Why Japan lost the Battle of Midway
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- Has the balance of power ever changed so much in so little time than at the Battle of Midway? In the space of just 5 minutes, American dive bombers scored hits on three Japanese aircraft carriers, dramatically turning the tide of the war in the Pacific.
But this pivotal moment was a product of more than chance. It was the culmination of decisions made not only in the heat of battle but in the preceding weeks and months. To truly grasp the significance of this critical juncture and how it happened, we have to go right back to the beginning of the pacific war.
In this video, IWM curator Adrian Kerrison examines the timeline of events that lead to the Battle of Midway and the crucial decisions that doomed the Japanese to defeat.
Explore and licence the film clips used in this video from IWM Film:
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A short history of the Pacific War: www.iwm.org.uk...
What happened at Pearl Harbor?: www.iwm.org.uk...
A guide to Japan's role in WW2: www.iwm.org.uk...
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#history #ww2 #aircraftcarrier
When I was a kid we had a neighbor who was personally responsible for the loss of 26 Japanese aircraft in WWII. He was the worst mechanic in the Japanese military.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Oldest joke in the book
😂😂😂😂😂
@@senorpepper3405 I've never heard that joke. It's great
@@dx1450 👎🏻
Lest we forget the acts of incredible heroism by the likes of McClusky, Kleiss, Best, and their comrades. Great men all.
Thach and George Gay deserve to be named too!
Memorial day 2001 I saw the small turnouts at remembrances of Pearl Harbor and everything that came after that. I was keenly aware that bad things were brewing around the world and that we in the US were in another December 6, 1941, people were hearing, but ignoring the signs of impending disaster.
And then 9/11 happened.
I was only surprised that it wasn’t worse.
When we don’t remember the past events can happen again that remind us rudely of them.
Remember Pearl Harbor. Remember 9/11.
Read the book Broken Sword. It was a combination of events including how Japanese carriers operated and were designed. Great book with lots of researched detail.
And don’t forget that the bombers from the Hornet never found their targets, and then more than half couldn’t find their way home.
@@denvan3143 I do remember 9/11. I was a Red Cross volunteer. I remember the smell. I also remember not being surprised, after knowing for years about the Kamikaze. Same hate, different day.
Any hardcore history fans going to mention that Yorktown was still afloat after Hiryu's first counter-attack and its damage repair crews did such a good job putting out the fires that the second attack wave mistook it for an untouched carrier, saving Enterprise and Hornet. Even after the second attack it was STILL afloat, they attempted to salvage it but a submarine finally finished the job.
Truth
To be honest, all of the Japanese carriers survived as well. While none of them could conduct air operations because their flight decks were destroyed, they stayed afloat as they burned to water line. In fact, Akagi was under her own power and making 10 knots. She had only been hit by a single bomb. Yamamoto had them all shuttled because he thought the US forces would pursue and capture. Of course, that didn't happen.
US damage control, along with naming NEW ships after sunk ones, really blew the Japanese mind!
Yes -- I know that. Great book by John Lundstrom, "The First Team".
@@darin271Akagi and Kaga blew themselves apart. They didn’t just burn. Two carriers were completely destroyed by internal explosions.
One thing that is over looked in most videos about Midway is that it wasn't so much the loss of the four aircraft carriers , but the loss of the pilots and aircrew .
Later in the war Japan was able to build new carriers but was never able to replace the highly skilled veteran aircrew .
What replacements that were put aboard were easily shot down .
Japan used their aces until they died instead of the American method of rotating them back to the World to train the next squadrons.
@@hithere7382 The luftwaffe were the same they did not rotate their pilots enough times, but the British and Americans had a superior system in place compared to the Axis powers who just wasted all of their veteran air men.
Except they barely lost 150 pilots and aircrew when the IJN naval air arm had over 2000 pilots in 1941. They'd lose over 3 times more in the meat grinder of the Solomons, more important loses were the loss of mechanics and flight deck personnel who couldn't easily be replaced.
@@legoeasycompany I see someone's read Shattered Sword! o7
@@Nugs387 its a great book
The fact that the same pilot delivered the killing blows to two carriers is almost incredible, the courage and skill of most of the Americans was impressive but the performance of Richard H Best that day was the stuff of legends, the fact that his name was actually "Best" is the kind of thing were reality was more strange than fiction.
There is a Japanese pilot that bombed the Enterprise two times. Two different battles!
Yes, the legend of "Big" Dick Best. No one will ever match that feat.
Just to add, the US torpedo bombers not only drew away and exhausted the Japanese combat air patrol, but more importantly brought the Zeros down to sea level, so they weren't in position to attack the dive bombers at their height before the US planes made their attack dives.
This they did, but at no small cost to themselves.
This has long been debunked (See Broken Sword). There was a good 15 minutes between when the last torpedo bomber was shot down and when the dive bombers arrived. The Zeros had plenty of time to climb back to altitude. The CAP was far too small to deal with the number of Dauntlesses that showed up, and they were almost certainly out of ammo for their 20mm cannons, as the zero only held 60 rounds each.
@Rocketsong they had the time, but their radios had problems. A good design, but not properly shielded or grounded, resulting in the carriers not being able to tell them where the next attack was coming.
@@what4hats WWII radios were remarkably bad. But I don't believe the IJN had detection radar at the time.
And it was by blind luck that it happened that way.
This is the best (and briefest) explanation of the Battle of Midway of those I have watched on TH-cam.
Search TH-cam for Midway Montemayor: a three-part video showing you how the battle unfolded to the Japanese commander. It's probably the best video I've ever seen on TH-cam.
If you have the time read the book Shattered Sword. Printed in 2005 so you'll probably find a cheap one somewhere.
This was good. Read the book and watch Montemayors video on the Battle of Midway.
@@73Trident yeah I've been commenting that too. The Montemayor video is the best thing I've ever seen on this battle in any kind of media.
He narrates from the point of view that his audience don't know anything, as if we are all ignorant children, very simplistic and only a possible "the best explanation" if made for primary school aged children.
Hearing and reading about this battle never fails to send chills down my spine.
check out the TH-cam video Midway Montemayor: a three-part video showing you how the battle unfolded to the Japanese commander. It's probably the best video I've ever seen on TH-cam.
