Editing Battle of Midway

{{Short description|1942 major naval battle in World War II}}
{{About|the 1942 battle|other uses|Battle of Midway (disambiguation)}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Battle of Midway
| partof            = the [[Pacific War|Pacific Theater]] of [[World War II]]
| image             = USS Yorktown (CV-5) is hit by a torpedo on 4 June 1942.jpg
| image_size        = 300px
| caption           = {{USS|Yorktown|CV-5|6}} at the moment of impact with a Japanese torpedo, 4 June 1942
| date              = 4–7 June 1942
| place             = [[Midway Atoll]]<br />{{Coord|30|N|178|W|type:event_region:UM|display=inline,title}}
| result            = <!--Do not add "decisive" without first gaining consensus on the talk page.-->American victory
| combatant1        = {{Flag|United States|1912}}
| combatant2        = {{Flagcountry|Empire of Japan}}
| commander1        = {{Plainlist|
* {{Flagdeco|United States|1912}} [[Chester W. Nimitz|Chester Nimitz]]
* {{Flagdeco|United States|1912}} [[Frank Jack Fletcher]]
* {{Flagdeco|United States|1912}} [[Raymond A. Spruance|Raymond Spruance]]
}}
| commander2        = {{Plain list|
* {{flagicon|Empire of Japan|naval}} [[Isoroku Yamamoto]]
* {{flagicon|Empire of Japan|naval}} [[Nobutake Kondō]]
* {{flagicon|Empire of Japan|naval}} [[Chūichi Nagumo]]
* {{flagicon|Empire of Japan|naval}} [[Tamon Yamaguchi]]{{KIA}}
}}
| units1            = {{flagdeco|United States|1912}} [[United States Pacific Fleet|Pacific Fleet]]
* [[Task Force 16]]
* [[Task Force 17]]
* Midway Garrison
[[USAAF]]<br>[[USMC]]
| units2            = {{flagicon|Empire of Japan|naval}} [[Combined Fleet]]
* [[1st Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|1st Fleet]]
* [[2nd Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|2nd Fleet]]
* [[5th Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|5th Fleet]]
* [[11th Air Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|11th Air Fleet]]
| strength1         = {{Plain list|
* 3 [[fleet carrier]]s
* 7 [[heavy cruiser]]s
* 1 [[light cruiser]]
* 15 [[destroyer]]s
* 233 [[carrier-based aircraft]]
* 127 land-based aircraft
* 16 [[submarine]]s<ref>{{Harvnb|Blair|1975|p=240 map}} <!--Could say there are 18, counting ''Greenling'' & ''Porpoise''.--></ref>
* 9 [[PT boats]]
}}
| strength2         = {{Plain list|
* '''1st Carrier Striking Force:'''
* 4 fleet carriers
* 2 [[battleship]]s
* 2 heavy cruisers
* 1 light cruiser
* 12 destroyers
* 248 carrier-based aircraft<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=90–91}}</ref>
* 16 [[floatplane]]s
* 13 submarines
* '''Midway Support Force:'''
* 4 heavy cruisers
* 2 destroyers
* 12 floatplanes
* '''Did not participate in battle:'''
* 2 [[Light aircraft carrier|light carriers]]
* 5 battleships
* 4 heavy cruisers
* 2 light cruisers
* ~35 support ships
}}
| casualties1       = {{Plain list |
* 1 fleet carrier sunk
* 1 destroyer sunk
* ''fleet tonnage destroyed: {{convert|21300|lt|MT|abbr=out}}''<ref name="2views">{{cite web |url= http://www.combinedfleet.com/turningp.htm|title= The Turning Point of the Pacific War: Two Views The Battle of Midway or the Struggle for Guadalcanal|author1=Scott Fisher|author2= Nathan Forney|year=1996|access-date=2025-02-08}}</ref>
* ~150 aircraft destroyed
* ~307 [[Killed in action|KIA]]}}  ''including 3 killed as prisoners''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/USN-CN-Midway/USN-CN-Midway-13.html#our |title=The Battle of Midway |publisher=Office of Naval Intelligence |access-date=21 April 2009 |archive-date=27 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191027163854/http://ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/USN-CN-Midway/USN-CN-Midway-13.html#our |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/battle-midway |title=The Battle of Midway |access-date=2 December 2022 |archive-date=2 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202075050/https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/battle-midway |url-status=live }}</ref>
| casualties2       = {{Plain list |
* 4 fleet carriers sunk
* 1 heavy cruiser sunk
* 1 heavy cruiser damaged
* 2 destroyers damaged
* ''fleet tonnage destroyed: {{convert|119100|LT|MT|abbr=out}}''<ref name="2views"/>
* 248 aircraft destroyed<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=524}}</ref>
* 3,057 KIA<ref name="ParTulcas" />
* 37 captured}}<ref name="NavalHistory2015">{{cite web |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/b/battle-of-midway-4-7-june-1942.html |title=Battle of Midway: June 4–7, 1942 |date=26 March 2015 |publisher=Naval History & Heritage Command |access-date=15 June 2016 |archive-date=20 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160520111912/http://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/b/battle-of-midway-4-7-june-1942.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
| campaignbox       = 
{{Hawaiian Islands Campaign}}
{{Campaignbox Pacific 1941}}
{{Campaignbox Pacific Ocean}}
}}

The '''Battle of Midway''' was a major naval battle in the [[Pacific Ocean theater of World War II|Pacific Theater]] of [[World War II]] that took place on 4–7 June 1942, six months after Japan's [[attack on Pearl Harbor]] and one month after the [[Battle of the Coral Sea]]. The Japanese [[Combined Fleet]] under the command of [[Isoroku Yamamoto]] suffered a decisive defeat by the [[United States Pacific Fleet|U.S. Pacific Fleet]] near [[Midway Atoll]], about {{cvt|1300|mi|nmi km|lk=off|abbr=off}} northwest of [[Oahu]]. Yamamoto had intended to capture Midway and lure out and destroy the U.S. Pacific Fleet, especially the aircraft carriers which had escaped damage at Pearl Harbor.

Before the battle, Japan desired to extend its Pacific defense perimeter, especially after the [[Doolittle Raid|Doolittle air raid]] of [[Tokyo]] in April 1942, and to clear the seas for attacks on Midway, [[Fiji]], [[Samoa]], and [[Hawaii]]. A related Japanese [[Aleutian Islands campaign|attack on the Aleutian Islands]] began one day earlier, on 3 June. The Japanese strike force at Midway, known as the ''[[Kidō Butai]],'' was commanded by [[Chūichi Nagumo|Chuichi Nagumo]]. Yamamoto's plan for the operation, which depended on precise timing and coordination, was undermined by its wide dispersal of forces, which left the rest of the fleet unable to support the ''Kidō Butai'' effectively.

On 4 June, the Japanese began bombing Midway and prepared to wait for the Pacific Fleet to arrive from Pearl Harbor to defend the island. Unknown to Yamamoto, [[Station HYPO|U.S. code breakers]] had determined the date and location of his planned attack, enabling the Americans to prepare their own ambush; [[Chester W. Nimitz|Chester Nimitz]], commander of the Pacific Fleet, had 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. All four Japanese [[fleet carrier]]s—{{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Akagi||2}}, {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Kaga||2}}, {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Sōryū||2}}, and {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Hiryū||2}}—present at the battle were sunk, as was the [[heavy cruiser]] {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Mikuma||2}}. Japan also lost 3,000 men, including many well-trained and difficult-to-replace pilots. The U.S. lost the carrier {{USS|Yorktown|CV-5|2}} and the destroyer {{USS|Hammann|DD-412|2}}, while the carriers {{USS|Enterprise|CV-6|2}} and {{USS|Hornet|CV-8|2}} (under the command of [[Raymond A. Spruance|Raymond Spruance]] during the battle) survived the fighting without damage.

The Battle of Midway, along with the [[Guadalcanal campaign]], is widely considered a turning point in the [[Pacific War]]. After Midway and the attrition of the [[Solomon Islands campaign]], Japan's ability to replace its 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]]",<ref>{{Harvnb|Keegan|2005|p=275}}</ref> while historian [[Craig Symonds]] called it "one of the most consequential naval engagements in world history, ranking alongside [[Battle of Salamis|Salamis]], [[Battle of Trafalgar|Trafalgar]], and [[Battle of Tsushima|Tsushima Strait]], as both tactically decisive and strategically influential."<ref>{{Harvnb|Symonds|2018|p=293}}</ref>

==Background==
[[File:Japanese expansion april 1942.svg|thumb|upright=1.5|left|The extent of Japanese military expansion in the Pacific, April 1942]]

After expanding the war in the Pacific to include western colonies, the [[Empire of Japan|Japanese Empire]] quickly attained its initial strategic goals of [[Battle of Hong Kong|British Hong Kong]], the [[Philippines campaign (1941–1942)|Philippines]], [[Japanese invasion of Malaya|British Malaya]], [[Battle of Singapore|Singapore]], and the [[Dutch East Indies campaign|Dutch East Indies]], the latter of whose oil resources were particularly important to Japan. Because of this, preliminary planning for the second phase of operations commenced as early as January 1942.

Because of strategic disagreements between the [[Imperial Japanese Army|Imperial Army]] (IJA) and [[Imperial Japanese Navy|Imperial Navy]] (IJN), and infighting between the Navy's [[Imperial General Headquarters]] and Admiral [[Yamamoto Isoroku|Isoroku Yamamoto's]] [[Combined Fleet]], a follow-up strategy was not formed until April 1942.<ref>{{Harvnb|Prange|Goldstein|Dillon|1982|pp=13–15, 21–23}}; {{Harvnb|Willmott|1983|pp=39–49}}; {{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=22–38}}</ref> Yamamoto finally won the bureaucratic struggle with a thinly veiled threat to resign, after which his plan was adopted.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=33}}; {{Harvnb|Prange|Goldstein|Dillon|1982|p=23}}</ref> Yamamoto's primary strategic goal was the elimination of America's carrier forces, which he regarded as the principal threat to the overall [[Pacific War|Pacific campaign]]. This concern was acutely heightened by the [[Doolittle Raid]] on 18 April 1942, in which 16 [[United States Army Air Forces]] (USAAF) [[North American B-25 Mitchell|B-25 Mitchell]] bombers launched from {{USS|Hornet|CV-8|6}} bombed targets in Tokyo and several other Japanese cities. The raid, while militarily insignificant, was a shock to the Japanese and highlighted a gap in the defenses around the [[Japanese archipelago|Japanese home islands]] as well as the vulnerability of Japanese territory to American bombers.<ref>{{Harvnb|Prange|Goldstein|Dillon|1982|pp=22–26}}</ref>

This, and other [[Marshalls–Gilberts raids|successful hit-and-run raids]] by American carriers in the South Pacific, showed that they were still a threat, although seemingly reluctant to be drawn into all-out battle.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=31–32}}</ref> Yamamoto reasoned that another air attack on [[Naval Station Pearl Harbor]] would induce all of the American fleet to sail out to fight, including the carriers. However, considering the increased strength of American land-based airpower on the [[Hawaiian Islands]] since the 7 December 1941 attack, he judged that it was too risky to attack Pearl Harbor directly.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=33}}</ref>

Instead, Yamamoto selected [[Midway Atoll|Midway]], a tiny [[atoll]] at the extreme northwest end of the Hawaiian Island chain, approximately {{cvt|1300|mi|nmi km|lk=off|abbr=off}} from [[Oahu]]. Midway was outside the effective range of almost all the American aircraft stationed on the main Hawaiian Islands. It was not especially important in the larger scheme of Japan's intentions, but the Japanese felt the Americans would consider Midway a vital outpost of Pearl Harbor and would be compelled to defend it vigorously.<ref>{{Harvnb|Willmott|1983|pp=66–67}}; {{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=33–34}}</ref> The U.S. did consider Midway vital: after the battle, the establishment of a [[United States Navy submarine bases#Closed bases|U.S. submarine base]] on [[Naval Air Facility Midway Island]] allowed [[submarine]]s operating from Pearl Harbor to refuel and re-provision, extending their radius of operations by {{cvt|1200|mi}}. In addition to serving as a seaplane base, Midway's airstrips were a [[Forward operating base|forward staging point]] for bomber attacks on [[Wake Island#World War II|Wake Island]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Midway_Atoll/preserving_the_past/After_the_Battle_of_Midway.html |title=After the Battle of Midway |publisher=Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090115090812/http://www.fws.gov/midway/postwar.html |archive-date=15 January 2009}}</ref>

===Yamamoto's plan===
[[File:Midway Atoll.jpg|thumb|[[Midway Atoll]], several months before the battle. Eastern Island (with the airfield) is in the foreground, and the larger Sand Island is in the background to the west.]]

