NAVAL BATTLE OF MIDWAY ATOLL 1942

Midway Atoll occupies a favorable strategic position in the North Pacific Ocean at the intersection of sea and air communications between the United States and Asian countries. On June 4-6, 1942, near Midway Atoll, a major naval battle took place between the Japanese (commander Admiral I. Yamamoto) and American (commander Admiral Charles Nimitz) fleets as part of the Midway - Aleutian operation of the Japanese fleet (June 3-6, 1942). The goal of the operation was to capture Midway Atoll and the islands of Kiska and Attu (Aleutian Islands), defeat the US Pacific Fleet and ensure the dominance of the Japanese fleet in the central and northern parts of the Pacific Ocean.

The Japanese High Command had been preparing for the capture of Midway for a long time. By the end of April 1942, the plan of operation entrusted to the headquarters of the Combined Fleet for development was drawn up and approved by Admiral Yamamoto. On May 5, the Japanese Imperial Headquarters issued a directive in which the Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet was ordered to “in cooperation with ground forces, carry out the occupation of Midway Island and key points in the western part of the Aleutian Islands.” (Futida M., Okumiya M. The Battle of Midway Atoll. M., 1958. P. 100.) The landing was scheduled for June 4. The capture of the Aleutian Islands was supposed to begin a day earlier in order to divert large forces of the American fleet to the north.

To carry out this large-scale offensive on two directions, the headquarters of the United Fleet planned to attract the maximum number of forces. In total, including transport and auxiliary forces, over 200 ships and vessels were allocated for the operation, including at least 11 battleships, 8 aircraft carriers, 22 cruisers, 65 destroyers and 21 submarines, as well as approximately 700 aircraft. (Futida M., Okumiya M. Op. op. p. 107.) This was the largest concentration of naval forces in history. Pacific region. These forces were consolidated into six formations: four main formations, a forward submarine formation, and a base air force under the overall command of Admiral Yamamoto.

In the central direction, an aircraft carrier strike force was created under the command of Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, consisting of 4 heavy aircraft carriers, 2 battleships, 3 cruisers, 12 destroyers and a Midway invasion force under the command of Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondo, which included 15 transports (5 thousand landing troops), a light aircraft carrier, 2 air transports, 2 battleships, 10 cruisers, 21 destroyers.

"To capture the Aleutian Islands - Attu and Kiska - the northern formation of Vice Admiral Moshiro Hosogaya was allocated, which included 2 light aircraft carriers, 6 cruisers, 12 destroyers, 6 submarines, 4 transports (2,450 landing troops) and a number of other warships and vessels .

The main forces of the Japanese Combined Fleet under the command of Admiral Yamamoto were supposed to act in such a way as to simultaneously provide support for forces in the central and northern directions. They included 7 battleships, a light aircraft carrier, 3 cruisers, 21 destroyers, 2 air transports (they carried dwarf submarines). During the operation, a cover formation (Aleutian region), which included 4 battleships, 2 cruisers, and 12 destroyers, was allocated from these forces to cover the landing on the Aleutian Islands. (History of the Second World War, 1939 - 1945. T.5. M., 1975. P. 392.)

The Japanese fleet left its bases on May 27, the day of the anniversary of the creation of the fleet, and headed for Midway. The Japanese command paid great attention to operational camouflage in order to achieve surprise in the attack. However, the American command managed to decipher the code used by the Japanese and learn in advance about the plans of the Joint Squadron. Three months before the start of the operation, the American army began to vigorously prepare for battle. Commander-in-Chief of the US Pacific Fleet Nimitz visited Midway in early May and took measures to strengthen its garrison and build new defensive structures.

By early June, aviation at Midway was reinforced by 16 Marine Corps dive bombers, 7 fighters, 30 naval flying boats, as well as 18 B-17s and 4 B-26s from the Army Air Corps. There were a total of 120 aircraft at Midway. A large number of anti-aircraft batteries were installed. Several torpedo boats arrived at Midway to patrol the coast. Submarine forces formed three patrol lines in the form of arcs at a distance of 100, 150 and 200 miles from the atoll. All 20 boats took up their assigned positions by June 4.

Against the Japanese squadron, Admiral Nimitz deployed in advance two operational formations consisting of 3 heavy aircraft carriers (233 aircraft), 8 heavy cruisers and 14 destroyers under the command of Rear Admiral F. Fletcher. (Soviet Military Encyclopedia. T.5. M., 1978. P. 277.) Thus, the Americans were inferior to the enemy mainly in large artillery ships (battleships and cruisers). The Japanese superiority in aircraft was offset by American shore-based aviation.

The operation began on June 3 with a Japanese air strike on the Dutch Harbor naval base (Unalaske Island from the Aleutian islands group). In the area of ​​the Midway Atoll, events unfolded as follows. On July 3, 600 miles from the atoll, an American plane discovered a Japanese landing force. The first American air strikes on the enemy were unsuccessful.

On June 4, 108 Japanese aircraft lifted from aircraft carriers attacked the atoll, but did not solve the main problem - they did not destroy American aircraft, since the American aircraft were scrambled into the air and followed to attack the Japanese ships. But their attack did not cause them serious damage.

At this time, 126 bombers and torpedo bombers and 26 fighters took off from three American aircraft carriers to attack Japanese ships. Only three groups of torpedo bombers managed to attack Japanese aircraft carriers. The ships were not damaged. 37 American planes were shot down.

After the return of the first strike aircraft, the Japanese command decided to carry out another attack. But when the torpedoes intended to attack American ships - these torpedoes were armed with torpedo bombers - began to be adapted for bombing ground targets, the message arrived: “Enemy squadron detected.” They again began to hastily equip aircraft for bombing ships. And at that moment, when the planes, loaded with bombs, torpedoes and fuel, were preparing to take off from the take-off platforms, 30 American dive bombers fell on them. (History of the War in the Pacific Ocean. T.Z. M„ 1958. P. 276.) The bombers took off from the aircraft carriers Enterprise and Yorktown. In less than five minutes, they destroyed the flower of the Japanese fleet - the heavy aircraft carriers Kara, Akachi and Soryu. In the entire history of warfare there has never been a faster or more dramatic change in the balance of power.

On the same day, American planes caused heavy damage to the aircraft carrier Hiryu. On June 5, she was sunk by her destroyer.

Japanese bombers heavily damaged the American aircraft carrier Yorktown, which was attacked by a Japanese submarine on June 6 and sank the next morning.

As a result of the Battle of Midway, the Japanese lost 4 heavy aircraft carriers, a heavy cruiser, 332 aircraft (including 280 from sunken aircraft carriers); a battleship, a heavy cruiser, 3 destroyers and 1 transport were damaged. On June 5, Yamamoto canceled the landing on Midway, recalled the northern formations from the Aleutian Islands and began the withdrawal of all fleet forces to their bases.