The Japanese planes did not finish off the USS Yorktown, but it was a japanese submarine that did. She was able to stay afloat after being bombed by the japanese. She was, then, being pulled by one of her allied ships, but was hit by a torpedo attack.
That was anti-climactic ... to survive two huge battles (both barely) and then to be torpedoed by a lowly sub lurking in the shadows.
She still might have survived the hit, except the Hammon, which was tied next to her providing electricity for the work crews, had her depth charges explode after taking the torpedo hit.
@@TallDude73 Your low opinion of submarines is why every submariner here is grinning ear to ear and hoping that you have command of the enemy's next ship.
The Yorktown class CV was one tough SOB!!
IJN Yamato had it much worse. She waited the entire war for action only to be unceremoniously slaughtered by U.S. aircraft, never having fired her main guns against other surface ships.
Let's not forget Roosevelt. He pushed to start building those carriers in the late thirties.
He also had the help of Willis Ching Lee. Lee was in Washington helping to prepare the navy for war. The bureau of ordinance was a bottleneck on new equipment, weapons. They were sitting on radar thinking it wasn't going to be effective. Lee basically pushed it through and ordered it on every vessel. The navy was building a new class of heavy battle cruiser, the Alaska class. The navy built two. Lee pressed to put in end to the project and to build more aircraft carriers instead knowing the aircraft carrier would be crucial to the war.
When the Truth comes out that FDR allowed Pearl Harbor to happen, you will edit your comment. He is a Traitor, his uncle even said it lol
Yep, everyone forgets that the US military being a huge worldwide force was once unthinkable,
And FDR’s decision to expand the US military from the late 30’s to Pearl Harbor was enormously controversial in America.
Sadly, he was also a corrupt liar who oversaw the banning of cannabis, and he was clearly working with people from companies like Phizer, Johnson and Johnson and Bayer in order to get it, and other medicinal plants like coca and opium off of the market, they way they are still doing to this very day.
We mustn’t give them a pass for these things. We must hold our politicians accountable and tell them to stop lying and taking bribes, they will never be remembered as righteous heroes by God, but they will be punished and eventually thrown in hell if they don’t repent.
Montemayor has an excellent set of animated videos showing how Midway proceeded from the Japanese point-of-view, using only the data that Japanese commanders had and showing why they made their decisions on the day.
I love that video!
So often, we look at battles and judge the actions based on having hindsight and a God's eye view of the Battlefield, when the people in the moment had no such luxury
Decisions…that day.
Bit Montemayor not Parshall or hardly anybody questions why the IJN didn’t utilize their surface ships/different battle plan.
Wade McClusky, from Buffalo, NY, made a gutsy call that allowed it all to happen.
It was the sub attacking that won Midway.
He Should Got the CMH. Did Y'all See That Scene in 1976 "Midway"?
and Waldron, leading his 15 torpedo bombers in alone, without fighter cover or anything. Waldron went against his own CAG, Cdr Ring, who led the rest of his squadrons into nowhere and had to turn back for lack of fuel. But they couldnt blame Waldron since he died a heros death, so Ring got the blame. Promoted, benched, never saw another combat command.
@@brianhourigan4472 buffalo ny has a proud tradition of warfighting like many American cities
God bless these men. And let us never forget the their sacrifices....we owe these men everything.
It's why Communist China is the world superpower.
You religious losers ruin everything. It was the PEOPLE who succeeded at Midway, not your lame, pretend god character. You soil their efforts and their memories.
*#IronicHowAmericansForget.
@@MichaelOliver-ry7fj The US was on the wrong side.
@@MarkHarrison733What is that supposed to mean?
I’ve read exhaustively about this. The consensus, though all opinionated, is that the intelligence in breaking the code was most instrumental in the victory.
It was weeks before the news reach all of America. My childhood mentor served in the Army in the war. He had never heard of the Midway battle in his life. When I recounted the story to him, he was 92. I must have told it well. He was mesmerized and asked how come I knew so much about it. LOL
Karen Kingsbury's new book Just Once gives tremendous credit to the US coders in the Battle at Midway.
breaking the code just set the scene. They knew the target and the potential date. Nothing else. Tactical and doctrine elements played a much bigger role for the outcome of the battle.
@@Jprid Joe Rocheforts War is a pretty good book
One of the more understated outcomes of the Battle of Midway, beyond the loss of the four Japanese fleet carriers, was the severe losses the IJN suffered in their naval aviator corps. The so many of them were highly trained veterans of actions over China and in air strikes against British holdings in Ceylon (Sri Lanka today). They were the best naval aviators in the world at the time of Pearl Harbor and the Battle of the Coral Sea. So many were lost at Midway that the IJN could not really recover. This was because the Japanese pilot training program was not designed to pump out replacements at the rate needed to man expended carrier air groups. Whereas combat experienced American aviators were rotated home to train new pilots. Many of the IJN squadrons were sent into the South Pacific and operated from Rabaul against American action in and around Guadalcanal, where they experienced more attrition. It became a negative feedback loop they would never recover from.
totally wrong.. the pilot pool was beld out over the slot...pilot losses at midway was unfortunate but not lethal
the US improved their aircraft rapidly, while the Japanese did not.....Yamamoto knew victory must be swift because he knew American industrial might would overwhelm Japan given enough time.
@@rotorhd2 ironically yamamoto said that if the japanese couldnt beat the US in 6 months, the war was lost. you can guess what battle happened exactly 6 months after the war started lol
experienced pilots AND ground crews.
@@bclmax Santa Cruz was especially bad for the Japanese pilot pool.
The US damage control teams are what made a huge difference
@@FUBAR1986 incredible
I love Catalinas/PBYs. They're slow, they're ugly in a way, but they always seem to be in the right place at the right time, like 6:47 and 8:13 of this video and during the hunt for the Bismarck. Only recently have I learned about the "Black Cat" night operations in the Pacific, which increased my love for them even more.
Bismarck was struck by swordfish not Catalinas
The days of amphibious aircraft are still here. Check out the ShinMaywa US-2, not as cool as a Cat but still does the job.
