Rust

The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle, widely regarded as the most important of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. The battle took place from 4 June to 7 June 1942. Just 1 month after the Coral sea battle and 6 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Japan plan was to take Midway and to expand their defensive ring and to expand their Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. Japan’s idea was to impose another heavy defeat on the US Naval forces and to force a negotiated an end to the Pacific War on conditions favorable for Japan.

Japan’s plan was to lure US carrier forces into an ambush and intended to occupy Midway. So no further attack like the Doolittle Raid could happen. Only the ambush was in reverse. The US had broken the Japanese Naval code (JN25) and had advance warning of the attack. Japan launched their attack against Midway, not knowing 3 US carriers were in place to strike back. These were the USS Enterprise, Hornet and Yorktown. Japan believed that they had either sunk or damaged the Yorktown at Coral Sea and in no way be available to attack them. They knew that the Saratoga was on the West coast of the US for repairs from a torpedo attack by one of their submarines.

At 0430 on June 4th the Japanese fleet sent over 100 fighter and bombers to hit Midway. At the same time PBYs from Mideay and scout planes for the US Task Forces had located parts of the Japanese strike force. Midway sent everything that they had at the Japanese fleet at the same time they sent their attack towards Midway. Midway was hard hit by the attack, but the Japanese failed to knock out the runway. The land based planes failed to make any hits, but kept Admiral Nagumo’s 4 carriers off balance.

As Admiral Nagumo’s planes were returning to his 4 carriers, his own scout planes located the USS Yorktown. His carriers were preparing a 2nd strike against Midway and were not prepared to attack ships. The Japanese carriers began changing to armor piercing bombs and torpedos. His 1st strike force was now returning to his carriers. Some damaged and all running low on fuel. At the same time 3 waves of US carrier torpedo plane began an unescorted attack on his 4 carriers. They basically were slow moving targets for his Zero fighter. Of some 40 torpedo planes – all but 6 were shot down. Not one scored a hit. More importantly, they kept his ships busy, his fighter cap busy and now the fighter cap was low on fuel. They also were off chasing down the last of the torpedo planes.

At this moment SBD bombers from the 3 American carriers and their escorting fighter appeared over Admiral Nagumo’s 4 carriers. They were sitting ducks without fighter cover. They had fueled and armed planes all over their decks. Within minutes of the beginning of the attack by the US bombers, Akagi, Kaga and Soryu were burning, smoking wrecks.

The sole remaining carrier Hiryu managed to escape the 1st attack undamaged. She launced an attack against the USS Yorktown. They actually follow some of Yorktown’s own planes back to their carrier. Yorktown was attack and left what looked like a smoking sinking ship. It was getting late in the day and Japanese scout planes spotted what they believed to be a 2nd US carrier and the Hiryu launched another attack. Only it was the Yorktown. Her crew had put out the earlier fires and repaired the damaged flight deck. She was back in action and making about 20 knots. Picket ships from the Yorktown group picked up the incoming Torpedo planes from Hiryu. Yorktown launched her planes towards Hiryu. Yorktown was hit again this time by 2-3 torpedos and started to sink. Yorktown & DD Hammann were sunk by I-168 on 7 June.

The Hiryu planes returned to their carrier. Her crew was wore out after doing battle all day. They were trying to catch some rest and eat, when air craft from Enterprise and what was left over from the Yorktown attacked the Hiryu. Within minutes she was a burning wreck like her sister ships from early that morning. The battle of Midway was over. Japan had lost 4 fleet carriers, 1 heavy cruiser, almost 300 planes and over 3,000 killed. The large number of highly trained aircrews loss was impossible for Japan to over come. Only Emperor Hirohito was accurately informed of carriers and pilots losses, and he chose not to inform the Army immediately. Army planners then continued for a short time to believe the fleet was healthy and secure. The US had lost the Yorktown and DD Hammann, 97 air craft and 307 killed. It was the first major defeat of the Japanese in WWII.

Duration : 0:9:11

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