THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY....JUNE 4TH TO 6TH, 1942

The location

Commanders: Chester W. Nimitz

Frank J. Fletcher

Raymond A. Spruance


Strength: 3 CV-class carriers: USS Enterprise
USS Hornet
USS Yorktown

25 support ships: destroyers, cruisers, and refueling ships

233 carrier-based aircraft

127 land-based aircraft


Losses: 1 carrier, sunk

1 destroyer, sunk

98 aircraft, destroyed

307, KIA









Commanders: Yamamoto Isoroku

Nagumo Chuichi

Yamaguchi Tamon


Strength: 4 carriers: Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu, Soryu

2 battleships

15 support ships: heavy & light cruisers, destroyers, and refueling ships

248 carrier-based aircraft

16 floatplanes


Losses: 4 carriers, sunk

1 cruiser, sunk

248 aircraft, destroyed

3,057, KIA



Even though, technically, the battle began at dawn on June 4th, 1942, the United States had realized the strategic importance of Midway Atoll from the outset of the war in the Pacific. While Japan knew that America had the industrial strength to defeat them, they firmly believed that the Imperial Japanese Navy had the necessary discipline and will to win combined with what they believed to be their greatest weapon.......surprise attack after surprise attack; which they believed would wear down American resolve. After nearly 6 months of defeat after defeat, the Japanese Imperial Navy had almost succeeded.....................but not quite.

What the Japanese didn't know was that their Naval code had been broken, so that even though they had the greater numbers of carriers and battle groups the U.S. knew where they were headed. Also, after the success of the Doolittle raid on Japan, on April 18th, 1942, the Americans had gained an important psychological advantage by demonstrating that Japan was not impregnable.

Yet, this only outlines the beginning of what was, without question, the most important battle of the Pacific. What we must never forget is the men who fought and died and never gave up or gave in, no matter what they had endured and suffered.

For complete posts on the Battle of Midway, please follow the links on the right side of this blog to the following sites: The Dept. of Defense, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, Neptunus Lex, and Steeljaw Scribe.