The Pacific War 1941-1943 by James Holland

Author:James Holland [Holland, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781405929844
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2019-12-26T00:00:00+00:00

Yamamoto hoped to entice the US Pacific Fleet into battle by separating his forces, with his carriers and battleships several hundred miles apart. The plan was to attack the enemy carriers, then follow up with his battleships and cruisers, who would engage whatever American ships remained.

Once again, American code-breakers intercepted enemy signal traffic and learned of Yamamoto’s plan. Because the Japanese forces were so far apart, they were no longer able to support one another. Furthermore, Nimitz’s Pacific Fleet was stronger than Yamamoto had appreciated. In contrast, the Japanese still had two carriers out of action from the Battle of the Coral Sea.

The clash began on 4 June, with Admiral Nimitz commanding his fleet in person. Japanese reconnaissance flights were poorly mounted, and when their air forces approached they were picked up on radar, and US naval fighter planes scrambled to meet them. At the same time, American bombers were hurriedly sent to attack the Japanese carriers while the enemy aircraft were airborne and the ships were considerably more vulnerable. Japanese anti-aircraft defence was surprisingly poor and definitely an Achilles heel.

In the ensuing four-day sea and air battle, the Japanese lost four of the six carriers that had attacked Pearl Harbor six months earlier, one heavy cruiser and 248 carrier-based aircraft, while the Americans had just one carrier sunk – Yorktown – along with one destroyer and 150 aircraft. Losses of men were ten times higher for the Japanese.

Midway did not turn the tide against Japan, but it was a major victory for the United States and did decidedly shift the balance in the Pacific.

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