Typical of Japanese naval planning during World War II, Yamamoto's battle plan for taking Midway (named Operation MI) was exceedingly complex.<ref>{{Harvnb|Prange|Goldstein|Dillon|1982|pp=375–379}}; {{Harvnb|Willmott|1983|pp=110–117}}; {{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=52}}</ref> It required the careful coordination of multiple battle groups over hundreds of miles of open sea. His design was also predicated on optimistic intelligence suggesting that {{USS|Enterprise|CV-6|6}} and USS ''Hornet'', forming [[Task Force 16]], were the only carriers available to the [[United States Pacific Fleet|Pacific Fleet]]. During the [[Battle of the Coral Sea]] one month earlier, {{USS|Lexington|CV-2|6}} had been sunk and {{USS|Yorktown|CV-5|6}} suffered so much damage that the Japanese believed she too had been lost.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=63}}</ref> However, following hasty repairs at Pearl Harbor, ''Yorktown'' sortied and ultimately played a critical role in the discovery and eventual destruction of the Japanese fleet carriers at Midway. Finally, much of Yamamoto's planning, coinciding with the general feeling among the Japanese leadership at the time, was based on a gross misjudgment of American morale which was believed to be debilitated from the string of Japanese victories in the preceding months.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=50}}</ref>

Yamamoto felt deception would be required to lure the U.S. fleet into a fatally compromised situation.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=53}}, derived from Japanese War History Series (''Senshi Sōsho''), Volume 43 ('Middowei Kaisen'), p. 118.</ref> To this end, he dispersed his forces so that their full extent (particularly his [[battleship]]s) would be concealed from the Americans prior to battle. Critically, Yamamoto's supporting battleships and cruisers trailed Vice Admiral [[Chūichi Nagumo]]'s carrier force by several hundred miles. They were intended to come up and destroy whatever elements of the American fleet might come to Midway's defense once Nagumo's carriers had weakened them sufficiently for a daylight gun battle.<ref name="Tully, pp. 51, 55">{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=51, 55}}</ref> This tactic was doctrine in most major navies of the time.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=43–45}}, derived from ''[[Senshi Sōsho]]'', p. 196.</ref>

What Yamamoto did not know was that the U.S. had broken parts of the main Japanese naval code (dubbed [[JN-25]] by the Americans), divulging many details of his plan. His emphasis on dispersal also meant none of his formations were in a position to support the others.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.combinedfleet.com/guadoil1.htm |title=Oil and Japanese Strategy in the Solomons: A Postulate |website=combinedfleet.com |access-date=17 October 2017 |archive-date=14 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814183126/http://www.combinedfleet.com/guadoil1.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> For instance, although Nagumo's carriers were expected to carry out strikes against Midway and bear the brunt of American counterattacks, the only warships in his fleet larger than the screening force of twelve destroyers were two {{sclass|Kongō|battlecruiser|0}} [[fast battleship]]s, two heavy cruisers, and one light cruiser. By contrast, Yamamoto and Kondo had between them two light carriers, five battleships, four heavy cruisers, and two light cruisers, none of which saw action at Midway.<ref name="Tully, pp. 51, 55" />

The light carriers of the trailing forces and Yamamoto's three battleships were unable to keep pace with the carriers of the ''[[Kidō Butai]]'' (機動部隊, "Mobile Strike Force") and so could not sail in company with them. The ''Kidō Butai'' would sail into range at best speed so as to increase the chance of surprise and would not have ships spread out across the ocean guiding the USN toward it. If the other parts of the invasion force needed more defense, the ''Kidō Butai'' would make best speed to defend them. Hence the slower ships could not be with the ''Kidō Butai''. The distance between Yamamoto and Kondo's forces and Nagumo's carriers had grave implications during the battle. The invaluable reconnaissance capability of the [[scout plane]]s carried by the cruisers and carriers, and the additional anti-aircraft capability of the cruisers and the other two battleships of the ''Kongō''-class in the trailing forces, were unavailable to help Nagumo.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=55–56}}</ref>

===Aleutian invasion===
{{Main|Aleutian Islands campaign}}
To obtain support from the IJA for the Midway operation, the IJN agreed to support their [[Aleutian Islands campaign|invasion of the United States]] through the [[Aleutian Islands]] of [[Attu Island|Attu]] and [[Kiska]], part of the [[Territory of Alaska|Alaska Territory]]. The IJA occupied these islands to place the Japanese home islands out of range of U.S. land-based bombers in Alaska. Most Americans feared that the occupied islands would be used as bases for Japanese bombers to attack strategic targets and population centers along the [[West Coast of the United States|U.S. West Coast]].

The Japanese operations in the Aleutians (Operation AL) removed yet more ships that could otherwise have augmented the force striking Midway. Whereas many earlier historical accounts considered [[Aleutian_Islands_campaign#Japanese_attack|the Aleutians operation]] as a feint to draw American forces away, according to the original Japanese battle plan, AL was intended to be launched simultaneously with the attack on Midway. A one-day delay in the sailing of Nagumo's task force resulted in Operation AL beginning a day before the Midway attack.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=43–45}}, derived from ''Senshi Sōsho'', pp. 119–121.</ref>

==Prelude==
===American reinforcements===
[[File:G13065 USS Yorktown Pearl Harbor May 1942.jpg|thumb|{{USS|Yorktown|CV-5|6}} at [[Pearl Harbor]] days before the battle.]]

To do battle with the IJN, expected to muster four or five carriers, Admiral [[Chester W. Nimitz]], Commander in Chief, [[Pacific Ocean Areas]], needed every available flight deck. He already had Vice Admiral [[William Halsey]]'s two-carrier (''Enterprise'' and ''Hornet'') [[task force]] at hand, though Halsey was stricken with [[shingles]] and had to be replaced by Rear Admiral [[Raymond A. Spruance]], Halsey's escort commander.<ref>{{Harvnb|Prange|Goldstein|Dillon|1982|pp=80–81}}; {{Harvnb|Cressman|1990|p=37}}</ref> Nimitz also hurriedly recalled Rear Admiral [[Frank Jack Fletcher]]'s task force, including the carrier ''Yorktown'', from the [[South West Pacific Area]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Lord|1967|pp=23–26}}</ref>

Despite estimates that ''Yorktown'', damaged in the Battle of the Coral Sea, would require several months of repairs at [[Puget Sound Naval Shipyard]], her elevators were intact and her flight deck largely so.<ref>{{Harvnb|Willmott|1983|p=337}}</ref> The [[Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard]] worked around the clock, and in 72 hours she was restored to a battle-ready state,<ref>{{Harvnb|Cressman|1990|pp=37–45}}; {{Harvnb|Lord|1967|pp=37–39}}</ref> judged good enough for two or three weeks of operations, as Nimitz required.<ref>{{Harvnb|Willmott|1983|p=338}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/youve-got-three-days-repairing-the-yorktown-after-coral-sea/ |title=Battle of Midway: Repairing the Yorktown After the Battle of the Coral Sea |last=Zimmerman |first=Dwight |date=26 May 2012 |website=Defense Media Network |publisher=Faircount Media Group |access-date=21 January 2015 |archive-date=29 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129123445/http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/youve-got-three-days-repairing-the-yorktown-after-coral-sea/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Her flight deck was patched, and whole sections of internal frames were cut out and replaced. Repairs continued even as she sortied, with work crews from the repair ship {{USS|Vestal|AR-4|6}}, herself damaged in the attack on Pearl Harbor six months earlier, still aboard.<ref>{{Harvnb|Lord|1967|p=39}}; {{Harvnb|Willmott|1983|p=340}}</ref>

''Yorktown''{{'}}s partially depleted air group was rebuilt using whatever planes and pilots could be found. Scouting Five (VS-5) was replaced with Bombing Three (VB-3) from {{USS|Saratoga|CV-3|6}}. Torpedo Five (VT-5) was replaced by [[VA-35 (U.S. Navy)|Torpedo Three (VT-3)]]. Fighting Three (VF-3) was reconstituted to replace VF-42 with sixteen pilots from VF-42 and eleven pilots from VF-3, with [[Lieutenant commander (United States)|Lieutenant Commander]] [[John Thach]] in command. Some of the aircrew were inexperienced, which may have contributed to an accident in which Thach's executive officer Lieutenant Commander Donald Lovelace was killed.<ref>{{Harvnb|Willmott|1983|pp=340–341}}</ref> Despite efforts to get ''Saratoga'' (which had been undergoing repairs on the American West Coast) ready, the need to resupply and assemble sufficient escorts meant she was unable to reach Midway until after the battle.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=93–94}}</ref>

On Midway, the U.S. Navy had by 4 June stationed four squadrons of [[Consolidated PBY Catalina|PBYs]]—31 aircraft in total—for long-range reconnaissance duties, and six brand-new [[Grumman TBF Avenger]]s from ''Hornet''{{'}}s [[VT-8]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Scrivner|1987|p=8}}</ref> The Marine Corps stationed 19 [[Douglas SBD Dauntless]], seven [[Grumman F4F Wildcat|F4F-3 Wildcats]], 17 [[Vought SB2U Vindicator]]s, and 21 [[Brewster F2A Buffalo]]s. The USAAF contributed a squadron of 17 [[Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress|B-17 Flying Fortresses]] and four [[Martin B-26 Marauder]]s equipped with torpedoes: in total 122 aircraft. Although the F2As and SB2Us were already obsolete, they were the only aircraft available to the Marine Corps at the time.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=96}}</ref>

===Japanese shortcomings===
[[File:AkagiDeckApril42.jpg|thumb|{{Ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Akagi||2}} (April 1942)]]

During the Battle of the Coral Sea one month earlier, the Japanese [[light carrier]] {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Shōhō||2}} had been sunk, while the fleet carrier {{Ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Shōkaku||2}} had been severely damaged and was in [[drydock]] for months of repair. Although the fleet carrier {{Ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Zuikaku||2}} escaped the battle undamaged, she had lost almost half her air group and was in port at the [[Kure Naval District]] in Hiroshima, awaiting replacement planes and pilots. That there were none immediately available can be attributed to the growing inability of the IJN to properly train pilots faster than they were killed in action. In desperation, instructors from the [[Yokosuka Air Corps]] were relieved of their duties to plug the gap.<ref name=Willmott101>{{Harvnb|Willmott|1983|p=101}}</ref>

Historians Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully believe that by combining the surviving aircraft and pilots from ''Shōkaku'' and ''Zuikaku'', ''Zuikaku'' likely could have been equipped with almost a full composite air group. They note, however, that doing so would have violated Japanese carrier doctrine, which stressed that carriers and their air groups must train as a single unit. (In contrast, American air squadrons were considered interchangeable between carriers allowing for more flexibility.) The Japanese apparently made no serious attempt to get ''Zuikaku'' ready for the forthcoming battle.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=65–67}}</ref>

Thus, [[Fifth Carrier Division|Carrier Division 5]], consisting of the two most advanced aircraft carriers of the ''Kido Butai'', was not available which meant that Vice-Admiral Nagumo had only two-thirds of the fleet carriers at his disposal: {{Ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Kaga||2}} and {{Ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Akagi||2}} forming [[First Carrier Division|Carrier Division 1]] and {{Ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Hiryū||2}} and {{Ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Sōryū||2}} making up [[Second Carrier Division|Carrier Division 2]]. This was partly due to fatigue; Japanese carriers had been constantly on operations since 7 December 1941 including raids on [[Bombing of Darwin|Darwin]] and [[Indian Ocean raid|Colombo]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=63–64, 91}}</ref> Nonetheless, the First Carrier Strike Force sailed with 248 available aircraft on the four carriers (60 on ''Akagi'', 74 on ''Kaga'' (B5N2 squadron oversized), 57 on ''Hiryū'' and 57 on ''Sōryū'').<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=450–451}}</ref>

The main Japanese carrier-borne strike aircraft were the [[Aichi D3A]]1 "Val" [[dive bomber]] and the [[Nakajima B5N]]2 "Kate", which was used either as a [[torpedo bomber]] or as a level bomber. The main carrier fighter was the fast and highly maneuverable [[Mitsubishi A6M Zero]]. For a variety of reasons, production of the "Val" had been drastically reduced, while that of the "Kate" had been stopped completely and, as a consequence, there were none available to replace losses.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=89}}</ref> In addition, many of the aircraft being used during the June 1942 operations had been operational since late November 1941 and, although they were well-maintained, many were almost worn out and had become increasingly unreliable. These factors meant all carriers of the ''Kidō Butai'' had fewer aircraft than their normal complement, with few spare aircraft or parts in the carriers' hangars.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=89–91}}</ref>{{refn|The code names "Val", "Kate" and "Zeke", which are often applied to these aircraft, were not introduced until late 1943 by the Allied forces. The D3A was normally referred to by the Japanese as ''Type 99 Navy dive bomber'', the B5N as the ''Type 97 Navy torpedo bomber'' and the A6M as the ''Type 0 Navy fighter''; the latter was colloquially known as the "Zero".<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=78–80}}</ref>|group=nb}}

In addition, Nagumo's carrier force suffered from several defensive deficiencies which gave it, in [[Mark Peattie]]'s words, a {{" '}}[[wikt:glass jaw|glass jaw]]': it could throw a punch but couldn't take one."{{sfn|Peattie|2007|p=159}} Japanese carrier anti-aircraft guns and associated fire control systems had several design and configuration change deficiencies{{clarify|date=May 2023|reason=What does "changes deficiences" mean?}} which limited their effectiveness. The IJN's fleet [[combat air patrol]] (CAP) had too few fighter aircraft and was hampered by an inadequate early warning system, including a lack of [[radar]]. Poor radio communications with the fighter aircraft inhibited effective command and control. The carriers' escorting warships were deployed as visual scouts in a ring at long range, not as close anti-aircraft escorts, as they lacked training, doctrine, and sufficient anti-aircraft guns.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=85, 136–145}}; {{Harvnb|Peattie|2007|pp=155–159}}; {{Harvnb|Stille|2007|pp=14–15, 50–51}}</ref>

Japanese strategic scouting arrangements prior to the battle were also in disarray. A [[Picket (military)|picket]] line of Japanese submarines was late getting into position (partly because of Yamamoto's haste), which let the American carriers reach their assembly point northeast of Midway (known as "Point Luck") without being detected.<ref>{{Harvnb|Willmott|1983|p=351}}; {{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=98–99}}</ref> A second attempt at reconnaissance, using four-engine [[Kawanishi H8K|H8K]] "Emily" [[flying boat]]s to scout Pearl Harbor prior to the battle and detect whether the American carriers were present, part of [[Operation K]], was thwarted when Japanese submarines assigned to refuel the search aircraft discovered that the intended refueling point—a hitherto deserted bay off [[French Frigate Shoals]]—was occupied by American warships because the Japanese had carried out an identical mission in March. Thus, Japan was deprived of any knowledge concerning the movements of the American carriers immediately before the battle.<ref>{{Harvnb|Lord|1967|pp=37–39}}; {{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=99}}</ref>

Japanese radio intercepts did notice an increase in American submarine activity and message traffic. This information was in Yamamoto's hands prior to the battle. Japanese plans were not changed; Yamamoto, at sea in {{Ship|Japanese battleship|Yamato||2}}, assumed Nagumo had received the same signal from Tokyo and did not communicate with him by radio, so as not to reveal his position.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=102–104}}; {{Harvnb|Willmott|1983|pp=349–351}}</ref> These messages were, contrary to earlier historical accounts, also received by Nagumo before the battle began. For reasons that remain unclear, Nagumo did not alter his plans or take additional precautions.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=101–102}}</ref>

===U.S. code-breaking===
Nimitz had one critical advantage: U.S. cryptanalysts had partially broken the Japanese Navy's [[JN-25b]] code.<ref name="MS-134">{{Harvnb|Smith|2000|p=134}}</ref> Since early 1942, the U.S. had been decoding messages stating that there would soon be an operation at objective "AF." It was initially not known where "AF" was, but [[Commander (United States)|Commander]] [[Joseph Rochefort]] and his team at [[Station HYPO]] were able to confirm that it was Midway: [[Captain (United States O-6)|Captain]] [[Wilfred Holmes]] devised a ruse of telling the base at Midway (by secure [[undersea communications cable]]) to broadcast an [[Plaintext|uncoded]] radio message stating that Midway's water purification system had broken down.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/90midway/90facts1.htm |title=U.S. National Park Service: The Battle of Midway: Turning the Tide in the Pacific 1. Out of Obscurity |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150308182159/https://www.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/90midway/90facts1.htm |archive-date=8 March 2015}}</ref> Within 24 hours, the code breakers picked up a Japanese message that "AF was short on water."<ref name="National Security Agency and the Central Security Service">{{cite web |title=The Battle of Midway: How Cryptology enabled the United States to turn the tide in the Pacific War |first=Patrick D. |last=Weadon |date=3 May 2016 |url=https://www.nsa.gov/about/cryptologic-heritage/historical-figures-publications/publications/wwii/battle-midway.shtml |website=NSA.gov |access-date=13 August 2024 |archive-date=18 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160918013823/https://www.nsa.gov/about/cryptologic-heritage/historical-figures-publications/publications/wwii/battle-midway.shtml}}</ref> No Japanese radio operators who intercepted the message seemed concerned that the Americans were broadcasting uncoded that a major naval installation close to the Japanese was having a water shortage, which Japanese intelligence might have suspected as deception.{{r|baker20160108}} HYPO was also able to determine the date of the attack as either 4 or 5 June, and to provide Nimitz with a complete IJN [[order of battle]].<ref name="MS-138-141">{{Harvnb|Smith|2000|pp=138–141}}</ref>

Japan had a new codebook, but its introduction had been delayed, enabling HYPO to read messages for several crucial days; the new code, which took several days to be cracked, came into use on 24 May, but the important breaks had already been made.<ref name="Willmott 1983 304">{{Harvnb|Willmott|1983|p=304}}</ref> As a result, the Americans entered the battle with a good picture of where, when, and in what strength the Japanese would appear. Nimitz knew that the Japanese had negated their numerical advantage by dividing their ships into four separate task groups, so widely separated that they were essentially unable to support each other.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=409}}</ref> This dispersal resulted in few fast ships being available to escort the Carrier Striking Force, thus reducing the number of [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft guns]] protecting the carriers. Nimitz calculated that the aircraft on his three carriers, plus those on Midway Island, gave the U.S. rough parity with Yamamoto's four carriers, mainly because American carrier air groups were larger than Japanese ones. The Japanese, by contrast, remained largely unaware of their opponent's true strength and dispositions even after the battle began.<ref name="Willmott 1983 304" />

==Battle==
{{Further|Midway order of battle}}
[[File:Battle of midway-deployment map.svg|thumb|upright=1.35|Movements during the battle, according to William Koenig in ''Epic Sea Battles'']]
[[File:「大和」艦上で連合艦隊司令部職員の記念撮影。.jpg|thumb|Commemorative photo of [[Combined Fleet]] Headquarters staff on board the [[Japanese battleship Yamato|Yamato]]. The sixth person from the left is Commander-in-Chief Admiral [[Isoroku Yamamoto]], and the fifth person his Chief of Staff Vice Admiral [[Matome Ugaki]].]]

