BATTLE OF MIDWAY TIMELINE
MAY26
Enterprise (CV-6) and Hornet (CV-8) arrive Pearl
Halsey to hospital ; Spruance is replacement.
Japanese submarines to refuel seaplanes find US seaplane tender at French Frigate Shoals.
Japanese carriers depart Ominato for Dutch Harbor, Aleutians
p.m. Japanese carrier strike force leaves Inland Sea
MAYy 27
Liberty parties ordered back to ship by 1830
1400 Yorktown (CV-5) arrives, straight into drydock.
p.m. Japanese Occupation force departs Saipan
p.m. Japanese close support group (bombardment force) departs Guam
MAY 28.
a.m. Enterprise, Hornet TF-16 departs Pearl
1800 Air group flys aboard carriers.
MAY 29.
Yorktown leaves dry dock, reprovisions
MAY 30
Yorktown TF-17 departs Pearl
Weather turns bad as TF 16 nearing Midway
TF-16 arrives 350 miles NE of Midway
MAY 31
TF-16 refuels
Japanese spy network on Pearl seems to have been shut down before this date
JUNE 1. Saratoga (CV-3) departs San Diego.
Bad weather whole Midway area.
Japanese enter storm front that provided protection to Midway.
TF-17 refuels
JUNE 2.
1600 TF 16 and TF 17 meet up 325 miles NE of Midway
JUNE 3.
0807 Dutch Harbor attacked by light carriers Ryujo (12 aircraft) ; Junyo flights turned back by weather.
0900 PBY from Midway sights Japanese transport force 700 miles west.
Japanese submarine line established N of Hawaii. US carriers had already passed.
1624 Nine B-17s attack Transport force three times. No hits
JUNE 4.
0143 PBYs drop three torpedoes on transport force, one hit on an oiler, it survives.
0400 Japanese start launch 108 aircraft attack towards Midway : 36 Kate, 36 Val, 36 Zeke (Zero).
0431 Ten SBD launched by Yorktown to search 100 miles north and ??
Tone catapult malfunction, delays scout assigned to sector of US forces.
0545 "Many planes heading Midway" report by PBY.
0603 "Two carriers, one battleship" report is in error by 25 miles.
0607 Fletcher orders Spruance "Proceed southwesterly and attack carriers as soon as definitely located."
0620 Midway fighters attack Japanese aircraft.
0630 Bombs drop on Midway
0630 Yorktown recovers scout planes and proceeds SW.
0700 Japanese bombers complete attack on Midway, call for a second strike.
0700 Midway bombers attack Akagi.
0700 Spruance launches aircraft from Enterprise, Hornet without knowing location of enemy.
0715 Nagumo orders to rearm torpedo planes with bombs for second attack on Midway.
0728 Nagumo receives report of ten US ships.
0745 Nagumo stops loading bombs.
0745 Enterprise bombers sent ahead, fighters and torpedo planes never join.
0800 All US attack groups are winging in the air. Where-to is various.
Hornet groups headed far north of target area. Waldron's torpedo group breaks off towards target area.
0800 Sixteen Marine SBD from Midway attack Hiryu, 8 SBD destroyed, no hits.
0815 B-17s from Midway attack, no hits.
0820 Eleven Marine SB2U Vindicators attack battleship Haruna, no hits, two BS2U lost.
0820 Nagumo receives report of one US carrier.
0820 Japanese Midway strike returns.
0837 Nagumo starts recovery of strike aircraft.
0838 Yorktown launches half of attack craft, retains reserve for the unlocated carriers.
0855 Nagumo warned by scout "Ten enemy attack planes heading towards you." (Waldron VT-8)
090? VF-8 turns back. Unable to find Hornet, all ditch.
0910 Enterprise fighters find Four Japanese carriers. US carriers never hear of location.
0918 Jap attack aircraft recovered.
0918 Nagumo turns northwest to close with American fleet.
0920 Waldron's VT-8 attacks Soryu, all 15 short down, no hits.
0930 VT-6 finds Japanese. 100 mph torpedo bombers chased 35 mph ships.
0935 McClusky sights Japanese DD heading towards fleet
095? VT-6 attacks, 9 splashed, 5 got away.
0956 VF-6 radio report gets through
1000 Enterprise fighters VF-6 leave short on fuel.
1002 McClusky, Enterprise VB-6 SBD sight carriers.
1003 Yorktown VB-3 SBD sight carriers
E had reached target area finding no enemy had to search for an [hour].
H SBDs headed far north of target area, came south too far west, most headed to Midway, 3 ditch for lack of fuel.
Y SBD, launched hour and a half after TF-16, travels directly to target arriving at same time as others.
