Chapter 40 Chapter 36 Why don't I get a good night's sleep?

On Midway, a young marine tugged at the mattress of a sergeant who had fallen asleep from exhaustion.He shouted: Hey, Sergeant, wake up, wake up!Damn, we're under attack again! where?where?what happened?The sergeant grumbled. A submarine, the Marine replied. After hearing this, the sergeant said in disgust, huh!With a cry, he fell asleep again. [Note: Ford's narrative. 】 In fact, at 1:30, in the brief exchange of fire between the U.S. military and the Japanese submarine Yi-1168 on Midway Island, neither side suffered losses. [Note: When Prange interviewed Yahachi Tanabe on November 30, 1964, Tanabe's written conversation, hereinafter referred to as Tanabe's conversation; Ramsay's report. 】

However, a danger that cannot be underestimated is coming to Midway.Kurita's four heavy cruisers Kumano, Suzuya, Mikuma, and Mogami, along with escorting destroyers Asashio and Arashio, were approaching the island.Each cruiser carried ten eight-inch guns.These guns can cause huge losses to the fortifications and various facilities on the island. Kondo withdraws these ships from the offensive force to carry out Yamamoto's night battle order.Kurita was four hundred nautical miles west of the target when he received the order.This actually shows that he will definitely not reach Midway before sunrise.But he's going to do his best.At twenty-three his cruisers were well behind the destroyers, for they were the fastest ships in the Japanese navy. [Note: "The Battle of Midway Island", 219th | 220th page. 】

The Japanese's doom did not end there.Yamamoto thought that Kurita might not be able to arrive as scheduled, so he canceled the combat plan at 00:20.His order was apparently intended for Kurita (Commander of the 7th Cruiser Division), but was somehow directed to Abe (Commander of the 8th Cruiser Division) aboard the mobile unit Tone. [Note: Narration in Japan, page 37. 】If Kurita can receive this telegram within the specified time, the Japanese may avoid another disastrous defeat, and the American victory will be correspondingly smaller. The officers and men of the various cruisers had been looking forward to risking their lives to attack the island, and the strings were all tensed.Some people felt a little more relaxed now, but some officers expressed regret that they had given up on the expedition and now they did not fight. [Note: The second part of Sakamoto’s material. 】

Kurita was less than ninety nautical miles from Midway when he received the order.The US submarine Tambor, which was operating in the waters, faintly spotted four large ships on the sea far away from the bow of the ship at 2:15.It was so dark that Tambor's captain, Lieutenant Commander John W. Murphy, could not tell whether these vague shadows were enemy ships or his own.But he continued to monitor the shadows.Just after 2:38, he reported to Admiral English at Pearl Harbor that several warships of unknown origin had been spotted and reported their course, position and speed.According to the establishment of the Pacific Fleet at that time, the submarine captain was not under the leadership of the commander of the task force. He directly reported the situation to the commander of the submarine force, and then the commander of the submarine force reported to the Pacific Fleet Command, and the latter comprehensively handled it.After Murphy's report finished the circle, it was just dawn, and he could already tell that these were all Japanese ships.He also found an enemy destroyer coming straight at him, so he dived quickly as a precaution. [Note: The combat diary of the third combat patrol in June 1942 (USS Tambor). 】

