Hiryu's last airworthy aircraft and forward flight-deck collapse

Hiryu had already paid heavily for striking Yorktown: four Zeros and five B5Ns returned, but only two fighters and three torpedo bombers were still judged airworthy. Enterprise and Yorktown SBDs then approached in overlapping attacks. A Japanese maneuver spoiled one attacker's aim before the crew had recognized the threat, an incident connected here to detection and radar problems. Four bombs hit the forward flight deck and elevator. The forward deck collapsed into the hangar, feeding fires severe enough that later American aircraft shifted to other targets. Hiryū lost the ability to operate aircraft before fire and explosions finally stopped her engines. The carrier's last action brings together air-group attrition, warning failures, and physical flight-deck damage.