The Americans lost: a heavy aircraft carrier, a destroyer and 150 aircraft, including 30 based at Midway. The naval battle that took place changed the balance of forces in the Pacific Ocean in favor of the US fleet: the Japanese were left with 1 heavy and 4 light aircraft carriers versus 3 heavy ones for the Americans. (Soviet Military Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. P. 277.) In addition, the Japanese could not catch up with the Americans in their construction. In Japan, six aircraft carriers were built or repaired, and in the United States, at least 13 conventional and 15 escort aircraft carriers were laid down. (Fulaer J. Second World War 1939-1945. Strategic and tactical review. M., 1956. P. 203.)

After these events, it became impossible for the Japanese to carry out active offensive operations. With naval support, American forces launched a counteroffensive in the Pacific theater.

Materials used from the book: “One Hundred Great Battles”, M. “Veche”, 2002

Literature:

1. History of the War in the Pacific Ocean: In the 5th volume / General. ed. U. Seijiro. - T.4. - M., 1958.

2. History of the Second World War. 1939-1945: In the 12th volume / Ed. count A.A. Grechko (editor-in-chief) M., 1975. - T.5. - pp. 391-396.

3. Campaigns of the War in the Pacific. Materials on the study of strategic bombing by United States aircraft. -M., 1956.

4. Nimitz Ch., Potter E. War at sea. (1939-1945). - M., 1965.

5. Roskill S. Fleet and war. - T.2. - M., 1970.

6. Soviet military encyclopedia: In the 8th volume/Ch. ed. commission N.V. Ogarkov (prev.) and others - M., 1978. - T.5. - pp. 276-278.

7. Futida M., Okumiya M. Battle of Midway Atoll. - M., 1958.

8. Sherman F.S. American aircraft carriers in the Pacific War. -M., 1956.

What associations did the surname Yamamoto evoke for residents of our country in the post-war decades? Vague things popped up in my head: huge iron hulks of ships, the muzzles of guns that fired shells tens of kilometers away - at enemy ships. Although our country did not take part in those battles, people read in books that a major naval battle took place near Midway Atoll between the Japanese and American fleets. The commander of the Japanese fleet was Admiral I. Yamamoto. What feelings arise when a modern person reads the name Yohji Yamamoto on the packaging? Associations arise with something pleasant. Pleasant smell, pleasant meetings. Time changes associations. That is life.

Battle of Midway

In the strategic plans of the Japanese command in the Pacific theater of operations, the capture of Midway Atoll was supposed to help establish complete control over all the Hawaiian Islands, force the Americans to leave the largest naval base in Pearl Harbor, create a direct threat to US territory and force the American side to sit down at the table negotiations to conclude peace agreements on favorable terms.

The final decision of the Japanese command on Midway Atoll was made in early May 1942, a couple of days before the battle in the Coral Sea. In addition to the direct capture of Midway, it was planned to carry out an auxiliary (diversionary) operation to capture two islands of the Aleutian ridge (Attu and Kiska) and an air strike on the American base of Dutch Harbor.

The main forces of the Japanese Combined Fleet were involved in the operation. The group of warships and support vessels numbered more than 150 units (including 11 battleships, 4 heavy and 4 light aircraft carriers, 19 cruisers and 66 destroyers). The carrier-based aviation group included more than 355 combat aircraft.

In the main direction, near the Midway Atoll, an attack carrier force (commanded by Vice Admiral Nagumo) was supposed to operate, consisting of four heavy aircraft carriers (Akagi, Kaga, Soryu and Hiryu) and 17 escort warships (in including 2 battleships and 3 cruisers) with the task of launching an initial air strike on the harbor, anti-aircraft artillery positions and, most importantly, on the air base in order to destroy the heterogeneous aircraft stationed there.

The air groups of four heavy aircraft carriers included, including reserve fighters, 248 combat aircraft (including 93 Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero fighters, 74 Aichi D3A1 Val dive bombers and 81 Nakajima B5N2 Kate torpedo bombers). On board the aircraft carrier Soryu were two new carrier-based dive bombers Yokosuka D4Y Shusei (Allied code name "Judy").

High-speed reconnaissance bomber "Yokosuka" D4Y1-C "Susei" (Figure from wardrawings.be)

The deck-based dive bomber "Yokosuka" D4Y "Susei" ("Judy") was developed on the basis of the technical basis of the licensed German bomber "Heinkel" He-118, which did not go into production. The aircraft was developed to replace the outdated Aichi D3A1 Val dive bomber and made its first flight in 1940. The car turned out to be fast: the 1200 horsepower engine installed on the D4Y1 accelerated the bomber to a speed of 552 km per hour, comparable to the speeds of fighters of that time. "Judy" had a ceiling of 9900 meters and a normal flight range of 2535 km (maximum - 3890 km).

D4Y1 “Susey” (“Judy”) on display at the museum, today (Photo from j-aircraftmodel.ru)

The two-seat high-speed bomber D4Y1 could carry one 250-kg or 500-kg aerial bomb in its bomb bay as its main armament. Two 30 kg bombs could be suspended under the wing. Two 7.7 mm machine guns were installed synchronously in front of the engine hood. Another 7.7 mm machine gun was located on a turret in the rear of the cabin.

D4Y1 “Susey” (“Judy”) at an air show, 2013 (Photo from www.warbird-photos.com)

The reconnaissance version of the D4Y1-C, which received its baptism of fire at Midway Atoll, had an additional fuel tank instead of bombs in the weapons bay. There were no crew protection or fuel tanks on the Judy.

The Allied command, thanks to radio interception and decryption of messages, was aware of the enemy's plans and intentions. The commander of the US Pacific Fleet, Admiral Nimitz, planned to forestall the Japanese in deploying their main forces and launch an unexpected air strike against the landing forces and carrier force.

The US Navy strike force (commanded by Rear Admiral Fletcher) included three aircraft carriers (Enterprise, Hornet and Yorktown) and 25 escort warships (8 of them cruisers). Their air groups consisted of 233 combat aircraft (79 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat fighters, 112 Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless dive bombers and 42 Douglas TBD-1 Devastator torpedo bombers).

The fourth “unsinkable aircraft carrier” was Midway itself. A powerful diverse aviation group of 109 combat aircraft and 30 flying boats (amphibious) Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina was deployed at its air base.

Flying boat PBY-5 "Catalina" (Figure from wardrawings.be)

The multi-purpose flying boat "Consolidated" PBY "Catalina" is still considered the most widespread and most successful. The Catalina made its first flight back in 1935, and the latest modifications were in service until the 1970s. The most popular warring models were PBY-5 and PBY-5A (equipped with a 3-wheel retractable landing gear).

Amphibian PBY-5A "Catalina" (Figure from wardrawings.be)

The PBY-5A twin-engine amphibian was equipped with 1,200 horsepower engines and had a maximum speed of 288 km per hour (cruising speed 188 km per hour). "Catalina" had a ceiling of 4480 meters and a practical flight range of 4096 km.

Amphibian PBY-5A "Catalina" in flight, today (Photo from www.flickr.com)

The amphibian's crew depended on the assigned tasks and included from seven to eleven people. Defensive weapons included two 12.7 mm and three 7.62 mm machine guns. Aviation torpedoes, conventional and depth charges could be suspended under the wings (the total weight of the combat load could not exceed 1814 kg).