At the same time, Kurita finally received Yamamoto's order to cancel the operation. As soon as the cruiser team changed its course, the Kumano spotted the Tambor, so Kurita hurriedly ordered a sharp turn to the left forty-five degrees. [Note: The second part of Sakamoto’s material. 】The red emergency signal was transmitted from Kumano to Suzuya and then to Mikuma.Such a turning action is very complicated, and Kurita's heavy cruiser has never made such a turning at night.When the faint light signal reached the last Mogami, the Kumano had already appeared in front of it. Full left rudder!Reverse at full speed!Naval Commander Masaki Yamauchi, Navigator of the Mogami, shrieked orders, but it was too late.The Kumano hit the Mogami port side of the bridge slightly aft, knocking the bow from the captain's cabin to the port side.Mogami was hit by this collision, her speed dropped and her driving was seriously affected. [Note: Masaki Yamauchi's reply provided by Chihaya did not specify a specific date.The following is Masaki Yamauchi's reply; USSBS Document No. 46: Interrogation of the Sixth Fleet Communications Officer Lieutenant Commander Sewano. 】The damage to the Kumano was relatively light, and the speed was not greatly affected, except that a main fuel tank on the port side was hit and leaked.A large amount of oil spill left a streak of oil on the sea.Any U.S. plane flying over the waters could clearly see the cruiser's track. [Note: Analysis of the Battle of Midway Island, page 154. 】

Masayuki Saruto, the damage control officer of the Mogami, rushed to the front of the ship and found that the front damage control team members were stunned and at a loss.They were terrified by the sudden blow.Saruto ordered them to repair the loopholes and rushed to repair the tank next to the damaged fuel tank.He also ordered that all explosive and inflammable objects, including depth charges, be thrown into the sea.Despite strong objections from Captain Zeng Erzhang, Saruto fired the torpedo.During the next two days, these precautions paid off.After the damage control crews finished their mission, the ship hit full throttle again, but it was barely able to sail westward at twelve knots. [Note: Masayuki Saruto’s reply provided by Chihaya did not specify a specific date.Hereinafter referred to as Saruto's reply. 】

Kurita on the flagship Kumano immediately turned to rescue after hearing of the collision.He found that Zōirzhang was still trying to resume the Mogami, so he left Mikuma, Asashio, and Arashio to protect the wounded ship, and led Kumano and Suzuya to the west to join Yamamoto. [Note: "The Battle of Midway Island", page 221. 】.Tambor's report to English about the discovery of several warships kept the Americans busy for a while, because the Pearl Harbor command knew that the discovered warships were not their own.Murphy's intelligence seemed to indicate that the Japanese were still preparing to capture Midway.Accordingly, all submarines were ordered to approach Midway in order to attack the enemy troop transports and their supporting forces. [Note: Report by Nimitz, June 28, 1942. 】

By midnight, Spruance had been sailing north and planned to sail north for another hour or so before turning west.In this way, after daybreak, he would be in a position to defend Midway and attack the Japanese Mobile Force again.He has not ruled out the possibility of the Hiryu, and the intelligence agency has said that the Japanese may have a fifth aircraft carrier. [Note: Bard's interview with Admiral Raymond A. Spruance on May 25, 1965, hereinafter referred to as Bard's interview with Spruance. ] Then, because the radar report found an enemy situation, Spruance decided to change to the original course and sent the Eliot to find out the situation.It turned out to be a false alarm.He sailed eastward for about eighteen minutes, then southward for about an hour, until nearly two o'clock when he turned west again. [Note: Analysis of the Battle of Midway Island, 156th | 157th page. 】

At dawn, he received a report from the Tambor.It must have been of particular interest to him, since his son Edward D. Spruance was a lieutenant on the submarine.Spruance increased the speed of Task Force Sixteen to about twenty-five knots, and headed south rapidly, arriving not far due north of Midway Island. [Note: Enterprise's logbook, June 5, 1942; Climax of the Battle of Midway, p. 185: Interview with Spruance, September 1964 five days. ] He did not believe that the enemy still had the offensive consciousness after losing four aircraft carriers and all carrier-based aircraft.But he can't ignore the possibility, especially since there could also be a fifth Japanese aircraft carrier in the area. [Note: Report by Spruance, June 16, 1942. 】

