They were dive bombers.
No, I, too, believe it was the failed attacks of the torpedo planes that shook up the Japanese. They, as well as Hitler, in Europe did not believe that the weak, spoiled AMERICANS had the courage and guts to fight with the tenacity and courage shown by the torpedo bomber pilots of Torpedo 8.
Two entire squadrons were lost, with but a single surviror, who watched the battle from his life raft and was later rescued. At the time, American torpedoes were totally worthless. It was, though, the DIVE bombers that sunk the 4 Japanese carriers.
The torpedo planes went in first. They were all shot down.
Supposedly, a Japanese Officer watched the torpedo planes pressing the attack even as the ones in front were shot down and said,
“They told us the Americans have no Bushido (warrior spirit). They lied. The Americans have Bushido.”