The Battle of Midway

During WWII, one of Japan's key ambitions was to dethrone the United States as a Pacific power as they wanted to acquire possession of the territory in east Asia and the southwest Pacific islands. Japan attempted to eliminate the United States Pacific Fleet and use Midway as a base to invade Pearl Harbor, establishing regional dominance and imposing a negotiated settlement.

The Americans were outnumbered roughly 2 to 1 at the start of the fight. The Battle of Midway began on June 4, 1942, with the US side led by Admirals Chester Nimitz, Frank Jack Fletcher, and Raymond A. Spruance and the Imperial Japanese Navy led by Admirals Isoroku Yamamoto, Chuichi Nagumo, and Nobutaka Kondo. Because of advancements in codebreaking, the US could foresee the time and location of the attack, giving them an advantage.

The Japanese plan also failed because of wrong judgments about the Americans. The four big Japanese aircraft carriers that were part of the attack on Pearl Harbor were all lost, while the United States only lost the carrier Yorktown and a destroyer. After six months, the Americans won over the Japanese, putting the Allies in an offensive position.

Date: June 3, 1942 - June 6, 1942

Location: Midway Islands

Participants: Japan - United States