At 4:15, the defenders of Midway Island received Murphy's report: the enemy's large force was located at 28° 23' north latitude and 179° 9' west longitude.Within fifteen minutes, twelve B|17 planes took off to search for the Japanese destroyer, but the pilots of these land-based planes failed to find the enemy, but at 6:30, a patrol plane reported that two battleships had been spotted, Bearing 264, distance 125, course 268, speed 15.Two minutes later, it added that both ships were damaged and oily in tow. [Note: NAS diary; contact report. 】 At 07:00, MAG|22 dispatched all the aircraft of VMSB|241 Squadron that could take to the skies to attack the two warships.Of course, these two ships are only Mogami and Mikuma.The aircraft consisted of six Dreadnoughts led by Captain Marshall A. Taylor and six Avengers led by Captain Richard E. Fleming.After flying for about forty-five minutes, the pilots found a large oil stain on the sea surface, so they followed the clues.The SBDs led by Taylor swooped down on the Mogami from about 10,000 feet, zigzagging to avoid the heavy anti-aircraft fire on the cruiser.But neither side achieved anything.The Marines missed, only a few near misses, and the Japanese didn't hurt the American plane. [Note: VMSB|241 report. 】

Fleming's Avenger arrived a few minutes behind Taylor's plane.About twenty miles west of Cure Island, Captain Leon M. Williamson spotted a warship on the water and called Fleming's attention.So the fleet flew off course, went to reconnaissance, and found that it was a submarine.Seeing them approaching, the submarine made an emergency dive.So they resumed their original course.At about 8:40, Fleming led the planes down from a height of 4,000 feet under heavy anti-aircraft fire.Williamson's plane roared down toward the sun, and he saw Fleming's engine smoking as it dived.Then, as Fleming pulled upwards, his plane caught fire. [Note: Report by Williamson and Linbraum on June 7, 1942. ] His burning plane crashed into the tail turret of the Mikuma.This may be a coincidence, or it may be a deliberate arrangement.According to Fuchita, flames from the burning plane were sucked into the engine room air duct on the starboard side, causing an explosion of gasoline gas in the engine room, killing everyone there. [Note: This is one of the much-discussed events in the Battle of Midway.According to Kemes' report of June 8, Captain Richard B. Fleming's plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire during the dive and caught fire, but he continued to dive despite this, and his bombs scored direct hits. The plane also crashed into the sea. As far as we know, no one else in the United States has any objection to the fact that Fleming crashed into the Mikuma. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor after his death. This is the first person in World War II to receive this award Honorable Marine Corps Airmen (Marines at the Battle of Midway, note p. 41).Morrison quoted Admiral Zeng Erzhang, Mogami, as saying: I saw a dive bomber hit the tail turret, causing a big fire.He is very brave.Morrison also pointed out what might be the wreckage of Fleming's plane in a photograph showing the damage to the Mikuma (The Battles of the Coral Sea, Midway, and Submarine Operations, p. 145).In 1961, however, Zeng Erzhang denied that he had said what Morrison had quoted, and said he believed no damage had been done. (Sakamoto Material Part II).Saruto believes that the plane in the middle of the Mikuma in the photo is not an enemy plane. (Ape Wataru's reply).Ugaki's diary dated June 8, 1942, which describes the entire battle, also states that the attack did not cause damage.Although Saruto couldn't remember the circumstances of being hit this time, he remembered someone talking about it after the battle.And Fuchita not only confirmed Fleming's actions, but also said that he caused considerable damage ("Battle of Midway", p. 226). 】 Lieutenant Colonel Brooke Allen arrived with eight B|17s as the Marines pulled out of the battle.Although the pilots of the Flying Fortress claimed they had three near-misses and estimated they had two hits, they actually only missed one, killing two people aboard the Mogami.After this, the two wounded cruisers were free for a while, and continued to sail westward with difficulty. [Note: B.E. Allen Zhongjiao's registration form for combat against the enemy; "The Battle of Midway Island", p. 226. 