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