At 1000 hours, the radar on Enterprise detected the approaching second Japanese strike group comprising nineteen Aichi Val dive-bombers and five Zeros that had left Shokaku at 0810. Incredible as it may seem, the Japanese strike group was only twenty-three miles (37 km) away from Enterprise when first picked up on radar. In addition to the inadequacy of the radar warning, the fighter direction from the flagship was again inept. The twenty-one Wildcats of the combat air patrol received little useful information from the fighter director on Enterprise, and much of that was confusing to the American pilots. Once again, on this morning, the fighter pilots found themselves too low and too late to intercept the incoming Japanese strike group. They were only able to shoot down two Vals before the remaining seventeen pushed over into their dives on Enterprise at 1015.
USS Hornet has already been crippled and the subsequent Japanese air strikes are now focussed on Admiral Kinkaid's flagship USS Enterprise.
A storm of anti-aircraft fire, augmented by thirty-two newly mounted Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft machine guns on Enterprise and battleship South Dakota, rose to meet the plummeting Vals. At 1017, a bomb penetrated the forward overhang of the flight deck of Enterprise and exploded just above the water line. Bomb shrapnel pierced the hull and killed one sailor and wounded others. An SBD parked on the flight deck was blown overboard by the force of the explosion. The first bomb strike was quickly followed by a second that penetrated the flight deck just aft of the forward elevator. This bomb split into two parts. One part exploded in the hangar and destroyed five aircraft. The other part penetrated to the third deck and killed forty men. A third bomb exploded in the water close to the carrier, and the blast shook the ship and tossed aircraft about on the flight deck. Another SBD was blown into the sea by this blast. The third bomb also damaged an engine and caused the carrier to leave an oil trail in its wake.
Of the nineteen Val dive-bombers that attacked Enterprise, only seven returned to Shokaku. Ten were shot down and two failed to return to their carrier.
Damage control parties were still hard at work on Enterprise when the ship's radar picked up another approaching wave of enemy aircraft at 1040. This formation was the third strike group that had left Zuikaku at 0840. It comprised sixteen Kate torpedo bombers and their escort of four Zeros. The Kates had failed to close the distance between them and the Vals of the second wave, and consequently, Enterprise did not have to face a coordinated attack by dive-bombers and torpedo bombers of the kind that had crippled Hornet earlier that morning.
The Kates approached Enterprise against a background of dark clouds, and they were not seen until one came under attack from a defending Wildcat and burst into flames. Following their standard attack pattern, the Kates separated into two formations and prepared to assault Enterprise simultaneously from both sides in a coordinated pincer torpedo attack.
Twelve Kates evaded the Wildcats defending Enterprise and seven of these lined up to discharge their torpedoes at the carrier from starboard. Again, the gunners on Enterprise and her escort warships unleashed a storm of anti-aircraft fire at the approaching enemy planes, and two were blown out of the sky before they could drop their torpedoes. The five remaining Kates all dropped torpedoes aimed at the carrier. By skilful handling of the helm, Captain Osborne B. Hardison evaded all torpedoes launched at his ship in this attack from starboard.
The five Kates approaching from the port side found themselves now facing the stern of Enterprise rather than the broad expanse of her port side. The gunners efficiently destroyed these Kates, and only one was able to make an aimed torpedo drop, and Hardison evaded it.
Of the 110 aircraft launched that morning from Vice Admiral Nagumo's carriers Shokaku, Zuikaku, and Zuiho, only 44 returned to the remaining serviceable carrier Zuikaku. The 66 lost aircrews had been highly skilled veterans who had been honing their fighting skills continuously since Japan began its brutal war against China in 1937. Together with the aircrews lost by Japan at Coral Sea and Midway, they were an irreplaceable reservoir of naval aviation fighting skills.
Enterprise had weathered two determined attacks on the morning of 26 October, and was preparing to recover aircraft when the disconcerting news was received that a fourth enemy formation was approaching. The new threat came from a strike group comprising seventeen Val dive-bombers and twelve Zeros that had left Junyo at 0914. They had passed the drifting hulk of Hornet and pressed on to find Enterprise.
