The battle at Midway Atoll was a turning point in the confrontation between the United States and Japan in the Pacific. The Japanese fleet, which lost four heavy aircraft carriers, almost two and a half hundred aircraft and the best pilots, has now completely lost the ability to operate effectively without coastal aviation cover.
Geographic data
Midway Atoll is located in the central Pacific Ocean, more than a thousand miles northwest of the Hawaiian Islands. The territory is administered by the United States, but is not included in any of the states or the District of Columbia. The atoll consists of three small islands with a total area of 6.23 km 2 , the lagoon area is 60 km 2 .
From 1941 to 1993 on the islands there was a US naval base and a point for refueling intercontinental flights. Now the atoll has the status of a reserve, but one runway is maintained in working condition, and a reserve of jet fuel is also stored on Midway - in case of an emergency landing of aircraft.
Midway Island Group is located halfway between Japan and California (actually, thanks to this fact, the territory got its name). Great strategic importance of the atoll. It is located in the middle of the triangle formed by the American military bases Pearl Harbor and Dutch Harbor, as well as the Japanese base on Wake. For Japan, the capture of the archipelago would open up the possibility of more successful planning and implementation of military operations of the imperial fleet.
Imperial Japan Plans
It is believed that Japan suggested the possibility of an attack on the island group back in February 1942, more than six months before the Battle of Midway Island (1942). Until mid-April, however, details of the battle plan were not developed, and indeed it was not approved as a whole. A raid of bombers by US Lieutenant Colonel J. Doolittle on the capital of Japan, which took place on April 18, 1942, put an end to the debate over operations in the Pacific Ocean. The imperial headquarters no longer doubted that they should speak as soon as possible.
There are several versions of why Japan decided to attack Midway. The imperial fleet had to finally neutralize the United States in the Pacific. To ensure the success of the operation, a distracting attack on the Aleutian Islands was even undertaken. Occupation of the Midway Atoll itself was a secondary task. The atoll would be useful to Japan to strengthen the "protective perimeter" of its territories. Further performances were planned in Fiji and Samoa, then - (possibly) in Hawaii.
The Japanese did not launch a second attack on Pearl Harbor. The command decided to attack the naval base at Midway Atoll. The stake was made on the suddenness and unpreparedness of the United States for defense, as in the case of the attack on Pearl Harbor almost a year earlier (December 7, 1941).
US Information
The United States had previously speculated that the Japanese would attempt to launch a naval battle in the Pacific. In May 1942, cryptographers managed to break into the Japanese naval encryption and get valuable information that the target of the next attack would be a certain object in the Pacific Ocean. In Japanese negotiations, it was designated by the code name AF.
The American command, however, could not unambiguously identify this same AF target. It was supposed that it could be Pearl Harbor or the naval battle at Midway Atoll. The date also remained unknown. To test the assumptions, the Americans sent a message saying that there was not enough water on Midway. Managed to intercept the Japanese "AF problems with water supply."
Characteristics of opponents
The forces of imperial Japan were divided into two parts: an attack group of aircraft carriers and a group of battleships with escort. From Japan, four aircraft carriers, a light cruiser, two heavy cruisers, two battleships, almost two and a half hundred aircraft and twelve destroyers came forward. Additionally, they were sent to Midway, but did not take part directly in the battle, two more light aircraft carriers, five battleships, two light and four heavy cruisers, more than thirty support ships.
Response based on information about the upcoming battle at Midway Atoll was planned by Admiral C. Nimitz. To the northwest of Midway, the Enterprise, Yorktown, and Hornet, fully prepared for battle, were advanced. Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruens led the compound, the core of which was Hornet and Enterprise, and Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher took command of Yorktown.
First clashes
On the morning of June 3rd, an American reconnaissance aircraft pilot found a Japanese fleet heading for Midway. The first blow was done by the Americans in the battle at Midway Atoll. The course of the battle, thus, was initially determined precisely by the forces of the United States. True, the bomb dropped on Japanese ships did not reach the goal.
By the early morning of June 4, the Japanese group reached Midway Atoll and struck at it. Significant destruction was caused to the naval base, but despite this, the American fighters fought back.
The naval battle at Midway Atoll continued. Many American cars were shot down by the Japanese, but anti-aircraft artillery worked successfully. About a third of Japanese bombers attacking a naval base were shot down from the ground. The Japanese lieutenant who led the attack reported to the imperial headquarters that the Americans had withdrawn their main forces before the Battle of Midway, and that ground defense was not sufficiently suppressed, so another air strike was needed.
After the first defeat of the American forces, the Japanese command was confident that now luck was on their side. Scouts reported to the imperial headquarters that only one aircraft carrier was found at the naval base (the rest were not in sight). But since there was a shortage of personnel, torpedoes and bombs remained on the deck, which they did not manage to hide in the cellar. This created a risk of a dangerous situation, because one aerial bomb that pierced the deck could cause the detonation of all ammunition.
Battle of aircraft carriers
The Americans calculated that the enemy aircraft would return to the aircraft carriers at about nine in the morning. To attack the forces of the imperial fleet, when they will receive and refuel aircraft, an order was given to take off all American aircraft in full combat readiness. However, the Japanese fleet, having completed the reception of several aircraft, changed course. The American command miscalculated.
