The Battle of Midway 3-6 June 1942 Dr. Charles H. Marston Professor Emeritus Department of Mechanical Engineering Villanova University

“Midway was the... battle... that made everything else possible” Admiral Chester Nimitz, CinCPac

Modern Japan Commodore Perry, 1853 Adopted western technology 52 years later: Battle of Tsushima

Road to War Japanese expansionism Hakko Ichiu Naval limitation treaties U.S. economic pressure Japan’s perceived choices

- Commander in Chief Combined Fleet - “I can run wild for 6 months but...” - Advocated Pearl Harbor attack Admiral Yamamoto

7 December 1941 Carriers were at sea Oil supply & submarines spared “REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR”

Admiral Nagumo - Led Pearl Harbor attack - Commanded carriers at Midway

Admiral Nimitz Replaced Admiral Kimmel Kept Kimmel’s staff Organized carrier task forces

Pacific Ocean Area, Spring 1942 US

Tokyo Raid (Doolittle) 18 April 1942 NOT a surprise Triggered Midway plan Port Moresby first

American Response To Operation MO Japanese JN-25 code broken (partly) Nimitz sent two carrier task forces - Lexington (1927) - Yorktown (1938)

Battle of the Coral Sea 7-11 May 1942 Historic: Fleets never in visual contact Tactically to Japanese (but not by as much as they thought) Strategically to Americans

Japanese Preparations For Operation MI (Midway) Conflicting Objectives - Capture Midway - Decisive Battle Affected by “Victory Disease” - Fudged war games - Limited training - Stonewalled criticism

Japanese Carrier Striking Force (Kido Butai) Carrier Division 1 Akagi (Nagumo Flagship) Kaga Carrier Division 2 Hiryu Soryu

Absent From Kido Butai Shokaku Zuikaku (Fought at Coral Sea)

Main Body Most of the battleships Cruisers, destroyers, light carrier 300 miles behind striking force

Japanese Aircraft (Allies recognition names)

Mitsubishi A6M2 “Zeke” Fighter, better known as the Zero Performance a shock to USA

Nakajima B5N “Kate” Torpedo and level bomber

Aichi D3A2 “Val” Dive bomber

Nakajima E8N “Dave” Observation seaplane Catapulted from surface ships

Yokosuka D4Y “Judy” - New high speed reconnaissance A/C - Based on Soryu

Midway Atoll Garrison told to expect an attack

LCDR Joe. Rochefort - Codebreaker - Water Shortage ploy - Conflict with Washington

American Preparations Carrier force made ready Battleships to U.S. west coast Unaware of Japanese Main Body

American Commanders RADM Fletcher RADM Spruance

Nimitz’s Orders Take station northeast of Midway “...you will be governed by the principle of calculated risk... “

American Aircraft

Brewster F2A Buffalo Marine squadrons got Navy castoffs Inferior to Zero

Grumman F4F Wildcat - Simple - Rugged - Could fight Zero with right tactics

Douglas TBD Devastator Torpedo Bomber Slow, underpowered, vulnerable

Grumman Avenger Replacement for Devastator New, 6 planes flew from Midway

Douglas SBD Dauntless Dive Bomber “Slow But Deadly”

Vultee SB2U Vindicator Marine Dive Bomber Obsolescent

Consolidated PBY-5 Long range reconnaissance Search and rescue

Boeing B-17E Army Heavy Bomber High altitude, level bombing No ships hit

Martin B-26 Marauder Army medium bomber Jury rigged as torpedo bomber

Technology Edges Japan - Zero fighter - Superior torpedoes USA - Code Breaking - Radar

Problems for Japanese Dual Objective - Invasion (rigid plan) - Fleet Action (need flexibility) Command vs. Radio silence Kido Butai a day late

Bad Omens for Nagumo No information on enemy Two key leaders incapacitated Dense fog

Location of Japanese Forces at Time of Discovery

3 June Carriers warned to wait for Striking Force B-17s and PBYs from Midway attack Occupation Force

4 June “Many planes heading Midway” All Midway aircraft airborne Marine fighters slaughtered Facilities damaged

Fuel Farm Burning Note the Gooney Birds

Attacks from Midway Chaotic No hits -Zeros -Excellent ship Handling -Flyers inexperience Disrupted Kido Butai

B-17s vs Hiryu

Nagumo’s Dilemma I Need second strike at Midway No hint of American carriers - Sub screen late - Operation K cancelled - Inadequate search plan Order to rearm for 2 nd strike

Nagumo’s Dilemma II Report of American ships Go with what’s available or recover Midway strike? Order to stop rearming

American Carrier Attacks Spruance: “.. surprise.. full strength.. early..” Hornet and Enterprise launched Fletcher (Y’town) waited for scouts

Hornet - New, aircrew inexperienced - Carried the B-25s

Torpedo Squadron 8 L CDR Waldron ENS Gay

Enterprise Accompanied Hornet on Tokyo raid

Enterprise Attack Force

Yorktown Patched up in 3 days after Coral Sea

Yorktown Attack Force

Coordinated Attack 1020 (P&T)

SBDs strike - Kaga - Akagi - Soryu - No radar - CAP low 1025

Strike on Yorktown from Hiryu Launch 1050, Strike 1230 Yorktown prepared

Yorktown under Attack

After the Attack Effective Damage control Back in operation by 1350

Second Strike on Yorktown from Hiryu Kates, two torpedo hits -Abandon ship - Fletcher yields to Spruance

Later, 4 June - Hiryu located and Destroyed -Yamamoto ordered night attack - Spruance retired eastward

Hiryu Wrecked

Evening and Overnight - Nagumo relieved -Night attacks ordered/cancelled - Midway operation cancelled - All 4 KB carriers scuttled - Spruance turned west

5 and 6 June Yorktown still afloat Yorktown torpedoed Japanese cruisers collided

Heavy Cruiser Mikuma

Japanese Defeat 4 of 6 big carriers gone Cover up Capture of Attu and Kiska touted Initiative lost

American Victory Army claimed credit Intact Zero recovered Lessons leaned Offensive possible (Guadalcanal)

The Battle was not over Hiryu attacked Yorktown Hiryu demolished Spruance avoided night battle All four KB carriers scuttled Yorktown torpedoed Japanese cruiser sunk