 However, he managed to get permission to stay for the coming battle, and was thus retained as VF-42's executive officer.On 7 May, Flatley led a group of Grumman F4F Wildcat fighters to escort Douglas TBD Devastator from VT-5 in the attack that sank light carrier "Shōhō".His group then engaged several Mitsubishi A5M fighters from "Shōhō"'s Combat Air Patrol (CAP) and he managed to down one of them.