5. The Americans could have saved USS Yorktown had it not been for a submarine attack
USS Yorktown was severely damaged by Japanese attacks at the Battle of the Coral Sea in May, 1942. It limped back to Pearl Harbor, was boarded by hundreds of workmen, and restored to combat readiness in 72 hours. Nonetheless, several repairs were still necessary, and the carrier sortied for Midway with work crews still aboard. USS Yorktown served as the flagship for Admiral Fletcher, in command of overall operations. Aircraft and crews lost at the Coral Sea were replaced with those from USS Saratoga, then on its way to Pearl Harbor. Yorktown departed Pearl Harbor for Midway on May 30, with repairs still underway as it sailed.
During the battle, Yorktown was damaged by Japanese dive bombers which restricted its speed and its flight operations. The crew managed to control the fires, and the ship regained operational speed. It was then hit with a second attack, which damaged the ship to the point it was ordered abandoned. The ship listed heavily, but remained afloat and a volunteer party went aboard the vessel in an attempt to save it. They were assisted by the destroyer USS Hammann, which provided auxiliary power. The carrier was taken under tow. Repairs made progress until a Japanese submarine fired four torpedoes, two of which struck Yorktown, one Hammann, and the other missed. Hammann was sunk immediately, breaking in half. Yorktown, again abandoned, rolled over and sank the following morning.