===Initial air attacks===
{|class="wikitable floatright" style="text-align:left; width:410px;"
|+ Timeline of the Battle of Midway<br>({{abbr|acc.|according}} to William Koenig){{sfn|Koenig|1975|pp=212–231}}
|4 June
|-
|
* '''04:30''' First Japanese takeoff against Midway Islands
* '''04:30''' 10 planes (''Yorktown'') begin to search for the Japanese ships
* '''05:34''' Japanese ships detected by a PBY from Midway I.
* '''07:10''' 6 TBF Avengers and 4 USAAF B-26 (from Midway I.) attack
* '''07:15''' Nagumo prepares reserve aircraft for second attack on Midway, in direct violation of Yamamoto's order 
* '''07:40''' American Naval Force spotted by ''Tone'' No. 4
* '''07:50''' 67 dive bombers, 29 torpedo bombers, 20 Wildcats take off (Spruance)
* '''07:55''' 16 dive bombers of the U.S. Navy (from Midway I.) attack
* '''08:10''' 15 B-17s (from Midway Islands) attack
* '''08:20''' 11 bombers of the U.S. Navy (from Midway I.) attack
* '''08:20''' "The enemy is accompanied by what appears to be a carrier" by ''Tone'' No. 4.
* '''09:06''' 12 torpedo bombers, 17 dive bombers, 6 Wildcats take off (''Yorktown'')
* '''09:10''' Tomonaga's strike force safely landed
* '''09:18''' Nagumo to Northeast
* '''09:25''' 15 torpedo bombers (''Hornet'') attack
* '''09:30''' 14 torpedo bombers (''Enterprise'') attack
* '''10:00''' 12 torpedo bombers (''Yorktown'') attack
* '''10:25''' 30 dive bombers (''Enterprise'') attack ''Akagi'' and ''Kaga''
* '''10:25''' 17 dive bombers (''Yorktown'') attack ''Soryū''
* '''11:00''' 18 Vals and 6 Zekes (Zeros) take off from ''Hiryū''
* '''11:30''' 10 planes (''Yorktown'') take off to search for remaining Japanese ships
* '''12:05''' First attack on ''Yorktown''
* '''13:30''' ''Hiryū'' detected by a ''Yorktown'' plane
* '''13:31''' 10 Kates and 6 Zekes (Zeros) take off from ''Hiryū''
* '''13:40''' ''Yorktown'' again in service, making 18 knots
* '''14:30''' Second attack on ''Yorktown''
* '''15:00''' ''Yorktown'' abandoned
* '''15:30''' 24 dive bombers take off against ''Hiryū'' from ''Enterprise''
* '''16:10''' ''Soryū'' sinks
* '''17:00''' Dive bombers attack on ''Hiryū''
* '''19:25''' ''Kaga'' sinks
|-
|5 June
|-
|
* '''05:00''' ''Akagi'' sinks
* '''09:00''' ''Hiryū'' sinks
|-
|7 June
* '''07:00''' Yorktown sinks
|}

At about 09:00 on 3 June, Ensign Jack Reid, piloting a PBY from U.S. Navy patrol squadron [[VPB-44|VP-44]],<ref name=VP44Mid>{{cite web |url=http://vp44goldenpelicans.com/VP-44%20Ford%20Island%20&%20Midway.htm |title=VP-44 at Ford Island and the Battle of Midway |last=Watson |first=Richard |access-date=5 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131207195452/http://vp44goldenpelicans.com/VP-44%20Ford%20Island%20%26%20Midway.htm |archive-date=7 December 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> spotted the Japanese Occupation Force {{cvt|500|nmi|mi km|sp=us|abbr=off}} to the west-southwest of Midway. He mistakenly reported this group as the Main Force.<ref>{{Harvnb|Lundstrom|2006|p=238}}</ref> Nine B-17s took off from Midway at 12:30 for the first air attack. Three hours later, they found Tanaka's transport group {{cvt|570|nmi|mi km|sp=us|abbr=off}} to the west.<ref name="nimitz">{{cite report |last=Nimitz |first=Chester A. (Admiral) |title=Battle of Midway, CINCPAC Report |date=28 June 1942 |via=HyperWar Foundation |url=http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/rep/Midway/Midway-CinCPac.html |access-date=11 December 2020 |archive-date=17 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917002256/http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/rep/Midway/Midway-CinCPac.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

Harassed by heavy anti-aircraft fire, they dropped their bombs. Although their crews reported hitting four ships,<ref name=nimitz/> none were actually hit and no significant damage was inflicted.<ref name=toyama>{{cite report |url=http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AAF/USSBS/IJO/IJO-60.html |title=Interrogation of: Captain Toyama, Yasumi, IJN; Chief of Staff Second Destroyer Squadron, flagship Jintsu (CL), at Midway |publisher=U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey |via=HyperWar Foundation |access-date=11 December 2020 |date= |archive-date=17 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917030106/http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AAF/USSBS/IJO/IJO-60.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Early the following morning, the Japanese oil tanker ''[[Kawasaki-type oiler#Akatsuki Maru class|Akebono Maru]]'' sustained the first hit when [[Mark 13 torpedo|a torpedo]] from an attacking PBY struck her around 01:00. This was the only successful air-launched torpedo attack by the U.S. during the battle.<ref name=toyama/>

At 04:30 on 4 June, Nagumo launched his initial attack on Midway, consisting of 36 D3As and 36 B5Ns, escorted by 36 Zero fighters. At the same time, he launched his seven search aircraft (2 B5Ns from ''Akagi'' and ''Kaga;'' 4 [[Aichi E13A]] "Jakes" from the [[heavy cruiser]] ''{{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Tone|1937|2}}'' and ''Chikuma;'' and 1 short-range [[Nakajima E8N]] "Dave" from the battleship ''[[Japanese battleship Haruna|Haruna]]''; an eighth aircraft from {{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Tone|1937|2|wl=no}} launched 30 minutes late). Japanese reconnaissance arrangements were flimsy, with too few aircraft to adequately cover the assigned search areas, laboring under poor weather conditions to the northeast and east of the task force. As Nagumo's bombers and fighters were taking off, 11 PBYs were leaving Midway to run their search patterns. At 05:34, a PBY reported sighting two Japanese carriers; another spotted the inbound airstrike 10 minutes later.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=107–112, 126–128, 132–134}}</ref>

Midway's radar picked up the Japanese at a distance of several miles, and interceptors were scrambled. Unescorted bombers headed off to attack the Japanese carriers, their fighter escorts remaining behind to defend Midway. At 06:20, Japanese carrier aircraft bombed and heavily damaged the U.S. base. Midway-based Marine fighters led by Major [[Floyd B. Parks]], which included six F4Fs and twenty F2As,<ref>{{Harvnb|Stephen|1988|pp=166–167}}</ref> intercepted the Japanese and suffered heavy losses, though they destroyed four B5Ns and one Zero. Within the first few minutes, two F4Fs and thirteen F2As were destroyed, while most of the surviving U.S. planes were damaged, with only two remaining airworthy. American anti-aircraft fire was intense and accurate, destroying three Japanese aircraft and damaging many more.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=200–204}}</ref>

Of the 108 Japanese aircraft that participated in this attack, 11 were destroyed (including 3 that ditched), 14 were heavily damaged, and 29 were damaged to some degree. 140 more were available to the Japanese, but never launched, and were destroyed when their carriers sunk. The initial Japanese attack did not succeed in neutralizing Midway: American bombers could still use the airbase to refuel and attack the Japanese, and most of Midway's land-based defenses remained intact. Japanese pilots reported to Nagumo that a second aerial attack on Midway's defenses would be necessary if troops were to go ashore by 7 June.<ref>{{Harvnb|Lord|1967|p=110}}; {{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=149}}</ref>

Having taken off prior to the Japanese attack, American bombers based on Midway made several attacks on the Japanese carrier force. These included six Grumman Avengers, detached to Midway from ''Hornet''{{'}}s VT-8 (Midway was the combat debut of both VT-8 and the Avenger); Marine Scout-Bombing Squadron 241 ([[VMSB-241]]), consisting of 11 SB2U-3s and 16 SBDs, plus four USAAF B-26s of the [[408th Bombardment Squadron|18th Reconnaissance]] and [[69th Bomb Squadron]]s armed with torpedoes, and 15 B-17s of the [[31st Test and Evaluation Squadron|31st]], [[72d Test and Evaluation Squadron|72nd]], and [[50th Education Squadron|431st]] Bomb Squadrons. The Japanese repelled these attacks, losing only three Zero fighters while destroying five Avengers, two SB2Us, eight SBDs, and two B-26s.{{sfnm|1a1=Prange|1a2=Goldstein|1a3=Dillon|1y=1982|1pp=207–212|2a1=Parshall|2a2=Tully|2y=2005|2pp=149–152}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/USN-CN-Midway/USN-CN-Midway-6.html |title=Office of Naval Intelligence Combat Narrative: "Midway's Attack on the Enemy Carriers" |access-date=28 January 2012 |archive-date=15 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170515083851/http://ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/USN-CN-Midway/USN-CN-Midway-6.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Among the dead was Major [[Lofton R. Henderson]] of VMSB-241, killed while leading his inexperienced SBD squadron into action. The main [[Henderson Field (Guadalcanal)|airfield at Guadalcanal]] was named after him in August 1942.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=176}}</ref>

One B-26, piloted by Lieutenant [[James Muri]], after dropping his torpedo and searching for an escape route, flew directly down the length of ''Akagi'' while being fired upon by fighters and anti-aircraft fire, which had to hold their fire to avoid hitting their own flagship; the B-26 [[Strafing|strafed]] ''Akagi'', killing two men.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=151–153}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Clair |date=4 June 2010 |title=WWII Battle of Midway pilot honored |url=http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/wwii-battle-of-midway-pilot-honored/article_a23d83ea-7029-11df-affb-001cc4c002e0.html |work=[[Billings Gazette]] |access-date=11 December 2020 |archive-date=7 April 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130407192714/http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/wwii-battle-of-midway-pilot-honored/article_a23d83ea-7029-11df-affb-001cc4c002e0.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Another B-26, piloted by Lieutenant Herbert Mayes, did not pull out of its run after being seriously damaged by anti-aircraft fire, and instead flew directly at ''Akagi''{{'}}s [[Bridge (nautical)|bridge]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Lord|1967|pp=116–118}}; {{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=549}}</ref> Either attempting a suicide ramming or out of control, the plane narrowly missed striking the bridge, which could have killed Nagumo and his staff, crashing into the ocean.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=151–152}}</ref> This experience may well have contributed to Nagumo's determination to launch another attack on Midway in direct violation of Yamamoto's order to keep the reserve strike force armed for anti-ship operations.<ref>{{Harvnb|Prange|Goldstein|Dillon|1982|pp=207–212}}; {{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=149–152}}</ref>

While the air strikes from Midway were happening, American submarine {{USS|Nautilus|SS-168|6}}, commanded by Lieutenant Commander [[William H. Brockman Jr.|William Brockman]], approached the Japanese fleet, attracting attention from the escorts. Around 08:20, she made an unsuccessful torpedo attack on a battleship and then dived to evade escorts.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=184–185}}</ref> At 09:10, she launched a torpedo at a cruiser and again dived to evade escorts, with destroyer ''Arashi'' spending considerable time chasing ''Nautilus''.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=199}}</ref>

===Nagumo's dilemma===
[[File:Hiryu f075712.jpg|thumb|left|A B-17 attack misses ''Hiryū''; this was taken between 08:00 and 08:30. A ''Shotai'' of three Zeros is lined up near the bridge. This was one of several [[combat air patrol]]s launched during the day.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=182}}</ref>]]

In accordance with Yamamoto's orders for Operation MI, Nagumo had kept half of his aircraft in reserve, comprising two squadrons each of dive bombers and torpedo bombers. The dive bombers were as yet unarmed (this was doctrinal: dive bombers were to be armed on the flight deck). The torpedo bombers were armed with torpedoes should any American warships be located.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=130–132}}</ref>

At 07:15, Nagumo ordered his reserve planes to be re-armed with [[Contact fuze|contact-fused]] [[general-purpose bomb]]s for use against land targets. This was a result of the attacks from Midway, as well as the morning flight leader's recommendation of a second strike. Re-arming had been underway for about 30 minutes when, at 07:40,<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=156–159}}</ref> the delayed scout plane from ''Tone'' signaled that it had sighted a sizable American naval force to the east, but neglected to specify its composition. Later evidence suggests Nagumo did not receive the sighting report until 08:00.<ref>{{Harvnb|Isom|2007|pp=129–139}}</ref>

Nagumo quickly reversed his order to re-arm the bombers and demanded that the scout plane ascertain the composition of the American force. Another 20–40 minutes elapsed before ''Tone''{{'}}s scout finally radioed the presence of a single carrier in the American force. This was one of the carriers from [[Task Force 16]]. The other carrier was not sighted.<ref>{{Harvnb|Prange|Goldstein|Dillon|1982|pp=216–217}}; {{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=159–161, 183}}</ref>

