Battle of Midway
On the 18th of April 1942, sixteen B-25 Mitchell bombers launched from the aircraft carrier Hornet to bomb targets in Tokyo and other Japanese cities. This Doolittle Raid caused a political shock across Japan despite its limited military damage. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto needed to respond to this humiliation by destroying American carrier forces that had escaped destruction at Pearl Harbor six months earlier. He selected Midway Atoll as bait because he believed it was vital enough for the U.S. to defend vigorously. The tiny island sat approximately one thousand miles northwest of Oahu, outside the effective range of most American land-based aircraft on Hawaii. Yamamoto's plan required precise timing and coordination among multiple battle groups spread over hundreds of miles of open sea. His strategy depended on luring out the U.S. Pacific Fleet to destroy it before Japan could extend its defensive perimeter further into the Pacific. The operation aimed to clear seas for future attacks on Fiji, Samoa, and Hawaii while securing the Aleutian Islands against potential bomber bases.
U.S. cryptanalysts at Station HYPO partially broke the Japanese Navy's JN-25b code early in 1942. Commander Joseph Rochefort and his team confirmed that objective AF referred to Midway after Captain Wilfred Holmes ordered the base to broadcast an uncoded message about broken water purification systems. Within twenty-four hours, code breakers intercepted a Japanese message stating AF was short on water. This ruse proved successful because Japanese intelligence did not suspect deception regarding a major naval installation having water shortages. HYPO also determined the attack date would fall between 4 and the 5th of June. A new Japanese codebook delayed their ability to read messages until the 24th of May, but crucial breaks had already been made. Admiral Chester Nimitz received a complete Imperial Japanese Navy order of battle from these efforts. He knew the Japanese had divided their ships into four separate task groups widely separated so they could not support each other effectively. This dispersal meant few fast ships were available to escort the Carrier Striking Force, reducing anti-aircraft protection around the carriers. The Americans entered the battle with clear knowledge of where, when, and how strongly the Japanese would appear while Japan remained largely unaware of American true strength even after fighting began.
At 04:30 on the 4th of June, Nagumo launched his initial attack consisting of thirty-six D3A dive bombers and thirty-six B5N torpedo bombers escorted by thirty-six Zero fighters. Simultaneously seven search aircraft departed including two B5Ns from Akagi and Kaga plus four Aichi E13A Jakes from Tone and Chikuma cruisers. At 05:34 a PBY flying boat reported sighting two Japanese carriers while another spotted the inbound airstrike ten minutes later. Midway's radar detected the Japanese fleet at 05:53 ninety-three nautical miles away scrambling interceptors immediately. Unescorted American bombers headed off to attack the Japanese carriers leaving their fighter escorts behind to defend Midway itself. Marine fighters led by Major Floyd B. Parks intercepted the Japanese at 06:20 suffering heavy losses destroying four B5Ns and one Zero but losing two F4Fs and thirteen F2As within minutes. At 07:15 Nagumo ordered reserve planes re-armed with contact-fused general-purpose bombs for use against land targets following attacks from Midway. Re-arming took about thirty minutes when delayed scout plane from Tone signaled sighting a sizable American naval force eastward without specifying composition. Later evidence suggests Nagumo did not receive this report until 08:00 reversing his order to re-arm bombers demanding confirmation of American force composition.
At 10:22 squadrons from Enterprise split intending to send one squadron each to attack Kaga and Akagi but miscommunication caused both to dive at Kaga instead. Lieutenant Richard Halsey Best pulled out after judging Kaga doomed heading north to strike Akagi while receiving multiple direct hits causing heavy damage starting fires aboard Kaga. One bomb landed on or right in front of the bridge killing Captain Jisaku Okada and most senior officers aboard. Mitsuo Fuchida described the scene as bodies everywhere with planes standing tail up belching livid flames making fire control impossible. Simultaneously Yorktowns VB-3 commanded by Lieutenant Max Leslie scored three hits on Soryu igniting gasoline creating an inferno while stacked bombs detonated. Within six minutes Soryu and Kaga burned from stem to stern while Akagi eventually consumed by flames despite only one direct hit. At 10:46 Nagumo transferred his flag to light cruiser Nagara abandoning all three carriers temporarily afloat before eventual scuttling. Hiryu launched counterattacks hitting Yorktown with three bombs blowing holes in decks snuffing boilers destroying anti-aircraft mounts forcing Fletcher to move command staff. Later Yorktown received two torpedoes crippling her developing twenty-three degree list port side losing all power before being abandoned.
