THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY

THE BATTLE OF MIDWAYJUNE 4-5, 1942 EARLY 1942 EVENTSTHE DOOLITTLE RAID:WHEN? APRIL 18-19, 1942WHERE? WESTERN PACIFIC, JAPAN ISLANDSWHO? U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS / FORCE BOMBERS U.S. NAVY Lt. COL. JAMES DOOLITTLE, U.S.A.A.F. IS C/O16 B-25 BOMBERS (80 OFFICERS & AIRMEN)WHY? RETALIATION FOR PEARL HARBOR ATTACKTO BOOST U.S. MILITARY & PUBLIC MORALEPROBLEM? HOW TO GET AIR GROUP CLOSE ENOUGH TO JAPAN W/OUT DETECTIONHOW TO GET CREWS / PLANES TO SAFETYRESULTS?TOKYO BOMBED W/LITTLE DAMAGECASUALTIES:U.S. 3 KIA, 8 POW (4 DIE IN CAPTIVITY 3 EXECUTED, 1 OF DISEASE), 15 B-25 BOMBERSJAPAN 50 DEAD, 400 WOUNDEDSTRATEGIC RESULTS:JAPAN WITHDRAWS CARRIER GROUP FROM INDIAN OCEAN TO DEFEND JAPANJAPAN DECIDES TO ATTACK MIDWAY ISLAND

LT. COL. JAMES H. DOOLITTLE, USAAF

THE REAL DOOLITTLE

U.S. ARMY B-25 BOMBER

DOOLITTLES B-25LAUNCHES FROMU.S.S. HORNET,APRIL 18, 1942

DOOLITTLES B-25s OVER TOKYO HARBOR, APRIL, 1942

DOOLITTLE RAIDER IN JAPANESE CAPTIVITY, APRIL, 1942

THE BATTLE OF THE CORAL SEAWHEN? MAY 4-8, 1942WHERE? CORAL SEA, S.PACIFIC (near Australia)WHO? IJN COMBINED FLEET (carriers & battleships)USN 2 CARRIER TASK FORCES (define)AUSTRALIA DESTROYER FORCESWHY?JAPAN ATTEMPTING TOSTRENGTHEN THEIR POSITION IN S. PACIFICOCCUPY PORT MORESBY (New Guinea)EXTEND CONTROL IN SOLOMON ISLANDSSO WHAT? DIRECT THREAT TO AUSTRALIARESULTS?FIRST BATTLE TO EMPLOY LARGE-SCALE CARRIER-BASED ATTACKSHEAVY FIGHTING / LOSSES ON BOTH SIDESCASUALTIES:JAPAN 1 CARRIER SUNK, 1 DAMAGED, 966 KIAU.S. 1 CARRIER SCUTTLED, 1 HEAVILY DAMAGED, 656 KIASTRATEGIC EFFECT?JAPAN CANNOT OCCUPY PORT MORESBY2 JAPANESE CARRIERS UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE AT MIDWAYU.S. & ALLIES NOW HAVE TIME TO PREPARE NEW GUINEA INVASION

MIDWAY ISLAND, CENTRAL PACIFIC

AERIAL RECONAISSANCEPHOTO, MIDWAY ISLAND,1942

FLEET ADMIRALCHESTER NIMITZ,COMMANDER,U.S. PACIFIC FLEET

REAR ADMIRAL RAYMOND SPRUANCE,COMMANDING OFFICER,TASK FORCE 16,BATTLE OF MIDWAY

VICE ADMIRALWILLIAM HALSEY,U.S. NAVY,ORIGINAL C/O,TASK FORCE 16

REAR ADMIRAL FRANK JACK FLETCHER,COMMANDING OFFICER,TASK FORCE 17,BATTLE OF MIDWAY

LCDR JOSEPH ROCHEFORT,U.S. NAVY,NAVAL INTELLIGENCE &CRYPTOLOGY DIVISION

ADMIRAL ISORUKU YAMAMOTO,COMMANDING OFFICER,IMPERIAL JAPANESE NAVY

ADMIRAL CHUICHI NAGUMO COMMANDING OFFICER, IMPERIAL JAPANESE CARRIER FLEET, BATTLE OF MIDWAY

MIDWAY: PREPARING FOR BATTLEJAPANESE GOALS:ELIMINATE U.S. STRATEGIC POWER IN PACIFICALLOW JAPAN TO STRENGTHEN / TAKE ADVANTAGE OF RECENT CONQUESTSWOULD ENSURE NO REPEAT OF DOOLITTLE RAIDHOW? / WHAT WAS THE STRATEGY?LURE U.S.NAVY CARRIERS INTO TRAP & ELIMINATE THEMA THREAT TO HAWAII WOULD FORCE U.S. TO RESPOND W/ CARRIER FORCESATTACK & OCCUPY MIDWAY ISLAND

