The Battle of Midway was a major World War 2 naval engagement that pitted the Imperial Navy of Japan against the remnants of the American Pacific fleet. Widely considered the turning point in the Pacific War, the Battle of Midway has become one of the epic naval battles in military history.
The Pacific War began poorly for the United States. After the disaster at Pearl Harbor where every one of the American battleships was destroyed, Japanese victories kept piling up. Japan destroyed the last remaining Allied battleships in the Pacific when two large British warships, the HMS Repulse and the HMS Prince of Wales were sunk by land based bombers. Forward American bases at Wake Island and Guam were quickly defeated and the combined American/Filipino force in the Philippines surrendered. Significant British forces in Singapore also capitulated. The only major military assets that remained in the Pacific were four American aircraft carriers and their support vessels.
Japan, on the other hand, had the services of ten aircraft carriers and eleven battleships. The American Pacific fleet could not afford to lose its few remaining military assets, so their military planners devised a strategy of keeping Japanese forces off balance with hit and run tactics. Raids on Japanese bases would be followed with a quick withdrawal, therefore minimizing risk to the attacking American carriers.
Japanese commanders, anxious for a decisive battle against the American fleet, planned an invasion of the last remaining forward outpost at Midway Island. They devised a complex attack plan that would split their forces into three different major elements. The most powerful element would be the striking force comprised of four of Japan’s most powerful carriers. The Americans, because they had broken the Japanese military codes, were fully aware of Japanese intentions. Midway Island was reinforced with several thousand Marines and over 120 warplanes. In support of Midway, the Pacific fleet dispatched its last three surviving carriers. Once at Midway, the force waited for the expected Japanese attack.
On June 4 1942, the Japanese fleet had assembled west of Midway Island. Japanese commanders dispatched a large air armada to destroy air bases on Midway. Midway defense forces responded at a cost of many of the island’s defending warplanes. American forces counterattacked. Warplanes from Midway Island attacked the Japanese fleet. This attack was followed by wave after wave of American carrier based squadrons. Japanese fleet defenses fought off several attacks until finally, an American squadron of dive bombers broke through. This squadron dropped their bombs on three of the Japanese carriers. The Akagi, Kaga and Soryu were completely destroyed within minutes.
The remaining Japanese carrier, the Hiryu dispatched its air fleet to strike back at the American carriers. Japanese bombers damaged, and ultimately destroyed the American carrier Yorktown. Eventually, the Hiryu was itself destroyed by yet another strike from the American fleet. With the loss of all four of its large carriers, the Japanese fleet withdrew.
This was a major defeat for Japan. Not only did the Imperial Navy lose four of its best carriers, it also lost the services of over 200 of the best naval military pilots in the world. Before the Battle of Midway, Japan never lost a major battle. After the battle, Japan never won a major battle. With the loss of such major elements of its fleet, Japan would never again mount a major offensive.