After suffering tremendous losses for no gain, the survivors of this attack retired towards Midway. Serious damage was inflicted on Midway, but not enough to ensure a successful invasion by Japanese land forces.Īt 0700, the first US air strike found the Japanese carrier force and was mauled first by the defensive fighters and then by anti-aircraft fire. US fighters came off worst in engagements with Japanese Zeros and failed to inflict much damage on the strike force. The first Japanese strike arrived over the Midway Atoll around 0600 and was met by a rather outmatched air defence force. More importantly, the US carrier force had access to good reconnaissance information from these aircraft, whereas the Japanese commanders did not know where the US carrier force was. A followup strike by flying boats succeeded in torpedoing a transport vessel. The Japanese fleet was sighted by US aircraft from Midway as it approached, and a strike was made by B-17 bombers which caused no damage. Likewise, the submarine patrol line failed to intercept the US fleet and inflicted no damage. In the event, there was no response to this move, which deprived the IJN of part of its force rather than weakening its opponents. Part of the Japanese force was detached to the north, threatening the Aleutian Islands in the hope that some elements of the US fleet would be drawn off. The IJN also deployed 20 submarines as scouts and in a patrol line that would hopefully be able to ambush US ships. Japanese aviation strength was some 248 planes. Ranged against them was a formidable IJN force of four fleet carriers plus cruisers, lighter carriers and several battleships, including the huge and powerful Yamato. This brought US aviation strength up to three fleet carriers, plus the aircraft based at Midway for a total of 360 aircraft. In fact, USS Yorktown had been made battle-worthy in an incredible three days and was available to join the US fleet headed for Midway. An attack on Midway would draw out the US carrier force into a one-sided battle that could only end with its destruction. Believing that the USS Yorktown had been sunk at the Coral Sea along with USS Lexington, Japanese planners thought they had a strategic advantage in terms of carrier strength. If the island could be occupied, it would serve as a base to operate against Pearl Harbor and also help anchor the extended defensive perimeter needed to prevent a recurrence of the Doolittle Raid. Seeking a decisive battle, the Imperial Japanese Navy began an operation against Midway Island in June 1942.
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