[eekitsagreek]

"the enemy had eight?"

I wonder if Walter Lord used that number when taking into account not just the Kido Butai at Midway, but all Japanese carriers that were involved with the Midway operation in one way or another. Let' see: For the Midway attack:
Akagi
Kaga
Hiryu
Soryu

For the diversionary raid in the Aleutians at Dutch Harbor:
Junyo
Ryujo

OK...that gives us six flattops. There was one carrier Hosho that was with the group of battleships well west of the flattops. That gives us seven. With that group was a seaplane carrier Chiyoda that was used to transport midget subs. Perhaps that was what Walter was thinking?

[verklaring]

You are correct. I forgot the Aleutian campaign

[mavfin]

That looks correct: 4 of the 6 Pearl Harbor carriers: Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu, Soryu

2 in the Aleutians

Chiyoda

1 with the Main Fleet

Shokaku and Zuikaku (the other 2 Pearl Harbor strikers) were elsewhere. One was in the yard after taking some bomb hits at Coral Sea, the other had taken heavy airgroup losses at Coral Sea.

[iowamark]

Japan had six heavy carriers, all of which attacked Pearl Harbor. The 2 newest, Shokaku and Zuikaku, were damaged at Coral Sea in May 1942 and thus missed Midway.

http://www.friesian.com/pearl.htm
The Strike Force -- Kido Butai, -- would consist of the largest number of aircraft carriers ever to operate together. The Akagi and Kaga, a reconstructed battlecruiser and battleship, were the Japanese equivalent of the American Lexington and Saratoga. The Hiryu and Sôryu were the Japanese equivalent of the American Enterprise, Yorktown, and Hornet. The newest Japanese carriers, Shokaku and Zuikaku, were roughly the equivalent of the American Essex class. It was originally thought that the latter would not be ready for the operation.