Nagumo was now in a quandary. Rear Admiral [[Tamon Yamaguchi]], leading Carrier Division 2 (''Hiryū'' and ''Sōryū''), recommended that Nagumo strike immediately with the forces at hand: 16 D3A1 dive bombers on ''Sōryū'' and 18 on ''Hiryū'', and half the ready cover patrol aircraft.<ref>{{Harvnb|Bicheno|2001|p=134}}</ref> Nagumo's opportunity to hit the American ships<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=165–170}}</ref> was now limited by the imminent return of his Midway strike force. The returning strike force needed to land promptly or it would have to ditch into the sea. Because of the constant flight deck activity associated with combat air patrol operations during the preceding hour, the Japanese never had an opportunity to position ("spot") their reserve planes on the flight deck for launch.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=168–173}}</ref>

The few aircraft on the Japanese flight decks at the time of the attack were either defensive fighters or, in the case of ''Sōryū'', fighters being spotted to augment the combat air patrol.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=231}}, derived from ''Senshi Sōsho'', pp. 372–378.</ref> Spotting his flight decks and launching aircraft would have required at least 30 minutes.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=121–124}}</ref> Furthermore, by spotting and launching immediately, Nagumo would be committing some of his reserves to battle without proper anti-ship armament, and likely without fighter escort; he had just witnessed how easily the unescorted American bombers had been shot down.<ref>{{Harvnb|Prange|Goldstein|Dillon|1982|p=233}}</ref>

Japanese [[Military doctrine|naval doctrine]] preferred the launching of fully constituted strikes rather than piecemeal attacks. Without confirmation of whether the American force included carriers (not received until 08:20), Nagumo's reaction was doctrinaire.<ref>{{Harvnb|Prange|Goldstein|Dillon|1982|pp=217–218, 372–373}}; {{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=170–173}}</ref> The arrival of another land-based American air strike at 07:53 gave weight to the need to attack the island again. Nagumo decided to wait for his first strike force to land, and ''then'' launch the reserve, which would by then be properly armed with torpedoes.<ref>{{Harvnb|Prange|Goldstein|Dillon|1982|pp=231–237}}; {{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=170–173}}; {{Harvnb|Willmott|1983|pp=395–398}}</ref>

Had Nagumo instead launched the available aircraft around 07:45 and risked the ditching of Tomonaga's aircraft, they would have formed a powerful and well-balanced force with the potential to sink two American carriers.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=165–166}}</ref> Furthermore, fueled and armed aircraft inside the ships presented a significant additional hazard for damage to the carriers in an event of attack, and keeping them on the decks was much more dangerous than getting them airborne.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=170}}</ref> Whatever the case, at that point there was no way to stop the American strike against him, since Fletcher's carriers had launched their planes beginning at 07:00 (with ''Enterprise'' and ''Hornet'' having completed launching by 07:55, but ''Yorktown'' not until 09:08), so the aircraft that would deliver the crushing blow were already on their way. Even if Nagumo had not strictly followed carrier doctrine, he could not have prevented the launch of the American attack.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=174–175}}; {{Harvnb|Willmott|1983|pp=395–398}}</ref>

===Attacks on the Japanese fleet===
[[File:Pilots of U.S. Navy Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) aboard USS Hornet (CV-8), circa mid-May 1942 (NH 93595).jpg|thumb|Pilots of Navy Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) aboard {{USS|Hornet|CV-8|6}}, circa mid-May 1942. Only one member of [[VT-8]] who flew from ''Hornet'' on 4 June 1942 survived in the action.]]
[[File:Vt8-g-gay-may42.jpg|thumb|[[Ensign (rank)|Ensign]] [[George H. Gay, Jr.|George Gay]] (right), sole survivor of VT-8's [[Douglas TBD Devastator|TBD Devastator]] squadron, in front of his aircraft, 4 June 1942]]
The Americans had already launched their carrier aircraft against the Japanese. Fletcher, in overall command aboard ''Yorktown'', and benefiting from PBY sighting reports from the early morning, ordered Spruance to launch against the Japanese as soon as was practical, while initially holding ''Yorktown'' in reserve in case any other Japanese carriers were found.{{sfn|Shepherd|2006}}

Spruance judged that, though the range was extreme, a strike could succeed and gave the order to launch the attack. He left Halsey's Chief of Staff, Captain [[Miles Browning]], to work out the details and oversee the launch. The carriers had to launch into the wind, so the light southeasterly breeze would require them to steam away from the Japanese at high speed. Browning, therefore, suggested a launch time of 07:00, giving the carriers an hour to close on the Japanese at {{cvt|25|kn}}. This would place them at about {{cvt|155|nmi}} from the Japanese fleet, assuming it did not change course. The first plane took off from Spruance's carriers ''Enterprise'' and ''Hornet'' a few minutes after 07:00.<ref>{{Harvnb|Lundstrom|1984|pp=332–333}}</ref> Fletcher, upon completing his own scouting flights,<!--Why was Fletcher scouting the wrong direction?--> followed suit at 08:00 from ''Yorktown''.<ref name="Cressman; Parshall, Tully; Buell">{{Harvnb|Cressman|1990|pp=84–89}}; {{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=215–216, 226–227}}; {{Harvnb|Buell|1987|p=494}}</ref>

Fletcher, along with ''Yorktown''{{'}}s commanding officer, Captain [[Elliott Buckmaster]], and their staffs, had acquired the first-hand experience needed in organizing and launching a full strike against an enemy force [[Battle of the Coral Sea|in the Coral Sea]], but there was no time to pass these lessons on to ''Enterprise'', commanded by Captain [[George D. Murray|George Murray]], and ''Hornet'', commanded by Captain [[Marc Mitscher]], which were tasked with launching the first strike.<ref name="cv6.org p2">{{Harvnb|Shepherd|2006|at=[http://www.cv6.org/1942/midway/midway_2.htm p. 2]}}</ref> Spruance ordered the striking aircraft to proceed to target immediately rather than waiting for the strike force to assemble, since neutralizing the Japanese carriers was the key to the survival of his own task force.<ref name="Cressman; Parshall, Tully; Buell" /><ref name="cv6.org p2" />

While the Japanese were able to launch 108 aircraft in just seven minutes, it took ''Enterprise'' and ''Hornet'' over an hour to launch 117.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=174}}</ref> Spruance judged that the need to throw something at the Japanese as soon as possible was greater than the need to coordinate the attack by aircraft of different types and speeds (fighters, bombers, and torpedo bombers). Accordingly, American squadrons were launched piecemeal and proceeded to the target in several different groups. It was accepted that the lack of coordination would diminish the impact of the American attacks and increase their casualties, but Spruance calculated that this was worthwhile, since keeping the Japanese under aerial attack impaired their ability to launch a counterstrike (Japanese tactics preferred fully constituted attacks), and he gambled that he would find Nagumo with his flight decks at their most vulnerable.<ref name="Cressman; Parshall, Tully; Buell" /><ref name="cv6.org p2" />

American carrier aircraft had difficulty locating the target, despite the positions they had been given. The strike from ''Hornet'', led by Commander Stanhope C. Ring, followed an incorrect heading of 265 degrees rather than the 240 degrees indicated by the contact report. As a result, Air Group Eight's dive bombers missed the Japanese carriers:<ref>{{Harvnb|Mrazek|2008|p=113}}; {{Harvnb|Lundstrom|1984|p=341}}</ref> the 10 [[Grumman F4F Wildcat|F4Fs]] from ''Hornet'' ran out of fuel and had to [[Water landing|ditch]].{{sfn|Ewing|2004|pp=71, 85, 86, 307}} This became known as the Flight to Nowhere.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKNDR7_DT24 |title=Deep Intel on the Infamous Flight to Nowhere |date=2023-06-06 |last=Ward Carroll |access-date=2025-05-01 |via=YouTube}}</ref> [[Torpedo Squadron 8]] (VT-8, from ''Hornet''), led by Lieutenant Commander [[John C. Waldron]], broke formation from Ring and followed the correct heading.

[[File:VT-6TBDs.jpg|thumb|left|Devastators of VT-6 aboard {{USS|Enterprise|CV-6|6}} being prepared for takeoff during the battle]]
Waldron's squadron sighted the Japanese carriers and began attacking at 09:20, followed at 09:40<ref>{{Harvnb|Cressman|1990|pp=91–94}}</ref> by [[VF-6]] from ''Enterprise'', whose Wildcat fighter escorts lost contact, ran low on fuel, and had to turn back.{{sfn|Ewing|2004|pp=71, 85, 86, 307}} Without fighter escort, all 15 [[Douglas TBD Devastator|TBD Devastators]] of VT-8 were shot down without being able to inflict any damage. Ensign [[George H. Gay, Jr.]] was the only survivor of the 30 aircrew of VT-8. He launched his [[torpedo]] on ''Sōryū'' before he was shot down, but ''Sōryū'' evaded it.<ref name="nhcgay">{{cite web |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/oral-histories/wwii/battle-of-midway/recollections-of-lieutenant-george-gay.html |title=Recollections of Lieutenant George Gay, USNR |date=21 September 2015 |publisher=Naval History and Heritage Command |access-date=23 April 2020 |archive-date=12 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191012225459/https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/oral-histories/wwii/battle-of-midway/recollections-of-lieutenant-george-gay.html |url-status=live}}</ref> VT-6, led by Lieutenant Commander [[Eugene E. Lindsey]] lost 9 of its 14 Devastators (one ditched later), and 10 of 12 Devastators from ''Yorktown''{{'}}s [[VA-35 (U.S. Navy)|VT-3]] (who attacked at 10:10) were shot down with no hits to show for their effort, thanks in part to the abysmal performance of their unimproved [[Mark 13 torpedo]]es.<ref>{{Harvnb|Blair|1975|p=238}}</ref> Midway was the last time the TBD Devastator was used in combat.<ref name="Military Factory">{{cite web |title=Douglas TBD Devastator Torpedo Bomber (1937) |url=http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail-page-2.asp?aircraft_id=732 |website=Military Factory |access-date=27 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907011849/http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail-page-2.asp?aircraft_id=732 |archive-date=7 September 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Japanese combat air patrol, flying Zeros,<ref>{{Harvnb|Thruelsen|1976|pp=186, 189, 190}}</ref> made short work of the unescorted, slow, under-armed TBDs. A few TBDs managed to get within a few ship-lengths range of their targets before dropping their torpedoes—close enough to be able to strafe the Japanese ships and force their carriers to make sharp evasive maneuvers—but all of their torpedoes either missed or failed to explode.<ref name="cv6.org p3">{{Harvnb|Shepherd|2006|at=[url=http://www.cv6.org/1942/midway/midway_3.htm p. 3]}}</ref> The performance of American torpedoes early in the war was extremely poor, as shot after shot missed by running directly under the target (deeper than intended), prematurely exploded, or failed to explode at all.<ref name="Morison IV">{{Harvnb|Morison|1949|pp=230–232}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Patrick |first=John |url=http://www.public.navy.mil/subfor/underseawarfaremagazine/Issues/Archives/issue_47/torpedo.html |access-date=23 July 2015 |title=The Hard Lessons of World War II Torpedo Failures |journal=Undersea Warfare |issue=47 |year=2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723172623/http://www.public.navy.mil/subfor/underseawarfaremagazine/Issues/Archives/issue_47/torpedo.html |archive-date=23 July 2015}}</ref> Remarkably, senior Navy and [[Bureau of Ordnance]] officers never questioned why half a dozen torpedoes, released so close to the Japanese carriers, produced no results.<ref>{{Harvnb|Crenshaw|1995|p=158}}</ref>

Despite their failure to score any hits, the American torpedo attacks achieved three important results. First, they kept the Japanese carriers off balance and unable to prepare and launch their own counterstrike. Second, the poor control of the Japanese CAP meant they were out of position for subsequent attacks. Third, many of the Zeros ran low on ammunition and fuel.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=215–216, 226–227}}</ref> The appearance of a third torpedo plane attack from the southeast by VT-3 from ''Yorktown'', led by Lieutenant Commander [[Lance Edward Massey]] at 10:00 quickly drew the majority of the Japanese CAP to the southeast quadrant of the fleet.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=226–227}}</ref> Better discipline and the employment of a greater number of Zeros for the CAP might have enabled Nagumo to prevent (or at least mitigate) the damage caused by the coming American attacks.<ref>{{Harvnb|Bicheno|2001|p=62}}</ref>

By chance, at the same time VT-3 was sighted by the Japanese, three squadrons of SBDs from ''Enterprise'' and ''Yorktown'' were approaching from the southwest and northeast. The ''Yorktown'' squadron (VB-3) had flown just behind VT-3 but elected to attack from a different course. The two squadrons from ''Enterprise'' (VB-6 and VS-6) were running low on fuel because of the time spent looking for the Japanese ships. Air Group Commander [[C. Wade McClusky, Jr.]] decided to continue the search and by good fortune spotted the wake of the Japanese destroyer {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Arashi||2}}, steaming at full speed to rejoin Nagumo's carriers after having unsuccessfully [[depth-charge]]d U.S. submarine {{USS|Nautilus|SS-168|2}}, which had unsuccessfully attacked the battleship {{Ship|Japanese battleship|Kirishima||2}}.<ref name="kirishimamove">{{cite web |year=2006 |url=http://www.combinedfleet.com/Kirishima.html |title=IJN Kirishima: Tabular Record of Movement |work=Senkan! |publisher=combinedfleet.com |access-date=6 June 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070610144811/http://www.combinedfleet.com/Kirishima.html |archive-date=10 June 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> Some bombers were lost from fuel exhaustion before the attack commenced.<ref>{{Harvnb|Tillman|1976|pp=69–73}}</ref>

McClusky's decision to continue the search and his judgment, in the opinion of Admiral [[Chester Nimitz]], "decided the fate of our carrier task force and our forces at Midway&nbsp;..."<ref>{{Harvnb|Shepherd|2006|at=[http://www.cv6.org/company/accounts/wmcclusky/ Accounts—C. Wade McClusky]}}</ref> All three American dive-bomber squadrons (VB-6, VS-6, and VB-3) arrived almost simultaneously at the perfect time, locations and altitudes to attack.<ref>{{Harvnb|Prange|Goldstein|Dillon|1982|pp=259–261, 267–269}}; {{Harvnb|Cressman|1990|pp=96–97}}; {{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=215–216, 226–227}}</ref> Most of the Japanese CAP was directing its attention to the torpedo planes of VT-3 and was out of position; meanwhile, armed Japanese strike aircraft filled the hangar decks, fuel hoses snaked across the decks as refueling operations were hastily being completed, and the repeated change of ordnance meant that bombs and torpedoes were stacked around the hangars, rather than stowed safely in the [[Magazine (artillery)|magazines]], making the Japanese carriers extraordinarily vulnerable.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=250}}</ref>