@@thewhorenextdoor8268
Bismarck was relocated by a Catalina after losing its pursuers, enabling it to be hunted down and sunk
It was also a Catalina that spotted a crashed Zero on an island, allowing the first U.S. reverse engineering of it.
They are building PBY inspired floatplanes again with all updated modern navigation, communication systems I had heard?
They forgot to mention after the first attack on the Yorktown, the fire control crews did such a good job that on the next wave of attacks the Japanese thought it was an entirely different carrier and attacked it again.
Fire control is used for attacks on the enemy. Damage control is to keep the ship operating despite damage by the enemy.
That was mesmerising and sobering. The courage on both sides was very evident. I shall have to watch it again to fully grasp how the pendulum of fate was swinging.
It's just crazy that Pearl Harbor to Midway was exactly-ish 6 months, with Guam, Wake Island, Hong Kong, the Philippines conquest, ABDACOM's calamities in Java Sea & everywhere else, the collapse of Indonesian, Malayan, & Singaporean defenses, Burma, Doolittle, the raid on Ceylon, the raid on Sydney Harbor, & Coral Sea all taking place in that stretch (not to mention offensives in China).
It's also mind-boggling how much could've been changed if the US Navy spent just a teeny bit more pre-War to test their torpedoes with warheads so that they would've actually worked when launched from subs, ships, & aircraft..
@@TinKnight Great records here on the progression of the war in the Pacific from Pearl Harbor to the Battle of Midway; that is amazing. Thank you, sir.
$10,000
A friend of mine, who was born in Japan and grew up there, but was living in New York City, when I knew him, said it was sad, that Japan lost all the territory they had in ww2. I kept silent. There was no point in arguing about the atrocities the Japanese committed thus I kept my American mouth shut.
My dad was a marine in the late part of WW2 ...43 -45. He said we won by luck... no carriers at pearl... and dogged resolve to fight in the face of certain failure to death... throwing men at islands until we took them, regardless of cost. Dad caught malaria and was put on the ship to recover..his unit was wiped out on Tinian Island. He was my HERO!
I have always thought it to be no accident that there were no aircraft carriers at Pearl Harbor that day. The US was industrially far superior to Japan.
If the US lost the Battle of Midway, the US might not have reached islands like Okinawa, the Marianas and Iwo Jima by the time the Soviets invaded Manchuria, but the US was unlikely to lose the war against Japan.
@@Banana_Split_Cream_Buns enterprise was scheduled to return before the attack but was delayed by a typhoon on the return trip to pearl harbor, not sure what was going on with the other carriers though
Not luck that the carriers were out. The location of the Japanese fleet and date or the attack was known. A task force headed north was turned around on orders from Washington. Decades later the commanders were cleared of wrongdoing because intelligence had been withheld.
@@randalhampton2966 SEMPER FI TO YOUR FATHER.GREATEST GENERATION
Excellent. I watch a lot of history videos and so many are 40 minutes or longer to cover similar amount of material. Your presentation was well-paced, succinct, visually interesting, and gave a thorough overview of Midway's battle. All in about 17 minutes; outstanding.
This is the best illustration of aircraft numbers, types and arrival times on station I have seen. It really clarifies the movements. My father was on a destroyer ranging from the Aleutians to New Guinea. A friend of his is still entombed on the USS Arizona. My mother "strung cables" (electrical?) through P38s in Burbank. 16:02 above the Saratoga must be the Lexington sunk 8 May 1942.
A quality presentation.
This was such a tremendous event in the war. Thanks for covering it. Well made video. This is also the best narrator in The imperial war museum
❤❤
It was of zero consequence in reality.
@@MarkHarrison733 ????
@@humbleopionist4366 Japan lost World War II on 7 December 1941.
@@MarkHarrison733 You could say that, but that would be like saying Austria lost as soon as Archduke Ferdinand died, because theoretically they had no chance of winning, even with Germany on their side.
It was hardly of no consequence.
The four carriers lost that single day, took a total of 14 years to construct.
Midway is where Japan lost the actual war.
While it is not wrong to say they severely screwed themselves attacking Pearl Harbor, at Midway, they lost all hope and four carriers.
Nimitz kicked Yamamoto’s ass at Midway. He is an American superhero. By the way, my Aunts Maria and Celia worked in a war plant, wiring the cockpits of Army and Navy aircraft. They were tiny enough to crawl into the nose of the airplanes reach into the narrowest space to get the job done. My Uncles Charlie and Mike were in the Navy, but not until the last couple years of the war. My Dad tried repeatedly to enlist but kept getting turned away because he was almost blind in one eye.
Thanks for the great job of breaking down the action at Midway. In my opinion, the most important naval battle in history.
I was just hearing someone say that cheated eye exams to get into the army may be the most influential cheating in americas history because of how many absolute badasses went on to do tons of damage for uncle sam, with less than perfect peepers
I recall Yamamoto as saying that he could only guarantee 6 months of victory.
Jolly good job. Instead of taking an hour to explain this action (like so many others), you summed it up well in 16 minutes. That's what we like.
Another consequence of Midway was the air cover that could have changed the Battle of Guadalcanal for the Japanese, was at the bottom of the Pacific.
After researching this battle for years, it’s amazing how successful the battle turned out for America 🇺🇸. I call it fate, because the Japanese wasted time to rearm their planes to attack the US carriers thus giving the American time to attack their carriers. And the planes that sunk the Japanese Carriers got lost at first but with a stroke of fate the found the carriers while their guard was down and sunk all 3 Carriers 🫡🇺🇸
I always point at Midway when someone asks about God favoring the US.
McClusky’s actions at Midway strongly helped to win the battle; which was the turning point in World War 2 Pacific Theater. One could argue this one man’s actions helped to saved not just thousands of American lives at the Battle of Midway but also thousands who would have died of America lost its all of its aircraft carriers. This battle cost Japan 4 of its total 6 carriers. With McClusky’s decisions helping to sink 3 of the 4. He is a true legend of World War 2. He was honored with Tombstone Promotion; to Rear Admiral. 🇺🇸
If you guys are interested. Montemayor has an excellent 3 video series on this Battle. Must see!
In 1942 American torpedoes did not work. At Midway only one torpedo struck and detonated on a Japanese ship.
What’s infuriating is the manufacturers and navy KNEW THIS. CYA is hard to fight even in war.
