Battle of Midway (jun 4, 1942 – jun 7, 1942)

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The Battle of Midway was a significant naval battle in World War II, occurring on June 4-7, 1942. The Japanese Combined Fleet, led by Isoroku Yamamoto, was defeated by the U.S. Pacific Fleet near Midway Atoll. Yamamoto's plan was to capture Midway and destroy the U.S. Pacific Fleet, particularly its aircraft carriers that had escaped damage at Pearl Harbor. Japan had planned to extend its Pacific defense perimeter and clear the seas for attacks on Midway, Fiji, Samoa, and Hawaii.

The Japanese began bombing Midway on June 4th, prepared to wait for the Pacific Fleet to arrive from Pearl Harbor to defend the island. However, U.S. code breakers determined the date and location of Yamamoto's planned attack, allowing the Americans to prepare their own ambush. Chester Nimitz, commander of the Pacific Fleet, sent a large force under Frank Jack Fletcher to the Midway area before the Japanese had arrived. Land-based planes from Midway and carrier-based planes from the U.S. fleet surprised and attacked Nagumo's force, sinking all four Japanese fleet carriers and the heavy cruiser Mikuma. Japan lost 3,000 men, including many well-trained pilots.

The Battle of Midway, along with the Guadalcanal campaign, is widely considered a turning point in the Pacific War. Japan's ability to replace losses in materiel and trained men became rapidly insufficient, while the U.S.'s massive industrial and training capabilities increased over time. Historian John Keegan called the battle "the most stunning and decisive blow in the history of naval warfare," while historian Craig Symonds called it one of the most consequential naval engagements in world history.

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