Battle of Midway
On December 7th, 1941, Isoroku Yamamoto and the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Immediately following “A date that will live in infamy”, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared a state of war and officially entered the United States of America into World War II. While the war officially lasted until September 2, 1945, the turning point of the United States war on Japan came three years prior. On June 4th, 1942, the US met Japan at the Battle of Midway, in a naval fight that would ultimately decide the fate of the South Pacific. In charge of their respective fleets, Isoroku Yamamoto (Japan) and Chester Nimitz (USA), each shared similar backgrounds. Both Yamamoto and Nimitz entered their respective countries’ naval academy at the age of seventeen. The men each rose prominently to positions of great control, realizing the growing importance of aircraft carrier warfare. At 44, Yamamoto became Japan’s youngest admiral. Armed with the task of creating a self-sustaining empire (the “New Empire”), Yamamoto decided to bomb Pearl Harbor and subsequently attack Midway in attempt to gain control over the Pacific.
Prior to Yamamoto’s attack, the United States developed a secret weapon against the Japanese. The United States’ weapon, “Magic”, was a system that deciphered Japanese code. By the end of May 1942, Chester Nimitz knew exactly when and where the Japanese intended to strike. Nimitz realized he must locate Yamamoto’s carriers and attack them first for any chance of victory.
Yamamoto ended up becoming decidedly shorthanded by the concurrent Army mission that depleted much of his task force, not to mention three loaned aircraft carriers, at the Battle of Midway. Despite fighting at less than full strength, Japan was positioned to win the battle after destroying 35 of the United States’ 41 B-17 Bombers in an attack on Japanese aircraft. Arrogant, more experienced, and better night fighters, the Japanese appeared to become too complacent as the United States’ final hopes rested in the balance of 60 dauntless dive bombers.
The United States dive bombers would go in untouched and devastate three Japanese carriers, leaving around 2,500 Japanese dead. As the fourth Japanese carrier tried to escape, the United States caught up and sank Japan’s final carrier (leaving no place for remaining Japanese aircraft to land). In total, Japan would go on to lose four carrier, two cruisers, 248 aircraft, and 3,057 men. Meanwhile, the United States would lose just one carrier, one destroyer, 150 aircraft, and 307 men.
Triumphant, Admiral Nimitz went on to continue his Pacific campaign, growing United States power before being promoted to Chief of Naval Operations. Yamamoto perished April 18th, 1943 when the Unite States used “Magic” one last time to intercept Yamamoto’s plane on his inspection tour throughout the South Pacific.
A turning point of World War II, the Battle of Midway forever changed the character of modern naval warfare from traditional battleships to aircraft carriers. Japan eventually surrendered to the United States, September 2, 1945, on the battleship USS Missouri.