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The Battle of Midway
The year was 1942 and the world was at war
with each other for a second time. By now,
The United States of America had been
thrust into the fighting following the
Japanese attack on Hawaiian military base,
Pearl Harbor. Before this point, Japan had
captured territory all throughout the Pacific
as well as territory across Asia. They had
planned to capture the island of Midway
located in the Pacific next in the hopes of
using it as an advance base.1 At this time,
the Japanese people held naval superiority
over the Americans and even possessed the
ability to easily decide when and where to
attack. But the Japanese had another goal in
mind, and it was to bait the Americans into a
naval battle.2 Led by Admirals Isoroku
Yamamoto and Chūichi Nagumo, they were
overconfident and firmly believed the
Americans would be outnumbered and
destroyed. 3The Japanese may have
outnumbered them, but it wasn’t enough to
help them win The Battle of Midway.
Yes, the Japanese did have the advantage of
the amount of ships and aircraft carriers they
could bring to Midway. But unlike the attack
on Pearl Harbor, the Americans were
prepared to fight. They had broken the secret
code that the Japanese used to transmit
1
"Battle of Midway: 4-7 June 1942." Battle of
Midway: 4-7 June 1942. N.p., 07 May 2009. Web. 14
May 2013 <http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq811.htm>.
2
"Battle of Midway" Naval History & Heritage
Command, n.d. Web. 14 May 2013
<http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwiipac/midway/midway.htm>
3
Holt. "Chapter 14: World War II." Holt World
History: Human Legacy, Modern Era. N.p.: n.p., n.d.
451. Print
messages. This allowed them to know
exactly when and where the Japanese
planned to attack, which would prove to be
very effective. With this secret information,
American Admiral Chester Nimitz was then
able to plan an effective defense. The battle
that ensued was not pretty for the Japanese.
The beginning of the battle was mostly
comprised of air attacks. An American pilot
hit Japanese oil tanker Akebono Maru with a
torpedo, which would be the U.S.’s only
successful air launched torpedo attack in the
whole battle. Japan made several
unsuccessful attempts to attack the U.S.
from the air. However, they did not have
sufficient aircraft to attack where they had
wanted and also had to deal with
challenging weather conditions, which both
greatly affected Japan’s chances.4 After a
series of attacks and counterattacks, the
result was favorable for The United States.
The Americans came out victorious in the
Battle of Midway after destroying four
Japanese carriers and only losing one of
their own.
So, what impact did the outcome of the
Battle of Midway have? Well, Japan’s navy
had suffered a horrendous and detrimental
blow as a result of their loss. It is clear that
they learned their lesson after losing so
badly, because they soon after improved
their air attack strategies as well as bettered
the structure of their carriers. This battle
combined with other battles, such as the
Coral Sea Battle, changed the course of the
war. It lessened Japan’s ability to take on
such harrowing tasks in the war.
4
"Battle of Midway." Wikipedia. Wikimedia
Foundation, n.d. Web. 14 May 2013
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Midway>
The Battle of Midway commemoration in Washington,
D.C. describes how the course of the war was changed
when the Americans defeated the Japanese.
Also, this battle caused the allied and the
axis powers to have equal chances during
the remainder of World War II. Prior to the
fighting, Japan’s military power far
surpassed any other nation’s and made it
extremely difficult for another country to
win against them. But after they lost the
battle, their military power deteriorated
dramatically. This allowed other countries,
most importantly The United States, to have
improved chances when fighting against
Japan. This is one of the most important
effects of The Battle of Midway and
impacted the rest of the war in a big way.
The conclusion of this battle also allowed
The United States to regain control of the
Pacific from the Japanese and take back all
the islands Japan had previous control over.
The Battle of Midway was a triumphant
victory for The United States during World
War II.