====Destruction of ''Kaga'', ''Sōryū'' and ''Akagi''====
Beginning at 10:22, the two squadrons of ''Enterprise''{{'}}s air group split up with the intention of sending one squadron each to attack ''Kaga'' and ''Akagi''. A miscommunication caused both of the squadrons to dive at ''Kaga''. Recognizing the error, Lieutenant [[Richard Halsey Best]] and his two wingmen were able to pull out of their dives and, after judging that ''Kaga'' was doomed, headed north to attack ''Akagi''. Coming under an onslaught of bombs from almost two full squadrons, ''Kaga'' sustained three to five direct hits, which caused heavy damage and started multiple fires. One of the bombs landed on or right in front of the bridge, killing Captain [[Jisaku Okada]] and most of the ship's senior officers.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=235–236}}</ref> Lieutenant Clarence E. Dickinson, part of McClusky's group, recalled:

{{blockquote|We were coming down in all directions on the port side of the carrier&nbsp;... I recognized her as the ''Kaga''; and she was enormous&nbsp;... The target was utterly satisfying&nbsp;... I saw a bomb hit just behind where I was aiming&nbsp;... I saw the deck rippling and curling back in all directions exposing a great section of the hangar below&nbsp;... I saw [my] {{cvt|500|lb|adj=on|disp=sqbr|}} bomb hit right abreast of the [carrier's] island. The two {{cvt|100|lb|adj=on|disp=sqbr|}} bombs struck in the forward area of the parked planes&nbsp;...{{Sfn|Miller|2001|p=123}}}}

Several minutes later, Best and his two wingmen dived on ''Akagi''. [[Mitsuo Fuchida]], the Japanese aviator who had led the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]], was on ''Akagi'' when it was hit, and described the attack:

{{blockquote|A look-out screamed: "Hell-Divers!" I looked up to see three black enemy planes plummeting towards our ship. Some of our machineguns managed to fire a few frantic bursts at them, but it was too late. The plump silhouettes of the American Dauntless dive-bombers quickly grew larger, and then a number of black objects suddenly floated eerily from their wings.{{sfn|Beevor|2012|p=310}} }}

Although ''Akagi'' sustained only one direct hit (almost certainly dropped by Lieutenant Best), it proved to be a fatal blow: the bomb struck the edge of the mid-ship deck elevator and penetrated to the upper hangar deck, where it exploded among the armed and fueled aircraft in the vicinity. Nagumo's chief of staff, [[Ryūnosuke Kusaka]], recorded "a terrific fire&nbsp;... bodies all over the place&nbsp;... Planes stood tail up, belching livid flames and jet-black smoke, making it impossible to bring the fires under control."{{sfn|Keegan|2004|p=216}} Another bomb exploded underwater very close astern; the resulting geyser bent the flight deck upward "in grotesque configurations" and caused crucial [[rudder]] damage.<ref name="cv6.org p3" />{{sfn|Keegan|2004|p=216}}{{refn|Other sources claim a stern hit, but Parshall and Tully make a case for a near miss, because of rudder damage from a high explosive bomb.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=253–259}}</ref>|group=nb}}

Simultaneously, ''Yorktown''{{'}}s VB-3, commanded by Lieutenant [[Max Leslie]], went for ''Sōryū'', scoring at least three hits and causing extensive damage. Gasoline ignited, creating an inferno, while stacked bombs and ammunition detonated.{{sfn|Beevor|2012|p=310}} VT-3 targeted ''Hiryū'', which was hemmed in by ''Sōryū'', ''Kaga'', and ''Akagi'', but achieved no hits.<ref name="Parshall 2005 330–353">{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=330–353}}</ref>

Within six minutes, ''Sōryū'' and ''Kaga'' were ablaze from stem to stern. ''Akagi'', having been struck by only one bomb, took longer to burn, but the resulting fires quickly expanded and proved impossible to extinguish; she too was eventually consumed by flames and had to be abandoned. Although Nagumo was reluctant to leave ''Akagi'',<ref>{{cite book |first=Winston |last=Groom |title=1942: The Year That Tried Men's Souls |year=2005 |page=238 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sDVUcuAUCUwC&q=thorpe&pg=PA36 |publisher=Grove Press |isbn=9780802142504}}</ref> Kusaka was able to persuade him.<ref>{{Harvnb|Lord|1967|p=183}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=260}}</ref> At 10:46, Nagumo transferred his [[Flagship|flag]] to the light cruiser {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Nagara||2}}.<ref name="combinedfleet">{{cite web |last=Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp |url=http://combinedfleet.com/nagara_t.htm |title=IJN Nagara: Tabular Record of Movement |date=1997–2009 |work=Imperial Japanese Navy Page |access-date=23 April 2020 |archive-date=6 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606040639/http://www.combinedfleet.com/nagara_t.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> All three carriers remained temporarily afloat, as none had suffered damage below the waterline, other than the rudder damage to ''Akagi'' caused by the near miss close astern. Despite initial hopes that ''Akagi'' could be saved or at least towed back to Japan, all three carriers were eventually abandoned and [[scuttling|scuttled]].<ref name="Parshall 2005 330–353"/>{{refn|Parshall and Tully argue that even if ''Kaga'' had been towed back to Japan, the permanent structural damage caused by the inferno on board would likely have made the carrier unusable for anything except [[Ship breaking|scrapping]].{{sfn|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=337}} |group=nb}} While ''Kaga'' was burning, ''Nautilus'' showed up again and launched three torpedoes at her, scoring one dud hit. The ''Kaga'' was later sunk by the Japanese destroyer [[Japanese destroyer Hagikaze|''Hagikaze'']].<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=302–303, 337–338, 565 note 49}}</ref>

===Japanese counterattacks===
[[File:Yorktown dive bombing.jpg|thumb|''Yorktown'' shortly after being hit by three Japanese bombs]]
''Hiryū'', the sole surviving Japanese aircraft carrier, wasted little time in counterattacking. ''Hiryū''{{'}}s first attack wave, consisting of 18 D3As and 6 Zeros, followed the retreating American aircraft and attacked the first carrier they encountered, ''Yorktown'', hitting her with three bombs, which blew a hole in the deck, snuffed out all but one of her [[boiler]]s, and destroyed one anti-aircraft mount. The damage forced Fletcher to move his command staff to the heavy cruiser {{USS|Astoria|CA-34|2}}. Damage control parties were able to temporarily patch the flight deck and restore power to several boilers within an hour, giving her a speed of {{cvt|19|kn}} and enabling her to resume air operations. ''Yorktown'' hoisted a flag signal to indicate a speed of 5 knots.<ref name="Lord 1967 216–217">{{Harvnb|Lord|1967|pp=216–217}}</ref> Captain Buckmaster had his signalmen hoist a new 10-by-15-foot American flag from the foremast. Thirteen D3As and three Zeros were lost in this attack (two Zeros turned back early after they were damaged attacking some of ''Enterprise''{{'}}s SBDs returning from their attack on the Japanese carriers).<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=262, 292–299, 312}}</ref>

Approximately one hour later, ''Hiryū''{{'}}s second attack wave, consisting of ten B5Ns and six escorting Zeros, arrived over ''Yorktown''; the repair efforts had been so effective that the Japanese pilots assumed that ''Yorktown'' must be a different, undamaged carrier.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=312}}</ref> They attacked, crippling ''Yorktown'' with two torpedoes; she lost all power and developed a 23-degree list to port. Five B5Ns and two Zeros were shot down in this attack.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=311, 316, 318}}</ref>

News of the two strikes, with the mistaken reports that each had sunk an American carrier, greatly improved Japanese morale. The few surviving aircraft were all recovered aboard ''Hiryū''. Despite the heavy losses, the Japanese believed that they could scrape together enough aircraft for one more strike against what they believed to be the only remaining American carrier.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=323}}</ref>

===American counterattack===
[[File:Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryu adrift and burning on 5 June 1942 (NH 73065).jpg|thumb|''Hiryū'', shortly before sinking, photo taken by a [[Yokosuka B4Y]] off the carrier ''Hōshō''<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=356}}</ref>]]

Late in the afternoon, a ''Yorktown'' scout aircraft located ''Hiryū'', prompting ''Enterprise'' to launch a final strike of 24 dive bombers (six SBDs from [[VS-6]], four SBDs from [[VB-6]], and 14 SBDs from ''Yorktown''{{'}}s [[VB-3]]). Despite ''Hiryū'' being defended by more than a dozen Zero fighters, the attack by ''Enterprise'' and orphaned ''Yorktown'' aircraft launched from ''Enterprise'' was successful: four bombs (possibly five) hit ''Hiryū'', leaving her ablaze and unable to operate aircraft. ''Hornet''{{'}}s strike, launched late because of a communications error, concentrated on the remaining escort ships but failed to score any hits.<ref name="Parshall 2005 328–329, 354–359">{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=328–329, 354–359}}</ref> A bomb from the ''Enterprise'' dive bomber piloted by [[Norman Kleiss|Dusty Kleiss]] struck ''Hiryū'' on the bow, essentially crippling her.<ref name="Battle 360">{{citation |title=Battle 360 - Vengeance at Midway |publisher=The History Channel}}</ref><ref name="Ultimate Warfare">{{citation |title=Ultimate Warfare - Courage at Sea |publisher=American Heroes Channel}}</ref>

After futile attempts at controlling the blaze, most of the crew on ''Hiryū'' were evacuated, and the remainder of the fleet continued sailing northeast in an attempt to intercept the American carriers. Despite a scuttling attempt by a Japanese destroyer that hit her with a torpedo and then departed quickly, ''Hiryū'' stayed afloat for several more hours. She was discovered early the next morning by an aircraft from the escort carrier {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Hōshō||2}}, prompting hopes she could be saved or towed back to Japan. Soon after being spotted, ''Hiryū'' sank. Yamaguchi, along with ship's captain, {{ill|Tomeo Kaku|ja|加来止男}}, chose to [[the captain goes down with the ship|go down with the ship]], costing Japan perhaps its best carrier officer. One young sailor reportedly tried to stay with the officers but was denied.<ref name="Parshall 2005 328–329, 354–359"/>

As darkness fell, both sides made tentative plans for continuing the action. Fletcher, obliged to abandon the derelict ''Yorktown'' and feeling he could not adequately command from a cruiser, ceded operational command to Spruance. Spruance knew the U.S. had won a great victory, but he was unsure of what Japanese forces remained and was determined to safeguard both Midway and his carriers. To aid his aviators, who had launched at extreme range, he had continued to close with Nagumo during the day and persisted as night fell.<ref name="Potter & Nimitz 1960 p.682">{{Harvnb|Potter|Nimitz|1960|p=682}}</ref>

Finally, fearing a possible night encounter with Japanese surface forces<ref name="Potter & Nimitz 1960 p.682"/> and believing Yamamoto still intended to invade (based in part on a misleading contact report from the submarine {{USS|Tambor|SS-198|2}})<ref name="Blair 1975 246–247">{{Harvnb|Blair|1975|pp=246–247}}</ref> Spruance changed course and withdrew to the east, turning back west towards the Japanese at midnight.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=344}}</ref> For his part, Yamamoto initially decided to continue the engagement and sent his remaining surface forces searching eastward for the American carriers. Simultaneously, he detached a cruiser raiding force to bombard the island. The Japanese surface forces failed to make contact with the Americans because Spruance had briefly withdrawn eastward, and Yamamoto ordered a general withdrawal to the west.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=382–383}}</ref> It was fortunate for the U.S. that Spruance did not pursue: had he come in contact with Yamamoto's [[Capital ship|heavy ships]], including {{ship|Japanese battleship|Yamato||2}}, in the dark, considering the Japanese Navy's superiority in night-attack tactics at the time, there is a very high probability his cruisers would have been overwhelmed and his carriers sunk.<ref>{{Harvnb|Blair|1975|pp=246–247}}; {{Harvnb|Willmott|1983|pp=381–382}}</ref>

Spruance failed to reestablish contact with Yamamoto's forces on 5 June, despite extensive searches. Towards the end of the day, he launched a search-and-destroy mission to seek out any remnants of Nagumo's carrier force. This late afternoon strike narrowly missed detecting Yamamoto's main body and failed to score hits on a straggling Japanese destroyer. The strike planes returned to the carriers after nightfall, prompting Spruance to order ''Enterprise'' and ''Hornet'' to turn on their lights to aid the landings.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=364–365}}</ref>

At 02:15 on 5 June Commander John Murphy's ''Tambor'', lying {{cvt|90|nmi}} west of Midway, made the second of the submarine force's two major contributions to the battle's outcome, although its impact was heavily blunted by Murphy.<ref name="Blair, 250">{{Harvnb|Blair|1975|p=250}}</ref> Sighting several ships, neither Murphy nor his executive officer, Edward Spruance (son of Admiral Spruance), could identify them. Uncertain of whether they were friendly and unwilling to approach any closer to verify their heading or type, Murphy decided to send a vague report of "four large ships" to Admiral [[Robert Henry English|Robert English]], [[Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet|Commander, Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet]]. This report was passed on by English to Nimitz, who then sent it to Spruance. Spruance, a former submarine commander, was "understandably furious" at the vagueness of Murphy's report, as it provided him with little more than suspicion and no concrete information on which to make his preparations.<ref name="Parshall & Tully, 359">{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=359}}</ref> Unaware of the exact location of Yamamoto's "Main Body" (a persistent problem since the time PBYs had first sighted the Japanese), Spruance was forced to assume the "four large ships" reported by ''Tambor'' represented the main invasion force and so he moved to block it, while staying {{cvt|100|nmi}} northeast of Midway.<ref name="prange_320">{{Harvnb|Prange|Goldstein|Dillon|1982|p=320}}; {{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=345}}</ref>

In reality, the ships sighted by ''Tambor'' were the detachment of four cruisers and two destroyers Yamamoto had sent to bombard Midway. At 02:55 these ships received Yamamoto's order to retire and changed course to comply.<ref name="prange_320" /> At about the same time as this change of course, ''Tambor'' was sighted and during maneuvers designed to avoid a submarine attack, the heavy cruisers {{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Mogami|1934|2}} and {{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Mikuma||2}} collided, inflicting serious damage on ''Mogami''{{'}}s bow. The less severely damaged ''Mikuma'' slowed to {{cvt|12|kn}} to keep pace.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=345–346, diagram 347, 348}}</ref> Only at 04:12 did the sky brighten enough for Murphy to be certain the ships were Japanese, by which time staying surfaced was hazardous and he dived<!--This is the correct Sub Force usage; do not change it.--> to approach for an attack. The attack was unsuccessful, and around 06:00 he finally reported two westbound {{sclass|Mogami|cruiser|1}}s before diving again and playing no further role in the battle.<ref name="Blair 1975 246–247"/> Limping along on a straight course at 12&nbsp;knots—roughly one-third their top speed—''Mogami'' and ''Mikuma'' had been almost perfect targets for a submarine attack. As soon as ''Tambor'' returned to port, Spruance had Murphy relieved of duty and reassigned to a shore station, citing his confusing contact report, poor torpedo shooting during his attack run, and general lack of aggression, especially as compared to ''Nautilus'', the oldest of the 12 boats at Midway and the only one which had successfully placed a torpedo on target (albeit a dud).<ref name="Blair, 250"/><ref name="Parshall & Tully, 359"/><!--Because of some misleading reports Spruance thought there may have been a fifth carrier lurking to the north-west of Midway—the sighting of the cruisers did not influence Spruance's decision making: instead, he sent his carrier bombers to attack the non-existent carrier: it was these aircraft that later attacked the cruisers.--><!--Can you source it?-->

