Task Force 17 protected Yorktown with two heavy cruisers and six destroyers, while Task Force 16 had six cruisers and nine destroyers for Enterprise and Hornet. Atlanta counts here as a screening cruiser able to help against surface, submarine, and air threats. Combining the forces would have placed eight cruisers and fifteen destroyers around three carriers, improving mutual support. Yorktown's smaller screen illustrates the pressure on the escorts available for America's most important striking force. American commanders had to work with the ships they could make ready, while Japan had greater freedom to choose its formations and timetable.
Notable Point · 1:03:42-1:06:30
Task Force 16 and 17 divided scarce escorts
Yorktown had a smaller escort than Enterprise and Hornet, making the allocation of scarce cruisers and destroyers a constraint on mutual support.