MIDWAY: ORDER OF BATTLEJAPANESE FORCES*:4 CARRIERS2 BATTLESHIPS15 SUPPORT SHIPS248 AIRCRAFTU.S. FORCES:3 CARRIERS25 SUPPORT SHIPS233 CARRIER-BASED PLANES127 LAND-BASED (Midway Island) PLANES

*THESE FIGURES ONLY INCLUDE FORCES DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN COMBAT AT MIDWAY

COMPARING FORCESJAPAN: ADVANTAGESLARGER NAVAL FORCE MOST IMPORTANTLY MORE CARRIERSMORE EXPERIENCED NAVAL CREWSMORE EXPERIENCED PILOTSCONFIDENCE MOMENTUMJAPAN: DISADVANTAGESFEW, IF ANYNAVAL CODEBREAKING / CRYPTOLOGY WAS INFERIOR TO U.S.BATTLE PLAN IS COMPLICATED: JAPANESE FORCES CANNOT SUPPORT EACH OTHERWHY? THEY ARE DISPERSED OVER LARGE AREAOVERCONFIDENCE UNDERESTIMATION OF U.S. CAPABILITIES (at that time)

COMPARING FORCES(contd.)U.S.: ADVANTAGESCODEBREAKING / CRYPTOLOGYU.S.: DISADVANTAGESLESS EXPERIENCED CREWS FEWER SHIPS, esp. CARRIERSINFERIOR TORPEDO PLANESINFERIOR FIGHTER PLANESU.S. CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE CARRIERSWHAT ROLE DO U.S. NAVAL INTELLIGENCE CODEBREAKERS PLAY IN THE BATTLE?IJN NAVAL CODE (IJN-25) WAS BROKEN BY THE U.S.CODES PROVED MIDWAY WAS JAPANs PRIMARY TARGET

U.S. NAVY TASK FORCE 16CARRIERS, BATTLE OF MIDWAY

U.S.S. HORNET (above)U.S.S. ENTERPRISE (right)

U.S.S. YORKTOWN, TASK FORCE 17

U.S. NAVY SBD DAUNTLESS DIVE BOMBER

U.S.NAVY TBD DEVASTATOR TORPEDO PLANE

U.S.NAVY TBDDEVASTATOR TORPEDO PLANE

U.S. NAVY GRUMMAN F-4-F WILDCAT FIGHTER

U.S. NAVY BREWSTER F2A-3 BUFFALO FIGHTER

JAPANESE CARRIER SORYUJAPANESE CARRIER HIRYU

JAPANESE CARRIER KAGA

JAPANESE CARRIER AKAGI

NAKAJIMA BN5 KATE TORPEDO PLANE (ABOVE) ; AICHI D3-A VAL DIVE BOMBER (BELOW)

MITSUBISHI A6M ZERO FIGHTER

COURSE OF BATTLEJUNE 4:0620 hrs: JAPANESE ATTACK MIDWAYHEAVY AIR LOSSES FOR U.S.MIDWAY DAMAGED, BUT AIRFIELDS REMAIN INTACTSO WHAT? U.S. CAN STILL LAUNCH ATTACKS FROM ISLANDIJN WILL HAVE TO PREP. FOR 2nd ATTACK ON MIDWAY0500 hrs.: U.S. ATTACK JAPANESE CARRIERS w/MIDWAY-BASED PLANES0715 hrs.: NAGUMO ORDERS CARRIER TORPEDO PLANES REARMED W/ CONTACT BOMBS (why?)0800 hrs.: IJN SCOUT PLANES SIGHT U.S FLEETNAGUMO ORDERS HALT TO ARMING OF PLANES ORDERS BOMBS REMOVED & REPLACED BY TORPEDOSPROBLEM: NAGUMO MUST WAIT FOR MIDWAY STRIKE FORCE PLANES TO LANDTHEN HE WILL LAUNCH PLANES AGAINST U.S. CARRIERSSO WHAT? U.S. FLEET HAS ALREADY LAUNCHED THEIR ATTACK PLANES

