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Photo # 80-G-32301:  USS Yorktown dead in the water after being hit by Japanese bombs on 4 June 1942

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- EVENTS -- World War II in the Pacific -- Battle of Midway --

Japanese Attacks on USS Yorktown, 4 June 1942 --
Yorktown Stopped after the Dive Bombing Attack

With her boiler rooms out of action through the effects of the bomb hit in her uptakes, USS Yorktown coasted to a stop, while her escorts circled around her. Her crewmen fought fires in her smokestack and elsewhere, patched holes in her uptakes and flight deck, treated casualties and stayed alert for another possible enemy attack. The crew of one boiler room heroically worked amid heat and smoke to keep the ship's auxiliary systems operating.

To maintain his mobility, Task Force 17 commander Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher shifted his flag to USS Astoria. Ships were sent from the nearby Task Force 16 to reinforce those clustered around the stricken carrier. Meanwhile, Yorktown aircraft returning from attacks on the Japanese carrier Soryu were diverted to USS Enterprise. Some, however, were too short of fuel to fly on, and ditched nearby.

As damage control parties made progress, flight deck crews respotted several fighters aft to takeoff position and the engineering force began to bring other boilers back into service. After nearly two hours' hard work by all hands, Yorktown was underway again, though only capable of about twenty knots speed. To the west, as yet undetected, Japanese torpedo planes from Hiryu were approaching.

This page features views of Yorktown after the dive bombing attack, during the time she was dead in the water and repairing damage. They are presented in approximately the order in which they were taken.

For further coverage of the the dive bombing attack and its results, see:

  • The Bombing Attack on Yorktown;
  • Scenes on Yorktown after the Dive Bombing Attack; and
  • Scenes elsewhere in Yorktown's Task Force after the Dive Bombing Attack.

    For links to pages on the torpedo plane attack later in the day, see:

  • Japanese Attacks on USS Yorktown, 4 June 1942 -- Overview and Special Image Selection.

    For links to views of other aspects of the Battle of Midway, see:

  • Battle of Midway, Overview and Special Image Selection.


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the Online Library's digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

    Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

    Photo #: 80-G-32299

    Battle of Midway, June 1942


    USS Yorktown (CV-5) after being hit by Japanese bombs shortly after noon on 4 June 1942, as seen from USS Astoria (CA-34).
    This view was taken fairly soon after the ship lost power and stopped, as F4F-4 fighters are still spotted forward, where they were during the attack. Fires are burning in her uptakes. Men are working on the flight deck to cover bomb entry holes in the foreward elevator and alongside the island and a large bomb hole just aft of the midships elevator.
    Note SOC floatplane on Astoria's starboard catapult, at left, with a crane in the foreground.

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

    Online Image: 96KB; 740 x 615 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: 80-G-32300

    Battle of Midway, June 1942


    USS Yorktown (CV-5) after being hit by Japanese bombs shortly after noon on 4 June 1942.
    This view was taken shortly after the ship lost power and stopped, while F4F-4 fighters were still spotted forward, their location during the attack. Fires are burning in Yorktown's uptakes.

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

    Online Image: 85KB; 740 x 605 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: 80-G-32221

    Battle of Midway, June 1942


    USS Yorktown (CV-5) afire, stopped and surrounded by her escorts, after being hit by Japanese bombs shortly after noon on 4 June 1942.
    This view was taken after flight deck repairs had progressed far enough to allow respotting aircraft. The planes, F4F-4 fighters that were parked forward during the attack, are in the process of being moved aft, to takeoff position.
    Photographed from USS Pensacola (CA-24).

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

    Online Image: 72KB; 740 x 555 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: 80-G-21649

    Battle of Midway, June 1942


    USS Yorktown (CV-5) afire and dead in the water, with several of her escorts steaming nearby. She had been hit by Japanese dive bombers shortly after noon on 4 June 1942.
    This view was taken about an hour after she was hit, once F4F-4 fighters, which were parked forward during the attack, had been moved to the after end of her flight deck.
    Photographed from USS Pensacola (CA-24). The larger ship to the left of Yorktown is USS Portland (CA-35).

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

    Online Image: 112KB; 740 x 620 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: 80-G-32301

    Battle of Midway, June 1942


    USS Yorktown (CV-5) dead in the water after being hit by Japanese bombs on 4 June 1942.
    The ship was hit shortly after noon. This view was taken about an hour later, with fires still burning in her uptakes but other immediate repairs well advanced. F4F-4 fighters that had been parked at the forward end of the flight deck during the attack have been respotted aft, in take off position. Two SBD-3 scout bombers can be seen through the open sides of her after hangar bay.

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

    Online Image: 83KB; 740 x 595 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: 80-G-32230

    Battle of Midway, June 1942


    Two SBD-3 scout bombers fly near USS Yorktown (CV-5) at about 1330 hrs on 4 June. The carrier is still dead in the water and unable to recover aircraft.
    These two planes are probably those piloted by Bombing Squadron Three's Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander Maxwell F. Leslie, and Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Paul A. Holmberg, who were returning from attacking the Japanese carrier Soryu. Low on fuel, both ditched nearby and their crews were recovered safely.
    Photographed from USS Pensacola (CA-24). The destroyer steaming by at left is probably USS Russell (DD-414).

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives.

    Online Image: 86KB; 740 x 580 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     


    For further coverage of the the dive bombing attack and its results, see:

  • The Bombing Attack on Yorktown;
  • Scenes on Yorktown after the Dive Bombing Attack; and
  • Scenes elsewhere in Yorktown's Task Force after the Dive Bombing Attack.

    For links to pages on the torpedo plane attack later in the day, see:

  • Japanese Attacks on USS Yorktown, 4 June 1942 -- Overview and Special Image Selection.

    For links to views of other aspects of the Battle of Midway, see:

  • Battle of Midway, Overview and Special Image Selection.

    NOTES:

  • To the best of our knowledge, the pictures referenced here are all in the Public Domain, and can therefore be freely downloaded and used for any purpose.

  • Some images linked from this page may bear obsolete credit lines citing the organization name: "Naval Historical Center". Effective 1 December 2008 the name should be cited as: "Naval History and Heritage Command".


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the Online Library's digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


    Return to Naval History and Heritage Command home page.

    Page made 9 April 1999
    Coding updated 25 April 2009