 American carrier aircraft had difficulty locating the target , despite the positions they had been given . The strike from Hornet , led by Commander Stanhope C. Ring , followed an incorrect heading of 265 degrees rather than the 240 degrees indicated by the contact report . As a result , Air Group Eight 's dive bombers missed the Japanese carriers . Torpedo Squadron 8 ( VT @-@ 8 , from Hornet ) , led by Lieutenant Commander John C. Waldron , broke formation from Ring and followed the correct heading . The 10 F4Fs from Hornet had run out of fuel and had to ditch . 
