Although they had lost contact during the night , the Americans did find the Japanese carriers at 07 : 35 . They had already launched an airstrike of 180 aircraft that was orbiting 50 miles ( 80 km ) ahead of the American carriers while waiting for the Japanese ships to be located . This was just the first of a total of five airstrikes that the Americans launched that day . The sisters were not heavily engaged by the early airstrikes which are focusing on the group 's aircraft carriers . Ise claimed to have shot down five attacking dive bombers from the second wave and one small bomb detonated on Turret No. 2 . Hyūga was lightly damaged by near misses that rupture some hull plating in her bulge and pepper her superstructure with splinters . She took on a 5 @-@ degree list that was quickly corrected before she was ordered to tow the crippled carrier Chiyoda to safety . Her attempt was unsuccessful and Chiyoda had to be abandoned to her fate .