50 Fun Facts About Battle of Midway

In which year was the Battle of Midway fought?

It came six months after Pearl Harbor and one month after the Coral Sea.

Which admiral commanded the Japanese Combined Fleet at Midway?

Yamamoto sailed with the main body aboard the battleship Yamato, hundreds of miles behind the carriers.

Who commanded the Japanese carrier strike force, the Kido Butai, at Midway?

Nagumo had also led the carriers at Pearl Harbor six months earlier.

Who was commander of the US Pacific Fleet during the battle?

Nimitz sent his carriers to a rendezvous northeast of the atoll nicknamed Point Luck.

How many Japanese fleet carriers were sunk at Midway?

Akagi, Kaga, Soryu and Hiryu all went down, along with the heavy cruiser Mikuma.

Which US destroyer sank alongside Yorktown after a submarine attack?

Her own depth charges exploded as she went down, accounting for most of the 80 dead.

Which April 1942 air attack on Tokyo helped push Yamamoto to attack Midway?

Sixteen B-25s launched from USS Hornet and bombed Tokyo and other cities.

Which island chain did Japan attack one day before Midway?

Attu and Kiska in the Alaska Territory were occupied in Operation AL.

What was the Japanese codename for the Midway operation?

Operation AL was the Aleutians attack and Operation K the flying-boat reconnaissance of Pearl Harbor.

What did the Americans call the main Japanese naval code they had partially broken?

The Japanese introduced a new codebook on 24 May, but the key breaks had already been made.

What two-letter designation did Japanese messages use for the Midway objective?

Station HYPO confirmed it by having Midway broadcast that its water system had failed.

What fake shortage did Midway broadcast in the clear to confirm it was the Japanese target?

Within 24 hours code breakers read a Japanese message that AF was short of it.

Which commander led the code-breaking team at Station HYPO?

Captain Wilfred Holmes on his team devised the water ruse.

Which admiral replaced the ailing William Halsey in command of Task Force 16?

Halsey was stricken with shingles and nominated his escort commander.

Who held overall tactical command at Midway from aboard Yorktown?

Fletcher ceded command to Spruance after Yorktown was crippled.

Roughly how long did Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard take to make Yorktown battle-ready?

Estimates had said months; repair crews from USS Vestal were still aboard when she sailed.

In which battle a month earlier had Yorktown been damaged?

Lexington was sunk there and the Japanese believed Yorktown had gone down too.

What was the nickname of the US carriers' rendezvous northeast of Midway?

A late Japanese submarine picket line let the carriers reach it undetected.

Which Japanese carrier was the flagship from which Nagumo transferred to the cruiser Nagara?

Akagi took only one direct hit, but it exploded among fuelled, armed aircraft in the hangar.

Which was the last Japanese carrier still operating after the morning dive-bomber strikes?

Her two strike waves crippled Yorktown before she was hit by 24 dive bombers that afternoon.

Which Japanese rear admiral chose to go down with Hiryu?

He had urged Nagumo to strike immediately with the dive bombers on hand.

Which US torpedo squadron lost all 15 of its Devastators at Midway?

It was the Hornet squadron's combat debut.

Who was the sole survivor of Torpedo Squadron 8's 30 aircrew?

He launched his torpedo at Soryu before being shot down and watched the battle from the water.

Which US torpedo bomber proved obsolete at Midway and was replaced by the Avenger?

The Avenger itself made its combat debut at Midway with six planes flying from the atoll.

Which US dive bomber delivered the decisive blows against the Japanese carriers?

Three squadrons arrived almost simultaneously while the Japanese fighters were down low chasing torpedo planes.

Which air group commander found the Japanese fleet by following a destroyer's wake?

Nimitz said his decision to keep searching "decided the fate of our carrier task force".

Which Japanese destroyer's wake led the Enterprise dive bombers to the carriers?

Arashi was racing back after depth-charging the US submarine Nautilus.

Which lieutenant is credited with the single bomb hit that doomed Akagi?

He and his two wingmen pulled out of a dive on Kaga to attack Akagi instead.

Which Japanese carrier was attacked by Yorktown's VB-3 under Max Leslie?

At least three hits turned her into an inferno within minutes.

Hornet's dive bombers missed the Japanese fleet entirely; what was the episode later called?

Commander Ring followed a heading of 265 degrees instead of 240, and ten Wildcats ditched.

Hiryu's first strike hit Yorktown with how many bombs?

Repairs were so effective that the second wave thought she was a different, undamaged carrier.

Which Japanese submarine torpedoed Yorktown while she was under tow?

Two torpedoes hit the carrier and a third broke the destroyer Hammann in two.

On what date did Yorktown finally capsize and sink?

She stayed afloat overnight after the torpedo hits before rolling onto her port side.

Which Japanese heavy cruiser was sunk by Dauntlesses after colliding with Mogami?

The two cruisers collided while manoeuvring to avoid the submarine Tambor.

Which US submarine sent the vague 'four large ships' report that frustrated Spruance?

Her executive officer was Edward Spruance, the admiral's son.

Roughly how far from Oahu does Midway Atoll lie?

It sits at the extreme northwest end of the Hawaiian chain, beyond most US land-based aircraft range.

About how many Japanese died in the battle?

Kaga alone lost 811 men; the Americans lost 307.

How many Americans were killed at Midway?

Among them was Major General Clarence Tinker, after whom Tinker Air Force Base is named.

Which Marine aviator killed at Midway gave his name to the airfield on Guadalcanal?

He was leading VMSB-241's inexperienced dive bombers when he was shot down.

Which US Air Force base outside Oklahoma City is named for a general killed after Midway?

Clarence Tinker personally led a bomber strike from Hawaii on 7 June and crashed near the atoll.

Which film director was wounded while filming the Japanese attack on Midway?

His 18-minute documentary won the 1942 Academy Award for Best Documentary.

Which major US airport was renamed in 1949 in honour of the battle?

It had been Chicago Municipal Airport.

In which city is the museum carrier USS Midway (CV-41) docked?

She was commissioned eight days after the Japanese surrender in 1945.

Who led the 1998 expedition that located and photographed the wreck of Yorktown?

The ship was found 16,650 feet down with its original paint scheme still visible.

Which research vessel found the carriers Kaga and Akagi in October 2019?

Akagi lies in nearly 18,010 feet of water inside the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

How many search aircraft did Nagumo launch at 04:30 on 4 June?

An eighth, from the cruiser Tone, took off 30 minutes late and was the one that finally spotted the US fleet.

Which cruiser's delayed scout plane reported the American fleet at 07:40?

It neglected to say whether carriers were present, deepening Nagumo's dilemma.

On what date did the Japanese bring a new codebook into use, too late to hide the plan?

Its introduction had been delayed, which let Station HYPO keep reading traffic for crucial days.

Which US submarine rescued two survivors of a sunken Japanese cruiser on 9 June?

USS Ballard later picked up 35 men from Hiryu on 19 June.

Which US captain commanded Yorktown at Midway?

He had his signalmen hoist a new 10-by-15-foot flag after the first bomb hits.