】 All morning, Spruance struggled with choosing a target.If he wanted to attack the two warships to the southwest, he could move southwest.But he could also go further west to verify a report from a patrol plane at 7:00, two enemy cruisers, bearing 286, distance 174, heading 310, speed 20.A sharp-eyed pilot had spotted Kumano and Suzuya and identified them as cruisers.However, what really made Spruance make up his mind was a report he received at eight o'clock: two warships on fire, one aircraft carrier on fire, and three heavy cruisers, with a bearing of 324 and a distance of 24. ○, heading 310, speed 12. [Note: NAS diary; contact report. 】 This is the real target worth hunting down!Both Fletcher and Spruance knew that they had already eliminated three Japanese aircraft carriers.As Fletcher said: We were overwhelmed with surprise when we learned that three of their aircraft carriers had been destroyed.We are deeply relieved. [Note: Interview with Fletcher, September 17, 1966. ] But Spruance can't really be content until he gets word that a fourth Japanese aircraft carrier has sunk like its sister ship.At 8:21, a patrol plane reported that the Enterprise was on fire and sinking. [Note: NAS diary. ] People on the bridge of the USS Enterprise will laugh at this report, but it at least shows that there must be an aircraft carrier somewhere that is in trouble.Based on this situation, Spruance decided to go northwest and pursue the remnants of Nagumo.While that target was farther away, it included the damaged aircraft carrier, as well as two warships, one of which was also reportedly damaged. [Note: Report by Spruance, June 16, 1942. 】 At around 13:00, Task Force 16 discovered a PBY plane that had made a forced landing at sea. Spruance ordered the Monaghan to rescue the pilot and other crew members, but not to destroy the plane. [Note: Spruance's report; Enterprise's logbook, June 5, 1942. 】After the rescued pilot boarded the Monaghan, Captain Bill Burford took him to the officer's lounge and asked him: How is the situation? There is a huge Japanese fleet over there, the pilot replied, and he tried his best to explain the number and types of enemy ships to the unexpected captain. Burford publicly expressed his disbelief.He later recalled: Hell, according to the pilot, with so many Japanese ships, there will be enemy ships everywhere in the ocean with a radius of several nautical miles. [Note: Interview with Burford, August 18, 1964. 】 Later, Burford discovered that the pilot had indeed exaggerated.Oddly enough, however, the patrol pilot sitting in the Monaghan's officers' lounge was the most qualified witness to report to Spruance the previous afternoon.He was flying in Area IV58, and at about 15:58 on June 4, it was he who first reported to Naval Air Station Midway that the Japanese were being beaten.At the time he reported that three ships were on fire.Then at 17:45 he reported good news: the three warships on fire were Japanese aircraft carriers, and the undamaged were two cruisers and four destroyers, with a bearing of 320 and a distance of 170.Fifteen minutes later he telegraphed that the troops were in combat, and then at 18:15 he reported again.Attacked by enemy planes. [Note: Same as above; NAS diary: contact report. 】 Bill Burford is a smart, quick-witted and experienced destroyer captain.But he was on the battlefield, but he didn't know the situation of the battle.It was from a dripping patrol pilot sitting in his officers' lounge that he learned a little about the battle.This incident vividly demonstrates the peculiarity of the Battle of Midway. In the panic, the rescuers of the Monaghan failed to snatch the Norden bombing sight, a highly confidential piece of equipment on the plane, and reported the situation to the Enterprise.Spruance immediately ordered the ship to return to the rescue site to grab the equipment and report to Yorktown.This left Spruance with only six destroyers.He said to himself gloomily: Six destroyers protect two aircraft carriers and six cruisers!There is no way!With or without a solution, he had to face reality.Just after eleven o'clock, he turned to the west-northwest direction to pursue Nagumo's troops. [Note: Report by Spruance, June 16, 1942; Interview with Spruance, September 5, 1964. 