With the main focus
in the early years of World War II on Europe and North Africa, Adolf Hitler's actions had been the main
driving force, while the Allies fought to resist the Nazi
advance across the continents. However, as 1942 progressed, the Second World War
was taking on global proportions, with the ramifications
of the surprise Japanese attack on the American Naval force
at Pearl Harbor in December 41 becoming increasingly evident. Events in the Pacific Theater of War
were escalating. As the Empire of the Rising Sun
extended its reach further south, expanding its defensive
perimeter towards Australia and to the north east,
began venturing dangerously close to the western coast of America. The seemingly unstoppable
force of Japanese expansionism was nevertheless
about to face a serious challenge. As we look a little more closely
at the months of April to June 1942, you'll discover that the Japanese
didn't have things their own way for long. A sleeping giant
had truly been awakened at Pearl Harbor and as the Americans
fully entered the arena of war, they quickly began
to make their presence felt. From the daring
American Doolittle Raids on Tokyo through to the Battle of the Coral Sea
and the dramatic events at Midway, any advantages
gained by Japan at Pearl Harbor, were about to be countered
in some style by US Forces as the tide of war in the Pacific
slowly but surely began to turn. The creation
of an East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere, free from the shackles
of the Western empires, had long been the desire
of those ruling Japan. By April 1942, it seemed
that the Empire of the Rising Sun was vaster than it had ever been before. The war in Southeast Asia and the Pacific
had been highly successful and the Japanese were now in control of the most strategically
important parts of the Chinese coast and had occupied Malaya, Thailand,
the Dutch East Indies, and most of Burma. In the Pacific,
they held Wake Island, New Britain, the Gilbert Islands and Guam. While the drive
to seize new territory continued, the outlook was grim for the Allies. In the first few months
of the war with Japan, valuable British and American outposts
had swiftly fallen to the invading forces, and thousands of people
were now prisoners of war, helplessly caught behind enemy lines. Even Singapore, once regarded
and impregnable British fortress, had been crushed by the Japanese, dealing a devastating blow
to Allied commanders. America in the meantime,
had lost valuable military bases and would soon lose its foothold
in the precious Philippine Islands. After invading the capital
of the Philippines, Manila, the Japanese
were now advancing further south, hot on the heels
of the retreating Allied troops and there seemed to be little
in the way of halting Japan's drive to completely dominate the Pacific. With a string of victories to boast of,
many of the Japanese troops were in fact so satisfied
with what they'd accomplished so far that in some regions of the New Empire,
they took time out to relax. For the time being,
the Western threat to their Pacific domain seemed to have been eliminated
and the Japanese were confident that they could hold
their newly won territories with ease. Britain and America were however,
preparing to strike back and would not take such belligerence
without some form of retaliation. Days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the British Prime Minister,
Winston Churchill, had rushed to Washington to begin
discussions with President Roosevelt. On December the 26, 1941,
in a speech before the US Congress, he stated his unwavering determination
to crush the new Eastern enemy. What kind of a people
do they think we are? Is it possible they do not realize that we shall never cease
to persevere against them until they have been taught a lesson
that they and the world will never forget. Britain had been alone
in its fight against the Axis since the fall of France
in the summer of 1940. The entry of America
into the global conflict had been met
with great relief by Churchill. Now Roosevelt, Churchill,
and the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, who'd been fighting
the Nazi forces since June 1941, were united against the Axis,
and there was at last, real hope
that the Allies could win the war. As commanders were allocated
to the Pacific Theater of War, however, there was no doubt that the challenges
that lay ahead were great. Fleet Admiral, Chester W. Nimitz
had assumed command of the Pacific Fleet two weeks after the Japanese attack
on the American naval base in Hawaii. With many battleships
and destroyers sunk during the raid, he was well aware it would take some time
to salvage the ruins at Pearl Harbor and reinstate the US Fleet
to its former glory. Faced with coordinating
an attack across the Pacific, an ocean that covered
over 65 million square miles, there was no doubt
that in the early months of the war, Nimitz was operating
at a considerable disadvantage. However, there was one thing
that the Americans had in their favor, the aircraft carriers
that were destined to play such a vital role
in the Battle of the Pacific, hadn't been at Pearl Harbor
when the Japanese planes had swarmed in. An advantage that the US Navy
