Battle of Midway

battle_name=Battle of Midway

Before the battle

Midway itself was not especially important in the larger scheme of Japan's intentions: they were keen on concentrating on invading New Caledonia, the Samoa Islands, and Fiji, in order to isolate Australia, so as to help expand and consolidate their newly-acquired SE Pacific territory. However, the Midway Islands were the closest remaining U.S. base to Japan, and would therefore be strongly defended by the U.S.

Related Topics:
New Caledonia - Samoa Islands - Fiji - Australia

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Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's battle plan was typically bold and ingenious. Like most Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) strategic doctrine, it was designed, in part, to lure major parts of the U.S. Fleet into a fatally compromising situation. Yamamoto's main force of battleships and cruisers trailed his carriers, and was intended to take out whatever part of the U.S. Fleet might come to Midway's support. The plan was complicated, probably in part because it was put together very rapidly in the wake of the "Doolittle Raid" on Tokyo by U.S. Army B-25's flying from U.S. carriers in the middle of April. The raid had done little significant damage, but was a severe psychological shock, demonstrating that the Japanese military could not prevent attacks against the Japanese home islands, and it boosted the morale in the U.S.

Related Topics:
Isoroku Yamamoto - Imperial Japanese Navy - Doolittle Raid - Tokyo - B-25

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