】 Throughout the morning, Yamamoto's main force continued sailing eastward to join Nagumo and Kondo.Kondo arrived on time, but Nagumo was still nowhere to be found, so Yamamoto dispatched a search plane from Hosho to find the whereabouts of the mobile unit.In fact, Nagumo has been sailing parallel to Kondo, and gradually moved closer to the designated position.At 12:50, Chikuma spotted the main force and attacking force about 37 nautical miles away. [Note: Narration of Japan, page 39; Analysis of the Battle of Midway Island, page 147 | page 150. 】 This is not at all the victorious and joyful Grand Master that the fleets were looking forward to!Japan's four most sophisticated aircraft carriers no longer exist, and the Japanese side has lost 322 aircraft. This figure is higher than the normal allocation of the First Air Fleet, because these aircraft carriers also carried aircraft to be established on Midway Island. Aircraft at the Japanese Naval Air Station.To make matters worse, 2,155 highly skilled and experienced men died in battle: 221 on the Akagi, 415 on the Hiryu, and seven on the Soryu. One hundred and eighteen people, about 800 people on the Kaga. [Note: "The Battle of Zhongtuer Sea", page 250. 】It is no wonder that on Nan Yunxin's flagship, some officers felt ashamed and ashamed! Caolu sat calmly in the patient cabin of the Nagara.A medical soldier was treating his burns. At this time, the chief staff officer Xiaoshi stepped forward and said sadly that all the staff members were determined to commit suicide to atone for the defeat of Midway Island. Please urge the commander-in-chief to make up his mind to do the same! [Note: Caolu's statement. 】 When Caolu saw that several aircraft carriers were on fire, he felt that everything was over.After returning to Japan, with what face will he face the country, the emperor's family, and his compatriots?He was admitted to the sick cabin of the Nagara with burns and injuries, and after a period of rest, his energy has recovered.He swore: I will never stop here.Both the living and the spirits of the dead should stand up and defend the country.The battle is not over yet!So Xiaoshi came to persuade Caolu, it was really not the right time. His eyes were blazing, he gave Xiaoshi a serious reprimand, and then ordered Xiaoshi to call all of Nanyun's staff, and when they arrived, Caolu explained his views in a loud and clear voice.He said very firmly: I am against suicide.You all look like crazy women.He spoke loudly, his voice full of contempt.At the beginning, you were extremely excited when you won a small victory, but now you are impassioned and want to commit suicide when you lose a battle.For Great Japan, now is not the time for you to say such things.Why don't you think about how to turn the situation around and turn defeat into victory through your own efforts?I am firmly against suicide.I will report my opinion to the Commander-in-Chief.After this reprimand, the talk of the Mobile Corps staff asking for a seppuku suicide also died down. [Note: "United Fleet", page 90. 】 After the grass deer bandaged the wound, he went straight to Nagumo's cabin.He found his boss sullen and depressed.Cao Deer repeatedly explained that suicide will not help, and Japan needs all of them to fight for it. After listening carefully, Nanyun said: I appreciate your opinion very much.But you have to understand that not everything the Commander-in-Chief does makes sense. So the practical grass deer cheered up his dejected colleagues and said, come on, Commander!What good is defeatist sentiment doing? Nagumo said helplessly: Well, I will never act recklessly. Caolu knew that his words had an effect, so he came out from Nayun contentedly. [Note: "United Fleet", page 90 | 91; Caolu's statement. 】 At the same time, Fletcher's 17th Task Force is doing its best to rescue the Yorktown.Throughout the night, the aircraft carrier was on a dangerous list.After Fletcher was transferred to the Astoria, he immediately reported to Nimitz, commander of the Pacific Fleet.Nimitz dispatched the minesweeper USS Songbird at Hermes Reef and the tug Navajo at French Frigate Atoll.He also ordered the destroyer USS Gwynn, which had sailed a day from Pearl Harbor to join Spruance's force, to divert to reinforce Yorktown's security. [Note: Report by Nimitz, June 28, 1942; Analysis of the Battle of Midway, pp. 161 and 162. 