would exploit to the full. Meanwhile, as fears grew
that Japan would soon move further south towards Australia and New Zealand,
the first response from the Allies called for the establishment of bases
in the far reaches of the Pacific, so a counterattack could be launched. The remote islands of New Caledonia,
Fiji, and Espiritu Santo, which lay to the northeast of Australia, had long been
within the western sphere of influence and work was soon underway
to establish military bases there. With fierce battles being undertaken
in the European Theatre of War, finding sufficient air and naval reserves
to send to the Pacific proved extremely
challenging for the Allies and valuable supplies
came at less than ideal pace. All the while, the Japanese raced
to expand the boundaries of their empire as Allied engineer units raced
against the clock to complete their work, often attempting
to accomplish the impossible as they negotiated the difficult terrain. There would inevitably
be the occasional setback. However, the Allies never wavered
in their determination to halt the Japanese in their tracks. By April 1942, the situation could not have been
at a more critical point. Since the invasion of the Philippines
on December the 8th, 1941, American and Philippine forces,
led by General Douglas MacArthur, had been fighting a desperate battle
against the Japanese invaders. As the situation had deteriorated, President Roosevelt
had ordered MacArthur to leave, to take command of operations
in the Southwest Pacific from the relative safety of Australia. Although he had been reluctant
to leave his men, MacArthur finally obeyed
his president's orders on March the 11th, but not before he had vowed to return. It was of little consolation
to the troops left in the Philippines who'd been backed into a corner
on the Bataan Peninsula, off the main island of Luzon
by the beginning of April. Allied Naval Forces
in the area had been destroyed in a series of battles around Java and with almost all neighboring
territories under Japanese control, the troops were now cut off
from most of their supplies and surrounded by the enemy. When the Japanese launched
their new air and artillery assault breaking through allied air defenses, the men who were worn out from
malnutrition, sickness, and combat fatigue were too weak
to counterattack and surrendered. Some of the Allied servicemen
managed to escape to Corregidor Island, to the south of Bataan, but the battalions of Japanese infantry
swiftly moved in and pushed
the defenders back to Malinta Hill. To the despair of all those left fighting,
the American flag was soon lowered, and General Jonathan Wainwright,
who'd taken over from General MacArthur, had no choice but to accept General Masaharu Homma's
terms of surrender. As a result, by May the 8th 1942,
the Philippines had been officially lost. There was an even
greater tragedy for the Allies to face as the Philippines fell. The Japanese had captured
80,000 Allied prisoners, all of whom needed
to be transported to prison camps. Faced with such a huge task, it was decided they should walk
60 miles to a railhead at San Fernando. What was soon dubbed
the Bataan Death March, began on April the 10th,
and it proved to be a terrible ordeal for the men
who were already malnourished and sick. Thousands lost their lives
as a result of exhaustion, hunger, dehydration, and sickness, while many others
were brutally murdered by their captors. It was a stark warning
that going to war with Japan would be costly in terms of casualties as the POW's were treated with bitter
contempt by the Japanese soldiers who regarded surrender as dishonorable. Meanwhile, as the news
of the brutal treatment of the men at Bataan reached America, posters were circulated
to advertise the atrocity, and emotions were soon running high
amongst the American population. The resolve of the Allies
to crush the Japanese was now more determined than ever, and President Roosevelt
had already set in motion plans to strike at the very heart of Japan
by bombing its capital city, Tokyo. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt had been keen
to restore public morale. In light of the later events
in the Philippines he was now eager to demonstrate
to the Americans and the people of Japan, the Empire of the Rising Sun
was not invulnerable to attack. With such an ambitious project in mind,
Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle, one of the most famous aviators
and aeronautical engineers in America, had been chosen to plan
and execute the attack. Over the years, Doolittle had won an array of awards
for his achievements and have made many important contributions
to aviation technology. However, the task that lay ahead would be one
of his greatest challenges yet. The main problem he faced
was that America had no bases within bomber operating range of Tokyo. Although an attack
could be launched from aircraft carriers, planes which were typically
used with these ships, would not be able to cause
a great deal of damage. After long deliberation,
an idea was eventually conceived to adapt giant B-25 bombers, so they were light enough
to take off from carrier decks. By the beginning of April,