The importance of those few minutes on the outcome of the second world war cannot be overstated.
I actually don't think it made much of a difference. The war for japan was lost the moment they started it.
For germany there might be winning scenarios, for japan I just can't see any.
@@bimsbarkas I believe it made a huge difference. Had the Japanese attack on Midway succeeded, wouldn't FDR have been forced by public opinion to focus on the Pacific rather than the European war?
@@bimsbarkas it's not necessarily a case of Japan/Germany winning, but it would have led to the war going on for much longer than it did.
There was no hope for Japan to counter the massive industrial capacity of the US. Their entire Kantai Kessen strategy, defeating the US navy in one single battle and then somehow (?) forcing the US to make a peace agreement, because Japans high command thought so little of the combat will Americans, was flawed from the start. Attacking Pearl Harbour had the US people so riled up ... there would have been not enough political pressure for peace even if the US would have lost Hawai.
@@bimsbarkas The US started World War II on 24 March 1933.
Fletcher and Spruance were the stars of the battle. Fletcher was a battleship man, and Spruance was a cruiser man. Both could remain calm and make the correct decisions under high pressure, which I can assure you is a rare trait. Spruance would go on to command the Battle of the Philippines Sea.
Halsey would have been in command of the carriers, but at the time of Midway was out of action with a skin complaint. Halsey recommended Spruance for the job, and oh boy, did he do it.
Actually it had more to do with blind luck than their command ability.
@@penultimateh766 Spruance ordered his strike force to fly directly to the target without forming up. He gambled that they would catch the Japanese carriers off guard and in transition; receiving planes from Midway while spotting the carrier aircraft on deck. A lot of pilots died because they attacked in dribs and drabs, but Spruance's gamble ultimately paid off.
@@penultimateh766 Wrong, but thanks for being an idiot we can all rally around. Watch the videos, read more about it. It wasn't luck. The US planned this battle and brought the resources needed to win it. The commanders used their resources in a way that brought victory. They didn't GUESS, HOPE, WISH. They made tactical decisions to send their forces to defeat the enemy.
Otherwise, you could have been in command, we all could have put our hands over our eyes and hoped for the best luck.
@@contumelious-8440its more luck. analysis videos showed. its just a bad day for the japanese to not have luck on their side 😂
Super interesting. Great context. I finally get why it was such a great victory and critical battle.
The American studs who fought, died and will raised again on the last day are heroes beyond measure. My dear, brave dad, WW II, 12th Armoured Division, the Hellcats, survived and along with his brave MEN and WOMEN, saved the entire world from Hitler and Hirohito/Tojo...🙏✌️♥️🇺🇸
Awesome! God bless America!
Thanks for his service! I wouldn't have been able to learn another language! May God have Blessed your Dad!
men
Guadalcanal was the pivotal campaign as the IJN had remained as a force to be reckoned with. Midway was important and also psychologically profound for both sides but again, Guadalcanal was the real turning point.
John Prados book 'Islands of Destiny:The Solomons Campaign and the Eclipse of the Rising Sun' proves that Midway was not the acclaimed turning point of the war in the Pacific. It was the IJN being defeated in the Solomons by their inability to retake Henderson Field on Guadalcanal.
@@Martin-b5t9p Excellent book. Solomons and Guadalcanal were a brutal slog and the question of success for the Allies was certainly not well defined...but they did it. I am currently in the Philippines and I have been blessed with stories of first hand acounts from Filipinos and their struggles with Japanese occupation. Just amazing.
I think psychologically Midway was the main turning point though. The Japanese had been nearly invincible until that point. That five minutes changed everything.
Yep...a deep slog. I think it's difficult for most to imagine the carnage and lives lost during this campaign.
Midway was a turning point simply by levelling the playing field between Japan and US. Just look at the numbers. 4 carriers against 3 and Japan lost 3 whereas US lost 1. That is a turning point by definition as it sent shockwaves through japanese admiralty and gave the US such a big boost.
Had Midway not produced that result, any further operations would have looked very different.
I liked this video for it's condensed and to the point of this historic battle. Kudos to the narrator/host.
What a great video. Most Japan-US war videos skip what led to the attack. This is exactly what I was looking for.
Japan, December 7: It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Japan, midway: Well, _that_ didn’t turn out the way we thought.
Germany, Stalingrad: You're telling me!
The US caused the attack on the naval base, as Roosevelt confirmed.
@@timovangalen1589 The Second Battle of El Alamein was far more important than Stalingrad.
@@MarkHarrison733 how do you figure?
"Pearl Harbor didn't work out, so we got you with tape decks."
When I was a kid my dad (retired Lt. Col.) and I were given a VIP tour of the USS Lexington - one of the best memories from my childhood
John Ford directed two films about the events: 18-minute 1942 Movietone News documentary (released by the War Activities Committee) The Battle of Midway, which received the 1942 Academy Award for Best Documentary; and the eight-minute documentary Torpedo Squadron 8, which describes the heroism of Torpedo Squadron 8 of the USS Hornet. Ford, who was a Navy Reserve commander at the time, was present at Midway Atoll's power plant on Sand Island during the Japanese attack and filmed it. He received combat wounds from enemy fire in his arm during the filming.
Ford abused children.
It was no coincidence that he and his teams were there . . .
Ford was a nonce, as Maureen O'Hara confirmed.
I was proud to serve on the USS Shangri La CVA 38 built in 1943. I served in 1959 for a year. I have a good perspective how the WWll carriers were build and operated.
That sounds interesting, sir. Could you please write more about how the WWII carriers were built? I am especially interested in how the US Navy organized the planes on the flight deck versus the hangar deck, how they rotated the planes for takeoffs versus arming the planes with new bombs and refueling, and ideas like that. Thank you!