】 The sun had just risen in the east, and a burst of machine gunfire from the Yorktown awakened the people on several nearby destroyers.Hughes' captain, Lieutenant Commander Donald J. Ramsey, sent a small team to find out.They were surprised to find Second Class Norman M. Pichet.His abdomen was severely wounded by the shells. He endured the severe pain and climbed up from the third deck with tenacious perseverance. He calmly did something that would definitely attract the attention of others, and fired a machine gun at the destroyer. After the people boarding the aircraft carrier hurriedly sent Pichet to the Hughes, he said with difficulty that there was still one person in the cabin who was not actually dead.Rescuers returned to the aircraft carrier to find Private George K. Weiss, comatose and comatose with a comminuted skull fracture. In one of Pichet's last noble acts, his companion was rescued and eventually recovered. healthy, while he himself died.He was buried at sea on June 7. [Note: A letter from Captain Hughes to the Commander of the Pacific Fleet dated June 11, 1942, content; report on the battle with Japanese aircraft on June 4.Hereinafter referred to as the Hughes Report. 】 The destroyer also rescued the pilot, Ensign Harry B. Gibbs.Gibbs has been drifting at sea on a rubber life raft since he was shot down two days ago.The raft had been poked a few holes, and he put his knees against the holes and kept it afloat overnight.At dawn, an intact rubber raft drifted past him, and he took advantage of this golden opportunity to replace it with a life raft.He was afloat for a total of sixteen hours before Ramsay rescued him aboard the destroyer. [Note: Bard's interview with Gibbs, March 11, 1967. 】 The crew aboard the Yorktown also made a startling discovery of three mailbags filled with codes and cryptographic devices.The highly classified items had been neatly wrapped up for transfer, but had somehow been discarded on deck.Ramsey reported this important situation to Nimitz.Ramsey also believed that the Yorktown had not list beyond the point of no return, so he reported to Nimitz that the ship might be salvageable.Encouraged by Ramsey's report, Nimitz ordered that no one be allowed to sink the aircraft carrier without his order. Throughout the night, the rest of TF 17 sailed parallel to Spruance.After daybreak, they sailed towards the Yorktown at a speed of ten knots, a slow speed to allow personnel and supplies to transfer over the ship.The destroyers, dangerously top-heavy with people evacuated from the Yorktown, began transferring passengers to the cruisers Astoria and Portland.After Buckmaster boarded the interim flagship Astoria from the Hanman, the ship suddenly became a sea personnel organization.Eager to lead a rescue team back to the Yorktown, he set about making a list of the damage control, engineers, mechanics, and the like he would need.The destroyers approached the side of the Astoria one by one, allowing the personnel left behind from the aircraft carrier to pass.On its other side, a rescue party of twenty-four selected officers and one hundred and forty-five enlisted men climbed down the side of the ship.The whole process was slow because those who were removed were in no particular order, and Buckmaster's cadre of cadres had to be carefully selected. [Note: Yorktown Report; Analysis of the Battle of Midway, p. 161. 】 The Bugcatcher and Songbird arrived around nine or ten o'clock.At 14:36, she began to tow the Yorktown toward Pearl Harbor.The speed is only two knots, almost imperceptible. [Note: The logbook of the Bugcatcher Songbird, June 5, 1942 noon. ] Around the same time, the Gwen also came out.Its captain, Lieutenant Colonel Harold R. Holcomb, was the most senior of those present, and thus assumed command of the emergency.Thanks to the Hughes' rescue team and the Gwynn's team aboard the carrier, the work progressed quickly.To lighten the carrier's load, they tossed loose fittings and everything that could be pried off the sloping side into the sea.In the late afternoon, Burford's Monaghan also sailed to this sea area, but because the night was approaching, the Yorktown had no power and no lights on board, so he couldn't intervene for a while. [Note: "The Battle of the Coral Sea, the Battle of Midway Island, and Submarine Operations", pages one hundred and fifty-four to one hundred and fifty-five. 