these highly modified planes were aboard the USS Hornet
and on their way to the Pacific. Vice Admiral Mark Mitscher
captained the courier from which Doolittle
would launch his attack while the task force
would be led into enemy waters and protected
by Vice Admiral William Halsey aboard the USS Enterprise. Halsey in fact, had a particular
bone to pick with the Japanese. When Pearl Harbor had been attacked, Halsey had been
delivering planes to Wake Island and was 250 miles west of Hawaii. On hearing of the strike,
he'd vowed to avenge the thousands of Americans
killed at the naval base, and his determined drive
to defeat the Japanese soon earned him a reputation. While the USS Hornet
and the USS Enterprise ventured close to the gates
of the Japanese Empire, Halsey would however,
face a drawback in his quest for revenge. On April the 18th, a Japanese picket boat
spotted the task force, and while warning signals
were sent back to Japan, there was now the danger
that Japanese land-based planes could be launched, putting the precious
American carriers at risk. Halsey decided that the attack
on Japan should commence immediately and soon, the crew aboard the USS Hornet
were rushing to prepare their planes. The aircraft had less
than 470 feet of runway and none of the pilots,
including Doolittle, had ever taken off from a carrier before. In fact, no one had ever attempted
to launch a bomber the size of a B-25 from the deck of a carrier before. Making the task a challenge,
to say the least. However, the rigorous training
the volunteer army crews had received had clearly paid off, and all 16 B-25s
carrying their deadly payloads of incendiary bombs and high explosives,
were launched successfully. Although the Japanese alert meant
the planes were now setting off 180 miles from their original launch site, favorable weather
would help them along the way. The bombers would soon
be closing in on their targets with Doolittle's plane at the helm. Six hours after takeoff,
the planes reached Tokyo and at noon
they began dropping bombs on the capital and the surrounding areas. They met with little resistance, and the impact made
was exactly what Roosevelt had hoped for. The Japanese were so shocked by the attack
that high level military commanders began blaming each other,
and the mortified commander of Tokyo's Air Defense
was shamed into committing suicide. In the meantime,
Japanese fighter squadrons were returned home
and a carrier group was withdrawn from the Indian Ocean
to protect home waters. While America hailed the pilots
of the Doolittle Raid as national heroes, not all the men who'd braved
the attack would make it back alive. Two crews would be imprisoned
by the Japanese after landing in enemy territory and three of those men
would eventually be executed. Meanwhile, Doolittle,
along with many of the other crews, were helped by Chinese military
and civilians in the east of China who sheltered them
and ensured they reached safety. This would, however,
have tragic consequences for the Chinese, as Japan launched
a campaign in retaliation, which would kill a quarter
of a million villagers in the region. Such vicious retribution revealed just how much the attack
on Tokyo had injured Japanese pride. Although the damage to Japan itself
was not as severe as Doolittle had hoped, the fact that US bombers
had reached the homeland at all would have a profound effect
on Japan's decision making in the next step of their Pacific War. As the boundaries
of the empire had grown ever greater in the early months of 1942,
there'd been much disagreement among senior Japanese commanders
over the next course of action to take. Fleet Admiral Osami Nagano,
Head of the Naval General Staff, had keenly supported
spearheading further territorial gains, a strategy which had the full support
of the Imperial Japanese Army. They wanted the next attack
to be centered on isolating Australia, which could be used
as a potential American base. It was proposed
that as part of its empire building, Japan should occupy
Port Moresby in New Guinea and Tulagi in the Solomon Islands. This would strengthen Japanese
defensive positions in the South Pacific and provide a base
from which to attack Australia, which would then be within
the range of land-based aircraft. The Japanese had already begun
edging close to the Australian mainland, and after seizing New Britain, the largest island in New Guinea
back in January 1942, they'd established
a major base at the city of Rabaul. The Australians
were well aware of the dangers that this posed to their country, and in February 1942,
their fears were more than justified as Japanese planes
gathered from the same task force that had attacked Pearl Harbor flew towards the northern coast
of Australia. These were soon joined
by powerful land-based bombers, and as they closed in for the attack,
the Port of Darwin faced a bombardment which would be even more devastating
than the attack on Pearl Harbor. By seizing new bases
in the Solomon's and New Guinea, Nagano hoped that Australia
would be further isolated and the occupation of Port Moresby
and Tulagi would not only ensure the defense of Rabaul
but would serve as jumping off points for the conquests
of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Samoa. This in turn would cut supply
