A Douglas SBD-3 "Dauntless" scout bomber warming up on USS Yorktown, in the late morning of 4 June 1942.
It is Number 17 of "Scouting" Squadron Five (the temporarily redesignated Bombing Squadron Five), piloted by Ensign Leif Larsen, but was apparently not one of ten "VS"-5 planes launched on a scouting mission shortly before noon on 4 June. Another of the squadron's SBDs succeeded in locating Hiryu, the only Japanese aircraft carrier of the Midway striking force that was still operational

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.(rudeerude)

USS Yorktown dead in the water

Grumman TBF-1 "Avenger" of Torpedo Squadron Eight (VT-8), photographed at Midway, 25 June 1942, prior to shipment back to the United States for post-battle evaluation.Badly shot-up, this plane was the only survivor of six Midway-based VT-8 TBFs that had attacked the Japanese carrier force in the morning of 4 June. The plane's pilot was Ensign Albert K. Earnest. Crew were Radioman 3rd Class Harrier H. Ferrier and Seaman 1st Class Jay D. Manning. Manning, who was operating the .50 caliber machine gun turret, was killed in action with Japanese fighters during the attack.