The lead ship of the Yorktown class of purpose-built US Navy aircraft carriers, Yorktown (CV-5), earned three battle stars before tragically being lost in the Battle of Midway in June 1942.
Yorktown was laid down in 1934, launched in 1936, and commissioned in 1937. After completing its shakedown cruise in 1938, Yorktown participated in exercises simulating attacks on the US East Coast. Joining the Pacific Fleet in 1939, tactical exercises continued in 1940, with a focus on defending the Hawaiian islands in the North Pacific.
Following the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Yorktown became the flagship of aircraft carrier Task Force 17. The carrier targeted Imperial Japanese Navy garrisons in the Marshall and Gilbert Islands in February 1942 and engaged in combat with IJN shipping in the Coral Sea in May 1942.
Returning to Pearl Harbor with severe bomb damage that required three months of repair, Yorktown remarkably returned to action after only three days. It participated in the decisive Battle of Midway in June 1942.
During the Battle of Midway, Yorktown sustained direct hits from Japanese torpedo aircraft but did not immediately sink. However, attempts at salvage were thwarted when a final assault by an IJN submarine caused Yorktown to eventually capsize and sink on June 7th, 1942.