and communication lines between the United States,
Australia, and New Zealand. Not everyone in Japan
was in accordance with Nagano however, and Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, who had masterminded
the attack on Pearl Harbor, believed that rather than continue
to drive for more territory, Japan should concentrate on creating
a defense buffer for their new empire. There was now
an endless supply of resources at the disposal of the Japanese,
which could be gathered from the territory they held
around the Pacific and beyond. The supply routes
between the Japanese mainland and the occupied countries
needed to be protected. To do this Yamamoto was eager
to eliminate the threat of American intervention. The Japanese admiral
was aware that the failure to destroy valuable carriers
at Pearl Harbor had been a fatal mistake. To ensure the survival of the empire
and indeed, of Japan itself, it was essential to finish
what he'd started in December 1941 and complete the destruction
of the American Fleet. Yamamoto began to conceive
a plan to lure US carriers within range of a Japanese Task Force
for a monumental battle which would ensure
Japanese control of the Central Pacific. He selected as his target Midway Atoll,
two tiny coral islands which lay on the extreme northwest
of the Hawaiian island chain. The American base here
was far enough from Hawaii to lessen the risk
of heavy land-based air power threatening Japanese ships. Not only would valuable US carriers
be sent out to protect the Atoll if captured, Midway would further extend
the Japanese defensive perimeter and even provide
a useful base to launch attacks on the west coast of America. Yamamoto had however,
struggled to convince Admiral Nagano that an attack
on Midway should take priority. Until April the 18th 1942,
preparations had been focused on advancing
further south towards Australia rather than on destroying
the American Fleet. It was only when Jimmy Doolittle
launched his daring raid on Tokyo that opinion swung
in favor of an attack on Midway. With fears growing that the homeland
was vulnerable to air attacks, the Prime Minister of Japan, General Tojo, agreed that resources should be focused
on the defense of the empire and the elimination
of the American threat. By mid-April it was too late to withdraw the forces preparing
to advance on Port Moresby and Tulagi, and for the time being,
the Battle of Midway would have to wait. The drive towards Australia,
codenamed Operation Mo, was scheduled for the beginning of May
and the entire campaign was placed under the command
of Yamamoto's protege, Admiral Inoue. He, in turn,
would coordinate several groups, which included a Carrier Strike Force
commanded by Vice Admiral Takagi and Tulagi Invasion Force
commanded by Rear Admiral Shima, and there would
also be a Port Moresby Invasion Force. What the Japanese didn't realize was that the Americans
had cracked their codes. As signal traffic was intercepted
by US and British intelligence, Admiral Nimitz was informed
of the imminent attack on Port Moresby. The news was treated very seriously
by the American commander, who was aware
that Australia would be left vulnerable if the Japanese established
bases so close to the country. After consulting Admiral Ernest King,
head of the US Navy, it was decided
that the invasion should be opposed with all the aircraft carriers,
the Allied Forces could muster. A fleet centered on two carrier groups
was rapidly assembled and included Task Force 17,
based around the carrier USS Yorktown and Task Force 11
based around the carrier USS Lexington. Rear Admiral Frank Fletcher,
who had already seen action in the Pacific after the Marshall
and Gilbert Islands raid back in February, was placed in command of Yorktown and would also be in overall command
of the mission. Meanwhile, Rear Admiral Aubrey Fitch
would command Lexington and there would also be
a joint Australian American Cruiser force to provide additional support. Task Force 44 would be commanded by Rear Admiral John Crace
of the Royal Navy. As the ships headed towards New Guinea,
the Solomon Islands, they would encounter
many dangers along the way with high seas and heavy winds to combat. However, there was no doubt
that every man on board was willing to brave the worst of storms. It meant he was given the opportunity
to strike back at the Japanese. While the carriers moved further west, soon preparations
were made for the attack. Bombs were loaded onto planes
and pilots prepared for the mission ahead. Then finally, on May the 3rd, news arrived
that Shima's invasion force had arrived in the Solomon Islands. While Japanese troops
began to pour onto Tulagi, Fletcher altered course
to head due north towards the enemy. On May the 4th, 60 aircraft were launched
in three waves from Yorktown, taking Shima's forces
completely by surprise. The attack was a success, and as well as hitting
three minesweepers and four sea planes, the Americans managed
to sink an important Japanese destroyer. Nevertheless, the Japanese
would continue to hold Tulagi, as they set to work establishing
a seaplane base on the island. After inflicting a considerable amount
