Welcome to True Spies.

The podcast that takes you deep inside the greatest secret missions of all time.

Suddenly out of the dark that's appeared in Laubman.

You'll meet the people who live life undercover.

What do they know? What are their skills?

And what would you do in their position?

Vengeance felt good.

Seeing these people pay for what they'd done

felt righteous. True spies from Spyscape Studios, wherever you get your podcasts.

Hello, and thank you for listening to the history of World War II podcast, episode 615, Battle of Midway, Prelude.

Last time, we saw the Japanese lose the light carrier Shoho and the fleet carrier Shokaku temporarily to damage.

She would be repaired in time, but for now could not take part in the M.O. operation if that was to go forward.

Meanwhile, the Americans had it slightly worse, losing the Lexington with the Yorktown damaged,

also now out of the fight. The question remained, how would each side react to the Battle of the

Coral Sea? A test of determination was about to get underway. As the wounded American carrier force sailed

South, Admiral Fletcher consulted Admiral Fitch.

The latter told him of the higher than expected losses, of their air arm, basically that they

lacked the numbers to launch a second strike. Meanwhile, Australian Rear Admiral Jack Crace,

with his Task Force 17.3, had spent that day of May 8th,

staying quiet himself, but listening in to whatever radio chatter he could get.

When the sun had rose that morning, he and his had been moving to the west-northwest,

on a parallel course with Papua New Guinea, 100 miles south of that shoreline.

...