Amphibian PBY-5A "Catalina" in the parking lot, today (Photo from the site www.navalaviationfoundation.org)

Army aviation (Air Force) was represented by 17 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers and four Martin B-26 medium bombers. Marine aviation had 7 F4F-3 Wildcat fighters, 21 Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo fighters, SBD-2 Dountless dive bombers (16 units) and SB2U-3 Vindicator (17 units). Six of the newest Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bombers, belonging to the Hornet air group, did not hit their aircraft carrier and remained at the island air base.

The Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo carrier-based fighter first flew in 1937. Before the start of hostilities in the Pacific Ocean, the obsolete fighter was migrated from the decks of aircraft carriers to coastal airfields and was used for training purposes or for site air defense (as on Midway Atoll).

"Brewster" F2A-3 "Buffalo" (Figure from wardrawings.be)

The F2A-3 single-seat all-metal fighter was equipped with a 1,200 horsepower engine. The maximum speed at an altitude of 5000 m was 518 km per hour. The Buffalo rose to a height of 4572 m in 7 minutes. The fighter's armament consisted of four 12.7 mm machine guns (two synchronous and two in the wings).

F2A-3 Buffalo fighter in flight, 1942 (Photo from aviawarworld.ru)

The overweight F2A-3 Buffalo was noticeably inferior to the Zero in maneuverability and rate of climb.

Bomber "Vought" SB2U-3 "Vindicator" (Figure from wardrawings.be)

The Vought SB2U-3 Vindicator carrier-based dive bomber reconnaissance aircraft made its first flight in 1936. At the beginning of World War II, the SB2Us remaining on aircraft carriers performed reconnaissance missions and as strike missions from USMC coastal airfields.

SB2U-3 "Vindicator" in flight, 1940 (Photo by wikimedia.org)

The two-seat bomber with an 825 horsepower engine and a maximum take-off weight of 4273 kg could reach a maximum speed of 391 km per hour. The aircraft has a ceiling of 7200 meters and a flight range with a maximum bomb load of 1800 km.

SB2U-3 flight in flight (Photo from axis-and-allies-paintworks.com)

The SB2U-3's armament consisted of two 12.7 mm machine guns (one in the wing and one on the radio operator's turret) and aerial bombs suspended under the center section (one 454 kg) or wings (two 113 kg each). Maximum combat load weight is 454 kg.

SB2U-3 "Vindicator" drops a bomb (Figure from www.fiddlersgreen.net)

The Grumman TBF Avenger deck torpedo bomber was developed to replace the obsolete Douglas TBD-1 Devastator. The Avenger made its first flight in 1941; in early 1942, mass production of the TBF-1 model began, which took its first battle from Midway Atoll in June.

TBF-1 “Avenger” (Drawing from wardrawings.be)

The Avenger was a three-seat midplane with hydraulically folding wings. According to the already established Grumman tradition, the TBF torpedo bomber turned out to be a fairly durable and robust machine that can withstand numerous hits.

Grumman TVM-3E Avenger (Photo from www.aviarmor.net)

A powerful 1,700-horsepower engine accelerated the heavy vehicle (take-off maximum 7,221 kg) to a maximum speed of 436 km per hour. The flight range of the Avenger with a torpedo was 1955 km, and the ceiling was 6790 meters.

Torpedo bomber TVM-3E "Avenger" at an air show, our days (Photo from www.warbirddepot.com)

The main armament of the TBF-1 model torpedo bomber was located in a spacious bomb bay and could consist of one 569-mm Mk.13 torpedo or two 454-kg bombs (or smaller-caliber bombs with a total weight of up to 907 kg). Small arms consisted of one 12.7 mm machine gun in a special turret near the radio operator and two 7.62 mm machine guns (one synchronous, the other in the rear of the fuselage, firing downwards).

TBF-1 “Avenger” at the moment of dropping a torpedo, 1942 (Photo from midnike.livejournal.com)

On June 3, 1942, a strike air group from the Japanese aircraft carriers Ryujo and Zunyo of six B5N2 Kate torpedo bombers, supported by six Zero fighters, attacked the harbor of Dutch Harbor (Aleutian Islands). At this time, Japanese ships had already approached Midway Atoll at a distance of 700 miles. The Japanese did not manage to remain unnoticed.

Scheme of the Battle of Midway Atoll on June 4-5, 1942 (Photo from ww2history.ru)

This morning, at about nine o'clock, the ships heading towards Midway were discovered by one of the PBY Catalina flying boats making regular reconnaissance flights.

Flying boat PBY-5 "Catalina" in a reconnaissance flight (Photo from the site www.aviarmor.net.aww2)

In the evening, nine B-17 Flying Fortresses dropped bombs on a group of Japanese transports already 570 miles from Midway Atoll. The attack by heavy bombers was generally ineffective. More successful was the night attack by four Catalinas armed with torpedoes. Of the three torpedoes dropped, one hit the tanker and caused minor damage; it only slowed down. The Americans did not suffer any losses during the attacks.

The air attacks that took place the night before and at night did not change the plans of the Japanese command, and in the early morning of June 4, 1942, the first planes began to take off from the decks of heavy aircraft carriers, 240 miles from Midway. A strike air group from four aircraft carriers (Akagi, Kaga, Soryu and Hiryu) of 72 attack aircraft (36 D3A1 Val dive bombers and 36 B5N2 Kate torpedo bombers) was covered by 36 A6M2 Zero fighters.

At a distance of about 150 miles from Midway Atoll, at 5.45 a.m., Japanese aircraft were discovered by a PBY Catalina flying boat. Another Catalina a little later, with a difference of several minutes, already noticed two enemy aircraft carriers and escort ships at a distance of 180 miles from the base in a northwest direction.

Having received information from the reconnaissance Catalinas and the base radar about the approach of a Japanese strike air group, the base command scrambled almost all aircraft. Attack aircraft patrolled, awaiting orders, and Marine fighters (20 F2A-3 Buffalos and six F4F-3 Wildcats) rushed to intercept the enemy.

The air battle took place when there were no more than 30 miles left to the atoll. The morally outdated, slow-moving Buffaloes and less maneuverable Wildcats, at the helm of which were young, inexperienced pilots, lost this air battle to the faster and more maneuverable Zeros with well-trained pilots. The Japanese, having lost only two aircraft, shot down 15 American fighters and heavily damaged the rest.

The airfield on Midway Atoll during a Japanese air raid (Photo from the book by A. Sick “Aircraft Carriers. An Illustrated Encyclopedia”, 2013)

The Keiths and Vals, which did not suffer any losses from the American fighters, struck Midway at 6.30. They were met by dense anti-aircraft fire from the island batteries. Five attack aircraft and two Zeros were shot down. There was no crushing blow. Elements of the base's infrastructure were destroyed or damaged, but the runway was not damaged, and there were no more planes on it. The commander of the first shock wave sent a report to Vice Admiral Nagumo about the need for a second attack.

