Battle Of Midway Date The History You Need To Know

The Battle of Midway, fought between the USA and Japanese fleet between June 4 and June 7, is widely counted as a turning point in the tide of the Pacific wars and a watershed moment in determining the course of World War II.The Battle of Midway was executed by the Japanese on June 4, 1942, six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Battle of the Coral Sea to further weaken the US stronghold on the Pacific ocean belt. However, the Japanese morale was shattered as the United States came out victorious, ascribing this war as one of the most crucial turn-overs of American participation in World War II.Japan’s agenda of executing this war remained unhindered, that is, to establish control over the southeast Asian countries for natural resources and war materials. As the Japanese prepared to wage war, the Americans, already anticipating the date and location of the attack, were all in to overthrow their opponents and emerge as the powerful nation once more. Although tactful collisions between the two nations continued for three days, starting from June 4 until June 6, and left both the military bases exhausted, none were ready to submit until June 7, when the Japanese carrier force was left in shambles. Needless to say, the Pacific wars turned out to be much more devastating than expected, leaving Japan buried under a mountain of casualties while the industrial and training capabilities of the United States weaved the thread of reparation.Keep reading to learn interesting facts about the Battle of Midway! If you liked reading this article, don’t forget to check out the Battle of Kursk and Battle of Jutland to discover intriguing facts about world wars.Remarkable Facts About Battle Of Midway And Its DatesJapan aimed to establish its supremacy in the Pacific belt and, with a strategic desire to expand its territory in East Asia and southwest Pacific Islands, they were determined to reduce USA’s influence in this region. To this end, securing the position of Midway Island, which lay almost at a central point between Japan and the USA, was instrumental. Therefore, by an order issued on May 5, the Combined Fleet, headed by Admiral Yamamoto, was given the license to pursue the Midway Operation in cooperation with the Imperial Japanese Army in order to ensure Japan’s supremacy in the Pacific frontier of World War II.Japan’s battle plan, devised by Yamamoto, was carelessly complacent and even unilateral, as the tactics were almost entirely hinged on a surprise attack on the US. The idea was that the Japanese forces would attempt to draw the Americans out of an ambush and corner them into defeat. This would ensure a legitimate occupation of the centerpiece, Midway Islands, which could act as an outpost to attack Pearl Harbor and, thereby, negotiate a coercive peace in the Central Pacific region. All of this would play out at a time when America was just recovering from the attack on Pearl Harbor. However, the battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942 had already left the Japanese weak from a strategic viewpoint, as it marked the very first instance that the Imperial Japanese Navy would be compelled to abandon its objectives and turn back.US intelligence had already shown its expertise in intercepting the Japanese naval codes in the Coral Sea battle and repeating the same success in the Battle of Midway marked a turning point in the Pacific wars. The US cryptographers made it possible to detect the approximate date (June 4 or 5) as well as the accurate location of the attack. This role of codebreaking was imperative in deciding the course of the war as it caught the Japanese off guard and bought time for an outnumbered US to mobilize a total of eight cruisers, 18 destroyers, 19 submarines, and 115 land-based Navy, Marine Corps, and Army Air Forces planes, along with three large aircraft carriers-Enterprise, Hornet, and a third carrier, Yorktown, which the Japanese presumed was out of commission. In exchange, the Japanese fielded a total of two seaplane carriers, seven battleships, 15 cruisers, 42 destroyers, 10 submarines, two light aircraft carriers, and four large Japanese aircraft carriers (Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu, and Soryu).Iconic Facts About Battle Of Midway And Its DatesThe war commenced on June 4 and, in its first phase, Vice-admiral Nagumo, commander of the Japanese carriers, launched surprise air raids to put the major naval installations out of action. Midway’s combined air patrol, oil depots, and docks were all swept aside by the attackers in the first strike, but the Japanese planes reported back that a second strike would be effective in order to neutralize the US base.In response to the Japanese attack, the Americans sent out a fleet of warplanes that would go on to lead a series of consistent, but rather, uncoordinated attacks between 9:30-10:30 am. The Americans would need access to every available flight deck in order to orchestrate their attacks because the Japanese were fielding four large carriers and already had a