In early morning light, USS Yorktown was still afloat. When her commanding officer, Captain Buckmaster, had ordered the ship abandoned the previous day, she had no electrical or steam power, no ability to pump water out of flooded spaces, she was listing 26 degrees and the list appeared to be increasing. The sea was lapping at the edge of the ship's hangar deck. Buckmaster thought it best to abandon ship before dark. The destroyer Hughes stood by the crippled ship.
But the ship survived the night. Maybe she could be saved.
At noon on June 5 USS Vireo, a fleet tug, joined company with Yorktown and Hughes.
Preparations were made to tow Yorktown. At 1636 Vireo commenced towing
at 2 knots. (Yorktown appeared to be riding easily, but was
yawing badly and appeared to be down farther by the bow than when
first abandoned.) Later in the afternoon a rescue party was sent aboard Yorktown to jettison loose gear and heavy equipment, including some of the ship's guns.
In the meantime, Captain Buckmaster organized a salvage party and developed a salvage plan for the following day.
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