The Japanese planned to attack the Island of Midway, expanding their hold on the Central Pacific. American intelligence intercepted Japanese plans and knew of the impending Japanese attack. The Americans sent their entire carrier force, including the recently damaged "Yorktown," to intercept the Japanese force. The American carriers were able to locate the Japanese force first. They arrived at the Japanese when they were refueling and rearming their aircraft, thus at their most vulnerable moments. The US torpedo bombers were all shot down as they made their attacks on the Japanese carriers, but they did succeed in drawing the Japanese fighter protection down and away from the US dive bombers that arrived as the torpedo bombers completed their failed attacks. The dive bombers attack was successful and within moments four Japanese carriers were in flames. The Japanese succeeded in launching a counterattack that sunk the already damaged Yorktown.
