 Spruance judged that , though the range was extreme , a strike could succeed and gave the order to launch the attack . He then left Halsey 's Chief of Staff , Captain Miles Browning , to work out the details and oversee the launch . The carriers had to launch into the wind , so the light southeasterly breeze would require them to steam away from the Japanese at high speed . Browning therefore suggested a launch time of 07 : 00 , giving the carriers an hour to close on the Japanese at 25 knots ( 46 km / h ; 29 mph ) . This would place them at about 155 nautical miles ( 287 km ; 178 mi ) from the Japanese fleet , assuming it did not change course . The first plane took off from Spruance 's carriers Enterprise and Hornet a few minutes after 07 : 00 . Fletcher , upon completing his own scouting flights , followed suit at 08 : 00 from Yorktown . 