Despite the seemingly failure in the battle at Midway Atoll (the date of the battle of the aircraft carriers was June 4, 1942), the Americans launched more than six attacks, and by evening two Japanese aircraft carriers had already sunk.
Attack of the Nautilus
A few hours after the battle of aircraft carriers in the battle at Midway Atoll, the American submarine Nautilus fired several torpedoes at Japanese forces. The submarine's report says that they attacked the Japanese aircraft carrier Soryu, but in fact the torpedoes hit the Kaga. At the same time, two torpedoes flew past, but one did not explode at all. True, Bill Brockman, captain of the third rank, commander of the Nautilus, was convinced all his life that he had sunk the Sorya. So the submarine "Nautilus" and entered American history.
Japanese counter strike
To retaliate in the battle at Midway Atoll (1942), the Japanese managed to assemble eighteen bombers on the Hiraya. The Americans raised twelve planes to intercept. Five Japanese dive bombers were shot down, but seven made three hits in an aircraft carrier. Only five dive bombers and one fighter returned.
Immediately a decision was made to re-attack in the Battle of Midway Atoll. The Japanese took several torpedo bombers and fighters into the air. At Yorktown, they learned about the impending attack right away. Only one group of Japanese aircraft in full force and three fighters from other groups came out of the battle alive. Yorktown was seriously damaged and towed to Pearl Harbor.
Attack of the last aircraft carrier
At the time of the attack on the Yorktown, information came about the discovery of the last Japanese aircraft carrier. The Americans no longer had torpedo bombers, so it was decided to create an attack group of several dive bombers.
The air group was led by Lieutenant Earl Gallagher. The Japanese had no time to react to the attack when the Americans dropped four bombs, causing explosions and numerous fires in the holds. A little later, a few more bombs were dropped on the fleet of imperialist Japan, but there were no hits.
Hopelessly damaged "Hiru" was flooded by the decision of Japanese Admiral Yamaguchi at dawn on the fifth of June. Airplanes from the Midway Naval Base continued to attack the Japanese, but they could not find the main forces. Japan led the fleet to the west, in addition, the Japanese were accompanied by bad weather - their ships were not visible to the Americans.
On June 6, US aircraft again attacked the heavy cruisers of Japan. One cruiser was sunk, the second managed to get to the port with significant damage.
Results for the Japanese Navy
In the battle at Midway Atoll, more than two and a half thousand personnel were killed, more than two and a half hundred aircraft from aircraft carriers, four heavy aircraft carriers and a heavy cruiser were damaged. Among the dead were the best and most experienced Japanese pilots.
The commanders of several aircraft carriers refused to leave the damaged ships and died with them. Vice Admiral, commanding the strike group, tried to commit suicide, but managed to save him.
US Pacific Fleet Losses
The United States Pacific Fleet in the Battle of Midway, a major naval battle, lost more than three hundred personnel and one and a half hundred aircraft. The Yorktown aircraft carrier and one destroyer also sank. On the islands, the runway was badly damaged, the hangar and fuel depot were destroyed.
Reasons for the defeat of Japan
The reasons for the defeat of the Japanese forces are many, but they are all interconnected. First, the command set two goals that contradicted each other, namely the capture of an island group and the destruction of the American fleet. These tasks require the same air force, but with different weapons.
Also, the Japanese had an insufficient concentration of forces to carry out a successful attack. Some researchers and experts believe that it was better for Japan to protect the decisive striking force - aircraft carriers. Affected the history of the battle at Midway Atoll and the shortcomings of planning. The plans were tough and complex, losing any meaning in the non-standard behavior of the enemy.
The Japanese themselves planned their failure in advance. The command of the strike group was put at a disadvantage. The Americans did not make really serious mistakes during the Battle of Midway. There were, of course, insufficient training of personnel, flaws in tactics, but still these were not deliberate mistakes, but a normal part of any encounter.
Strategic implications
After the defeat at the Battle of Midway, imperialist Japan was forced to move to an exceptionally defensive position and lost all initiative. Irreversible changes have occurred both in tactics and in the strategy of warfare at sea.
The battle of aircraft carriers, as part of a major naval battle at Midway, clearly showed that now it was aircraft carriers that took the lead in the Pacific.
Battle myths
There are several myths about the battle of Midway. Here is some of them:
- The Japanese faced fatal bad luck. In fact, they helped this “bad luck" themselves.
- The headquarters did not transmit information on time to the command of the strike group, and one of the aircraft carriers was not at all adapted to receive informational messages. In fact, there were no technical problems.
- The Japanese lost the best pilots. Of course, there were losses, but still they were relatively small. In Japan, personnel remained for other operations, but since the strategic initiative was lost, their knowledge and experience was no longer needed.
Memory
The commander of Hiru, who refused to leave the damaged aircraft carrier, was posthumously awarded the rank of vice admiral.
In memory of the victory, the United States assigned the name "Midway" to several ships - transport aircraft carriers. Also, the name "Midway" is the entire series of the same type of aircraft carrier of the US Navy.