of damage on the Japanese fleet, Fletcher took his task force due south
to meet up with Crace and Fitch's ships. Now the Japanese were aware of the presence
of American carriers in the area. Eager to accomplish
what Yamamoto hoped to do at Midway, it was now Admiral Takagi's turn
to take part in the action. He led his carrier strike force from its position
350 miles north of the Solomon Islands and entered the Coral Sea
to hunt for the Allies. It was a journey into the unknown as the scene was set for the first
ever aircraft carrier battle in history. One US commander would later comment
that the Battle of Coral Sea was without a doubt the most confused
battle area in world history. Indeed, as search planes
were sent out from both sides to look out for enemy ships, the Americans and Japanese
were playing a game of cat and mouse. In the confusion of the hunt, some planes would fire
on their own forces. Others would try to land on enemy ships, but finally, on the 8th of May,
the decisive battle was fought. At about 8:20 that morning, each side spotted the other
almost simultaneously and rushed to launch their aircraft. The Japanese in a combined strike and each American carrier
in separate strike forces. By 9:25, all aircraft had been launched and as the carriers headed for each other,
Yorktown Strike Force attacked at 11 a.m. To be met by 16 Japanese Zero Fighters protecting the carrier Shokaku
and her sister ship. While planes lunged
and swooped through the air, avoiding anti-aircraft fire,
Shokaku was hit by two 1,000 pound bombs, which caused
heavy damage to her flight deck. Before long,
with further attacks from Lexington, she was out of the battle. However, the Japanese soon struck back and 14 planes swept in to attack
USS Lexington in a pincer movement. She was hit twice by torpedoes before dive bombers moved in,
hitting the ship again. Meanwhile,
a bomb exploded on Yorktown's deck. However, while Fletcher's carrier
would survive another day, Lexington would not be so lucky. The bombs had ruptured a fuel tank and as sparks ignited the fumes
that had built up in the carrier, a series of dramatic explosions followed,
leading to uncontrollable fires. As ships were called up
to help with the evacuation. Over two and a half thousand
men rushed to escape from Lexington. By this stage, each side
had suffered considerable damage, and as survivors were pulled to safety, both the Americans and the Japanese
decided to withdraw their forces. The results of the battle
had been costly for the Americans. With the loss of USS Lexington,
as well as other ships and many planes, it appeared that the Japanese
had won a tactical victory. However, the Battle of Coral Sea
would in fact give the Americans the greater advantage
with a strong Allied Force in the area and with two of their carriers damaged,
the Japanese now feared that many of their landing craft
might be destroyed if they went ahead
with the invasion of Port Moresby. The attack was called off and with it the advance towards
the northern approaches of Australia. Nimitz's mission had been a success and for the time being,
Australia was safe. Although Japanese progress
had been checked in the South Pacific, in the South-East Asian Theater of War,
the advance continued. The British Eastern Fleet
had already been driven out of the Indian Ocean by the Japanese,
allowing the Empire of the Rising Sun to further extend
its western defensive perimeter. The Allies could do little to stop
the enemy from pushing further west through the British colony of Burma and towards India, the crown jewel
of Britain's Asiatic empire. By now, Britain had lost a great deal
of territory to the forces of the Axis, and Winston Churchill
was clearly concerned about this additional threat
to British colonialism. The Indian subcontinent
had been ruled by the British since 1858, and Churchill was reluctant to lose
such a precious part of the empire. His American ally, President Roosevelt,
meanwhile, had other concerns. Burma provided the supply route
for aid and arms into China, and it was important to keep this open so the Chinese leader,
Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek, could continue his war
with Japan unhindered, keeping enemy troops occupied and preventing their redeployment
to the South Pacific. Roosevelt had assigned
General Joseph Stilwell the role of Chief of Staff
to the China Burma India Theater. However, while the conflict
in Burma continued, it was soon evident that the Allies
were fighting a losing battle. By the end of April,
Lashio, in northeast Burma had been taken cutting off the Burma road, and Stilwell had no choice
but to order an emergency evacuation. On May the 6th, the American general
began to retreat towards India on foot, while British troops
tried to slow down the progress of the advancing Japanese soldiers
before crossing over to India themselves. Before long,
all hope of holding Burma had been lost, and as the country fell,
the buffer protecting India was no more. Despite Churchill's fears
of losing more British terrain, the Japanese actually
had no intention of invading India. As May drew to a close, it was clear
that there were other more ambitious plans to occupy their commanders. Yamamoto was by now finalizing
