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

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

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

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

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

6. 7 December 1941 Carriers were at sea Oil supply & submarines spared “REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR”

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

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

9. Pacific Ocean Area, Spring 1942 US

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

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

12. 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

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

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

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

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

18. Japanese Aircraft (Allies recognition names)

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

20. Nakajima B5N “Kate” Torpedo and level bomber

21. Aichi D3A2 “Val” Dive bomber

22. Nakajima E8N “Dave” Observation seaplane Catapulted from surface ships

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

24. Midway Atoll Garrison told to expect an attack

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

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

27. American Commanders RADM Fletcher RADM Spruance

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

29. American Aircraft

30. Brewster F2A Buffalo Marine squadrons got Navy castoffs Inferior to Zero

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

32. Douglas TBD Devastator Torpedo Bomber Slow, underpowered, vulnerable

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

34. Douglas SBD Dauntless Dive Bomber “Slow But Deadly”

35. Vultee SB2U Vindicator Marine Dive Bomber Obsolescent

36. Consolidated PBY-5 Long range reconnaissance Search and rescue

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

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

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

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

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

42. Location of Japanese Forces at Time of Discovery

43. 3 June Carriers warned to wait for Striking Force B-17s and PBYs from Midway attack Occupation Force

44. 4 June “Many planes heading Midway” All Midway aircraft airborne Marine fighters slaughtered Facilities damaged

45. Fuel Farm Burning Note the Gooney Birds

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

47. B-17s vs Hiryu

48. 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

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

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

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

54. Torpedo Squadron 8 L CDR Waldron ENS Gay

55. Enterprise Accompanied Hornet on Tokyo raid

56. Enterprise Attack Force

57. Yorktown Patched up in 3 days after Coral Sea

58. Yorktown Attack Force

59. Coordinated Attack 1020 (P&T)

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

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

62. Yorktown under Attack

63. After the Attack Effective Damage control Back in operation by 1350

64. Second Strike on Yorktown from Hiryu 1440 - Kates, two torpedo hits -Abandon ship - Fletcher yields to Spruance

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

66. Hiryu Wrecked

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

68. 5 and 6 June Yorktown still afloat Yorktown torpedoed Japanese cruisers collided

69. Heavy Cruiser Mikuma

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

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

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