[[File:Navy fighters during the attack on the Japanese fleet off Midway, June 4th to 6th 1942. In the center is visible a... - NARA - 520591.tif|thumb|[[Douglas SBD Dauntless|SBD Dauntless]] dive bombers from Scouting Squadron 8 (VS-8) aboard {{USS|Hornet|CV-8|6}} approach the burning heavy cruiser {{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Mikuma||2}} on 6 June]]
Over the next two days, several strikes were launched against the stragglers, first from Midway, then from Spruance's carriers. ''Mikuma'' was eventually sunk by Dauntlesses,<ref name="NatlGeo1999">{{Cite journal |last=Allen |first=Thomas B. |title=Return to the Battle of Midway |publisher=National Geographic |journal=Journal of the National Geographic Society |location=Washington, D.C. |volume=195 |issue=4 |pages=80–103 (p. 89) |date=April 1999 |url=http://www.nationalgeographic.com/midway |issn=0027-9358 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091011120347/http://www.nationalgeographic.com/midway/ |archive-date=11 October 2009}}</ref> while ''Mogami'' survived further severe damage to return home for repairs. The destroyers {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Arashio||2}} and {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Asashio|1936|2}} were also bombed and strafed during the last of these attacks.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=377}}</ref> Captain [[Richard E. Fleming]], a U.S. Marine Corps aviator, was killed while executing a glide bomb run on ''Mikuma'' and was posthumously awarded the [[Medal of Honor]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=362}}</ref>

Meanwhile, salvage efforts on ''Yorktown'' were encouraging, and she was taken in tow by fleet tug {{USS|Vireo|AM-52|6}}. In the late afternoon of 6 June the {{Ship|Japanese submarine|I-168||6}}, which had managed to slip through the cordon of destroyers (possibly because of the large amount of debris in the water), fired a salvo of torpedoes, two of which struck ''Yorktown''. There were few casualties aboard since most of the crew had already been evacuated, but a third torpedo from this salvo struck the destroyer {{USS|Hammann|DD-412|6}}, which had been providing auxiliary power to ''Yorktown''. ''Hammann'' broke in two and sank with the loss of 80 lives, mostly because her own depth charges exploded. With further salvage efforts deemed hopeless, the remaining repair crews were evacuated from ''Yorktown''. Throughout the night of 6 June and into the morning of 7 June, ''Yorktown'' remained afloat, but by 05:30 on 7 June, her list rapidly increased to port. Shortly afterward, the ship turned onto her port side.<ref>{{Harvnb|Lord|1967|p=280}}</ref> At 07:01, ''Yorktown'' capsized and sank.

===Japanese and U.S. casualties===
[[File:Sinking of japanese cruiser Mikuma 6 june 1942.jpg|thumb|{{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Mikuma||2}} shortly before sinking]]

SBD pilot Norman "Dusty" Kleiss, who scored three hits on Japanese ships during the Battle of Midway (aircraft carriers ''Kaga'' and ''Hiryū'' and heavy cruiser ''Mikuma''), wrote: "From the experience in the Marshalls, at Wake and at Marcus, I thought our fleet learned its lessons. We could not send TBDs into action unless they had adequate smoke protection and torpedoes that exploded more than 10 percent of the time."<ref>{{harvnb|Kleiss|2017|p=185}}</ref>

By the time the battle ended, 3,057 Japanese had died. Casualties aboard the four carriers were: ''Akagi'': 267; ''Kaga'': 811; ''Hiryū'': 392 (including Yamaguchi who chose to go down with his ship); ''Soryū'': 711 (including [[Captain Yanagimoto]], who chose to remain on board); a total of 2,181.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=476}}</ref> The heavy cruisers ''Mikuma'' (sunk; 700 casualties) and ''Mogami'' (badly damaged; 92) accounted for another 792 deaths.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=378, 380}}</ref>

In addition, the destroyers ''Arashio'' (bombed; 35) and ''Asashio'' (strafed by aircraft; 21) were both damaged during the air attacks which sank ''Mikuma'' and caused further damage to ''Mogami''. Floatplanes were lost from the cruisers ''Chikuma'' (3) and ''Tone'' (2). Dead aboard the destroyers ''Tanikaze'' (11), ''Arashi'' (1), ''Kazagumo'' (1) and the fleet oiler ''Akebono Maru'' (10) made up the remaining 23 casualties.{{refn|Japanese casualty figures for the battle were compiled by Sawaichi Hisae for her book ''Middowei Kaisen: Kiroku'', p. 550: the list was compiled from Japanese prefectural records and is the most accurate to date.<ref name="ParTulcas">{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=114, 365, 377–380, 476}}</ref>|group=nb}}

At the end of the battle, the U.S. lost the carrier ''Yorktown'' and the destroyer ''Hammann''. 307 Americans had been killed, including Major General [[Clarence L. Tinker]], Commander, [[Seventh Air Force|7th Air Force]], who personally led a bomber strike from Hawaii against the retreating Japanese forces on 7 June. He was killed when his aircraft crashed near Midway Island.

==Aftermath==
[[File:Midway survivor on PBY.jpg|thumb|A rescued U.S. aviator on Midway]]

After winning a clear victory, and as pursuit became too hazardous near [[Wake Island]],<ref name=Blair247>{{Harvnb|Blair|1975|p=247}}</ref> American forces retired. Spruance again withdrew to the east to refuel his destroyers and rendezvous with the carrier ''Saratoga'', which was ferrying much-needed replacement aircraft. Fletcher transferred his flag to ''Saratoga'' on the afternoon of 8 June and resumed command of the carrier force. For the remainder of that day and the next, Fletcher continued to launch search missions from the three carriers to ensure the Japanese were no longer advancing on Midway. Late on 10 June a decision was made to leave the area, and the American carriers returned to Pearl Harbor.<ref>{{Harvnb|Lundstrom|2006|pp=293–296}}</ref>

Historian [[Samuel Eliot Morison|Samuel E. Morison]] noted in 1949 that Spruance was criticized for not pursuing the retreating Japanese, allowing their surface fleet to escape.<ref>{{Harvnb|Morison|1949|pp=142–143}}</ref> [[Clay Blair]] argued in 1975 that had Spruance pressed on, he would have been unable to launch his aircraft after nightfall, and his cruisers would have been overwhelmed by Yamamoto's powerful surface units, including ''Yamato''.<ref name=Blair247/> Furthermore, the American air groups had suffered considerable losses, including most of their torpedo bombers. This made it unlikely that they would be effective in an airstrike against the Japanese battleships, even if they had managed to catch them during the daytime.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=330}}</ref> Also, Spruance's destroyers were critically low on fuel.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=382}}</ref><ref name=Toll>{{Harvnb|Toll|2012|p=471}}</ref>

On 10 June the Imperial Japanese Navy conveyed to the military liaison conference an incomplete picture of the results of the battle. Nagumo's detailed battle report was submitted to the high command on 15 June. It was intended only for the highest echelons in the Japanese Navy and government and was guarded closely throughout the war. In it, one of the more striking revelations is the comment on Mobile Force Commander Nagumo's estimates: "The enemy is not aware of our plans (we were not discovered until early in the morning of the 5th at the earliest)."<ref>{{cite report |publication-date=June 1947 |title=The Japanese Story of the Battle of Midway (a Translation) |journal=The ONI Review |volume=2 |number=5 |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/j/japanese-story-of-the-battle-of-midway.html |access-date=11 December 2020 |last=Nagumo |first=Chūichi |others=Foreword by [[Ralph A. Ofstie]] |date=15 June 1942 |publisher=[[Office of Naval Intelligence]] |via=[[Naval History and Heritage Command]] |archive-date=19 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219231714/https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/j/japanese-story-of-the-battle-of-midway.html |url-status=live}}</ref> In reality, the whole operation had been compromised from the beginning by American code-breaking efforts.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=92–93}}</ref>

The Japanese public and much of the military command structure were kept in the dark about the extent of the defeat: Japanese news announced a great victory. Only Emperor [[Hirohito]] and the highest Navy command staff were accurately informed of the carrier and personnel losses. Consequently, even the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] continued to believe, for at least a short time, that the fleet was in good condition.<ref>{{Harvnb|Bix|2001|p=449}}</ref>

On the return of the Japanese fleet to [[Hashirajima]] on 14 June the wounded were immediately transferred to naval hospitals; most were classified as "secret patients", placed in isolation wards and quarantined from other patients and their own families to keep this major defeat secret.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=386}}</ref> The remaining officers and men were quickly dispersed to other units of the fleet and, without being allowed to see family or friends, were shipped to units in the South Pacific, where the majority died in battle.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=386–387}}</ref> None of the flag officers or staff of the Combined Fleet were penalized, and Nagumo was later placed in command of the rebuilt carrier force.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=388}}</ref> A possible reason Nagumo was not relieved of command was that he reported two American carriers had been sunk; not one actually sunk.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/Japan/IJN/rep/Midway/Nagumo |page=59 |title=HyperWar: The Japanese Story of the Battle of Midway |access-date=4 September 2022 |archive-date=2 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221002153723/http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/Japan/IJN/rep/Midway/Nagumo/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Still from 1942 film Battle of Midway shot by John Ford 02.jpg|thumb|In this still from the 1942 U.S. Navy film ''[[The Battle of Midway (film)|The Battle of Midway]]'', shot by [[John Ford]], soldiers and civilians inspect the wreckage of a plane while black smoke billows in the distance]]
As a result of the defeat, new procedures were adopted whereby more Japanese aircraft were refueled and re-armed on the flight deck rather than in the hangars, and the practice of draining all unused fuel lines was adopted. The new carriers being built were redesigned to incorporate only two flight deck elevators and new firefighting equipment. More carrier crew members were trained in damage-control and firefighting techniques, although the losses of the ''Shōkaku'', ''{{Ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Hiyō||2}}'', and especially ''{{Ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Taihō||2}}'' later in the war suggest that there were still problems in this area.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=388–389}}</ref>

Japanese replacement pilots were pushed through an abbreviated training regimen to meet the short-term needs of the fleet, leading to a sharp decline in the quality of the aviators produced. These inexperienced pilots were fed into front-line units, while the veterans who remained after Midway and the [[Solomon Islands campaign|Solomons campaign]] were forced to share an increased workload as conditions grew more desperate, with few being given a chance to rest in rear areas or in the home islands. As a result, Japanese naval air groups as a whole progressively deteriorated during the war while their American adversaries continued to improve.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=390–391}}</ref>

===American prisoners===<!--Frank Woodrow O'Flaherty redirects here.-->
Three U.S. aviators were captured during the battle: Ensign Wesley Osmus,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://navy.togetherweserved.com/usn/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=436566 |title=Osmus, Wesley, ENS |website=Navy.TogetherWeServed.com |access-date=27 November 2019 |archive-date=26 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726174039/https://navy.togetherweserved.com/usn/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=436566 |url-status=live}}</ref> a pilot from ''Yorktown''; Ensign Frank O'Flaherty,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://navy.togetherweserved.com/usn/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=398258 |title=O'Flaherty, Frank Woodrow, ENS |website=Navy.TogetherWeServed.com |access-date=27 November 2019 |archive-date=26 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726154551/https://navy.togetherweserved.com/usn/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=398258 |url-status=live}}</ref> a pilot from ''Enterprise''; and [[Aviation Machinist's Mate]] [[Bruno Peter Gaido]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://navy.togetherweserved.com/usn/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=557720 |title=Gaido, Bruno Peter, PO1 |website=Navy.TogetherWeServed.com |access-date=27 November 2019 |archive-date=26 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726180949/https://navy.togetherweserved.com/usn/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=557720 |url-status=live}}</ref> O'Flaherty's radioman-gunner.<ref name="pacwar Japanese War Crimes">{{cite web |url=https://www.pacificwar.org.au/JapWarCrimes/TenWarCrimes/WarCrimes_Jap_Navy.html |title=War crimes of the Imperial Japanese Navy |last=Bowen |first=James |access-date=11 March 2021 |archive-date=7 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307092639/http://pacificwar.org.au/JapWarCrimes/TenWarCrimes/WarCrimes_Jap_Navy.html |url-status=live}}{{Self-published source|date=March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Shepherd|2006|at=[http://www.cv6.org/company/pow.htm Prisoners of War]}}</ref> Osmus was held on ''Arashi''; O'Flaherty and Gaido on the cruiser ''Nagara'' (or destroyer ''Makigumo'', sources vary); O'Flaherty and Gaido were interrogated and then tied to water-filled kerosene cans and thrown overboard to drown.<ref>{{Harvnb|Barde|1983|pp=188–192}}</ref> Osmus was slated for the same fate; however, he resisted and was murdered on the ''Arashi'' with a fire axe, and his body was thrown overboard.<ref name="pacwar Japanese War Crimes"/> The report filed by Nagumo tersely states that Osmus, "died on 6 June and was buried at sea";<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=583}}</ref> O'Flaherty and Gaido's fates were not mentioned.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=566}}</ref> The execution of Osmus in this manner was apparently ordered by ''Arashi''{{'}}s captain, Watanabe Yasumasa. Yasumasa died when the destroyer {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Numakaze||2}} sank in December 1943; had he survived the war he would have likely been tried as a [[Japanese war crimes|war criminal]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=584}}</ref>