@@billwindsor4224 there are a couple excellent books by Osprey publishing on the Essex class carriers
US Aircraft Carriers, 1942-1945 War Built Classes
which also includes the Independence class and Midway Class
There is a follow up forget exact time
Essex Class Carriers 1946-1991 I think
Covers modernization and Korea and viet nam deployments
@@g.t.richardson6311 Thank you, sir! I am interested and will definitely check these out. 👍
@@billwindsor4224 no problem
Osprey has a ton of good books under their new vanguard series on almost every class of ship from late1890s to present
I have bought many of from used book sellers thru amazon, everyone comes in actually better condition than advertised
Never had an issue for years
Great video!!! Also often overlooked is the ABSENCE of a possible 5th Japanese aircraft carrier at Midway. The Japanese carrier SHOKAKU was badly damaged at the Battle of the Coral Sea but had a relatively intact air group. ZUIKAKU had its air group pretty much destroyed during the same battle. Japanese DOCTRINE at the time did not allow the transfer of one carrier air group to another. Had the Japanese allowed for the transfer of that air group, perhaps ZUIKAKU would have participated at Midway and may have been the deciding factor for victory OR just been a 5th carrier sunk. USS YORKTOWNs air group was virtually destroyed and basically the only trained/combat experienced air group that the US had was from the USS SARATOGA (though most of that combat experience was from the island raids early in the war). SARATOGA, being the torpedo magnet that she was early in the war, sailed to the West Coast for repairs while her air group was flown to Hawaii. SARATOGAs air group was transferred to YORKTOWN making her combat ready as well as the Herculean efforts to repair her.
THANKS!!! for at least highlighting that SHOKAKU was badly damaged and had an air group pretty much intact at Coral Sea and that ZUIKAKU was not damaged but had not much of an air group remaining - this is probably one of the very few TH-cam channels that actually mentioned that fact. Also, Japan's belief in the probable sinking of YORKTOWN at Coral Sea may have also been the deciding factor in not adding an additional carrier to their strike group.
Buddy your better at history than me ❤
I gratefully marvel at the level of your knowledge and articulation of these massively important and pivotal moments in history.
Japan got their Trafalgar but not in the way they wanted......
Both battles were irrelevant in reality.
@@MarkHarrison733 Trafalgar ensured British naval superiority during the Napoleonic wars, which stopped Napoleon from invading Britain. History could have been radically different if Napoleon won.
@@MarkHarrison733 How on Earth was Midway irrelevant? TF77 was on the ropes, the majority of 3rd/7th fleet were on the seafloor and even the US could not reconstitute losses fast enough to prevent a full invasion of Australia if Midway had gone pear shaped. It was a last throw of the dice, and failure would have led directly to the inevitable fall of Australia and probable fall of India and possible link up of the Axis in the red sea, eliminating the German's oil woes. Absolutely mind-boggling take you have there.
@@gmunro5443 Trafalgar might have been avoided, because Napoleon had already decided to skip invading Britain (choosing instead to take his army to meet Austria and Russia at Austerlitz). Nelson gained victory at the cost of his life, while Villeneuve, having ignored orders to stay put, lost the battle at sea, was captured and later exchanged but died by Napoleon's orders upon his return to France.
@@Stilicho19801 Before the war of the third coalition, Napoleon massed 200,000 troops on the other side of the English channel for an invasion of Britain.
Excellent summary of the battle of Midway, one of the best I have seen. Well done.
I still can't get over the incredible story of the legendary Enterprise (CV-6). She saw Pearl, she saw her sisters sunk, she was nearly sunk three times, gaining her the famous, "Grey Ghost" moniker, and she fought Japan's naval fleet alone for a good part of the war. Always getting beaten down, but never sunk, as if to say: "That all you got"? Always coming back stronger, she was literally too angry to die, and even took her vengeance all the way to Japan before having to limp back to port again. With 20 battle stars and an undying spirit, all I can say is: Hell, hath no fury like a woman scorned.
5:25 - "Yorktown was estimated to need months of repairs. In a remarkable feat of engineering, repair crews at Pearl Harbor managed to prepare her for battle at Midway in just 72 hours." LET'S GO BOYS!!!
Midway is a clear reminder of how a united, determined America was potent and virtually unstoppable, and could be again. A great moment in our history. Thanks to IWM for the reminder.
I doubt they could be so effective anymore, it is too politically and racially mixed up now.
The Soviet Union won World War II.
The more we promote people based on their skin color or other “diversity” qualification the less likely we will be to stand against any threat existential. DEI stands for Didn’t Earn It.
@@charlesterrizzi8311 so you don't know what DEI is and spouting stupid shit on youtube, got it. " Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are organizational frameworks which seek to promote the fair treatment and full participation of all people, particularly groups who have historically been underrepresented or subject to discrimination on the basis of identity or disability." no where does it mean unqualified people are promoted over white people.
Midway is a clear reminder that luck & planning matter more than just about anything else. The US VERY EASILY could've lost Midway if just one thing had gone wrong. Without the rushed repairs to Yorktown, the Japanese strike force would've been nearly intact & caught the 2 American carriers with what remained of their strike force reloading on their deck (if they even bothered trying to strike again with such massive losses). If the Japanese had altered their air wing strategy to allow units from multiple carriers, Zuikaku would've easily been deployed. If the Japanese hadn't launched an ineffective flying boat bombing raid on Pearl Harbor in March, the US wouldn't have mined French Frigate Shoals, which the Japanese planned to use to warn of US carrier movements (thus, they would've known that 3 carriers were involved, rather than thinking it was only land-based aircraft). If the Japanese hadn't delayed changing their codebook by a couple of days, the US wouldn't have known (as quickly) that the target was Midway. If a B-26 hadn't nearly kamikazed into Nagumo's bridge, Nagumo wouldn't have been as motivated to eliminate the otherwise ineffectual Midway resistance. If Nagumo hadn't violated Yamamoto's order, his 2nd wave would've been armed for attacks against ships & launched before his 1st wave returned.
Unity & general American awesomeness had minimal impacts on Midway. Luck & effective planning made all of the difference.
For a different angle on this event, there are a couple of videos out there that depict the battle of Midway from the Japanese perspective. What they knew, when they knew it, and how the dynamic nature of the attacks cause decision making that ultimately was their undoing.
It does a good job of creating the "fog of war" and lack of information the Japanese commanders had.
Correction: 7:30. We have a flying PBY5A here in New Zealand, based at Ardmore. It is more 'original' than the one shown, with no later-modification entry-staircase (Health and Safety requirement?) added to the rear hull (entry is by climbing into an upper hatchway on the forward hull). Been up in her a couple of times. Given the number of PBYs built, I am guessing there are others out there.