At 1121, when Enterprise was about to be enveloped by a rain squall, the Junyo strike group found her. As the Japanese pilots approached the American carrier, they found the rain cloud base varied from 1,000 to 1,500 feet (about 300 to 450 metres) above sea level. To maintain visual contact with Enterprise, the Japanese dive-bomber pilots were forced to abandon their customary steep high altitude attack mode and approach the carrier in a shallow gliding approach. Against a background of dark rain clouds, the enemy planes were difficult for the American gunners to see but they managed to "splash" several before they could release their bombs.
Captain Hardison again threw the big ship into a series of sharp turns designed to frustrate the aim of the Japanese pilots. During one very sharp turn, a bomb glanced off the exposed hull below the waterline and exploded in the sea close to the carrier. The blast pierced the hull in several places and jammed the forward elevator in the closed or "up" position.
Fortunately for Enterprise, the weather conditions appear to have prevented the Junyo dive-bomber pilots coordinating their attack on the carrier, or perhaps they lacked the combat experience of the pilots from Shokaku and Zuikaku. Several Vals ignored Enterprise and attacked the light cruiser San Juan. Near misses caused the sea to erupt around the cruiser but one bomb penetrated the hull just above the waterline. This bomb punched an exit hole and exploded under the ship, jamming the rudder at full right. For almost a quarter of an hour, San Juan circled aimlessly before full control was regained.
At 1129, several Junyo Vals emerged from the low cloud base and fastened upon the battleship South Dakota. All but one bomb missed the large battleship. This bomb struck the main battery number one turret. The heavily armoured turret protected the crew members inside but the blast wounded about fifty crew members in exposed positions. Two later died.
Eleven of the seventeen Vals from Junyo failed to return to their carrier.
Although damaged from three successive attacks, Enterprise was still able to recover aircraft, and this had become an urgent priority. During the Junyo attack, aircraft from both Hornet and Enterprise had been forced to circle the carrier. Some were damaged and most had almost empty fuel tanks. Lieutenant (jg) Clayton Fisher from Hornet's Bombing Eight (VB-8) was forced to ditch his badly damaged dive-bomber near the light cruiser Juneau because he was very low on fuel and could not risk obstructing the flight deck of Enterprise at this critical time.
Recovery of aircraft was still possible, but made more difficult because of the damaged condition of the carrier. The forward elevator was still jammed in the closed position from a bomb blast, and the aft elevator was temporarily jammed in the open or "down" position, leaving a gaping hole in the flight deck. Despite these difficulties, the Landing Signal Officers began to shepherd their flock safely back aboard Enterprise.
By 1000 hours on the morning of 26 October, Vice Admiral Kondo was aware that two of Vice Admiral Nagumo's carriers had been heavily damaged and forced to withdraw from the battle. He was also aware that Hornet had been reduced to a drifting hulk. However, Zuikaku was undamaged and still operational, and Kondo was keen to exploit a tactical situation that was turning strongly in Japan's favour. He wanted to bring the American task force within range of the guns of his four battleships, and he ordered Rear Admiral Abe's Vanguard Force to join him. At 1018, he signalled his intention to take the fight to the Americans with his surface warships and ordered Rear Admiral Kakuta to join Carrier Division 1 and place Junyo under Nagumo's command. Kondo's plan was to launch a coordinated air and surface attack against the remaining American carrier Enterprise and its escort warships.
When Vice Admiral Nagumo learned that Junyo had been placed under his command, he was engaged in withdrawing his badly damaged flagship Shokaku at top speed out of the range of planes from Enterprise. At 1140, Nagumo ordered Rear Admiral Kakuta to launch another strike from Junyo and destroy Enterprise. After recovering his aircraft that had taken part in the first strike on Enterprise, Kakuta turned Junyo's bow towards Carrier Division 1 and steamed at high speed to join Zuikaku. At 1223, Kakuta sighted Zuikaku and the two carriers took station while the commanders decided upon their next course of action.
At 1240, Kakuta received by signal a good fix on the location of the drifting Hornet, and at 1306, he launched Junyo's second strike of seven Kate torpedo bombers and twelve Zeros to find and sink Hornet.
At this time, Zuikaku was preparing to launch its third strike of the day. With its air group heavily depleted in the first two strikes on Hornet and Enterprise, Zuikaku could now only muster two Vals, six Kates armed with bombs instead of torpedoes, and five Zeros for a third strike.