===Japanese prisoners===

Two enlisted men from ''Mikuma'' were rescued from a life raft on 9 June by {{USS|Trout|SS-202|6}} and taken to Pearl Harbor. After receiving medical care, at least one of these sailors cooperated during interrogation and provided intelligence.<ref>{{cite report |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/archives/digital-exhibits-highlights/action-reports/wwii-battle-of-midway/interrogation-of-japanese-prisoners.html |title=Interrogation of Japanese Prisoners Taken After Midway Action, 9 June 1942 |last=Nimitz |first=Chester W. |author-link=Chester W. Nimitz |date=21 June 1942 |publisher=National Archives and Records Administration |location=College Park, Maryland |via=[[Naval History and Heritage Command]] |access-date=11 March 2021 |archive-date=21 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321063948/https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/archives/digital-exhibits-highlights/action-reports/wwii-battle-of-midway/interrogation-of-japanese-prisoners.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Another 35 crewmen from ''Hiryū'' were taken from a lifeboat by {{USS|Ballard|DD-267|6}} on 19 June after being spotted by an American search plane. They were taken to Midway and then transferred to Pearl Harbor on {{USS|Sirius|AK-15|6}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/b/battle-of-midway-4-7-june-1942.html |title=Battle of Midway: 4-7 June 1942 |date=8 October 2020 |publisher=[[Naval History and Heritage Command]] |access-date=8 August 2015 |archive-date=6 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906125606/http://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/b/battle-of-midway-4-7-june-1942.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media notes |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/wars-and-events/world-war-ii/midway/80-G-79982-24.html |title=Battle of Midway, June 1942 |date=23 June 1942 |type=photograph metadata |id=80-G-79982-24 |publisher=[[Naval History and Heritage Command]] |access-date=8 August 2015 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924140434/http://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/wars-and-events/world-war-ii/midway/80-G-79982-24.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Impact==
[[File:SBD-2 Naval Aviation Museum.jpg|thumb|This [[Douglas SBD Dauntless|SBD-2]] was one of sixteen dive bombers of [[VMSB-241]] launched from Midway on the morning of 4 June. Holed 219 times in the attack on the carrier ''Hiryū'', it survives today at the [[National Naval Aviation Museum]] at [[Pensacola, Florida]].<ref name="SBD-2 Aircraft, Bureau Number 2106">{{citation |title=SBD-2 Aircraft, Bureau Number 2106 |url=http://collections.naval.aviation.museum/emuwebdoncoms/pages/doncoms/Display.php?irn=16028043 |publisher=National Naval Aviation Museum Collections |date=13 January 1994 |access-date=12 April 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20160629145842/http://collections.naval.aviation.museum/emuwebdoncoms/pages/doncoms/Display.php?irn=16028043 |archive-date=29 June 2016}}</ref>]]

The Battle of Midway has often been called "the turning point of the Pacific".<ref name="turning point">{{Harvnb|Dull|1978|p=166}}; {{Harvnb|Prange|Goldstein|Dillon|1982|p=395}}</ref> It was the [[Allies of World War II|Allies']] first major naval victory against the Japanese.<ref name="U.S">U.S. Naval War College Analysis, p. 1; {{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=416–430}}</ref> Had Japan won the battle as thoroughly as the U.S. did, it might have been able to capture Midway Island. ''Saratoga'' would have been the only American carrier in the Pacific, as no new ones were completed before the end of 1942. While the U.S. would probably not have sought peace with Japan as Yamamoto hoped, his country might have revived [[Operation FS]] to invade and occupy Fiji and Samoa; attacked Australia, Alaska, and Ceylon; or even attempted to occupy Hawaii.<ref name="baker20160108">{{Cite magazine |last=Baker |first=Benjamin David |date=8 January 2016 |title=What If Japan Had Won The Battle of Midway? |url=https://thediplomat.com/2016/01/what-if-japan-had-won-the-battle-of-midway/ |magazine=The Diplomat |access-date=12 February 2021 |archive-date=22 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422234546/https://thediplomat.com/2016/01/what-if-japan-had-won-the-battle-of-midway/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Although the Japanese continued to try to secure more territory, and the U.S. did not move from a state of naval parity to one of supremacy until after several more months of hard combat,<ref>{{Harvnb|Willmott|1983|pp=522–523}}; {{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=416–430}}</ref> Midway allowed the Allies to switch to the strategic initiative, paving the way for the [[Guadalcanal campaign|landings on Guadalcanal]] and the prolonged [[attrition warfare|attrition]] of the [[Solomon Islands campaign]]. Midway allowed this to occur before the first of the new {{sclass|Essex|aircraft carrier|0}} fleet carriers became available at the end of 1942.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=422–423}}</ref> The Guadalcanal campaign is regarded by some as a turning point in the Pacific War.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.combinedfleet.com/turningp.htm |title=The Turning Point of the Pacific War: Two Views |first1=Scott |last1=Fisher |first2=Nathan |last2=Forney |publisher=CombinedFleet.com |date=1996 |access-date=8 January 2017 |archive-date=4 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204210922/http://www.combinedfleet.com/turningp.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>

Some authors have stated that heavy losses in carriers and veteran aircrews at Midway permanently weakened the Imperial Japanese Navy.<ref>{{Harvnb|Dull|1978|p=166}}; {{Harvnb|Willmott|1983|pp=519–523}}; {{Harvnb|Prange|Goldstein|Dillon|1982|p=395}}</ref> Parshall and Tully have stated that the heavy losses in veteran aircrew (110, just under 25% of the aircrew embarked on the four carriers)<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=432}}</ref> were not crippling to the Japanese naval air corps as a whole; the Japanese navy had 2,000 carrier-qualified aircrews at the start of the Pacific War.<ref name="Partull417">{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=417}}</ref> The loss of four large fleet carriers and over 40% of the carriers' highly trained aircraft mechanics and technicians, plus the essential flight-deck crews and armorers, and the loss of organizational knowledge embodied in such highly trained crews, were still heavy blows to the Japanese carrier fleet.<ref name="Partul4167" />{{refn|Pre-war Japan was less mechanized than America and the highly trained aircraft mechanics, fitters, and technicians lost at Midway were all but impossible to replace and train to a similar level of efficiency. In contrast, the extensive use of machinery in the United States meant that a much larger portion of the population had a mechanical/technical background.<ref name="Partull417" />|group=nb}} A few months after Midway, the [[Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service]] sustained similar casualty rates in the [[Battle of the Eastern Solomons]] and [[Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands]], and it was these battles, combined with the constant attrition of veterans during the Solomons campaign, which were the catalyst for the sharp downward spiral in operational capability.<ref name="Partul4167">{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=416–417, 432}}</ref>

After the battle, ''Shōkaku'' and ''Zuikaku'' were the only large carriers of the original Pearl Harbor strike force still afloat. Of Japan's other carriers, ''Taihō'', which was not commissioned until early 1944, would be the only fleet carrier worth teaming with ''Shōkaku'' and ''Zuikaku''; {{Ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Ryūjō||2}} and {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Zuihō||2}} were light carriers, while {{Ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Jun'yō||2}} and {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Hiyō||2}}, although technically classified as fleet carriers, were second-rate ships of comparatively limited effectiveness.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|p=421}}</ref> In the time it took Japan to build three carriers, the U.S. Navy commissioned more than two dozen fleet and light fleet carriers, and numerous escort carriers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.combinedfleet.com/economic.htm |title=Why Japan ''Really'' Lost The War |publisher=CombinedFleet.com |access-date=23 July 2015 |archive-date=12 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212095943/http://www.combinedfleet.com/economic.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> By 1942 the U.S. was already three years into a shipbuilding program mandated by the 1938 [[Naval Act of 1938|Second Vinson Act]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Davidson|1996|p=21}}</ref>

Both the U.S. and Japan accelerated the training of aircrew, but the U.S. had a more effective pilot rotation system, which meant that more veterans survived and went on to training or command [[billet]]s, where they were able to pass on lessons they had learned in combat to trainees, instead of remaining in combat, where errors were more likely to be fatal.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005|pp=390–392}}</ref> By the time of the [[Battle of the Philippine Sea]] in June 1944, the Japanese had nearly rebuilt their carrier forces in terms of numbers, but their planes, many of which were obsolete, were largely flown by inexperienced and poorly trained pilots.{{refn|{{Ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Shinano||2}}, commissioned on 19 November 1944, was only the fourth fleet carrier commissioned by Japan during the war, after ''Taihō'', ''Unryū'', and ''Amagi''.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chesneau|1980|pp=169–170, 183–184}}</ref>|group=nb}}

Midway showed the worth of pre-war naval cryptanalysis and intelligence-gathering. These efforts continued and were expanded throughout the war in both the Pacific and Atlantic theaters. Successes were numerous and significant. For instance, cryptanalysis made possible the [[Operation Vengeance|shooting down of Admiral Yamamoto's airplane]] in 1943.<ref name=Zimmerman>{{cite web |last1=Zimmerman |first1=Dwight Jon |title=Operation Vengeance: The Mission to Kill Admiral Yamamoto |url=http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/operation-vengeance-the-mission-to-kill-admiral-yamamoto/ |website=DefenseMediaNetwork |access-date=27 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915122457/http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/operation-vengeance-the-mission-to-kill-admiral-yamamoto/ |archive-date=15 September 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Battle of Midway also caused the plan of Japan and [[Nazi Germany]] to [[Axis powers negotiations on the division of Asia|meet up in the Indian subcontinent]] to be abandoned.<ref>{{cite book |last=Paine |first=Sarah |title=The Japanese Empire: Grand Strategy from the Meiji Restoration to the Pacific War |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2017 |page=159}}</ref>

The Battle of Midway redefined the central importance of [[air superiority]] for the remainder of the war when the Japanese suddenly lost their four main aircraft carriers and were forced to return home. Without any form of air superiority, the Japanese never again launched a major offensive in the Pacific.<ref>{{Harvnb|Prange|Goldstein|Dillon|1982}}</ref>{{Page needed|date=December 2020}}<ref>For the Japanese perspective see {{Harvnb|Parshall|Tully|2005}}</ref>{{Page needed|date=December 2020}}

==Discovery of sunken vessels==
Because of the extreme depth of the ocean in the area of the battle (more than {{cvt|17000|ft|m|disp=or}}), researching the battlefield has presented extraordinary difficulties. On 19 May 1998, [[Robert Ballard]] and a team of scientists and Midway veterans from both sides located and photographed ''Yorktown'', which was located {{cvt|16650|ft|m}} deep. The ship was remarkably intact for a vessel that had sunk in 1942; much of the original equipment and even the original paint scheme were still visible.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/TECH/science/9806/04/yorktown.found/index.html |title=Titanic explorer finds Yorktown |date=4 June 1998 |access-date=1 July 2007 |publisher=[[CNN]] |archive-date=22 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070322012349/http://www.cnn.com/TECH/science/9806/04/yorktown.found/index.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Ballard's subsequent search for the Japanese carriers was unsuccessful.

In September 1999, a joint expedition between Nauticos Corp. and the [[U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office]] searched for the Japanese aircraft carriers. Using advanced renavigation techniques in conjunction with the ship's log of the submarine USS ''Nautilus'', the expedition located a large piece of wreckage, subsequently identified as having come from the upper hangar deck of ''Kaga''.

The crew of the research vessel [[RV Petrel|RV ''Petrel'']], in conjunction with the U.S. Navy, announced on 18 October 2019 that it had [[RV Petrel#Kaga|found the Japanese carrier ''Kaga'']] at {{cvt|5400|m|ft|-2|order=flip}}. The crew confirmed the [[RV Petrel#Akagi|discovery of another Japanese carrier, the ''Akagi'']], on 21 October 2019. The ''Akagi'' was found in the [[Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument]] in nearly {{cvt|5490|m|ft|order=flip}} of water.

==Remembrances==
[[File:Starr 080604-6331 Unknown orchidaceae.jpg|thumb|The Midway Memorial]]
Chicago Municipal Airport, important to the war effort in World War II, was renamed [[Chicago Midway International Airport]] (or simply Midway Airport) in 1949 in honor of the battle.<ref name=Airport>{{cite web |title=Midway History |url=http://www.flychicago.com/midway/en/AboutUs/Pages/History.aspx |website=Chicago Department of Aviation |access-date=27 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910122904/http://www.flychicago.com/midway/en/AboutUs/Pages/History.aspx |archive-date=10 September 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Henderson Field (Guadalcanal)|Henderson Field]] in Guadalcanal was named in honor of U.S. Marine Corps Major [[Lofton Henderson]], the first [[United States Marine Corps Aviation|Marine aviator]] to perish during the battle.<ref name=Henderson>{{cite web |title=Lofton R Henderson |url=http://veterantributes.org/TributeDetail.php?recordID=864 |website=Veteran Tributes |access-date=27 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150805011906/http://veterantributes.org/TributeDetail.php?recordID=864 |archive-date=5 August 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Escort carrier]] [[USS St. Lo (CVE-63)|USS ''Midway'' (CVE-63)]] was commissioned on 17 August 1943. She was renamed ''St. Lo'' on 10 October 1944 to clear the name ''Midway'' for a large fleet aircraft carrier,<ref name="St Lo">{{cite web |title=A brief history of the U.S.S. St. Lo (formerly Midway) CVE 63 |url=http://www.dondennisfamily.com/USS_St_Lo/ship/history3.html |website=dondennisfamily.com |access-date=27 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151003232200/http://www.dondennisfamily.com/USS_St_Lo/ship/history3.html |archive-date=3 October 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> {{USS|Midway|CV-41}}, which was commissioned on 10 September 1945, eight days after the [[Surrender of Japan|Japanese surrender]], and is now docked in [[San Diego]], California, as the [[USS Midway Museum|USS ''Midway'' Museum]].<ref name="USS Midway">{{cite web |title=USS Midway (CVB-41) |url=http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/41.htm |website=navsource.org |access-date=27 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150818112822/http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/41.htm |archive-date=18 August 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 13 September 2000 [[United States Secretary of the Interior|Secretary of the Interior]] [[Bruce Babbitt]] designated the lands and waters of Midway Atoll [[National Wildlife Refuge]] as the Battle of Midway National Memorial.<ref>{{cite web |title=Battle of Midway National Memorial |publisher=[[U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]] |date=22 March 2012 |url=http://www.fws.gov/nwrs/threecolumn.aspx?id=2147560557 |access-date=10 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114091546/http://www.fws.gov/midway/memorial.html |archive-date=14 January 2009}}</ref> [[Tinker Air Force Base]] outside [[Oklahoma City, Oklahoma]], is named in honor of Major General [[Clarence L. Tinker]], Commander 7th Air Force, who personally led a bomber strike from Hawaii against the retreating Japanese forces on 7 June.