】 That afternoon, Midway sent two B|17s to search for the two damaged enemy aircraft carriers.Of course, the four aircraft carriers were gone, and the rest of the Nagumo Forces went to join Yamamoto far to the northwest.The first group of Flying Fortresses, still under Allen's command, reported the sighting of a large cruiser, two bombs on target and three close misses.Ten minutes later, the second group reported that they had attacked a heavy cruiser at a bearing of twenty degrees and one hundred and twenty-five nautical miles from the first target.This group has a large loss.A plane named after the city of San Francisco (the plane was donated to the city government by the citizens of San Francisco) failed to return due to the loss of the fuel tank in the bomb bay.The other ran out of fuel and made an emergency landing fifteen nautical miles from Midway, all but one crew member was rescued. [Note: Lieutenant Colonel Allen's combat registration form against the enemy; report from the Seventh Army Air Corps. 】 It is generally believed that the two cruisers were actually the destroyer Tani Kaze, which was pursuing the Japanese fleet after finding Hiryu. [Note: Analysis of the Battle of Midway Island, page 164. ] However, due to differences in time and place, people have doubts.One hundred and twenty-five nautical miles in ten minutes, such a speed is amazing.What's more, the Valley Wind was being attacked by the Spruance bomber group at the time. At 14:10, Yamamoto sent a signal to tell the ships that the enemy carrier-based aircraft had taken off (communication information).At 14:35, he added, the enemy was apparently high above me (communication intelligence). [Note: Narration in Japan, page 39. 】Obviously, the Japanese listeners intercepted Spruance's signal to Allen's Flying Fortress and misinterpreted it.As the team flew overhead, Spruance informed them that he wanted to dispatch the plane within an hour.He received no answer, but heard them report his position to Midway. [Note: Spruance Report, June 16, 1942. 】 Spruance's staff measured the distance to the target from the map and found that the Dreadnought was approaching the limit of endurance, which was very dangerous.But the orders given to them were to load the planes with single thousand-pound bombs.Although McCluskey did not take off, he believed he was still responsible to his pilot. The previous day's inaccurate intelligence about the enemy's location had caused a lack of fuel and the need to expand the search. Not only lost the precious aircraft, but also sacrificed Many good comrades in arms.So he did some calculations, checked the results with Short and Shumway, and climbed three decks to the flagship command room, where he begged Browning to let the plane be loaded with a single five-hundred-pound bomb and hold off for a while. Take off in an hour.The small amount of ammunition can reduce fuel consumption, and the delayed take-off can shorten the range of contact with the enemy. Despite McCluskey's compelling reasons, Browning turned down his request.McCluskey argued that his logic and sense of responsibility were irresistible, but Browning was stubborn and unshakable.The two had a fierce conflict. While Browning and McCluskey were arguing fiercely, Spruance, who had been checking the plots with the staff, came over.He said bluntly to McCluskey: I can do whatever you pilots want. [Note: Bard interview with McCluskey, June 30, 1966. ] Browning returned to his cabin sullenly.Until Lieutenant Colonel Julian Brown, the Marine Commander of the Task Force [Note: Brown is a semi-official intelligence staff officer sent by Halsey. ] came to persuade him, he returned to his post. [Note: Bard's interview with retired Brigadier General Julian P. Brown of the US Marine Corps on June 27, 1966. 