Manstein's revenge:That's what I thought...based on eveerything I've read, the ship was considered lost before the submarine attack...and I'm sure that none of the damage reports written during the war were biased---especially if it would have cast a much-liked CO in a bad light...doesn't sound like it as you've cited no such language to contradict she was a write-off...
Wow..okay, sorry, I thought you had actually READ the report before commenting on it... my bad for miss-understanding what you were driving at.
Relevant Text, with paragraphs for reference:
12. Damage control measures could not be taken because of loss of all power, both steam and electrical. The after emergency diesel generator cut in and started, but circuit breakers on the switchboard failed to hold, evidently due to short circuit. At 1702, seventeen minutes after the two aircraft torpedoes hit, word was passed to abandon ship. The list was 23º at this time.
So, the Captain decided very quickly, due to the rapid list and loss of power, that the ship was lost and he had to save his crew. Your "write off" statement is supported initially, but not over the course of the next couple of days.
13. At noon on June 5 VIREO joined company with YORKTOWN and HUGHES.... Later in the afternoon a rescue party was sent aboard YORKTOWN to jettison loose gear.
14. On the morning of June 6 a salvage party composed of ship's officers and crew returned aboard YORKTOWN. They found that the list had increased to 24°
So roughly 36 hours after abandon ship a serious salvage crew returned and the list had only increased by one degree. That is not a ship that is in imminent danger of capsizing.
15. At 1536 considerable progress had been made, and the list had been reduced 2° , when a salvo of four submarine torpedoes was sighted approaching the ship on the starboard beam..... The damage from the submarine torpedoes and the shock from HAMMANN's depth charges were very severe. The list was reduced to 17° but the ship settled deeper in the water. There was no noticeable change in trim.
So the list decreases by 7 degrees after the torpedoes hit and Hamman's depth charge shock gets to pound away inside her flooded hull. This decrease in list is because she is taking on water again and actually sinking now.
16. The salvage party abandoned ship prior to dark, after closing as many watertight closures as possible on main deck and below. The Commanding Officer, during his final inspection, noted a heavy pounding of water through the torpdeo hole on the starboard side. This may have led to rupture of some internal bulkheads during the night.
40. On the morning of June 6 the draft and list of the ship did not appear to be appreciably greater than on the evening of June 4. During the entire day of salvage operations the flooding in the ship did not increase, and the water on the third deck aft had been reduced three feet in depth. The list was reduced by 2° resulting in a list to port of 22° just before the ship was attacked by a submarine.
This also is not characteristic of a ship about to be lost. She took two torpedo hits and a bunch of bombs.. I'm not arguing that Hiryu's aviators weren't effective. I'm saying that Yorktown was lost because her captain abandoned ship immediately (not really a bad decision based on the rate of list) and then did not have a repair & salvage party ready the next day and ran into a Japanese submarine with a full load of torpedoes in her tubes. Going back to my original statement, ANY ONE of those variables not happening would have resulted in the ship being saved, at least long enough to run into I-168 or another submarine later.