Fire at a fuel warehouse, Sand Island, Midway (Photo by fototelegraf.ru)

Admiral Nimitz, having received a message about the bombing of Midway Atoll, ordered attack aircraft patrolling nearby to strike the Japanese ships. Starting from seven o'clock in the morning, four air raids were carried out, but all of them ended in vain and with huge losses on the American side. Thus, of the six newest TBF Avenger torpedo bombers and four B-26 Marauder medium bombers, only two B-26s and one Avenger returned from the mission. Of the 16 SBD-2 Dauntless dive bombers, eight were lost and the rest were damaged (6 of them could not be repaired). SB2U-3 Vindicator dive bombers lost 4 out of 11 aircraft.

SB2U-3 “Vindicator” after an attack by a Japanese cruiser (Fig. site www.super-hobby.co.uk)

The lack of fighter cover, the dense fire of naval air defense, the fierce attacks of the Zeros and the poor training of American pilots determined such large losses of attack aircraft attacking Japanese ships. Only the B-17 Flying Fortresses did not suffer losses, bombing the Japanese from an altitude of more than 6,000 meters, but never achieving a single hit on the target.

Hiryu maneuvers during a bombing mission from a B-17 Flying Fortress, Midway, June 4, 1942 (Photo by fototelegraf.ru)

From six o'clock in the morning, the Americans began to scramble their planes to attack the discovered Japanese aircraft carriers. The strike air group from Yorktown consisted of 12 TBD-1 Devastator torpedo bombers and 17 SBD-2 Dauntless dive bombers, which was covered by six F4F-4 Wildcat fighters (35 aircraft in total).

Torpedo bombers TBD-1 “Devastator” on the deck of the Enterprise before departure, June 4, 1942 (Photo by fototelegraf.ru)

An hour later, planes from the Enterprise and Hornet began to take off. This strike air group included 116 aircraft (29 Devastator torpedo bombers, 67 Dountless dive bombers and 20 F4F-4 Wildcat fighters). At the time the torpedo bombers took off, the aircraft carriers were at a distance from the intended point of attack, exceeding the radius of action of the Devastators.

SBD-2 "Dauntless" on the deck of the Hornet, June 4, 1942 (Photo by wikimedia.org)

As has already happened, inaccurate reconnaissance data on the target’s location, poor interaction and “His Majesty’s chance” led to the fact that two attack air squadrons did not detect the enemy and did not take part in the air strike, losing 12 aircraft due to lack of fuel. Three air squadrons of Devastators, ahead of the dive bombers, rushed to attack the Japanese aircraft carriers without fighter cover. Of the 41 Devastators, only 4 to 6 vehicles survived. None of the torpedoes they dropped reached their target. The Japanese were surprised by the violent suicide attack of the American pilots. But the death of the torpedo bombers was not in vain.

Attack of the TBD-1 “Devastator” torpedo bomber (Figure from korabley.net)

At that moment, when almost all the Japanese fighters were attacking low-flying torpedo bombers under heavy fire from naval anti-aircraft artillery, dive bombers from three squadrons suddenly fell from above on the Japanese aircraft carriers. The finest hour of the Dauntlesses had come, which at 10.24, almost simultaneously, attacked the Akagi, Kaga and Soryu and disabled them within five minutes.

Attack of Japanese aircraft carriers (Picture from www.howarddavidjohnson.com)

The Akagi was hit by two air bombs, which caused numerous aircraft fires, accompanied by explosions of ammunition and fuel. The fire quickly spread throughout the ship and got out of control. The crew was removed from the aircraft carrier. Early in the morning of June 5, 1942, Akagi was torpedoed by her destroyer and sank to the bottom after being hit by four bombs.

Attack by SBD-2 Akagi dive bombers (Figure from steeljawscribe.com)

The Kaga was hit by four bombs and caught fire. At the very beginning of the air attack, almost all the officers on the bridge were killed when a nearby container of aviation gasoline exploded. After a series of explosions of fuel tanks, the aircraft carrier sank at 19.25.

A pair of Dountlesses after a bomb attack on Soryu (Fig. steeljawscribe.com)

The third aircraft carrier Soryu was hit by three air bombs in three minutes. The flight deck was torn apart. After numerous explosions of aviation gasoline tanks, the entire ship was engulfed in fire. By order of the captain, the crew began to abandon the ship, rushing straight into the water, but not everyone was able to do this. Explosions were still continuing on the ship when sea waves closed over it at 19.13. Soryu took more than 700 people with him into the abyss.

The loss of three heavy aircraft carriers by the Japanese fleet cost the Americans 67 aircraft (55 of them were shot down, the rest were lost due to lack of fuel).

The fourth Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryu, located at a distance from the others, was not attacked. His air group of 18 D3A1 Val dive bombers and 8 A6M2 Zero cover fighters headed for Yorktown. Shot down over the deck of the aircraft carrier "Val" at 12.00 managed to drop all three of its bombs, which hit the target. Fires broke out on the ship, all the boilers stopped working and progress was lost. During the attack, the Japanese lost 16 out of 26 aircraft (including 13 Vals).

"Yorktown" burns after an attack by D3A1 "Val" dive bombers (Photo from the book by A. Sick "Aircraft Carriers. Illustrated Encyclopedia", 2013)

Two hours later, the Yorktown, which had regained its speed, was attacked again, but by 10 torpedo bombers from the Hiryu. The ship was hit by two torpedoes. The aircraft carrier, which had lost speed again, tilted to the left side, and the hull was severely damaged. The F4F-4 Yorktown fighters were able to destroy 5 B5N2 Kate torpedo bombers and 3 Zeros (half of the attackers). Considering the aircraft carrier doomed, the Americans hastily evacuated the crew, leaving two seriously wounded in the ship's infirmary.

The crew of the aircraft carrier Yorktown abandons the damaged ship (Photo by fototelegraf.ru)

However, the Yorktown had no intention of sinking. Attempts to resuscitate the ship were interrupted by the Japanese submarine I-168. Of the four torpedoes fired at 16.30 on June 6, two hit the aircraft carrier, and one hit the destroyer of the emergency party. The destroyer broke in half and sank. The Yorktown sank only the next day at six o'clock in the morning.

"Yorktown" and the destroyer "Hammann" at the moment of the explosion of torpedoes fired by a Japanese submarine (Photo from the site pacificparatrooper.files.wordpress.com)

The fourth Japanese heavy aircraft carrier Hiryu was discovered on June 4 at 14.45, and at 17.03 was attacked by a strike air group of 24 SBD-2 Dauntless dive bombers from the aircraft carriers Enterprise and Yorktown without fighter cover. The Dauntless were able to overcome the screen of the six remaining Zero fighters and scored four hits on the Hiryu. The aircraft carrier's bow part of the flight deck was torn apart, and numerous fires broke out. Two SBD-2s were shot down by fighter fire; the third dive bomber ran out of fuel and crashed into the sea.

