Halsey was in hospital with a serious skin ailment! And could not be at the helm during the battles of the Coral Sea and the subsequent battle at Midway Atoll!
At Midway early in 1942 USS Enterprise and her battle group under the command of Frank J Fletcher, and Admiral Raymond Spruance lay in wait for the Imperial Japanese fleet,who they knew would come because the Japanese naval code had been broken. Aircraft from Enterprise and 2 other US carriers delivered a devastating blow to the Japanese. Four Japanese aircraft carriers were sunk along with other ships. This was the first victory
for the US Navy in the Pacific. It raised the morale at home,and sent a stern message to Admiral Isoruku Yamato the author of the Pearl Harbor attack that the Japanese were vulnerable!