1010 Yorktown starts coordinated attack.
1020 Enterprise SBD dives ; VS-6 on Kaga (4 hits) and VB-6 (Best) on Akagi (2 1000# hits).
1022 Yorktown VB-6 SBD dives on Soryu (3 1000# hits)
1050 Enterprise VF-6 fighters land
1050 Hiryu launches attack for Yorktown, 18 dive bombers, 6 Zero
1120 Yorktown launches 10 scouts to 200 miles
1156 Nagumo orders surface fleet to attack American carrier fleet
1210 Yorktown takes three bomb hits
1331 Hiryu launches attack #2 on Yorktown ; 10 TB, 6 Zeros
1430 Yorktown back to speed.
1444 Yorktown torpedoed twice or 3 times.
1445 Yorktown scouts find fourth carrier.
1455 Yorktown abandon ship.
1500 Hornet ready to launch, but not told of Enterprise plans
1510 Hornet recovers 11 SBD that had diverted to Midway
1528 Enterprise launch 25 SBDs without escort - 11 from Enterpriseand 14 from Yorktown.
1558 Hornet launch 16 SBD :
1600 Ryujo and Junyo launch 26 aircraft on Dutch Harbor; Yamamoto orders carriers south to Midway.
1704 Hiryu attacked by SBDs, four hits
1720 Hornet attacks screen, no hits.
1811 Fletcher releases TF 16 while sailing east with survivors.
1820 Enterprise recover SBDs and CAP
1857 Hornet recovers SBD and CAP
1915 US ships turn east.
1930 Yamamoto orders Northern force to return North and occupy western Aleutians
2340 Yamamoto sends bombardment force to Midway
JUNE 5.
0020 Yamamoto cancels bombardment of Midway.
0255 Yamamoto orders general withdrawal
0342 Heavy cruisers Mogami and Mikuma are damaged in collision while avoiding submarine Tambor (SS-198).
0825 Bad weather, Enterprise launches CAP.
Midway bombers attack cruisers to no effect.
1100 TF 16 heads NW to search for reported Japanese carrier.
1200 Brown wanted to make long range attack, overruled by Spruance.
1308 Fleet tug Vireo began towing Yorktown towards Pearl.
1512 Hornet launches 12 SBD to reported area, nothing found.
1530 Enterprise launches 30 SBD, ditto
1543 Hornet launches 14 more SBD's, ditto
1800 Salvage crew to Hammann and sent towards Yorktown.
2040 Spruance gives up chase and turns to find cruisers
???? Japanese carriers Akagi and Hiryu are scuttled.
???? Yamamoto sends 2 BB, CVL Zuiho, CAs Tone & Chikuma to reinforce Japanese northern force and ambush US.
JUNE 6.
0440 Portland with 2000 survivors head for Fulton sent from Pearl.
0500 Enterprise, 350 miles NW Midway launches 18 SBD to search 200 miles out, Finds 2 cruisers, 2 destroyers
Mogami had bow sheared off, Mikuma now appeared larger and was reported as a battleship.
a.m. Saratoga arrives Pearl.
a.m. Salvage crew arrives on Yorktown
a.m. Yorktown survivors on DDs transferred to Portland.
0757 Hornet launches 24 planes to attack cruisers.
0815 Enterprise recovers scouts.
0930 Hornet squadrons attack cruisers, make six hits.
1035 Hornet recovers attack planes
1045 Enterprise launches 31 SBD, 12 F4F, 3 TBD.
1245 Enterprise attacks cruisers
1330 Yorktown and Hammann torpedoed. Destroyer sinks immediately
14?? Hornet launches 2nd attack o cruisers with 24 SBD.
1415 Enterprise recovers air groups.
15?? Hornet makes six 1000 pound bomb hits on Mikuma, one on Mogami.
1550 Yorktown "Abandon ship".
1550 Yamamoto steams south to attack Spruance.
1907 TF 16 lands CAP, turns east to refuel. Battle over.
night Mogami sinks; Mikuma and 2 DD escaped.
JUNE 7.
0501 Yorktown goes under
0700 Yamamoto turns back.
a.m. Japanese troops occupy Attu and Kiska without opposition.
a.m. Saratoga sets sail with replenishment aircraft, 107 planes on board
* In the wake of the battle, efforts to locate downed aviators persist over the ensuing days.
27 aviators rescued during ten days after the battle.
JUNE 8. US and Japanese each refueling in bad weather
1112 Saratoga arrives. Fletcher moves to Saratoga, new flagship of TF 17.
Five VF-8 pilots recovered by PBY; three more next day.
JUNE 9. No flying from bad weather
JUNE 10.
TF 16 and TF 17 link up in morning fog.
Wasp (CV-7), North Carolina (BB-55), Quincy (CA-39), San Juan (CL-54 ) and 6 DD transit the Panama Canal became TF 18 (RAdm Noyes).
JUNE 11.
a.m. Saratoga transfers replacement aircraft -- 10 SBD, 5 TBD for Enterprise ; 9 SBD, 10 TBF for Hornet.
1100 Saratoga (with inexperienced crew) returns to Pearl to report
1100 TF 16 turns north to Alaska
1300 TF 16 recalled to Pearl.
JUNE 12.
Zuikaku and Zuiho, 2 BB, 4 CA, DDs arrive to reinforce Japanese northern force.
Saratoga launches training flights.
Army Air Force wrongly declare victory by B-17s.
JUNE 13.
Three surviving carriers arrive Pearl.
The first part of the Pacific war was over.
Launched
US AIRCRAFT -- Aboard to attack Engaged Enemy Lost (ditched)
Total 221 116 78 80
F4F 79 28 8 16 (11)
SBD 101 67 37 24 (4?)
TBD 47 41 41 37
Sources
The First Team by John B. Lundstrum, 1984
Coral Sea, Midway, Submarine Actions by Samuel E. Morison, 1949
Midway and Midway 2
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Created June 13, 2008
Last updated on June 15, 2008; tweeked 24Oct'19
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