The Battle of Midway
Yorktown and her escorts went to full speed and, as the Japanese raiders attacked, began maneuvering radically. Despite intense antiaircraft fire, three Vals scored hits. Two of them were shot down soon after releasing their bomb loads While the ship recovered from the damage inflicted by the dive-bombing attack, her speed dropped to six knots - and then-at 1440, about 20 minutes after the bomb hit that had shut down most of the boilers, Yorktown slowed to a stop, dead in the water. At about 1540, Yorktown prepared to get underway again and, at 1550, the engine room force reported that they were ready to make 20 knots or better. The ship was not yet out of the fight.Yorktown maneuvered radically, avoiding at least two torpedoes before two fish tore into her port side within minutes of each other. The first hit at 1620. The carrier had been mortally wounded she lost power and went dead in the water with a jammed rudder and an increasing list to port.In order to save as many of the ship's company as possible, the captain wrote later, he ordered the ship to be abandoned.