My reading is that in face to face combat the Wildcat was superior to the Zero. Once we learned to maximize the Wildcat's strengths, which seems to have happened at Midway, Wildcat's shot down more Zeros than they lost.
You might be thinking of the later Hellcat with the R-2800 Double Wasp engine.
@@catinthehat906 I don't think so. I was thinking of the air battles around Guadalcanal.
> Wildcat's shot down more Zeros than they lost.
That's important if you're narrowly arguing which aircraft was "better." As far as the war, it's all about production and logistics. Even if every Zero could shoot down four Wildcats, the Japanese would have been absolutely scoured from the seas. They couldn't build replacements while the US could. They couldn't man replacements while the US could. They couldn't train the men while the US could. They couldn't fuel the planes and ships, and the US could.
@@catinthehat906 > You might be thinking of the later Hellcat with the R-2800 Double Wasp engine.
The Hellcat and Corsair basically came once the Wildcat-equipped forces had turned the Japanese onto the defensive. Sure, the R-2800 aircraft were quite superior, but it was a superiority arguably we didn't even need. We turned the tide with Wildcats.
@@lqr824 The Zero was significantly faster, more manoeuvrable than the Wildcat- that's why it was replaced by the Hellcat. US pilots had to develop tactics like the 'Thatch weave' to counter these weaknesses. The fact that they managed to hold their own was a tribute to the skills and superior training of the US pilots- despite having an inferior plane.
15:32 a crucial aspect you forgot to mention. The Japanese fighter escorts were so enraged by the loss of two carriers, that they chose to abandon their escort and engage the returning American aircraft. This left the Japanese bombers completely unprotected when they arrived at the Yorktown
The IJN and USN both made considerable use of seaplanes for scouting. Japanese seaplanes were a bit faster and longer range. When it came to scouting at sea, the IJN usually used seaplanes from their cruisers or battleships for scouting, while the USN used SBDs from carriers' "Scouting" squadron, the planes being armed with 500 lb. bombs for use in case they found something (SBDs could carry 1000 lb. bombs). WRT the time when Nagumo was arming/rearming his attack planes, this was done in the hangar decks, not the flight decks. That was IJN doctrine. Because of the piecemeal attacks from Midway and the US torpedo squadrons, Nagumo's flight decks were kept busy refueling and rearming CAP fighters, and the multiple waves had the CAP and ships' AA gunners focused at low altitudes.
I think the Japanese dive bombers never had the bomb mounted until they were spotted on deck.
That is correct. Kate attack planes were armed in the hangars, Val dive bombers were armed in the flight deck, and because the hangars were enclosed, all planes had to be warmed up on the flight deck. The piecemeal USN torpedo attacks kept Nagumo's flight decks occupied rearming and refueling CAP fighters and kept eyes focused low (psychological effect).
I really enjoy your war history channel, thanks! BTW, @8:00 The Catalina was the first one to sink a ship at that battle too! The Japanese oiler at night!
00:20 Did those officers really wear Navy whites in the middle of a battle? The Mrs will be pretty unhappy when she sees them!
Excellent video.
Midway was an object lesson in "Put your toys away when you are done," especially they're the highly explosive kind.
Nogumo was given command of Kido Butai because of his seniority. He had little experience or affinity for carrier warfare hence it was likely he would follow doctrine.
I would have thought that Raymond Spruance would have had a mention, at least in passing.
Ditto.
@@timbergling674 As the on site battlefield commander making the minute by minute decisions, it is arguable that he changed the course of the war in the Pacific.
To be sure he got very lucky, but he had the belief to back himself.
Especially since it was he, in command of TF 16, who decided to launch the attack without waiting for Fletcher's orders. Spruance launched all of his dive and torpedo bombers whereas Fletcher, for some inexplicable reason, held half of his striking force in reserve. Spruance trusted the intelligence. Fletcher seemed to think that the Japanese had some secret ghost fleet that would pop up and surprise him. Had he sent an all-out attack, it was very possible that Hiryu wouldn't have escaped the initial attack, and Yorktown wouldn't have been lost.
Another year into the war, Nimitz finally sent Fletcher to the "beach" after some questionable decisions in the Solomons naval battles.
7:33 That is not the only flying Catalina outside of the Americas. Here in New Zealand, we have Catalina Serial No. CV357 built on March 1944 by Canadian Vickers - Reg ZK-PBY. There are also two in Australia, one in the UK, and one in Greece.
My grandfather was a radio operator on a PBY Catalina after WW2. He barely missed the war because he was too young. His crew did patrols and search and rescue missions around Hawaii during the Korean war. I'm still proud of what he did even though he didn't see any action.
Midway is the most fascinating, stand-alone battle of WWII (yes, I know there are others) and Guadacanal
is the greatest campaign of WWII... because ALL of the key battle elements were in play: land, sea, air, scarce replenishment, codebreaking... along with the unknown outcome that tantalizingly seesawed back and forth...
Great content, really clear and accessible
I've always thought the IJN's aims at Midway were very successful. They wanted to force a decisive victor in the Pacific theatre through destruction of aircraft carriers. They forced it alright.
Exactly. The IJN's aims were exemplary. The timing was the problem. The Japanese naval planners deliberately ignored the possibility of the US carriers arriving in the area of Midway before at least four and more likely five, six or even seven days after the surprise Japanese attack on the island. That is the time that the planners predicted that it would have taken the US navy to hear about the attack on Midway and then to regroup their carriers, arm and refuel them, and then to proceed to Midway in response to the news of the attack. The USN also wasn't supposed to have three carriers because the the Japanese had reported Yorktown as being irreparably damaged and most likely sunk at the battle of the Coral Sea along with the Lexington. When the IJN war-gamed the battle in the months before the attack, junior naval officers attempted to play a round where the US carriers were in place when the Japanese Naval task force, the "Kido Butai," arrived at Midway. The referees who were judging the war game ruled that it was so unlikely for the US carriers to be in place when the Kido Butai came into range of Midway, as to be a virtual impossibly. To play that option was therefore a waste of time and so the scenario was never tested. If the Kido Butai commanders had at least considered the possibilities, they might have been able to make faster decisions. However, since Japanese naval doctrine scorned defensive damage control procedures as cowardly and defeatist thinking, no amount of military zeal could protect the fuel lines and ammunition stores from being vulnerable to being ignited by a hit from US aircraft or even an accident by any Japanese aircraft landing on any of the carriers.
