At about 15:45, six planes from VS-6 and 14 from "Yorktown"'s VB-3 joined with the four operational aircraft remaining to VB-6 and sped off in chase of the remaining carrier. Unfortunately, the American fighters still extant had to remain with the carriers as combat air patrol so the attack group was denuded of fighter cover. About an hour later, the American hunters found their quarry. The American planes climbed to and maneuvered their way up-sun of "Hiryū" and her escorts. During the jockeying for position, Japanese fighters jumped the unprotected dive bombers. Before reaching the "push over" point, Ens. Weber's plane fell victim to the enemy fighters. He and his gunner, Aviation Ordnanceman 3d Class E. L. Hilbert, spiraled into the sea and to their deaths. For his part in sinking "Akagi" and for his supreme sacrifice in assisting his colleagues to sink the remaining enemy carrier, Ens. Weber was promoted retroactively to lieutenant (junior grade) and was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously. In 1943, the destroyer escort USS "Weber" (DE-675) was named in his honor.