Status - John Skinner - USS O'Brien:
On June 2nd, O'Brien was based at Pago Pago, and would remain there for a few more weeks doing local escort duty.
The three US carriers had met northeast of Midway and now awaited the arrival of the Japanese fleet and its attack on Midway.
The Navy had also increased radio traffic in the South Pacific, including references to US carriers, to persuade the Japanese that US carriers remained there and would not oppose their Midway operations. Thus Admiral Nagumo, commanding the Japanese carrier attack force, was not aware of the US carriers closing from his northeast.
U. S. Navy Task Forces:
- Task Force 17 (Yorktown) was able to rendezvous with Task Force 16 northeast of Midway on June 2nd.
- Task Force 16 (Enterprise and Hornet) had met up with Task Force 17 northeast of Midway.
- Task Force 11 (re-formed) - On June 1st, carrier USS Saratoga, having been repaired and refurbished from being torpedoed a few months earlier, sailed from San Diego for Pearl Harbor, but would be too late for the upcoming battle.
More Information:
- Official Navy Chronology, pp. 207-209.
- The First South Pacific Campaign, John B. Lundstrom, pp. 180-182.
NEXT POST: JUNE 6TH
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