Love that PBY at IWM. It looks very sharp.
From what I understand, the primary purpose of seizing Midway was not to set up a defense position, though that may have been a secondary goal. The primary purpose was to seize Midway and lure the (supposedly) 2 remaining American carriers out to retake the island, where the 4 carriers of the Kido Butai could easily send them to the bottom of the Pacific. With no carriers left in the Pacific, the Japanese reasoned, the US would surely sue for a negotiated peace.
Japans fatal flaw from beginning to end was always underestimating the Americans
@@Rootiga yeah all losing our carriers would've done is cripple us for awhile until the essex class was combat ready
The video understates the impact of the Doolittle raid. It was negligible in terms of physical damage, but it did strongly impact Japanese planning.
If that was Canadian Vickers it's PBV. 7:14 Consolidated was PBY Such a good plane.
Pretty sure it would be called a Canso.
The cameraman always impresses me,
being actually able to record this is amazing.
The Japanese had a terrible habit of making over-complicated battle plans and dispersing their forces into many subunits that approached the battle area outside of supporting range of one another. Coral Sea, Midway, Eastern Solomons, Santa Cruz, and Leyte Gulf were all battles that suffered from the Japanese habit of unnecessary dispersal of forces. There was a fifth carrier, I think it was Zuiho, with Yamamoto's battleship force. How would Midway have ended if Yamamoto had his battleships and Zuiho with the Kido Butai?
The Japanese suffered from a fatal bout of wishful thinking at Midway. They believed that the Americans would take the actions that the Japanese wanted them to take. The Marianas was another example of Japanese wishful thinking. The Aleutians Japanese attack was not only an example of wishful thinking but also an example of sheer stupidity.
Yamamoto planned on what he thought the U.S. would do. Not on what they were capable of.
The Japanese navy knew how to shoot itself. Admiral Kurita at the Battle of Samar totally over estimated the size and quality of the US fleet that his fleet was capable of destroying. Kurita sailed away after calling US Jeep carriers fleet carriers.
@@jaybower577
Hōshō was the only carrier with the main body. Too slow to be in the attacking force
It was the first carrier Japan ever built. Max speed 25 knots. Only carried 15 aircraft. Nine of those were Zeros. Really not enough to provide air cover for the main body.
There were two float plane carriers also with the main body.
These wouldn’t have any effect on the outcome. Too far away and too slow to keep up with the striking force.
There were two fast battle cruisers with the Japanese striking force.
They never played any part, because the U.S. was never going to allow them to get anywhere close to their carriers
This is a very well done video for us history nerds...there is another TH-camr named montemayor who does equally awesome videos...only he does them sometimes from both perspectives. Fascinating history...
Another great video for you guys! When i will have a trip to UK, i will make sure to visit the Imperial War Museum
There are five IWM sites, so make sure you pick IWM Duxford if that’s what you’re interested in!
Two sites, Duxford, near Cambridge, and central London, near Elephant & Castle.
Great video, thanks. One request: please ditch the side angle shots with the speaker looking off camera. There’s no need to jazz it up. He’s talking to us, so please just talk to us.
Drachinifel did a video about Japan's 'special' thinking about damage control and the inflexibility of Japan's naval organisational structure. These factors led to a much lower chance of saving ships that had been hit.
What's it called, that would be a fantastic watch but searching on youtube gets worse every year and his library is... substantial.
Try a creator called Montemayor. His content is excellent and his library is relatively small compared to Drachinifel.
@@tonystone1016I've been subbed to Monte since his Defeat in detail video before the algorithm hit his channel and he was averaging 30k or so, it may be retreading ground covered in other videos but Drachnifel always seems exhaustive, I appreciate the shoutout though 👍
Brilliant video expert retelling of one of my favorite stories from ww2. Incredible battle
My dad was a gunner on PBYs in WWII. Lucky for me he didn't see any hostile action.
I very much enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up
Read John Parshalls book on midway it dispells some of the oft repeated myths of this battle.
What's the book title and what were some of the myths it dispelled?
@@jeffandjoannbauer9567 Shattered Sword, is the book, The state of the Japanese carriers flight decks is the big one.
Shattered sword. Another myth/ opinion is that AF was a mystery. They knew it was midway but had to sell Washington . He also talks about the state of the decks and that they had plenty of time to get a combat air patrol to altitude. My opinion Marshall's book is excellent
great book..its my catcher in the rye
One of the biggest myths is that US Navy pilots and planes sank four Japanese aircraft carriers at Midway. Because attacking US Navy torpedo planes were wiped out in the initial attack, it was US Navy dive bombers who turned all four Japanese carriers into wrecks - but they were still afloat and not sinking. The Japanese realized towing burning wrecks back to Japan would affect the morale of the Japanese people. They also realized the carriers could not be salvaged - so they had their own destroyers torpedo the ships and sink (scuttle) them. A Japanese submarine found damaged US aircraft carrier YORKTOWN and torpedoed her. So as much as it causes amateur WWII historians to bristle and get upset. The actual weird fact is, Japan actually sank five aircraft carriers involved in the Battle of Midway, and the US Navy sank none.
There's no mention of Rear Admiral Spruance in your video. He was in command of Taskforce 16.
Aircraft carriers are a remarkable thing. I feel they are one of the only vehicles in a war where losing one has a significant impact on the outcome. A nation could lose hundreds of tanks, or planes and it will have little impact overall. However losing a few aircraft carriers cripples their navy.
Not the US. Japan didnt have the ability to destroy enough shipyards on the West coast or block the entire West coast and even if ... there still was the East coast. As with Germany and the USSR, Japan started a war against an enemy they gravely underestimated. If Midway had been a loss for the US, Japan would have still lost the war. In 1944 Japan lost so much trade ships & ressources to US submarines, their industrial production and oil supply was crippled to a fraction of pre-war capacity. No chance, no way.
