 Spruance failed to regain contact with Yamamoto 's forces on 5 June despite extensive searches . Towards the end of the day he launched a search @-@ and @-@ destroy mission to seek out any remnants of Nagumo 's carrier force . This late afternoon strike narrowly missed detecting Yamamoto 's main body and failed to score hits on a straggling Japanese destroyer . The strike planes returned to the carriers after nightfall , prompting Spruance to order Enterprise and Hornet to turn on their lights to aid the landings . 
