American squadrons departed as they became available instead of waiting to assemble one perfectly coordinated blow. This increased losses and reduced tactical cohesion, but it kept pressure on Kido Butai while Nagumo recovered the Midway strike and moved weapons around crowded carriers. The decision resembled British carrier doctrine's preference for repeated available blows more than the American and Japanese ideal of a single weighted strike. Once the attacks arrived, earlier command decisions constrained what either side's admirals could still change.
Chapter · 1:55:55-2:00:01
Spruance launches without waiting for perfection
Spruance accepted the risks of uncoordinated squadrons to get aircraft moving before the Japanese could recover and launch their own strike.