ID: Battle of Midway
When: June 4-7, 1942
Who:
- United States: Admiral Chester Nimitz, Admiral Raymond Spruance, Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher
- Japan: Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Admiral Chuichi Nagumo
What:
A crucial naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II, fought near the Midway Atoll. The U.S. Navy decisively defeated the Imperial Japanese Navy in a surprise attack. The US cracked the Japanese code and knew the details of their attack and where they were headed.
Impact: Why Significant?:
- Turning Point in the Pacific: Widely considered the turning point in the Pacific War. It shifted the strategic initiative from Japan to the United States.
- Crippled Japanese Navy: The Japanese lost four of their best aircraft carriers (Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, and Hiryu), along with numerous aircraft and experienced pilots, a loss they could not easily replace.
- Boosted U.S. Morale: The victory significantly boosted American morale after the attack on Pearl Harbor and other early Japanese successes.
- Strategic Advantage: Allowed the U.S. to go on the offensive in the Pacific, launching campaigns to recapture islands held by Japan.
- Codebreaking Success: The U.S. Navy’s success was largely due to its ability to decipher Japanese naval codes (specifically JN-25), which gave them advance knowledge of the Japanese plan of attack.