The Battle Of Midway
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Location: Midway Atoll 1,300 miles northwest of Oahu
Date: June 4-7, 1942
Background: One of Japan’s main goals during WWII was to remove the United States as a Pacific power in order to gain territory in East Asia. Japan hoped to defeat the US Pacific Fleet and use Midway as a base to attack Pearl Harbor, securing dominance in the region.
The Battle
Early morning on June 4th, aircraft from four Japanese aircraft carriers attacked and severely damaged the US base on Midway. Unbeknownst to the Japanese, the US carrier forces were just to the east of the island and ready for battle. After their initial attacks, the Japanese aircraft headed back to their carriers to rearm and refuel. While the aircraft were returning, the Japanese navy became aware of the presence of US naval forces in the area.
TBD Devastator torpedo bombers and SBD Dauntless dive bombers from USS Enterprise, USS Hornet and USS Yorktown were sent to attack the Japanese fleet. The Japanese carriers Akagi, Kaga, and Soryu, were hit, set ablaze, and abandoned. Hiryu (the only surviving carrier) responded with two waves of attacks—both times bombing the USS Yorktown, leaving her severely damaged, but still afloat (she would later be sunk on June 7th by a Japanese submarine). That afternoon, a USS Yorktown scout plane located the Hiryu and the USS Enterprise sent dive bombers to attack. The attack left the Hiryu burning and without the ability to launch aircraft.
Over the next two days, the US Navy and US forces on Midway continued their attacks, forcing the Japanese to abandon the battle and retreat to Japan. The Japanese lost approximately 4,800 men, four carriers, one cruiser, and hundreds of aircraft, while the United States lost approximately 307 men, one carrier, one destroyer, and over 100 aircraft. This critical US victory stopped the growth of Japan in the Pacific and put the United States in a position to begin shrinking the Japanese empire through a years-long series of island-hopping invasions and several even larger naval battles.
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