yamamoto needed. Yamamoto wanted to finish where he had begun at Pearl Harbor, and would use the assault on Midway to draw out the Pacific Fleet and its aircraft carriers. The battle plan was to consist of three parts. The strike force commanded by Vice Admiral Chiuichi Nagumo was to come from the north and destroy the defenses on the island. Then the occupation force commanded by Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondo was to capture and occupy the island. Finally, Admiral Isaroku, Yamamoto, and his fleet would defend the island from a counter attack. Due to the efforts of the U.S. Navy cryptanalytic team led by Lieutenant Commander Joseph Rocheford, the U.S. Navy learned of the plan and were able to prepare for the attack. Task Force 16 departs Hawaii on May 27th, and after repairs to make USS Yorktown seaworthy, Task Force 17 departs on the 30th. They head 350 miles northeast of Midway to wait for the incoming attack. Search planes are launched to scan the area in order to detect the Japanese fleet before they reach a striking distance of 200 nautical miles. June 3rd, a Navy patrol plane reports, Main body bearing 261 degrees, distance 700 miles, six large ships in column. Nine B-17s launch at 1230 to attack the sighted ships. They dropped their bombs, but little to no damage was incurred. Later that evening, four Navy PDYs loaded with torpedoes, attack the Japanese, and score a hit on an oiler. June 4th, 0545, a patrol plane reports, Many planes heading Midway, bearing 320 degrees, And another report, Two carriers and main body of ships, carriers in front. The US Marine Fighting Squadron, consisting of only 27 planes, engages the bombers. In spite of heavy anti-aircraft fire, the Japanese continued their run, and at 0630 they dropped bombs along the north side of Eastern Island, and in the hangar and barracks area on San Island. The powerhouse on Eastern Island, and the oil tanks on San Island, were their primary targets. As the Japanese attack was ending, the first US bombers from Midway, six TBFs and four B-26s find their targets. 16 SPDs dive through the clouds, emerging to encounter heavy anti-aircraft fire from Hiryu. As the SPDs exit, the B-17s start their attack, going after Shoryu, Hiryu, and Akagi. During this attack, Nautilus appears, putting even more pressure on the Japanese Navy. She fires off one torpedo, which misses. A few minutes later, 11 SBTU dive bombers start their attack, but were engaged by a large number of Japanese fighters, forcing them to give up their attack on the carrier, and choose a battleship as their target instead. Nagumo receives a report that the US have at least one carrier in the area. The US attacks didn't inflict any damage, but it prevented the Japanese from building a coordinated attack. While the planes from Enterprise head southwest, the Hornets head west. With no contact, the Hornets Torpedo Squadron, led by Lieutenant Commander John C. Waldron, broke off and turned south. 15 of the Hornets Torpedo Squadron, Hiryu, and Shoryu, BT-6 arrived before the rest of the Enterprise crew. They target Kagei-0938 and fire off some torpedoes. 12 torpedo bombers from Yorktown attack Hiryu and would score no hits. In an almost coordinated attack, 17 SPDs from Yorktown's BB-3 begin their attack and target Shoryu, scoring three hits, causing fires in all three hangers. When the Enterprise group arrives, they don't see any Japanese carriers. Lieutenant Commander C. Wade McCluskey spots the Japanese destroyer, Orashi, and making the most important decision of the entire action turns his whole group north. When McCluskey and the Enterprise bombers arrive, they attack Kaga, scoring five direct hits, and setting the carrier ablaze. BB-6 is dick-best, and two wingmen turn their attack on Akagi. With one lucky shot, a bomb sliced through the flight deck and exploded in the upper hangar, in the midst of the aircraft there. Shortly after, the carrier burst into flames. Three carriers are disabled, but the last carrier escapes on damage, so Yorktown sends out 10 scouts from BB-5 to search for it. At 11.52, radar picked up a large number of planes heading for Yorktown. They quickly cut down the attackers, but seven bombers broke through, only to meet a formidable screen of anti-aircraft fire. Despite this, three hits had been made on Yorktown. Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher moves to the Astoria and will soon turn over command to Rear Admiral Spruntz. Damage to the Yorktown proved not to be serious, and repairs were made quickly. The hole in the flight deck was covered in less than half an hour. By 14.20, the 10 bombers of BB-5 that Yorktown sent out earlier find the last Japanese carrier. U.S. fighters are launched from Yorktown. Joined by fighters from TF-16, shoot down several of the torpedo planes before the ship's open fire. Of the planes that got passed, four were able to drop their torpedoes, two of these the Yorktown avoided by skillful maneuvering. Two others, however, could not be avoided, and they caught her midships on the port side. With the Yorktown listing heavily to port, the orders were given to abandon ship. At 15.30, the Enterprise began launching an attack group of 26 SPDs that include orphans from the Yorktown. 30 minutes later, the Hornet began launching a squadron of 16 SPDs. The Enterprise Squadron sighted the Japanese forces at 16.50. They dove in from the sun and scored four direct hits on Hiryu, which was soon a mass of flames. With the bombing of the fourth Japanese carrier, the U.S. had won control of the air. The battle of Midway was essentially a victory of intelligence. But the U.S. forces also needed to meet the enemy with heroism and devotion to duty. This would carry the day and allow them to write what Admiral Nimitz called a glorious page in our history.