preparations for the Battle of Midway, and it would soon be time
for the next stage of Japan's attack on the American fleet. Although Yamamoto's
superior fleet, Admiral Nagano, had finally agreed
to the attack on Midway, there were still disagreements
between the Japanese naval commanders. Nagano had decided that Yamamoto
should launch a separate mission at the same time as the Midway battle to capture some
sparsely inhabited volcanic islands, which extended over 1,000 miles
west of the Alaskan Peninsula. The Aleutian Islands
lay far to the north of Midway, and Yamamoto realized
that the extra mission would extend his vast battle zone
to unmanageable proportions, but Nagano would not be dissuaded. The Aleutian Islands
appeared to have little economic, military, or strategic value because of their barren,
mountainous terrain and harsh weather. However, seizing them
would further extend the defense of Japan and make it harder for ships
to slip through the northern Pacific. There was also the hope
that launching this second attack, far from Midway,
might serve as a distraction, leading some American ships north
and therefore weakening the US fleet. Yamamoto must have eventually seen that there were some advantages
to Nagano's plan. Though reluctant, he finally agreed to extend to the area of battle
to incorporate the islands near Alaska. The Japanese admiral now faced
coordinating the most challenging naval conflict
ever undertaken by the Japanese and set to work
gathering the largest fleets to have ever sailed the Pacific Ocean
for the mighty battle that lay ahead. The element of surprise
was a vital part of Yamamoto's plan. He split the immense fleet
into four separate groups so the Americans would have no idea how vast Japanese forces
actually were when the battle commenced. The first carrier striking force
would be led by Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, who had led the attack
on Pearl Harbor in 1941, and had also forced the British
to abandon the Indian Ocean after successful attacks
on their fleet in early 1942. Nagumo's force
would operate in close support of the Midway Invasion Force
commanded by Vice Admiral Kondo. Meanwhile, the main force
which followed behind these other two would be led by Yamamoto himself
and would attack the American carriers once they'd been lured out into the open. Finally, the fourth section
of the naval fleet, Northern Force, was to detach from the main body
and head north for the Aleutians before the Midway battle commenced. Unfortunately for Yamamoto,
the disposition of his forces would be the greatest flaw in his plan,
as the groups would be too far apart to support each other. Yamamoto's ships would, in fact, sail 300 miles
behind Nagumo's Striking Force and be of little help
when the Americans launch their defense. Meanwhile, far across the Pacific Ocean, the US Navy's
Combat Intelligence Unit at Pearl Harbor had once again intercepted Japanese codes, and all Yamamoto's efforts
at deception would be in vain. By May 1942, Admiral Nimitz
had been provided with confirmation that Midway
was the next target for the Japanese. He even had the complete
Japanese order of battle, as well as the dates of the attack, which were expected
on either June the 4th or the 5th. While the Imperial Fleet
set sail for Midway with little idea that their mission
had already been revealed to the enemy, US forces rushed to prepare
for the battle that lay ahead. Midway was second
only to Pearl Harbor in the defense of the West Coast of America. After the devastating raid
on the Hawaiian base, the Americans would ensure that this time they were more
than ready for the impending attack. Unlike the Japanese,
they had the advantage that Midway itself
could be used as a launching platform as well as their own planes, additional air power
had been sent from Hawaii, further strengthening defenses. The aircraft carriers
were also called up to protect Midway, and Fletcher's Task Force 17 was immediately recalled
from the Coral Sea. Although severely damaged,
Yorktown had survived the battles against the Japanese. After arriving in Pearl Harbor on May
the 27th, work crews from the shipyard had worked around the clock
to ensure she was repaired and ready to defend Midway within days. Halsey's Task Force 16 with the carriers
USS Hornet and Enterprise were already at Pearl Harbor,
although Halsey himself would not be well enough
to take part in the battle. He would be replaced
by Rear Admiral Raymond Spruance, who would operate under
the overall command of Admiral Fletcher. As well as calling on
as many army and naval personnel as he could muster,
Nimitz requested photographers, so the events at Midway could be recorded. The famous film director,
John Ford, knew Nimitz well and would capture some of the most
memorable footage of the conflict. By the end of May,
all possible preparations had been made
for the battle that lay ahead. With defenses in place,
American forces could do little more than watch and wait
for the Japanese offensive to begin. Air Corps Units searched the skies
for the first sign of a Japanese attack, while far out to sea, Yamamoto's Armada
edged ever closer to the naval base. Compared to the Americans, the Japanese had little idea
