Task Force 17 (TF17) was an

aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering carrier-based aircraft, shipborne aircraft. Typically it is the ...

task force A task force (TF) is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology. Many ...

of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

during the Pacific Campaign of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. TF17 participated in several major carrier battles in the first year of the war. TF17 was initially centered around . With ''Yorktown'', TF17 engaged

Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, Potsdam Declaration, when it was dissolved followin ...

forces in actions at the Marshalls-Gilberts raids,

Invasion of Lae-Salamaua An invasion is a military offensive of combatants of one geopolitical entity, usually in large numbers, entering territory controlled by another similar entity, often involving acts of aggression. Generally, invasions have objectives of c ...

Battle of the Coral Sea The Battle of the Coral Sea, from 4 to 8 May 1942, was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and naval and air forces of the United States and Australia. Taking place in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, the battle ...

, and the

Battle of Midway The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II, Pacific Theater of World War II that took place on 4–7 June 1942, six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of t ...

. ''Yorktown'' was sunk at Midway. Reformed around and commanded by RADM George Murray, TF17 supported Allied forces during the

Guadalcanal campaign The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by the United States, was an Allies of World War II, Allied offensive against forces of the Empire of Japan in the Solomon Islands during th ...

. At the

Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, fought during 25–27 October 1942, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Santa Cruz or Third Battle of Solomon Sea, in Japan as the Battle of the South Pacific ( ''Minamitaiheiyō kaisen''), was the fourt ...

, ''Hornet'' was sunk. After the battle the task force ceased to exist, the remaining ships (the cruiser and destroyer escorts) were then dispersed to other duties.

Operational history

Battle of the Coral Sea

In late April 1942, Admiral Chester Nimitz ordered for Rear Admiral Aubrey Fitch, commander of Task Force 11 (TF11) centered on , to travel to the

Coral Sea The Coral Sea () is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific off the northeast coast of Australia, and classified as an Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia, interim Australian bioregion. The Coral Sea extends down t ...

to join Fletcher's Task Force 17. An additional cruise force, Task Force 44, was deployed from the south. The rendezvous took place on 1 May, but Fitch advised Fletcher that he "did not expect to complete fueling till noon on 4 May." Fletcher moved TF17 further to the northwest. RADM Fitch was advised by RADM Fletcher of a second rendezvous, scheduled for 4 May and would have the Australian cruisers HMAS Australia (D84) and HMAS Hobart (D63) join with TF44. As the American Task Forces were refueling, attempting to move to favorable positions in order to intercept incoming Japanese forces, Japan launched the Invasion of Tulagi, part of

Operation Mo or the Port Moresby Operation was a Japanese plan to take control of the Australian Territory of New Guinea during World War II as well as other locations in the South Pacific. The goal was to isolate Australia and New Zealand from the Allie ...

. Upon receiving notice regarding the Japanese invasion of Tulagi, RADM Fletcher ordered TF17 to head there, hoping for arrival on the morning of 4 May. By 06:30, 4 May, ''Yorktown'' made the first of three strikes at around 08:15, assaulting Japanese shipping in the harbor. After completing the strikes, Fletcher moved south to rendezvous with Fitch and RADM John Gregory Crace or TF44. ''Lexington'' was lost during the battle while ''Yorktown'' was hit by a bomb. The hit reduced ''Yorktown'''s speed to 24 knots. By 12:30 TF17, with the remainder of ''Lexington'''s aircraft on ''Yorktown'', were forced to return to Pearl Harbor. For the Japanese aircraft carriers, ''Shokaku'' had been severely damaged and returned to Truk. The second carrier, ''Zuikaku'', also left, as it was low on aircraft, fuel, and personnel. As a result, Admiral Inouye ordered for the Moresby invasion to be postponed and for the ships to retire. Fletcher and TF17 returned to Pearl Harbor where ''Yorktown'' was serviced in preparation for the Battle of Midway.

Battle of Midway

TF17, under the command of Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher, was to depart from

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Reci ...

, and did so on 30 May, to join Task Force 16 (TF16), centered around and , northeast of Midway Island. TF16 and TF17 joined about 350 miles northeast of Midway on 2 June, when Fletcher became officer in tactical command. The three aircraft carriers, supported by cruiser-launched floatplanes, provided 234 aircraft. ''Yorktown'' was lost during the battle; damaged by aircraft (bombs and torpedoes) from Japanese aircraft carrier ''Hiryū'' 4 June 1942, torpedoed by Japanese submarine ''I-168'' on 6 June 1942, and capsized and sank on 7 June 1942.

References

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Citations

United States Navy task forces Battle of Midway Military units and formations of the United States Navy in World War II {{US-navy-stub