The aircraft carrier Hiryu is on fire, the destroyed bow part of the deck is clearly visible, the morning of June 5, 1942 (Photo from the site fototelegraf.ru)

The second strike air group from the Hornet, consisting of 16 Dountlesses, arrived half an hour late. The burning Hiryu and the escort ships were not hit by any of the bombs they dropped. The aircraft carrier itself, from which most of the crew was removed (except for the engine room), stayed afloat until the morning of the next day. After two torpedoes fired from her destroyer, the heavy aircraft carrier Hiryu disappeared into the ocean depths at 8.20.

The end of the battle at Midway Atoll was reached on June 6, when two air groups from the remaining two American aircraft carriers (Enterprise and Hornet), 80 (first wave) and 32 aircraft (second wave), heavily damaged the Japanese cruisers Mogami and "Mikuma." On the night of June 7, the heavy cruiser Mikuma sank. The main striking force of the air groups was the SBD-2 Dauntless dive bomber (81 dive bombers out of a total number of 112 aircraft took part in the attacks). The TBD-1 Devastator torpedo bombers made their last combat mission (3 vehicles took part in the raid), which later gave way on the decks of American aircraft carriers to more modern aircraft - the Grumman TBF Avenger.

With their victory in the Battle of Midway, the Americans finally took away the strategic initiative from the Japanese. The Japanese fleet suffered a crushing defeat. Four heavy aircraft carriers with their air groups and one heavy cruiser were lost. A particularly sensitive loss was the death of well-trained and experienced pilots, which was never made up for until the very end of the war.

The Americans paid for their victory with the death of one aircraft carrier and one destroyer, and the loss of about one and a half hundred combat aircraft (including the loss of shore-based aviation).

Aircraft carriers and carrier-based aircraft finally established themselves as the main striking force in the war at sea.

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Internet resources:
http://www.airwar.ru;
http://pro-samolet.ru;
http://wp.scn.ru;
http://www.aviastar.org;
http://www.avionslegendaires.net;
http://wardrawings.be/WW2;
http://www.airpages.ru;
http://fototelegraf.ru.

On June 4, 1942, the Battle of Midway Atoll took place. It marked a turning point in the Pacific War. Japan lost 4 heavy aircraft carriers (Akagi, Hiryu, Kaga and Soryu), and Japanese naval aviation suffered losses from which it could not recover until the end of the war. The most irreparable loss was the death of hundreds of qualified pilots. The Japanese fleet completely lost the ability to operate effectively outside the cover zones of coastal aviation.

Midway Atoll is located in the central Pacific Ocean, 1,136 miles northwest of the Hawaiian Islands, and occupies a very advantageous strategic position, being approximately in the center of the triangle formed by the Japanese base at Wake and the American ones at Dutch Harbor and Pearl Harbor . Its capture opened up great opportunities for planning and carrying out further operations of the Japanese fleet.

The idea of ​​capturing Midway was born in February 1942, but until mid-April the details of the plan were not developed and the plan itself was not generally approved.

Raid of 16 B-25B Mitchell land bombers by Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle on Tokyo from the USS Hornet, which took place on April 18, 1942, put an end to all disputes surrounding Japan's further military actions in the Pacific Ocean. The headquarters of the Japanese Combined Fleet no longer doubted that the planned operation should be carried out as quickly as possible.

The extent of Japanese military expansion in the Pacific, April 1942. Createaccount

The Japanese intended to occupy Midway in order to expand the “defensive perimeter” of their islands. The operation served as preparation for further attacks on the islands of Fiji and Samoa, as well as a possible invasion of Hawaii.

Without risking a second attack on the main base of the American fleet in Pearl Harbor, the Japanese command decided to attack the base on Midway Atoll. As with the attack on Pearl Harbor, the emphasis was on surprise.

First, landings had to be carried out on the Aleutian Islands, forcing American troops in the north to launch a counterattack. Upon achieving this, it was planned to capture Midway Island directly. The threat of losing a stronghold just less than 2,000 kilometers from Hawaii would create a problem that the Americans could not ignore. Their weakened carrier strike groups will be forced to turn to cover the island, where the Japanese fleet will fall on them in all its glory.

The Japanese naval forces were divided into two parts:

• carrier strike group (commander - Admiral Nagumo)
• group of battleships with escort (commander - Admiral Yamamoto)

The plan's flaw lay in its complexity and in the inability of its drafters to take into account the fact that the Americans would be able to predict their intentions.

However, the Japanese's expectation of surprise did not materialize. In May 1942, a group of cryptographers from the Pacific Fleet (HYPO) managed to break the Japanese naval code JN-25 and obtained information that the Japanese army's next attack would be on a certain "AF" target in the Pacific Ocean. The problem was that the American command could not identify the AF target. Perhaps it was Midway Island or the Pearl Harbor base in Hawaii. For verification, a message was sent about a lack of water on the island. Midway. Soon a Japanese code was intercepted: “Problems with water supply at AF.”

Midway shortly before the battle. Official U.S. Navy photo

Based on this information, the commander of the American Pacific Fleet, Admiral Chester Nimitz, planned a response.

The formations of American aircraft carriers were not going through the best moment then. Of the four “floating airfields” in the Pacific, only the Enterprise and Hornet of Vice Admiral William Halsey’s 16th Task Force were located at Pearl Harbor. On May 27, the Yorktown, damaged by bombs in the Coral Sea, arrived, which was restored to order and prepared for action in a surprisingly short time. The newly repaired Saratoga was still on the west coast and could not arrive on time.

These aircraft carriers were secretly deployed northwest of Midway Atoll and fully prepared for battle. Enterprise and Hornet (under the command of Rear Admiral Raymond Spruance) operated in conjunction with Rear Admiral Frank Fletcher's Yorktown and, undetected by the enemy, waited in a position about 550 km northeast of the island. Thus, although the Japanese forces had a significant numerical superiority, surprise was on the US side.

The Japanese involved 162 ships in the operation, divided into 13 separate groups. On June 3, aircraft from the aircraft carriers "Zune" and "Ryudze" launched an attack on one of the Aleutian islands, Attu, but this step failed to provoke the Americans into retaliatory action and failed to draw them into a duel.

On June 3, the pilot of the American Catalina reconnaissance seaplane, Junior Lieutenant Jack Red, who took off from Midway, having discovered a Japanese group heading towards Midway, transmitted a two-word message: “Main forces.”

At 04.30 on June 4, Vice Admiral Nagumo sent 72 bombers and 36 fighters (36 D3A dive bombers) on the first raid on the island Val, 36 B5N horizontal bombers Kate, 36 A6M fighters Zero). Nagumo's force was approximately 400 km from the target and continued to approach it at high speed. At 6:20 a.m., an attack force of 108 aircraft reached the atoll and struck the base, causing significant damage to military installations.

American fighters (7 F4F-3 and 21 F2A-3) located at the base entered the battle and, despite heavy losses, shot down several bombers and at least three Zeros. But anti-aircraft artillery achieved great success: about a third of the attacking bombers were damaged. Lieutenant Tomonaga, who led the attack, reported that the American bombers managed to leave the base before the raid, and the ground defense was not suppressed, so another air strike would be required before the landing.