COURSE OF BATTLEPROBLEMS?FOR IJN? YESTHEY HAVENT LAUNCHED PLANES AGAINST U.S. FLEETFLIGHT DECKS / HANGAR DECKS ARE COVERED w/BOMBS, TORPEDOES, & FUEL LINESFOR U.S.? YESTHEIR PLANES WERE LAUNCHED w/OUT COORDINATIONPLANES GET SEPARATED ON FLIGHT TO IJNSO TORPEDO PLANES HAVE NO FIGHTER COVER0920 1000 hrs.: U.S. TORPEDO PLANES ATTACKSEVERE LOSSES (ex. TORPEDO SQUADRON 8)CRITICAL MOMENT: JAPANESE COMBAT FIGHTER PATROL COVERING CARRIERS IS DRAWN DOWN TO SURFACE CHASING TORPEDO PLANES1020 hrs.: U.S. DIVE BOMBERS ARRIVE OVER IJN CARRIERSIJN FIGHTER PLANES CANNOT STOP THEM (why?)3 DIVE BOMBER SQUADRONS ATTACK 3 IJN CARRIERS HIT SIMULTANEOUSLYTHE FATAL FIVE MINUTES: KAGA, AKAGI, SORYU ALL HIT & SUNKHIRYU LAUNCHES AIRSTRIKE IMMEDIATELYU.S.S. YORKTOWN IS ATTACKED BY IJN DIVE BOMBERS & TORPEDO PLANES HEAVILY DAMAGED; SINKS ON JUNE 7HIRYU IS SUNK AFTER U.S. ATTACK IN AFTERNOON

AERIAL RECONAISSANCEPHOTO, MIDWAY ISLAND, 1942

MIDWAY ISLANDAIRFIELD LOCATIONS

LT. COMMANDER(LCDR) JOHN THACH,U.S. NAVY

THE THACH WEAVE

BATTLE OF MIDWAY,BATTLE SEQUENCE,JUNE 4, 1942

LCDR JOHN C. WALDRON,SQUADRON C/O,TORPEDO SQUADRON 8,U.S.S. HORNET

VT-8, TORPEDO SQUADRON 8, U.S.S. HORNET

JUST A WORD TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I THINK WE ARE READY. WE HAVE HAD A VERY SHORT TIME TO TRAIN AND WE HAVE WORKED UNDER THE MOST SEVERE DIFFICULTIES. BUT WE HAVE TRULY DONE THE BEST HUMANLY POSSIBLE. I ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT UNDER THESE CONDITIONS WE ARE THE BEST IN THE WORLD. MY GREATEST HOPE IS THAT WE ENCOUNTER A FAVORABLE TACTICAL SITUATION, BUT IF WE DONT, AND THE WORST COMES TO WORST, I WANT EACH OF US TO DO HIS UTMOST TO DESTROY OUR ENEMIES. IF THERE IS ONLY ONE PLANE LEFT TO MAKE A FINAL RUN IN, I WANT THAT MAN TO GO IN AND GET A HIT. MAY GOD BE WITH ALL OF US. GOOD LUCK, HAPPY LANDINGS, AND GIVE EM HELL.LCDR JOHN C. WALDRON, C/O TORPEDO 8, JUNE 4, 1942 LCDR JOHN C. WALDRON TAKING OFF DECK OF U.S.S. HORNET

U.S.NAVY DAUNTLESS DIVE BOMBERS BEGIN THEIR ATTACK, JUNE 4, 1942

U.S. NAVY DIVE BOMBERSOVER IJN CARRIERIN FLAMES

BASIC U.S.N.DIVE BOMBINGTACTICS

RESULTSCASUALTIES:IJN: 4 CARRIERS SUNK1 CRUISER SUNK248 AIRCRAFT DESTROYED2,013 KIAU.S.:1 CARRIER SUNK (U.S.S. YORKTOWN)1 DESTROYER SUNK (U.S.S. HAMMAN)150 AIRCRAFT DESTROYED307 KIA

U.S.S. YORKTOWN HIT BY TORPEDO

IJN KATE TORPEDO PLANEAFTER WEAPONRELEASE ON U.S.S. YORKTOWN

U.S.S. YORKTOWN SINKING

U.S.S. YORKTOWN AT 17,000 FEETBELOW PACIFIC OCEAN SURFACE

EFFECTSALLIES 1st MAJOR VICTORY AGAINST JAPANELIMINATES JAPANs OFFENSIVE CAPABILITYWHY?HIGH CASUALTIES FOR VETERAN PILOTSHIGH CASUALITES FOR CARRIER CREWSEXPERIENCED PEOPLE CANT BE QUICKLY REPLACEDLOSS OF 4 CARRIERS CANT BE QUICKLY REPLACEDSETS THE STAGE FOR U.S. INVASIONS OF SOLOMON ISLANDS & NEW GUINEATHE TURNING POINT IN THE PACIFIC THEATRE OF WORLD WAR II