Hi, I'm Mike Troy, host of the American Revolution podcast on the Airwave Media Network.

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The American Revolution podcast tells the story of the revolution from beginning to end.

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available on all major podcast platforms. I hope you will join me today on the American Revolution

podcast. Hello, and thank you for listening to the history of World War II podcast.

Episode 614, The Lexington is lost.

Last time on May 8, 1942, both the Task Force 17 and the Japanese carrier striking force found each other

within minutes of the other's discovery and roughly launched their air attacks at the same time.

We've seen the carrier Shokaku damaged by two onboard fires and some near misses. Still, she was a sea-worthy vessel. She just could not

launch or receive aircraft. But this was the Shokaku, the soaring crane, the lead ship of the

Sokaku class, built in 1941 with a well-protected flight deck and armored hull. The Shokaku was not out of the fight yet.

Now it's time to turn to Task Force 17 to see if the Yorktown and Lexington

would be just as lucky and resilient.

When Admiral Aubrey Fitch, the tactical commander of Task 417,

was told where the ammo striking force was, he hesitated, if only for a moment.

At that moment, the enemy carriers were 200 miles away, too far for a real strike.

Then again, he was told those carriers were coming south, and if he turned his north, once his

search aircraft were recovered, suddenly the picture looked much brighter. As we've seen,

the order to launch their own strike was soon given. Of course, by 920, the men of Task Force 17

also knew that the Japanese had found them.

Captain Ted Sherman, commander of the Lexington, predicted slash estimated,

...