On the same day as the shootdown, Rear Admiral William A . Cockell, Commander, Task Force 71, and a skeleton staff, taken by helicopter from Japan, embarked in ( stationed off Vladivostok at time of the flight ) on September 9 for further transfer to the destroyer to assume duties as Officer in Tactical Command ( OTC ) of the Search and Rescue ( SAR ) effort.
12.
On the day of the shootdown, Rear Admiral William A . Cockell, Commander, Task Force 71, and a skeleton staff, taken by helicopter from Japan, embarked in USS Badger ( stationed off Vladivostock at time of the flight ) on 9 September for further transfer to the destroyer Elliot to assume duties as Officer in Tactical Command ( OTC ) of the Search and Rescue ( SAR ) effort.
13.
On 30 May, Task Force 17 ( TF17 ), with Rear Admiral Frank J . Fletcher in, left Pearl with two cruisers and six destroyers as CTF-17; as senior officer present, Rear Admiral Fletcher became " Officer in Tactical Command . " The usual commander of the " Enterprise " task force, Vice Admiral William F . " Bull " Halsey, was kept in hospital at Pearl with a stress-related skin condition.
14.
The officer in tactical command had instructed the carriers to " open with pea shooters, " and each ship took an enemy vessel under fire as soon as it came within range . fired on a cruiser, and is believed to have registered five hits, one amidst the superstructure that caused smoke . targeted a " Nachi "-class heavy cruiser, claiming a hit on the cruiser's No . 2 turret, with a second just below the first . sighted a cruiser, and claimed at least three hits . reported hits on multiple targets, two between the superstructure and forward stack and another on the No . 1 turret of a heavy cruiser.