[[John Ford]] directed the 18-minute 1942 [[Movietone News]] documentary (released by the [[War Activities Committee of the Motion Pictures Industry|War Activities Committee]]) ''[[The Battle of Midway (film)|The Battle of Midway]]'',<ref>For [[Academy Film Archive]] of the film, see [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkiXHKeMC9k&index=37&list=PLJ8RjvesnvDMirffrNEsCKnSFlIMwJoei The Battle of Midway] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201184421/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkiXHKeMC9k&index=37&list=PLJ8RjvesnvDMirffrNEsCKnSFlIMwJoei |date=1 February 2021 }}.</ref> which received the [[Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature|1942 Academy Award for Best Documentary]]; and the eight-minute documentary ''Torpedo Squadron 8'', which describes the heroism of [[VT-8|Torpedo Squadron 8]] of the {{USS|Hornet|CV-8|6}}.<ref name=Harris02282014>{{cite magazine |title=In the Line of Fire |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |last=Harris |first=Mark |author-link=Mark Harris (journalist) |date=28 February 2014 |page=78}}</ref> Ford, who was a [[United States Navy Reserve|Navy Reserve]] commander at the time, was present at Midway Atoll's power plant on Sand Island during the Japanese attack and filmed it.<ref>{{cite AV media |last=Bogdanovich |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Bogdanovich |year=1971 |title=[[Directed by John Ford]] |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |oclc=436284884}} See the interview of Henry Fonda.</ref> He was wounded by enemy fire in his arm during the filming.<ref name=Harris02282014/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/bios/ford_john.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060905201958/http://history.navy.mil/bios/ford_john.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 September 2006 |title=Biography of Rear Admiral John Ford; U.S. Naval Reserve |publisher=[[Naval Historical Center]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq81-8b.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010217181414/http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq81-8b.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 February 2001 |title=Oral History—Battle of Midway:Recollections of Commander John Ford |publisher=[[Naval Historical Center]]}}</ref><ref name=Parrish>{{cite book |title=Growing Up in Hollywood |last=Parrish |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Parrish |location=New York |publisher=[[Harcourt (publisher)|Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich]] |year=1976 |oclc=1659633 |isbn=9780151374731}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[First Bombardment of Midway]], a 7 December 1941 attack on Midway by two Japanese destroyers
* [[Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II]]
* [[Pacific Theater aircraft carrier operations during World War II]]
* ''[[Midway (1976 film)|Midway]]'' (1976)
* ''[[Dauntless: The Battle of Midway]]'' (2019)
* [[Midway (2019 film)|''Midway'']] (2019)
* WWII carrier-versus-carrier engagements between Allied and Japanese naval forces:
** [[Battle of the Coral Sea]]
** [[Battle of the Eastern Solomons]]
** [[Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands]]
** [[Battle of the Philippine Sea]]
** [[Battle of Leyte Gulf]]

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist|group=nb|30em}}

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|22em}}

==References==
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite journal |last=Barde |first=Robert E. |title=Midway: Tarnished Victory |journal=[[The Journal of Military History|Military Affairs]] |volume=47 |issue=4 |date=December 1983 |issn=0899-3718}}
* {{Cite book |last=Beevor |first=Antony |author-link=Antony Beevor |title=The Second World War |date=2012 |publisher=Back Bay Books |location=New York |isbn=978-0-316-02375-7 |title-link=The Second World War (book)}}
* {{Cite book |last=Bicheno |first=Hugh |title=Midway |location=London |publisher=Orion Publishing Group |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-304-35715-4}}
* {{Cite book |last=Bix |first=Herbert P. |author-link=Herbert P. Bix |title=Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan |year=2001 |publisher=Perennial / HarperCollinsPublishers |location=New York |isbn=0-06-019314-X |title-link=Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan}}
* {{Cite book |last=Blair |first=Clay Jr. |author-link=Clay Blair Jr. |title=Silent Victory: The U.S. Submarine War Against Japan |year=1975 |publisher=J.B. Lippincott |location=Philadelphia |isbn=978-0-397-00753-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/silentvictoryus00blai}}
* {{Cite book |last=Buell |first=Thomas B. |title=The Quiet Warrior: A Biography of Admiral Raymond A. Spruance |year=1987 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=0-87021-562-0}}
* {{Cite book |editor-last=Chesneau |editor-first=Roger |title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946 |location=London |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |year=1980 |isbn=978-0-85177-146-5}}
* {{Cite book |last=Crenshaw |first=Russell Sydnor |year=1995 |title=The Battle of Tassafaronga |location=Baltimore, Maryland |publisher=Nautical & Aviation Pub. Co. of America |isbn=978-1-877853-37-1}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Cressman |first1=Robert J. |last2=Ewing |first2=Steve |first3=Barrett |last3=Tillman |first4=Mark |last4=Horan |first5=Clark |last5=Reynolds |first6=Stan |last6=Cohen |title="A Glorious Page in our History", Adm. Chester Nimitz, 1942: The Battle of Midway, 4–6 June 1942 |date=1990 |publisher=Pictorial Histories Pub. Co. |location=Missoula, Montana |isbn=0-929521-40-4 |ref=CITEREFCressman1990}}
* {{Cite book |last=Davidson |first=Joel R. |year=1996 |title=The Unsinkable Fleet: the Politics of U.S. Navy Expansion in World War II. |location=Annapolis, Maryland |publisher=Naval Institute Press |isbn=978-1-55750-156-1}}
* {{Cite book |last=Dull |first=Paul S. |title=A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy (1941–1945) |date=1978 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=1-59114-219-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SLfti-Dc1AcC&pg=PA145 |access-date=4 June 2020 |archive-date=14 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220514091353/https://books.google.com/books?id=SLfti-Dc1AcC&pg=PA145 |url-status=live}}
* {{Cite book |last=Ewing |first=Steve |year=2004 |title=Thach Weave: The Life of Jimmie Thach |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=1-59114-248-2}}
* {{Cite book |last=Isom |first=Dallas Woodbury |title=Midway Inquest: Why the Japanese Lost the Battle of Midway |year=2007 |publisher=Indiana University Press |location=Bloomington, Indiana |isbn=978-0-253-34904-0}}
* {{Cite book |last=Keegan |first=John |author-link=John Keegan |title=Intelligence in War |date=2004 |publisher=Vintage Books |location=New York |isbn=0-375-70046-3}}
* {{cite book |last=Keegan |first=John |author-link=John Keegan |title=The Second World War |location=New York |publisher=Penguin |date=2005 |isbn=978-0-14-303573-2 |oclc=904565693}}
* {{Cite book |last=Kleiss |first=Norman |title=Never Call Me A Hero: The Battle of Midway |location=New York |publisher=Harper Collins |year=2017 |isbn=978-0-06-269205-4}}
* {{cite book |last=Koenig |first=William J. |year=1975 |title=Epic Sea Battles |chapter=Midway, 1942 |publisher=Peerage Books |location=London |isbn=0-907408-43-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/epicseabattles0000koen |url-access=registration |ol=22361603M |oclc=70866344}}
* {{Cite book |last=Lord |first=Walter |author-link=Walter Lord |year=1967 |title=Incredible Victory |publisher=Harper and Row |location=New York |isbn=1-58080-059-9}}
* {{Cite book |last=Lundstrom |first=John B. |year=1984 |title=The First Team: Pacific Naval Air Combat from Pearl Harbor to Midway |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=1-59114-471-X}}
* {{Cite book |last=Lundstrom |first=John B. |year=2006 |title=Black Shoe Carrier Admiral: Frank Jack Fletcher at Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal |location=Annapolis |publisher=Naval Institute Press |isbn=978-1-59114-475-5 |oclc=62782215}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Miller |first1=Donald L. |title=The Story of World War II |date=2001 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |location=New York |isbn=978-0-7432-2718-6}}
* {{Cite book |last=Morison |first=Samuel E. |author-link=Samuel Eliot Morison |year=1949 |title=Coral Sea, Midway and Submarine Actions: May 1942 – August 1942 |series=[[History of United States Naval Operations in World War II]] |volume=4 |publisher=Little, Brown |location=Boston |isbn=978-0-316-58304-6}}
* {{Cite book |last=Mrazek |first=Robert |title=A Dawn Like Thunder: The True Story of Torpedo Squadron Eight |location=New York |publisher=Little, Brown |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-316-02139-5 |oclc=225870332}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Parshall |first1=Jonathan |last2=Tully |first2=Anthony |year=2005 |title=Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway |publisher=Potomac Books |location=Dulles, Virginia |isbn=1-57488-923-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/shatteredswordun0000pars}}
* {{Cite book |last=Peattie |first=Mark R. |author-link=Mark Peattie |title=Sunburst: The Rise of Japanese Naval Air Power, 1909–1941 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=978-1-59114-664-3 |year=2007}}
* {{Cite book |title=Sea Power: A Naval History |last1=Potter |first1=E. B. |last2=Nimitz |first2=Chester W. |author-link2=Chester W. Nimitz |publisher=Prentice-Hall Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey |year=1960 |oclc=395062}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Prange |first1=Gordon W. |author-link=Gordon W. Prange |last2=Goldstein |first2=Donald M. |last3=Dillon |first3=Katherine V. |year=1982 |title=Miracle at Midway |publisher=McGraw-Hill |location=New York |isbn=0-07-050672-8 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/miracleatmidway00pran}}
* {{Cite book |last=Scrivner |first=Charles L. |date=1987 |title=TBM/TBF Avenger in Action |location=Carrollton, Texas |publisher=Squadron/Signal Publications |isbn=0-89747-197-0}}
* {{cite web |last=Shepherd |first=Joel |date=2006 |title=Battle of Midway: June 4–6, 1942 |url=http://www.cv6.org/1942/midway/default.htm |website=USS Enterprise (CV6.org) |access-date=11 December 2020 |archive-date=23 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123185027/http://www.cv6.org/1942/midway/default.htm |url-status=live}}
* {{cite book |last=Smith |first=Michael |year=2000 |title=The Emperor's Codes: Bletchley Park and the Breaking of Japan's Secret Ciphers |publisher=Bantam Press |location=London |isbn=0-593-04642-0}}
* {{Cite book |last=Stephen |first=Martin |title=Sea Battles in Close-up: World War Two |location=London |publisher=Ian Allan |year=1988 |isbn=978-0-7110-1596-8}}
* {{Cite book |last=Stille |first=Mark |year=2007 |title=USN Carriers vs IJN Carriers: The Pacific 1942 |publisher=Osprey |location=New York |isbn=978-1-84603-248-6}}
* {{Cite book |last=Symonds |first=Craig L. |title=World War Two at Sea: A Global History |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2018 |isbn=978-0-1902-4367-8}}
* {{Cite book |last=Thruelsen |first=Richard |year=1976 |title=The Grumman Story |publisher=Praeger Press |isbn=0-275-54260-2}}
* {{Cite book |last=Tillman |first=Barrett |year=1976 |title=The Dauntless Dive-bomber of World War Two |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=0-87021-569-8 |url=https://archive.org/details/dauntlessdivebom00barr}}
* {{Cite book |last=Toll |first=Ian W. |author-link=Ian W. Toll |year=2012 |title=[[Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941–1942]] |publisher=W.W. Norton |location=New York |isbn=978-0-393-06813-9}}
* {{Cite book |last=Willmott |first=H. P. |year=1983 |title=The Barrier and the Javelin: Japanese and Allied Strategies, February to June 1942 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=1-59114-949-5}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Evans |first1=David |last2=Peattie |first2=Mark R. |title=Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887–1941 |year=1997 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=0-87021-192-7}}
* {{Cite book |last=Fuchida |first=Mitsuo |author-link=Mitsuo Fuchida |author2=Masatake Okumiya |year=1955 |title=Midway: The Battle that Doomed Japan, the Japanese Navy's Story |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=0-87021-372-5 |author2-link=Masatake Okumiya}} A Japanese account; numerous assertions in this work have been challenged by more recent sources.
* {{Cite book |last=Hanson |first=Victor D. |author-link=Victor Davis Hanson |year=2001 |title=Carnage and Culture: Landmark Battles in the Rise of Western Power |publisher=Doubleday |location=New York |isbn=0-385-50052-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/carnageculturela00hans}}
* {{Cite book |last=Hara |first=Tameichi |author-link=Tameichi Hara |year=1961 |title=Japanese Destroyer Captain |publisher=Ballantine Books |location=New York |isbn=0-345-27894-1}} First-hand account by Japanese captain, often inaccurate
* {{Cite book |last=Holmes |first=W. |title=Double-Edged Secrets: U.S. Naval Intelligence Operations in the Pacific During World War II (Bluejacket Books) |year=1979 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=1-55750-324-9}}
* {{Cite book |last=Kahn |first=David |author-link=David Kahn (writer) |title=The Codebreakers: The Comprehensive History of Secret Communication from Ancient Times to the Internet |publisher=Scribner |location=New York |isbn=0-684-83130-9}} Significant section on Midway
* {{Cite book |last=Kernan |first=Alvin |year=2005 |title=The Unknown Battle of Midway |publisher=[[Yale University Press]] |location=New Haven, Connecticut |isbn=0-300-10989-X |url=https://archive.org/details/unknownbattleofm00alvi}} An account of blunders that led to the near-total destruction of the American torpedo squadrons, and of what the author calls a cover-up by naval officers after the battle
* {{cite book |last=Layton |first=Edwin T. |year=1985 |title=And I Was There: Pearl Harbor and Midway |url=https://archive.org/details/andiwastherepear00laytrich |url-access=registration |publisher=W. Morrow |location=New York |isbn=978-0-688-04883-9}}
* {{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Douglas V. |year=2006 |title=Carrier Battles: Command Decision in Harm's Way |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=1-59114-794-8}}
* {{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Peter C. |author-link=Peter C. Smith |year=2007 |title=Midway Dauntless Victory; Fresh perspectives on America's Seminal Naval Victory of 1942 |publisher=Pen & Sword Maritime |location=Barnsley, UK |isbn=978-1-84415-583-5}} Detailed study of battle, from planning to the effects on World War II
* {{Cite book |last=Stephan |first=John J. |title=Hawaii Under the Rising Sun: Japan's Plans for Conquest After Pearl Harbor |year=1984 |publisher=University of Hawaii Press |location=Honolulu |isbn=0-8248-2550-0}}
* {{Cite book |last=Willmott |first=H. P. |title=The Second World War in the Far East |series=Smithsonian History of Warfare |year=2004 |publisher=Smithsonian Books |location=Washington, D.C. |isbn=1-58834-192-5 |page=240}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/world-war-ii/1942/midway.html Battle of Midway] main topic page at the [[Naval History and Heritage Command]]
* ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AInDnt0Hdv8 The Battle of Midway]'' (1942){{snd}}U.S. Navy propaganda film directed by [[John Ford]]
** {{IMDb title|qid=Q1795389|title=The Battle of Midway (1942)}}
* [https://archive.org/details/VAS_04_Midway_Is_East ''Victory at Sea'': "Midway Is East"] (1952){{snd}}Episode 4 from a 26-episode series about naval combat during World War II
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqpk4Rmfbm8 ''Destination Point Luck: Voices from Midway''] (2008){{snd}}U.S. Navy Interviews of Battle of Midway Veterans
* Larry Holzwarth: [https://historycollection.com/how-the-battle-of-midway-changed-the-pacific-war/ ''How the Battle of Midway changed the Pacific War''], historycollection.com, 28 February 2020

{{World War II}}
{{Protected areas of the United States Minor Outlying Islands}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Battle of Midway| ]]
[[Category:1942 in Japan]]
[[Category:1942 in the United States]]
[[Category:History of cryptography]]
[[Category:History of Midway Atoll]]
[[Category:Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service]]
[[Category:Japan–United States military relations]]
[[Category:June 1942]]
[[Category:Naval aviation operations and battles]]
[[Category:Naval battles of World War II involving Japan]]
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[[Category:United States Marine Corps in World War II]]
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[[Category:World War II aerial operations and battles of the Pacific theatre]]