of what they were up against. They believed
that only two aircraft carriers, the USS Enterprise and USS Hornet, would be available
for the defense of Midway. They were convinced that USS Yorktown
had been sunk at the Battle of Coral Sea. Underestimating the strength
of their opponent would be an expensive mistake. In reality, the Japanese faced not two
but three American carrier groups, and the challenge that lay ahead
would be much harder than Yamamoto had imagined. By May the 30th, US search planes were launched from Midway
to hunt for the giant enemy fleet, and after scanning the seas
for a number of days, the ships of the Imperial Navy
were finally spotted. As the alarm rang out across Midway
early hours of June the 4th, Nagumo ordered dive bombers,
torpedo bombers, and zero fighters to launch their attack
on the American base. In less than two hours,
the onslaught had begun. American planes flown by Marine Pilots
scrambled to intercept the attack and would destroy many
of the enemy planes despite heavy losses. Meanwhile, as dive bombers
from Nagumo's attack force swooped across the island,
those defending the ground fought back fiercely. The anti-aircraft fire
would prove much more deadly than the Japanese expected. The base was thrown into chaos
as bombs rained down on the island, destroying fuel storage tanks
and aircraft hangars. However, the defenders continued
to battle back against the enemy forces. As the first attack on the island ended,
it was the Americans turn to strike back and two torpedo squadrons
headed for the Japanese carriers. Without fighter escorts,
they were no match for the Japanese Zeros and were almost all shot down, but as the waves
of American attacks continued, the Japanese were kept distracted. They were too busy focusing
on the defense of their ships to launch a strike
against the American fleet and soon US planes had broken
through Japanese defenses. The Enterprise Air Group
hit two carriers, including Nagumo's, while Yorktown's bombers attacked a third. Before long, there was only one
Japanese carrier still operational, and she counterattacked, sending a wave of dive bombers
towards Yorktown. Compared to the Japanese carriers, Yorktown was better prepared
for the attack and swiftly launched her fighters
to intercept the enemy planes. Many of the Japanese aircraft
were shot down, and although Yorktown
was repeatedly struck by bombs, fires were controlled and she continued
to launch more fighter planes. While a second wave of Japanese bombers
headed for the American carrier, Rear Admiral Spruance
launched a final strike on the Japanese fleet
with 40 dive bombers. Within an hour,
they found the last Japanese carrier. Despite several attempts to defend her,
American planes delivered a deadly blow which left her ablaze and sinking. By the end of the day, it was clear that
Yamamoto's mission had failed miserably. With casualties mounting and more and more planes
being lost to the enemy, he would have no choice
but to call off the invasion of Midway. Four Japanese carriers had been destroyed and their loss
would have grave consequences for the Imperial Navy throwing the balance of power
firmly in America's favor. There had nonetheless
been heavy losses on both sides, and Yorktown,
the flagship of Fletcher's Task Force 17, which had been so important
at Coral Sea and at Midway, would not survive to see another battle. After being hit by torpedoes,
the crew was forced to abandon ship amidst fears she would capsize. After a final deadly blow
from a Japanese submarine, Yorktown sank on June the 7th. The Americans had suffered
just over 300 casualties at the Battle of Midway,
but the Japanese had lost many more with over 2,000 men killed,
and there was little doubt that the Americans
had won an overwhelming victory. As the injured US Marines
and sailors were tended to, and survivors were brought to safety, President Roosevelt congratulated
those who'd bravely fought off the enemy, clearly relieved that the Battle of Midway
had checked the advance of the Japanese. However, far to the north,
the threat from the Eastern Empire was not yet over. The Japanese forces that had headed
to the Aleutian Islands would have greater success
than Nagumo's Midway defeat. On the 3rd and 4th of June,
their carriers launched air attacks on two military bases
on the island of Unalaska. Hindered by bad weather, the planes hadn't caused
as much damage as hoped. On June the 6th and 7th, the Japanese had landed
at Kiska Island and Attu Island and had soon established bases there. This now placed the Japanese
dangerously close to US territory with fears that attacks
could now be launched on the west coast of America, every precaution was taken
for the defense of the mainland. Although a resounding victory
had been won at Midway, it was clear that the war
against Japan was far from over, and the months that followed
would reveal just how hard the battle against the empire
of the Rising Sun was going to be. From the freezing terrain
of the Aleutian Islands to the sweltering jungles
of New Guinea and the Solomons, the toughest battles
in the history of the Second World War were still to be fought, and the Pacific conflict
was only just beginning.