numerical advantage over their opposition. The US Admiral Fletcher ordered the American carriers USS Enterprise and Hornet to deploy TBD Devastator torpedo bombers and Dauntless dive bombers at the Japanese fleet. Although the Japanese combat air patrol was successful in disrupting the initial American strikes, the opposition’s torpedoes forced the Japanese forces to fall out of position. It wasn’t long before the tide shifted in favor of the US, and in the third wave of the attack, the American dive bombers caught the enemy carriers off guard; US aircraft carrier, Enterprise, completely vanquished two Japanese carriers, Kaga and Akagi. Moreover, the USS Yorktown came limping back, a third carrier which the Imperial Japanese Navy believed had sunk during the Pearl Harbor attack. The reappearance of the USS Yorktown hit the final nail in the coffin as it went on to wreck Japan’s third carrier, the Soryu.After conceding three carriers, the sole surviving Japanese carrier aircraft, Hiryu, launched 18 D3A1 Val bombers and six Zero fighters as its offensive plan of action to bring down the American carrier, USS Yorktown. The carrier was bombed thrice, and about three hours later, another series of Japanese bombs forced its abandonment. However, the Americans were able to spot Hiryu and the dive bombers set it ablaze.After losing the final Japanese aircraft carrier, Admiral Yamamoto’s invasion plans hit a snag, and the Imperial Japanese Navy was compelled to retreat. On June 6, the last day of the war, the US sent out another strike to destroy the Japanese ships. The US aircraft carriers USS Hornet and Enterprise dispatched dive bombers and sank the Japanese heavy cruiser Mikuma. Another cruiser in the main Japanese fleet, the Mogami, was also attacked and severely damaged. On the same day, a Japanese submarine, I-168, fielded torpedo bombers against the American fleet and destroyed the previously disabled USS Yorktown as well as the destroyer ship, USS Hamann. On June 7, the USS Yorktown finally capsized and sank.Precious Facts About Battle Of Midway And Its DatesSeveral key objectives were accomplished by the Japanese in the first phase of the Pacific War, one of them being the neutralization of the US Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor. Prior to the battle, the Japanese had already succeeded in their primary objective of territorial expansion in the Central Pacific regions, such as the Philippines, Malaysia, and so on. In addition, oil supplies from the Dutch East Indies, which were of particular importance to Japan, were secured.It wasn’t out of the ordinary that the Japanese invasion force next targeted the USA’s outpost at Midway Atoll since the Americans were the only ones standing between Japan’s Asia policy. Moreover, America’s Doolittle bombing raid earlier in April 1942 further validated the Japanese intentions to destroy the Pacific fleet. The idea was to draw the American carriers out in an ambush, ensuring that they were outnumbered and defeated so that the US could be coercively brought to the negotiating table for peace. Since the USA held legitimacy over Midway Island, the Japanese presumed that they would try to send troops from their main outpost, Pearl Harbor [1,073 mi (1,727 km) from Midway], to defend their second most important outpost. But in reality, the US was already forewarned and the Pacific Fleet was stationed northeast of Midway.It was the contribution of the American codebreakers that made a massive difference. America’s most secretive combat intelligence unit, Hypo, managed to intercept confidential codes from Japanese radio operators. The Japanese were convinced that the US was not aware of its approach, but the US codebreakers could almost accurately suspect the location as well as the date of the planned attack.In addition, the Japanese airplanes and aircraft carriers were under a single unified command of Admiral Nagumo, as opposed to the three American aircraft carriers, which were operating independently, with Fletcher in command of Yorktown and Spruance in command of the fleet carriers, Hornet and Enterprise. This gave the US high commanders a free hand in positioning their American bombers and bringing down the targets with accuracy. Thus, attacks from the Midway strike force flowed in from all directions.Inspirational Facts About Battle Of Midway And Its DatesIn the aftermath of the battle, the USA inflicted irreparable damage as 3,057 Japanese lives were lost to the 307 Americans that were martyred. In addition, the Japanese carrier’s striking force was depleted as they lost four carriers, one cruiser, and hundreds of aircraft to the one carrier, one destroyer, and 144 aircraft of the US.Being one of the most decisive naval battles between the USA and Japan, the Battle of Midway marked a turning point in flattening out any further possibility of Japanese invasion in the Pacific and oversaw a clear American victory in the Pacific War.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for the Battle of Midway date, then why not take a look at the Battle of France or Battle of Gallipoli?