Carriers aren't much use if you have no planes or pilots. By end 1943 Japan had lost so many planes and pilots in the Solomons that their carriers were bobbing about uselessly with no aircraft.
@@PxThucydides you're missing the point, what I'm saying is the value of a carrier. Any nation can lose hundreds of aircraft because they are replaceable. Carriers aren't
@@harzzachseniorgamer5516 dude you completely missed the point
The atomic bomb, while for a brief period, made all other wartime material and resources combined by all countries including those of the US, totally and completely redundant and obsolete. It was only when the USSR got their own nuclear weapon was the balance of power restored. Up until then, the USA had absolute power over all people on the planet and it didn't matter if any other country had more manpower and military material over the USA. The nuke was the God of war.
Lets imagine what civilization would look like today if Stalin or Hitler got to the nukes first.
Excellent coverage! Thanks!
Read "Shattered Sword" by Parshall and Tully. It gives a picture of the battle from the Japanese perspective. Explains the problems the IJN had with their carrier operations for the entire battle. Essential reading if you want to understand this pivotal battle in the Pacific.
The Midway battle is one of the best examples of the expression "the fog of war". It was like a chess match in which both players could only see half the board.
So, in a sense, it was a battle of attrition. A very short, intense, violent, chaotic battle of attrition. The torpedo bombers were indeed devastated however they wore down the defenses, letting the dive bombers in. Plus, Nagumo hesitated following doctrine while Fletcher attacked even when unprepared, throwing the Japanese off-balance. iIn the manner of Grant and Patton.
Excellent and informative video! Thank you!
The real heroes were the codebreakers
100% True
Everyone forgets Commander Rochefort because Admiral King was a useless vindictive POS.
Were the codebreakers hero's? Yes! Were they the real hero's? Not in my book. The real hero's were the men who fought and died above the pacific waters.
The codebreakers were not in danger of losing their lives. Just saying…
Great documentary!
The attack on the Aleutiandvislands was not a ruse. This is a myth. Finally payback from listening to the Unofficial History of the War in the Pacific.
At the time, both Japan and the USA thought that the Aleutians was of strategic value. However the abysmal weather in the area forced them to think otherwise.
The Japanese attack on the Aleutian islands, was no a ruse, but a really major mistake.
Thanks for bringing this up. It's disappointing that they made a video about Midway and didn't seem to bother to read the most up-to-date scholarship on the battle..
Yes, it was a ruse, and, yes, it was a mistake, because the Americans did not react to it as the Japanese expected.
@@Stilicho19801 The view that the Aleutian islands op was a ruse is not supported by primary source documentation from Japan. It was seen by Combined Fleet Command as an essential part of the operation. For the most up to date scholarship, especially from the Japanese side, check out Shattered Sword by Parshall and Tully.
@@Nugs387 A great book! If anyone's interested it was last printed in 2005, probably pick one up cheap somewhere. The Aleutian islands were and still are a logistical nightmare for.
@@Stilicho19801
Both attacks were to happen at the same time. Midway got pushed back a day because some ships didn’t sail on time.
Interesting, but there appears to be no mention of Adm. Spruance, who was in charge of Task Force 16. Later, he was in overall control of the whole fleet after the Yorktown was disabled and Adm. Fletcher had to retire from the action. This story keeps getting retold with a lot of differences regarding the actions of the various players. My impressions was that the actions of Spruance were of greater importance then were Fletcher's, even though Spruance was not an aviator.
It doesn't make sense that the Japanese would divide their forces and send two carriers to the Aleutians as diversion while already assuming Yorktown was out of action. Historians should highlight that massive blunder to a greater extent.
Well they used the light carriers since they still needed air cover for their invasion at the Aleutian. The Japanese expected only 2 carriers at Pearl when they attacked Midway. In my opinion, they made the same mistake twice. They should have waited the attack until that there was confirmation that the U.S. carriers were indeed at Pearl.
it wasnt a diversion....the IJN had to make a deal with the IJA.
It wasn’t a diversion.
Both attacks were supposed to happen on the same day.
Its nice to finally see a description of Midway which gives credit to the actual tactical commander who won the battle, Frank Jack Fletcher.
Japanese hubris is what doomed them. They conducted sloppy recon around the fleet and never kept two carriers in full reserve with fighters to protect the fleet in case of naval attack. The raid on Midway was a total waste as the aircraft stationed there had already been withdrawn. But the crucial factor is intelligence. The US already knew when Japan was to attack and timed the launch of its planes just as the Japanese Midway raiders were returning. Admiral Yamaguchi senselessly sacrificed the Hiryu in suicidal attacks and worse, went down with his ship depriving the IJN of competent leadership. When Bushido is your prime military tactic you are bound to lose, especially with flimsy planes and a total disregard for the lives of your valuable human assets.
Their recon was weak, but they had no reason to expect the US navy to be at sea, however that first sighting of ANY US ships should have changed things for them. The aircraft stationed at midway had been launched at the Japanese carriers.
true its like he just concede his game of chess when hes the one playing. Its just never going to be the attitude of an american to just concede in war if they made a blunder/mistake. For the japanese 1 mistake then they will kill themself to preserve honor instead of trying to get it back with a chip on your shoulder which is what americans always do
Good god! That purple corduroy jacket with the fur collar is amazing! Oh, and cool video too
Great video as always o7
My Dad was a WAG on a Canadian Catalina. They were the greatest generation for sure.
Only the Asians and Europeans can be this organised and efficient. Breathtaking.
😬😬😬
Some Asians.
@@A1Kirazz true, far east Asians (excluding Chinese)
Great video!!
Well, that’s what happens when you awaken a sleeping giant.
The US was already at war in 1940, as Admiral King had confirmed at the time.
The Hornet is an amazing museum in the city of Alameda, CA. I’ve been in it several times, and its shocking how many thousand young men were jammed into it.
The war was over before Midway, Japan lost in production and training. Japan could have kept those carriers, they about to overwhelmed by massive production numbers of carriers, small and large.
Basically the war was over when the first bomb hit Midway. Given the relative production capabilities, Japan had absolutely zero chance no matter what happened.
The Japanese were pretty much unstoppable until Midway.
Japan vastly underrated the ability of the United States to build weapons of war.
45 Sherman's a day for 3 years.