Well, I mentioned them in a previous post. They really didn't factor significantly into the battle except to suffer horrendous casualties. Then again, as I mentioned we're also missing an appropriate B-17, but HTC won't give us a D, E or F.
Of course, arguably the most important aircraft of them ALL involved in the battle was the PBY.
That's a shame, too. Because it'd be interesting to write an objective that involves putting such planes to use and actually SPOTTING the enemy's task groups to be able to attack in in the next frame using the patrol planes. You could set up the objectives like this:
Frame 1
Setup: Axis and Allied CiC places their fleets in assigned containment areas as usual. HOWEVER, the enemy commander is NOT given this location. Instead they must dispatch scouts to find them.
Axis Objectives: 1) Attack Midway Island and 2) Locate the enemy fleet
Allied Objectives: 1) Defend Midway Island and 2) Locate the enemy fleet
Let's say neither force succeeds in locating the enemy fleet:
Frame 2: Setup as above. This time, per history, the Allies locate the enemy first. This means in:
Frame 3
Setup: Fleets are placed. Allied CiC is given enemy containment area as normal.
Axis Objectives: Defend fleet
Allied Objectives: Destroy Japanese
Let's go back to Frame 1 and say the Japanese locate the Americans first:
Frame 2
Setup: Fleets placed, Axis gets enemy containment area as normal
Axis Objectives: Destroy enemy fleet
Allied Objectives: Defend Fleet
Frame 3: At this point, the frame would proceed as if it were a normal naval-based FSO, with both sides getting each others' containment areas and both attacking and defending their fleet.