USS Yorktown at Midway
USS Yorktown at Midway
bigpigeon.us webpage WWII - Japan > Japan Overreaches ​> Midway, updated by RAC 18 May 2022.

Operation MI --> Battle of Midway - 4-7 June 1942
The Japanese Operation MI offensive had two components:
  • Attack and occupy Midway Island northwest of Hawaii.
  • As a diversion, occupy the western Aleutian Islands of Attu and Kiska and attack US military facilities at Dutch Harbor to the east.
Wisely, the US chose not to contest the second component.

​With a combination of good intelligence, personal courage, and good luck, US forces prevailed in the climatic Battle of Midway. Japan lost four large aircraft carriers to American dive bombers, while the United States lost the carrier Yorktown.
​
More importantly, the Japanese lost momentum. After their Midway defeat, Japan cancelled Operation FI, the planned offensive to extend Japanese power further into the South Pacific.
June 1942 Japanese Naval Offensive
June 1942 Japanese Naval Operation MI
Pacific Area headquarters in Pearl Harbor learned of a coming Japanese attack on Midway via a broken Japanese code. In response, the US:
  • added Army and Marine combat aircraft to the forces based on Midway.
  • sent the only three available carriers, the Yorktown, Enterprise and Hornet.​

The Japanese fleet included four large aircraft carriers, while the US Navy 
​

The following timeline is taken from https://sites.google.com/site/battleofmidwayorg/timeline but is heavily edited. I have used military time.

Battle of Midway timeline - 4 June 1942:
  • 04:30 - 108 aircraft leave the four Japanese carriers to attack Midway.
  • 05:34 - Japanese ships located by a PBY from Midway.
  • 06:30 - Japanese attack begins and lasts for 20 minutes, with major losses of American fighter aircraft and moderate loss of Japanese aircraft. 
  • 07:10 - Series of uncoordinated US air attacks from Midway Island on Japanese fleet begin.
  • 07:15 - Nagumo orders second air strike against Midway Island.
  • 07:28 - Japanese recon plane spots undetermined US ship 200 miles away.
  • 07:40 - Nagumo cancels 07:15 order and orders strike against US ships.
  • June 4- 07:52 a.m. USS Enterprise and Hornet launch bombers and torpedo planes.
  • 08:20 - Japanese identify US carriers.
  • June 4- 08:37 a.m. Aircraft from 2nd wave of the Japanese start to return, to refuel and to rearm.
  • June 4- 09:00 a.m. USS Yorktown launches attack on Japanese carrier force as a main target.
  • June 4- 09:18 a.m. Yamamoto learns of the attack and changes course.
  • 09:18 - 10:20 - US carrier-based torpedo squadrons (from the Hornet, Enterprise and Yorktown) are in turn spotted and destroyed by the Japanese Combat Air Patrols.
  • 10:22 - US carrier-based dive bomber squadrons from the Enterprise and Yorktown attack Japanese carriers. Kaga, Soryu, and Akagi are struck and subsequently sink.
  • June 4- 10:25 a.m. Follow up wave finds Japanese carriers while aircraft are refueling and trying to get rearmed.
  • 11:00 - .
  • 10:54 - Hiryu launches a strike against the US carriers with 18 dive bombers and six fighter escorts.
  • 12:05  - Yorktown is hit by three bombs from Hiryu aircraft.
  • 13:30 - Hiryu launches a second strike against the US carriers with 10 torpedo bombers and six fighter escorts.
  • 14:30 - Yorktown is hit by two aerial torpedoes from Hiryu aircraft. I have seen 16:20 as the time.
  • 15:00 -  Yorktown abandoned and it is taken in tow by the USS Vireo.
  • 16:10 - Soryu sinks.
  • 17:00 -  Dive bomber raids from Lexington and Enterprise cripple Hiryu.
  • 19:25 - Kaga sinks.
Battle of Midway timeline - 5 June 1942:
  • 03:15 - Hiryu abandoned.
  • 05:00 - Akagi sinks.
  • 09:12 - Hiryu sinks.
​Battle of Midway timeline - 6 June 1942:
  • 15:40 - Yorktown is in tow by Vireo w/ USS Hammann alongside. Japanese submarine I-168 fires a spread of four torpedoes, two hitting Yorktown and one hitting Hammann. Hammann explodes and sinks.
Battle of Midway timeline - 7 June 1942:
  • 07:01 - USS Yorktown sinks.
Sources for the Midway webpage:
  • The page header photo, USS Enterprise at Midway, courtesy of theatlantic.com, shows the preparation of Torpedo Squadron VT-6 for their fatal flight. Of the 41 planes of the three torpedo squadrons that flew from American carriers at Midway, only six returned.
  • The June 1942 Japanese Naval Operation MI is courtesy of pinterest.com

​Pottawattamie Area WWII Dead - Midway:05-02 - Japan Overreaches > Battle of Midway  (two dead, updated 23 Oct 2021)
† Decker, Richard Charles, SN 17-017-220, USAAF, Pott. Co.
  • Detachment, 69th Bomb. Sqdn., 38th Bomb. Gp., based at Hickam Field, Oahu, Hawaii Territory & deployed to Midway Is., Hawaii Territory 29 May 1942; Martin B-26B Marauder #41-17570 nose gunner w/ pilot William S. Watson; KIA 4 Jun 1942 off Midway Is.; low-level torpedo attack by four Marauders on Japanese fleet, two planes lost, each w/ crew of seven, no survivors, remaining planes damaged; Japan Overreaches > Battle of Midway; BNR.
† Mowrey, Robert Edward, also served as Mowery, Robert E, SN 308610, USMC Aviation, Pott. Co.
  • Marine Fighter Sqdn. VMF-221, Marine Air Group 22, 2nd Marine Air Wing; KIA 4 Jun 1942 Midway Is., Hawaii Territory; direct hit on aircraft rearming station during air attack; Japan Overreaches > Battle of Midway.