 Because of the extreme depth of the ocean in the area of the battle ( more than 17 @,@ 000 ft or 5 @,@ 200 m ) , researching the battlefield has presented extraordinary difficulties . On 19 May 1998 , Robert Ballard and a team of scientists and Midway veterans from both sides located and photographed Yorktown . The ship was remarkably intact for a vessel that had sunk in 1942 ; much of the original equipment and even the original paint scheme were still visible . 