American bombers from Midway actually managed to rise before the Japanese raid and struck Japanese aircraft carriers. The attack group consisted of six Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bombers and four Martin B-26 Marauder bombers, also armed with torpedoes. Due to the lack of fighter cover on the American side, the attack was repulsed by Japanese fighters without noticeable damage to the ships, and all attacking aircraft were shot down except one Avenger and two B-26s.

However, Nagumo was already missing 54 aircraft (they were destroyed, the rest received damage of varying degrees of severity). There was still no information about the movements of American aircraft carriers, and technical personnel were ordered to rearm the remaining aircraft on board with fragmentation bombs for work on ground targets.

Meanwhile, at 08.00, 151 aircraft took off from the decks of the American aircraft carriers Enterprise and Hornet. Almost simultaneously with them, 16 Dontles dive bombers, 11 Vindicator dive bombers and 17 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress took off from Midway. At 9:06 a.m., they were joined by 35 more aircraft from the Yorktown, including 12 Douglas torpedo bombers.

They were still en route when a Japanese reconnaissance floatplane finally spotted the Americans. His report caused something like panic in Nagumo, who had to quickly rearm the planes ready to take off again. Despite everything, the Japanese fighter cover acted with high efficiency. Many Hornet aircraft failed to reach the target, and the combined wave of 41 Douglas TBDs, which entered at 10.18, lost 35 aircraft. Meanwhile, absorbed in this massacre, the fighters found themselves almost above the water, and therefore the next formation of 49 dive bombers had the opportunity to bomb. “Akagi”, “Kaga” and “Soryu” located close to each other received the first - two, the second - four and the third - three heavy bombs. Aircraft were fueled and armed on the decks, while the ammunition intended for the raid on the island had not yet been removed. The hits caused severe fires, rendered the aircraft carriers unsuitable for combat, and later sank.

Diorama of the battle

Two hours after the bomber attack, the American submarine Nautilus fired 4 torpedoes at the Japanese aircraft carrier. The Nautilus combat report states that the boat fired torpedoes between 13:59 and 14:05 from a distance of 2500 meters at an impact angle of 125 degrees, after which it plunged to 92 meters.

The commander of the Nautilus, Captain 3rd Rank Bill Brockman, was confident that he had attacked and sank the aircraft carrier Soryu. However, according to Japanese data, the Kaga aircraft carrier was attacked with three torpedoes, and two torpedoes missed, and the third did not explode.

"Hiryu" operated at a distance from the others and for the time being avoided their sad fate, sending, in turn, dive bombers into battle. To retaliate against the American fleet, it was possible to assemble 18 Val dive bombers and only six Zero fighters for escort.

They discovered the Yorktown, which was receiving its victorious air group, and, overcoming desperate fighter opposition, dealt three blows to the aircraft carrier. Burning, at about 12.20 he lost speed, but recovered and continued moving. The opponents were now separated by only 200 km, and during the raid of the second shock wave from the Hiryu, at about 14.45, the “wounded” received two torpedoes. Abandoned by her crew, she was still afloat and was being towed to Pearl Harbor. On June 7, 1942, a Japanese submarine sank an aircraft carrier and a destroyer located alongside it.

USS Yorktown (CV-5). U.S. National Archives.

Already at the time of the Japanese attack on Yorktown, a message arrived about the discovery of the last Japanese aircraft carrier (Hiryu). The Americans no longer had a single torpedo bomber left, so a mixed group of dive bombers was created on the Enterprise, 25 aircraft in total. Immediately behind them, 16 more dive bombers took off from the Hornet. At 17.03, a Japanese signalman reported an attack by American aircraft, but the Japanese no longer had time to respond to the attack: the dive bombers scored four hits with 1000-pound bombs, which caused explosions and numerous fires in the holds , which the survivability teams were unable to cope with. Somewhat later, several B-17s dropped bombs on the Japanese fleet, but they failed to hit the target. However, this no longer played any role; mutilated, he did not pose any danger.

American SBD Dauntless dive bombers attack the burning cruiser Mikuma. Official U.S. Navy photo.

At night, a Japanese detachment of 4 heavy cruisers sent to bombard Midway made a sharp turn due to the discovery of an American submarine. At the same time, the trailing cruiser Mogami crashed into the cruiser Mikuma going in front of it. The bow of the Mogami was destroyed, and a fuel leak began on the Mikuma. Both damaged cruisers, accompanied by two destroyers, began to retreat to the nearest base - Truk Island.

Mikuma shortly before sinking. Official U.S. Navy Photograph

By order of Admiral Yamaguchi, the hopelessly damaged Akagi and Hiryu were scuttled by the Japanese on the morning of June 5 at 05.10. On this day, planes from Midway attacked Japanese damaged cruisers, but they failed to score serious hits. 58 dive bombers from Hornet and Enterprise unsuccessfully searched for the main body of the Japanese, who were leaving to the west and were in an area of ​​bad weather. On June 6, American aircraft from aircraft carriers again attacked Japanese heavy cruisers. "Mikuma" was sunk, "Mogami" received further damage, but reached the port.

11 battleships took part in the battle, but they did not decide the outcome of events; the first violin in the tragic symphony was played exclusively by aircraft carriers.

Having lost 4 heavy aircraft carriers and a heavy cruiser, as well as more than two hundred carrier-based combat aircraft, the Commander-in-Chief of the United Imperial Fleet, Admiral Yamamoto, at 23:55 on June 4, was forced to give the order to cease offensive operations and return the remnants of the strike force to the shores of Japan. In addition, approximately 2,500 personnel were killed in the battle and 248 sea-based aircraft were lost. Among those killed in the battle were the most experienced pilots of Japanese carrier-based aircraft.

After the Battle of Midway, Imperial Japan lost the initiative in the war and was forced to take defensive action.

The overconfident Japanese learned a very painful lesson: just six months after Pearl Harbor, four of the six aircraft carriers that struck it lay on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, and plans for further expansion had to be forgotten.

US losses:

• 307 personnel
• 150 land and sea based aircraft
• destroyer
• heavy aircraft carrier Yorktown

This battle became a watershed, after which irreversible changes occurred in the strategy and tactics of the war at sea. The naval battle, in which the enemy ships did not even come close for visual contact and an artillery duel, showed that the aircraft carrier, as a type of new warship, began to dominate the Pacific Ocean, and then the entire waters of the World Ocean.

Midway Atoll(English: Midway Atoll, Hawaiian: Pihemanu Kauihelani) - Atoll of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in the North Pacific Ocean. The name means "Middle of the Way" because it is located halfway between Asia and America.. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States. For statistical purposes, Midway is included in the United States Minor Outlying Islands.

Midway used to be the site of a US military base. On June 4-6, 1942, the atoll became the center of the Battle of Midway, in which the Americans defeated the Japanese fleet, sank 4 aircraft carriers and turned the tide of World War II in the Pacific. The base was finally closed in 1993, and in 2006 Midway became part of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge. There is no permanent population on the atoll, but there are from 40 to 60 reserve staff present.

