JUNE 3, 2024 – This year marks the 82nd anniversary of a moment in time when America’s fortunes, and in many ways the fortunes of the world shifted dramatically.
In June of 1942, just six months removed from the attack on Pearl Harbor, the armed forces of the Empire of Japan ranged throughout the Pacific and stood poised to complete their conquest of the former colonial empires of France, Britain and the Dutch in Asia. The attack on Pearl Harbor crippled America’s naval and air forces to the extent that the United States could not prevent the Japanese Empire’s seizure of the rich resources the former colonies would bring.
The destruction of our military forces at Pearl Harbor left our nation at war and scrambling to prepare for the long struggle ahead against Japan and even more importantly against Nazi Germany, whom most considered to be a greater threat. In the months following Dec. 7, 1941, the United States was struggling to keep Japanese forces at bay with very few forces of our own and even fewer positive results.
For six months the Japanese Empire expanded as the American people grew weary of defeat after defeat. Considering the disparate odds facing the Allies, and the limited forces available to the United States compared to those of the Japanese Empire, the prospects of victory seemed long and morale ran low. The table would soon be turned at a point roughly midway between the West Coast of the United States and the home islands of Japan.
In May of 1942, American Army forces surrendered to the Japanese in the Philippines leaving the Navy in the form of the aircraft carriers Enterprise, Yorktown, Lexington, Hornet and Saratoga as the only valid platforms from which to launch strikes at the Japanese. By the end of that month Lexington would be lost at the Battle of the Coral Sea while Saratoga remained laid up on the West Coast undergoing repairs. The situation seemed grim.
Fortunately, America was not without level headed leadership and the will to fight. Adm. Chester Nimitz, the commander of the Pacific Fleet received credible information from his intelligence assets at Pearl Harbor that the Japanese intended to occupy Midway atoll, located just over 1,000 miles from Hawaii. From Midway, the Japanese would to be able to threaten Oahu and bring out the American carriers for what they hoped to be a final death blow to the Pacific Fleet. Fortunately for America’s prospects in the Pacific, Nimitz had a reasonable assurance about the Japanese plans including when and where they were coming with four carriers, and the size of the force the Japanese intended to utilize for the operation.
The admiral knew that our carriers were the most valuable naval asset available to the United States and he would not waste them on a guess. He trusted his intelligence staff and the commanders, pilots and crews of the two task forces he sent to wait for the unsuspecting invaders. He knew that by concentrating his forces at the right place at the right time, he could strike a counter blow to the Japanese that would begin to level the playing field in the Pacific.
On June 4, 1942 , the United States Navy found itself at the right place at the right time as dive-Bombers from the carriers Yorktown and Enterprise destroyed Japan’s frontline carriers Hiryu, Soryu, Akagi and Kaga. All four had participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor just six months before, and all four now lay at the bottom of the Pacific. America had won a decisive battle against a seemingly invincible foe but not without scars, as Japanese aircraft found Yorktown and inflicted damage that would eventually lead to her destruction.
The Battle of Midway would be remembered as a critical moment in the Pacific Theater of the war. As a result of the battle, the United States crippled Japan’s ability to launch further large scale mobile strikes against Allied forces in the Pacific, and American forces would soon take the offensive. Though the war was far from over, the tide turned and began to turn decisively against the Empire of Japan and the Allies would begin to muster the overwhelming forces that would lead to victory.
Story by James Neuman
Commander Navy Region Hawaii