2194days

Pacific · United States vs Japan

Battle of Midway

4 June 1942 – 7 June 1942

Forewarned by codebreaking, Nimitz placed three carriers north-east of Midway to ambush Nagumo's four. Dive bombers from Enterprise and Yorktown caught Akagi, Kaga and Soryu with their decks full of armed aircraft on the morning of 4 June and destroyed all three within minutes; Hiryu was hit that afternoon. Japan lost the core of its carrier force and never regained the initiative.

Explore Battle of Midway on the interactive map · Wikipedia

Day by day

— Four carriers

Nagumo's four carriers strike Midway at dawn from the north-west; Spruance and Fletcher, warned by codebreaking, are waiting to the north-east. At 10:22 dive-bombers from Enterprise and Yorktown find the Japanese carriers re-arming and set Akagi, Kaga and Soryu ablaze in five minutes. Hiryu's counter-strike cripples Yorktown; Hiryu is hit in turn at 17:00.

— Yamamoto turns back

With all four carriers gone, Yamamoto cancels the invasion at 02:55 and the fleet retires west. Spruance follows at a distance. Two cruisers of the bombardment group, Mogami and Mikuma, collide while evading a submarine and fall behind.

— Mikuma

Dive-bombers from Enterprise and Hornet catch the two lame cruisers. Mikuma is sunk and Mogami barely survives. That afternoon the submarine I-168 puts two torpedoes into the salvage party's Yorktown and one into the destroyer Hammann alongside.

— Yorktown goes down

Yorktown capsizes and sinks at 07:01. Spruance, short of fuel and with no wish to meet Yamamoto's battleships at night, turns for Pearl Harbor. Japan has lost four fleet carriers and 250 aircraft; the United States one carrier and a destroyer.

USS Yorktown (CV-5) is hit on the port side, amidships, by a Japanese Type 91 aerial torpedo during the mid-afternoon attack by planes from the carrier Hiryu, in the Battle of Midway, on 4 June, 1942. Yorktown is heeling
USS Yorktown (CV-5) is hit on the port side, amidships, by a Japanese Type 91 aerial torpedo during the mid-afternoon attack by planes from the carrier Hiryu, in the Battle of Midway, on 4 June, 1942. Yorktown is heelingUSN, photographed from USS Pensacola (CA-24) · Public domain · source
Aerial photograph of Midway Atoll, looking just south of west across the southern side of the atoll, 24 November 1941. Eastern Island, then the site of Midway's airfield, is in the foreground. Sand Island, location of mo
Aerial photograph of Midway Atoll, looking just south of west across the southern side of the atoll, 24 November 1941. Eastern Island, then the site of Midway's airfield, is in the foreground. Sand Island, location of moUnknown authorUnknown author · Public domain · source
Japanese aircraft carrier Akagi in April, 1942 during the Indian Ocean Raid as seen from an aircraft that has just taken off from her deck. The aircraft on the flight deck preparing for takeoff are Aichi D3A Type 99 dive
Japanese aircraft carrier Akagi in April, 1942 during the Indian Ocean Raid as seen from an aircraft that has just taken off from her deck. The aircraft on the flight deck preparing for takeoff are Aichi D3A Type 99 diveJapanese Navy · Public domain · source
80-G-312018: Battle of Midway, June 1942. Scene on board USS Yorktown (CV-5), shortly after she was hit by three Japanese bombs on 4 June 1942. Dense smoke is from fires in her uptakes, caused by a bomb that punctured th
80-G-312018: Battle of Midway, June 1942. Scene on board USS Yorktown (CV-5), shortly after she was hit by three Japanese bombs on 4 June 1942. Dense smoke is from fires in her uptakes, caused by a bomb that punctured thNational Museum of the U.S. Navy · Public domain · source

Equipment in this battle

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