You can visit the atoll as part of organized tours or as a volunteer of the National Hunting and Fisheries Service; in 2012, 332 people visited the atoll, and in 2013 the volunteer program was suspended due to budget cuts. Tours focus on ecology and military history. The territory's economy is derived exclusively from government sources and tourist taxes. All food and industrial goods are imported.

Geography, geology, flora and fauna

Hawaiian Islands Sand Island

Midway Atoll is part of the Hawaiian Islands archipelago, part of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and located on their Northwestern edge. The atoll was formed about 28 million years ago as a shield volcano. The volcano, having fallen asleep, began to sink to the bottom, and a coral reef formed above it. The ring-shaped barrier reef is about 9.7 km across, in its southern part there are three sand islands: Sand - the largest, Eastern and the small island of Spit between them.

Eastern Island

The Sand and Eastern Islands are nesting grounds for millions of birds.

Story

Midway has no indigenous inhabitants and was uninhabited until the 19th century. The atoll was discovered by US Navy Captain N. S. Middlebrooks on July 5, 1859. The captain named the islands "Brooks Islands" and established a U.S. claim to the atoll under the Guano Act. On August 28, 1867, Captain William Reynolds landed on the islands on the USS Lackawanna and the United States formally took possession. Shortly thereafter the name was changed to Midway. The atoll received the status of an unincorporated territory and became the first US territory in the Pacific Ocean. It was administered by the US Navy and became the only island in the Hawaiian archipelago that was not part of the state of Hawaii.

The first attempt to settle the atoll was made in 1871, when the American Postal Steamship Company, with money allocated by the US Congress, began a project to dredge the fairway through the reef. The goal was to create a coal plant in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and avoid the high taxes on coal imposed by the Hawaiians. The project soon ended in complete failure, and the ship Saginaw, which carried out all the workers in October 1871, ran aground off Kure Atoll. All workers were saved.

Cable station building

In 1903, workers from the Commercial Pacific Cable Company settled on the atoll, and the Trans-Pacific Cable was laid through Midway. The workers brought many new plants and animals to the living world of the atoll. That same year, US President Theodore Roosevelt confirmed Midway's ownership by the US Navy, a radio station was built on the islands, and 21 Marines were stationed between 1904 and 1908 to protect against Japanese poachers.

In 1935, Midway became a refueling point for Martin M-130 flying boats en route from San Francisco to China. The flight was very expensive - it cost three times the average American's salary.

Midway after the Japanese raid

Situated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Midway acquired important military significance. In 1940, as tensions increased in Japanese-American relations, Miway was recognized as the second most important point for the defense of the US West Coast after Pearl Harbor. A military airfield was built on the atoll, a channel was dredged in the reef, a seaplane and submarine base was built, and artillery guns were installed. Architect Albert Kahn built officer apartments, a shopping center and a number of other buildings. On December 7, 1941, simultaneously with the attack on Pearl Harbor, Midway was bombarded by two Japanese destroyers, whose attack was repulsed by coastal artillery. On February 10, 1942, the atoll was shelled again, this time from a submarine.

On June 4-6, 1942, the atoll became the center of a large-scale Battle of Midway, during which the Japanese tried to capture the atoll, but suffered a crushing defeat. The Japanese brought 4 aircraft carriers and 150 escort ships into the battle, and although they managed to bomb the islands, causing significant damage, they lost all the aircraft carriers and more than 250 aircraft. The battle was a turning point in the entire Pacific campaign.

The American military occupied the atoll from August 1, 1941 to 1945. In 1950, Naval Station Midway became operational again in support of the Korean War. Many ships and aircraft stopped at Midway for refueling and immediate repairs.

From 1968 to 1993, there was an air force base at Midway. A listening point for Soviet submarines was installed, which was secret until the end of the Cold War, when it was demolished. WV-2 (EC-121K) “Willy Victor” aircraft, equipped with powerful radars and serving for early warning of a missile attack, were on duty at the atoll airfield. During the Vietnam War, the island's garrison, then 3,500 strong, also supported the fighting forces. In June 1969, at Midway, in the officers' quarters building, US President Richard Nixon met with South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu.

In 1978, Midway's status as an air force base declined, military installations began to close, and personnel began to leave the atoll. With the proliferation of reconnaissance satellites and nuclear submarines, Midway's importance to US national defense has greatly diminished. On September 10, 1993, the military base was closed. The Navy took responsibility for cleaning up all contamination.

national reserve

On April 22, 1988, Midway was designated a National Wildlife Refuge, then under the jurisdiction of the Navy. On October 31, 1996, US President Bill Clinton signed an executive order transferring Midway to the Department of the Interior. The last employees of the naval base left the atoll on June 30, 1997, after completing a large-scale environmental cleanup operation of the island. On September 13, 2000, Midway also received the status of the National Battle of Midway Memorial.

On June 15, 2006, US President George W. Bush. signed a decree creating the Northwest Hawaiian Islands National Maritime Monument, which included Midway. The monument is jointly managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the State of Hawaii. In 2007, the name of the monument was changed to the Hawaiian name - Papahanaumokuakea.

40-60 reserve employees are constantly on the atoll. Since August 1996, ecotours have been opened for the public to visit the atoll. This program was closed in 2002. Another program to visit the atoll began in 2008, but this too was closed in 2013 due to budget cuts.

Policy

Midway is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States. This means that it is not part of the territory of the United States, but is their possession, the constitution is not in full effect, there is no local government, the territory is governed by the federal US Department of the Interior. Since Midway is not part of the state of Hawaii, it is the only one of all the Hawaiian Islands that is in a different time zone - UTC-11 - Samoan Time.

Infrastructure

The backbone of Midway's infrastructure is Henderson Field on Sand Island. The airport has one operational runway with a length of 2400 meters. The airport is now used for emergency landings. Another airfield is located on Eastern Island. Extensively used during the Second World War, it is now abandoned. Another important object is the harbor, it is protected by a breakwater, from which a shipping channel has been dug through the lagoon to the open ocean. In addition, 32 kilometers of roads and 7.7 kilometers of pipelines have been laid on the islands of the atoll.

List of islands

Atoll Islands

№	Name	Title in English	Area, km²
1	Sand	Sand Island	4,86
2	Eastern	Eastern Island
Island territories	US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands
Outer minor islands	Baker, Jarvis, Johnston, Kingman, Midway, Navassa, Palmyra, Wake, Howland

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese “knocked out” the Pacific group of American naval forces by launching a surprise air strike on the Pearl Harbor base in the Hawaiian Islands. As a result of this daring attack, the US Navy lost four of the eight battleships that were in Pearl Harbor on the day of the attack. Four destroyers were also sunk, three cruisers damaged and about 188 aircraft destroyed. At the same time, the Japanese themselves lost, according to various sources, from 29 to 60 of their aircraft and four small submarines.

The score was simply devastating. The only consolation was that on the day of the attack there was not a single American aircraft carrier in the harbor, although the Japanese counted heavily on this, intending to bleed the US naval forces and gain absolute advantage in the Pacific theater of operations. But the fact that the aircraft carriers survived did little to alleviate the plight of the United States at the time of its entry into the war against Japan. During 1941, the Japanese captured Singapore, Bataan, Manila, and Hong Kong. Slowly but surely, the Land of the Rising Sun built a defense belt that was supposed to provide it with a dominant position in the Pacific Ocean.