By battle end three thousand fifty-seven Japanese died including two hundred sixty-seven aboard Akagi eight hundred eleven on Kaga three hundred ninety-two on Hiryu and seven hundred eleven on Soryu. Heavy cruisers Mikuma sunk with seven hundred casualties and Mogami damaged causing another nine hundred deaths total. Destroyers Arashio bombed killing thirty-five and Asashio strafed killing twenty-one added further losses alongside floatplanes lost from Chikuma and Tone cruisers. Three American aviators captured during fighting included Ensign Wesley Osmus murdered on destroyer Arashi plus Ensign Frank O'Flaherty and Aviation Machinist's Mate Bruno Peter Gaido thrown overboard drowning after interrogation. U.S. forces lost carrier Yorktown and destroyer Hammann killing three hundred seventy men including Major General Clarence L. Tinker personally leading bomber strike from Hawaii against retreating Japanese forces on the 7th of June. His aircraft crashed near Midway Island killing him when executing glide bomb run on Mikuma posthumously awarded Medal of Honor. Salvage efforts on Yorktown encouraging until late afternoon the 6th of June submarine I-168 fired torpedoes striking Yorktown twice then hitting Hammann breaking ship in two sinking with loss of eighty lives mostly depth charges exploding.
The Battle of Midway often called turning point Pacific War marked Allies first major naval victory against Japan. Had Japan won as thoroughly as U.S. did they might have captured Midway Island leaving Saratoga only American carrier Pacific before new ones completed end 1942. While U.S. probably not sought peace Japan revived Operation FS invade occupy Fiji Samoa attack Australia Alaska Ceylon attempt occupy Hawaii. Midway allowed Allies switch strategic initiative paving way landings Guadalcanal prolonged attrition Solomon Islands campaign regarded some turning point Pacific War. Heavy losses carriers veteran aircrews permanently weakened Imperial Japanese Navy according to some authors though Parshall Tully stated heavy losses veteran aircrew one hundred ten just under twenty-five percent aircrew embarked four carriers not crippling navy air corps whole. Loss four large fleet carriers over forty percent carriers highly trained aircraft mechanics technicians essential flight-deck crews armorers organizational knowledge embodied such highly trained crews still heavy blows carrier fleet. Few months after Midway Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service sustained similar casualty rates Battle Eastern Solomons Santa Cruz Islands combined constant attrition veterans during Solomons campaign catalyst sharp downward spiral operational capability.
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Common questions
What was the date of the Battle of Midway?
The Battle of Midway took place on the 4th and the 5th of June 1942. U.S. cryptanalysts determined the attack date would fall between the 4th and the 5th of June before the fighting began.
Who commanded the Japanese forces at the Battle of Midway?
Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo commanded the Kidō Butai strike force during the battle. He led four aircraft carriers including Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, and Hiryu with a total of 248 available aircraft across all ships.
How did American code breakers identify the target AF as Midway Atoll?
Commander Joseph Rochefort and his team at Station HYPO confirmed that objective AF referred to Midway after Captain Wilfred Holmes ordered the base to broadcast an uncoded message about broken water purification systems. This ruse proved successful because Japanese intelligence did not suspect deception regarding a major naval installation having water shortages.
Which Japanese aircraft models were used in the Battle of Midway?
The main carrier-borne strike aircraft included the Aichi D3A1 Val dive bomber and Nakajima B5N2 Kate torpedo bomber alongside the Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter. Production of both Val and Kate models had stopped completely by June 1942 leaving no replacements for losses suffered during operations since December 1941.
What was the outcome of the Battle of Midway for the Imperial Japanese Navy?
By battle end three thousand fifty-seven Japanese died including two hundred sixty-seven aboard Akagi eight hundred eleven on Kaga three hundred ninety-two on Hiryu and seven hundred eleven on Soryu. Heavy losses carriers veteran aircrews permanently weakened Imperial Japanese Navy according to some authors though Parshall Tully stated heavy losses veteran aircrew one hundred ten just under twenty-five percent aircrew embarked four carriers not crippling navy air corps whole.