】 At 15:00, the Enterprise and the Hornet turned their bows and headed eastward against the wind.A total of fifty-eight bombers were all in the air within forty-five minutes.The planes flew in a fan of three hundred and fifteen nautical miles, but found nothing.On the way back, some pilots spotted a light cruiser, which they believed to be a Katori-class ship.In fact, this target is undoubtedly the Gufeng.Thanks to the captain Sheng Jianji's superb commanding skills, the small warship escaped a very close near-miss like peppercorns.A U.S. plane was shot down by very heavy small-caliber anti-aircraft fire from the destroyer. Its pilot happened to be Captain Adams who reported the discovery of the Hiryu the day before.This is also a wonderful arrangement of fate. [Note: Enterprise report; Hornet report; VB3 and VS|6 operational reports; Analysis of the Battle of Midway, p. 160. 】 Not a few, like Fuchida, have long believed that what happened to the Tanikaze on June 5 had saved the Japanese attacking Midway forces from detection, and perhaps from swallowing the bitter pill Nagumo had already swallowed. [Note: "The Battle of Midway Island", page 225. 】The several batches of US planes that afternoon did indeed miss the fleeing Nagumo troops. It was dusk when the plane on the Hornet began to return. [Note: According to Bard's interview with Spruance, the official record to the contrary.There was evidence that some of the Hornet's SBDs were carrying single thousand-pound bombs, and Spruance was annoyed at the insubordination.He believes that as a result, some of the planes on the Hornet had to return early. ] At this time, there was no trace of the aircraft on the Enterprise.Night fell.Spruance worried about his returning Hawks because he knew many pilots hadn't been trained for night landings.He had taken a series of deliberate risks on a deliberate basis, and this time he was taking such risky measures.He took the risk and ordered the aircraft carrier to turn on the huge searchlights as beacons. [Note: Interview with Spruance, September 14, 1964; Hornet's logbook, June 5, 1942. 】When the returning pilot saw this bright light, no one would say that Spruance was indifferent.The pilot's performance made him proud, because there was only one accident during the landing process, and it was an unavoidable accident.Lieutenant Ray Davis' plane ran out of fuel on entry and flopped into the sea behind the stern.Thanks to the quick and skillful rescue of the destroyer Irwin, the entire crew was able to escape. [Note: Letter dated January 5, 1967 from Retired US Navy Captain Ray Davis. 】 Lieutenant Robin Lindsay, who directed the landing on the Enterprise, knew that thirty-two planes had taken off from the carrier, but as the planes landed in twos and threes, he wondered if he had miscounted.He asked his assistant: How many planes do we have yet to come back?The assistant replied: "The devil knows!"We've recovered five more than we should have recovered!Several aircraft from the Hornet landed on the Enterprise, and one aircraft from the Enterprise landed on the Hornet. As the plane returned to the aircraft carrier, Spruance analyzed the situation.The question of the fourth enemy aircraft carrier still lingered in his mind, because he didn't know that the Hiryu was no longer a problem for him.He thought, if he went to command the crippled aircraft carrier, he would sail west.The captain of the ship attacked by his plane must have reported the situation, and he must have sailed west for two reasons: first, the bad weather was reported in that direction, It can be used to hide, and second, it can get rid of the US pursuit forces. [Note: Record of the narration by Captain Robin M. Lindsay of the U.S. Navy on September 17, 1943.Hereinafter referred to as Lindsay's account, Enterprise Supplemental Operations Report, June 13, 1942. 】 在考慮了各種因素之後，斯普魯恩斯發現向西去，年輕人！似乎是個好主意。但他仍像往常一樣謹慎小心。他的六艘驅逐艦上燃油正越來越少。在這種情況下，他不想在黑暗中跟蹤敵戰艦，因為他的飛機將無法發揮作用。所以他把航速減到十五節，把航向由西北轉向正西。 【註：對斯普魯恩斯的採訪，一九六四年九月五日；斯普魯恩斯的報告，一九四二年六月十六日。 】 接著，他結束了當天的工作，像以往那樣酣然入睡了。我身邊有很得力的軍官，他們都很在行，他們會幹的。我幹嗎不睡個好覺？許多年之後，他曾平平淡淡地說，況且，睡眠不足，頭腦就會糊塗，就無法作出正確的判斷，所以我得把覺睡好。 [Note: Interview with Spruance, September 5, 1964. 】 從原則上說，誰會不同意呢？而實際上，在夜間以減員的特混艦隊跟蹤日本機動部隊的時候，除了雷蒙德·Ａ·斯普魯恩斯外，還有誰能高枕無憂呢！