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The Battle of Midway
By: Evan S
In the picture above is Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. He was the Japanese Fleet Commander. He moved on Midway in an effort to draw out and destroy the U.S. Pacific Fleet's aircraft carrier striking forces, which had embarassed the Japanese Navy in the mid-April Doolittle Raid on Japan's home islands and at the Battle of Coral Sea in early May. He planned to quickly knock down Midway's defenses, follow up with an invasion of the atoll's two small islands and establish a Japanese air base there. He expected the American carriers to come out, but to not be in time to save Midway. Yamamoto's intended suprise was destroyed by the U.S's superior communications intelligence. America knew Yamamoto's ships were coming well before battle was joined. This allowed Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, the U.S. Pacific Fleet commander, to establish an ambush by having his carriers ready and waiting for the Japanese. The perserverance, sacrifice and skill of U.S. Navy aviators, plus a great deal of good luck on the American side, cost Japan four irreplaceable fleet carriers, while only one of the three U.S. carriers present was lost.
Map of Midaway Atoll
Preparations for the Battle
By March 1942, Japanese navy strategists had acheived their initial war goals much more easily than they expeceted. They had abandoned their prewar plan to then transition to a strategic defense, but they still needed to maintain the offense. Moving further south would isolate Austrailia and then would not be a threat to the freshly-expanded Japanese empire.
However, the american island base Miway looked like an attractive target. After the Dolittle Raid the Japanese felt it was their time to make an offensive move against the U.S. Midway was a very important "Sentry for Hawaii," and a serious assault will most likely trigger a major naval battle. The attack would eliminate the U.S Pacific flet as an important threat.The Japanese planned to make the attack in early June. In the attack the battleship with the most heavy weaponry would be the ship under the command of admiral Yamamoto.
Unfortunately for the Japanese, two things went wrong even before the Midway operation began. Six carriers were sent on a mission that resulted in the Battle of Coral Sea. One of the ships was damaged, and the other suffered heavy casualties to her air group. Neither would be available for Midway.
More importantly, thanks to a historic feat of radio communications interceptions and codebreaking. The U.S. knew it's enemy's plan in detail: his target, his order of battle and his schedule. When battle began, the U.S. had three carriers waiting, plus a strong air force and reinforced ground defenses.
Sorces: http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-pac/midway/midway.htm
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-pac/midway/mid-1.htm
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h73000/h73065.jpg