In its offensive plans for 1942, Japan assigned a significant role to the final defeat of the American fleet. The command of the Japanese naval forces developed a plan that included a strike on the Aleutian Islands and an attack on Midway Island, which was one of the important strategic outposts of the United States in the Pacific Ocean. The attack on Midway would have forced the Americans to use their aircraft carriers to defend that island. And here the Japanese naval forces had to unleash their superior forces on the enemy and finally decide the question of who is stronger in the Pacific Ocean.

The Japanese strike force included four aircraft carriers, 23 cruisers and 11 battleships, among which was the Yamato, a warship considered at that time the most powerful in the world in its class. The total number of Japanese ships and vessels exceeded 150 units.

The American forces were much weaker. The aircraft carriers Hornet and Enterprise were in Pearl Harbor, and the damaged aircraft carrier Yorktown arrived there on May 27. The total number of the American fleet did not exceed 76 units.

The Japanese relied on the surprise of their attack. They assumed that when the Americans received word of an attack on the Aleutian Islands, their fleet would head north. At this time, the Japanese will strike Midway, land troops there and capture the island. And the warships of the Japanese Navy will intercept and destroy the American fleet at sea. To ensure confident detection of American aircraft carriers, the Japanese divided their forces into two large groups, one of which included carrier forces with cover, while the core of the second was formed by battleships. The carrier force was commanded by Admiral Nagumo Chuichi, and the group of battleships was commanded by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the author of the plan for the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Based on the serious superiority of Japanese forces, it seemed that victory over the Americans was a done deal. But, as often happens, plans that looked beautiful on paper failed miserably in real life.

One of the most important factors in the Japanese defeat was that back in May 1942, the code breakers of the American Pacific Fleet broke the naval code used by the enemy. Thus, the Americans knew the direction of the enemy fleet and the composition of the forces. The lack of strength forced them to perform a real feat: it was assumed that the time required to repair the Yorktown aircraft carrier was approximately 90 days, but the ship was returned to service in just two days!

On June 3, the Japanese launched a diversionary attack on the Aleutian Islands. At this time, the American aircraft carriers were already at sea, but did not go to the rescue of the islands, as the Japanese command had hoped, but were located northeast of Midway, outside the detection zone of Japanese reconnaissance aircraft. The Americans themselves conducted aerial reconnaissance using Catalina flying boats. These aircraft had a long range and, thus, could cover a large search area. The Japanese also conducted reconnaissance using submarines and aircraft, but they failed to find American ships in a timely manner.

On June 3, the Japanese ships were discovered when they were approximately 600 miles from Midway Island. In the middle of the day, they were attacked by 9 B-17 bombers that took off from a base on the island. The attack was unsuccessful: not a single bomb hit the target. However, what was much more important was that now the US fleet knew exactly where one of the enemy groups was located.

Early on the morning of June 4, the first wave of Japanese planes took off. 36 Nakajima B5N torpedo bombers took off from the aircraft carriers Hiryu and Soryu. Aichi D3A dive bombers and A6M Zero cover fighters took off from Akagi and Kagu. Some of the vehicles carried armor-piercing bombs and torpedoes in case American aircraft carriers were discovered. A total of 108 aircraft took part in the first wave of the attack on Midway. During the air attack, the American base was seriously damaged, but the Japanese also had a very hard time. The bombers suffered heavy losses from anti-aircraft fire, and ground-based F4F-3 Wildcat and F2A3 Buffalo fighters shot down several bombers and covering fighters. In order to suppress the defense of US forces, the power of the first strike was not enough; at least one more attack was required. The fact that after the first strike the aircraft carriers of the US fleet were not detected and did not take part in the battle made Nagumo think that his forces were not yet in danger of an air attack. At 7 a.m., the re-equipment of aircraft carrying anti-ship weapons with bombs to attack coastal targets began.

In fact, Nagumo's forces were discovered by an American aerial reconnaissance aircraft at about half past five in the morning. By seven o'clock, having analyzed the incoming messages, the Americans already had an idea of ​​​​what time the Japanese planes would return to the aircraft carriers to replenish ammunition and refuel. It was at this time that Rear Admirals Raymond Spruance and Frank Fletcher planned a retaliatory strike. Fifteen hundred American planes took off at 8:00 am and headed for enemy aircraft carriers.

The American air armada was still en route when the Japanese finally located the aircraft carriers Spruance and Fletcher. The news that a large number of enemy aircraft were moving towards Nagumo's flotilla forced him to cancel his order to re-equip the aircraft. But there was no longer enough time for this.

The first attacks by American aircraft were successfully repelled by fighter cover. In particular, the 8th torpedo squadron of Captain 3rd Rank John Waldron was completely destroyed. There was only one plane left from it, which landed on the water. In total, US forces made about eight unsuccessful approaches to targets. It seemed that everything had worked out well and Nagumo’s aircraft would be able to strike back.

And at that moment, a group of dive bombers under the command of Captain 3rd Rank Clarence McCluskey approached the Japanese formation. The Americans saw all four Japanese aircraft carriers from the air. "Akagi", "Soryu" and "Akaga" were not far from each other, and "Hiryu" was located much further away. Therefore, the attack of McCluskey's group was aimed at the first three ships. The Japanese cover fighters, carried away by repelling the attacks of the first waves of American bombers, did not have time to protect their aircraft carriers.

McCluskey gave the order to attack the nearby ship. However, for some reason his order was not heard by everyone. Therefore, bombers attacked all three aircraft carriers, although not equally. Which of the Japanese ships was attacked first has not yet been established exactly. However, it is known that Akagi received two bomb hits, Kaga four, and Soryu three. At this moment, on the decks of the aircraft carriers there were not only fully fueled Japanese aircraft, but also a large amount of ammunition. Because of this, American bomb hits had catastrophic consequences. All three aircraft carriers were completely disabled. "Kaga" and "Soryu" were abandoned by their crews and sank in the evening. The Akagi stayed afloat until the next morning, but the Japanese were unable to cope with the damage and were forced to torpedo the crippled ships.

The last surviving Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryu assembled a force of 18 dive bombers, and at 11 am the planes took off, heading towards the American ship Yorktown. In two raids, the aircraft carrier received a total of three bomb and two torpedo hits. The ship was disabled, but still remained afloat. On June 6, Yorktown was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine and sank on June 7.

The American pilots were tired, but they took their cars into the air again. At 17 o'clock the planes were over the aircraft carrier Hiryu. As a result of their attack, the Japanese ship lost half of its take-off deck and suffered serious damage to its hull. Hiryu was scuttled on the morning of June 5th.

The four lost aircraft carriers are without a doubt the main loss of the Japanese fleet. And their defeat at the Battle of Midway became a turning point in the war in the Pacific Ocean, opening a streak of failures that led Japan to complete defeat in World War II.