The Battle of Midway, 1942 - The Diigo Meta page

• 02 May 16
  

  mross0407
  • The Doolittle Raid on Japan in April 1942 demolished the Japanese military's perception that their homeland was immune from air attack. They realized that in order to protect Japan, their defensive perimeter had to be extended eastward. Midway, a tiny island a thousand miles from Hawaii became the target.
  • The Japanese threw almost the entire Imperial Fleet into the battle - six aircraft  carriers, eleven battleships, thirteen cruisers, forty-five destroyers, assorted  submarines, transports and mine sweepers. The Americans had cracked the Japanese  code and knew something was        

    This artist's rendition of the battle is based on the observations of Ensign George Gay as he bobbed in the water after being shot down in the 1st wave of the attack. Griffth Bailey Cole, artist Place your cursor on each ship for more information

    up. The thin American defense consisted of three  aircraft carriers (Hornet, Enterprise and Yorktown), eight cruisers, fourteen destroyers, and the aircraft stationed on Midway itself. The Yorktown, mauled in the Battle of the Coral Sea, limped into battle after band-aid repairs at Pearl Harbor.
  • The Americans had surprise on their side, and luck. On June 4, they discovered  the Japanese fleet northeast of Midway. An air battle quickly developed. The  turning point came at mid-morning. The Japanese fighters were drawn down to  sea level by attacking American torpedo bombers, the vast majority of which  were destroyed. Their sacrifice cleared the skies above for the American dive-bombers.  Within  minutes  three Japanese carriers were ablaze. Hiryu, the fourth Japanese carrier  retaliated with an air attack sinking the Yorktown. That afternoon American  aircraft caught the Hiryu, inflicting serious damage. The Japanese fleet  retreated. The one-day battle reversed the tide of war in the Pacific, six  months after Pearl Harbor. From that point on, Japan would be on the defensive.

  1 more annotation...

• 17 Apr 15
  

  Ryan Maloney

  History 20th century U.S. World War II primary sources

• 19 Sep 14
  

  Tyrel Baker

  Seven enemy planes finally succeeded in launching their torpedoes at Hiryu, five from her starboard side and two from port. Our Zeros tenaciously pursued the retiring attackers as far as they could. A deep sigh of relief went up when no explosion occurred, and Hiryu soon turned her head to port and resumed her original course. A total of more than 40 enemy torpedo planes had been thrown against us in these attacks, but only seven American planes had survived long enough to release their missiles, and not a single hit had been scored. Nearly all of the raiding enemy planes were brought down. The attackers had gotten in unimpeded because our fighters, which had engaged the preceding wave of torpedo planes only a few moments earlier, had not yet had time to regain altitude.

  • The Doolittle Raid on Japan in April 1942 demolished the Japanese military's perception that their homeland was immune from air attack.
  • Seven enemy planes finally succeeded in launching their torpedoes at Hiryu, five from her starboard side and two from port. Our Zeros tenaciously pursued the retiring attackers as far as they could.
  • A deep sigh of relief went up when no explosion occurred, and Hiryu soon turned her head to port and resumed her original course.
  • A total of more than 40 enemy torpedo planes had been thrown against us in these attacks, but only seven American planes had survived long enough to release their missiles, and not a single hit had been scored. Nearly all of the raiding enemy planes were brought down."
  • The attackers had gotten in unimpeded because our fighters, which had engaged the preceding wave of torpedo planes only a few moments earlier, had not yet had time to regain altitude.

  3 more annotations...

• 06 May 14
  

  kylemageezer

  battle 1942

• 10 Apr 14
  

  routhev
  • Japan in April 1942
  • in order to protect Japan, their defensive perimeter had to be extended eastward. Midway, a tiny island a thousand miles from Hawaii became the target.
  • Japanese threw almost the entire Imperial Fleet into the battle
  • defense
  • American
  • On June 4, they discovered  the Japanese fleet
  • air battle quickly developed
  • The Japanese fleet  retreated. The one-day battle reversed the tide of war in the Pacific, six  months after Pearl Harbor
  • . From that point on, Japan would be on the defensive.
  • "The first enemy carrier planes to attack were 15 torpedo bombers.
  • On Akagi's flight deck all attention was fixed on the dramatic scene unfolding before us, and there was wild cheering and whistling as the raiders went down one after another.
  • Seven enemy planes finally succeeded in launching their torpedoes at Hiryu, five from her starboard side and two from port.
  • seven American planes had survived long enough to release their missiles, and not a single hit had been scored. Nearly all of the raiding enemy planes were brought down."
  • At 1020 Admiral Nagumo gave the order to launch when ready. On Akagi's flight deck all planes were in position with engines warming up. The big ship began turning into the wind. Within five minutes all her planes would be launched.
  • Five minutes! Who would have dreamed that the tide of battle would shift completely in that brief interval of time?
  • Consequently, it may be said that the American dive-bombers' success was made possible by the earlier martyrdom of their torpedo planes.

  15 more annotations...

• 

  birmica
  • The Doolittle Raid on Japan in April 1942 demolished the Japanese military's perception that their homeland was immune from air attack. They realized that in order to protect Japan, their defensive perimeter had to be extended eastward.
  • Midway
  • a tiny island a thousand miles from Hawaii became the target.
  • On June 4, they discovered  the Japanese fleet northeast of Midway. An air battle quickly developed.
  • The Japanese fighters were drawn down to  sea level by attacking American torpedo bombers
  • sacrifice cleared the skies above for the American dive-bombers.
  • The Japanese fleet  retreated. The one-day battle reversed the tide of war in the Pacific
  • Japanese struck first with an attack on the island.
  • Seven enemy planes finally succeeded in launching their torpedoes at Hiryu
  • only seven American planes had survived long enough to release their missiles, and not a single hit had been scored
  • Within five minutes all her planes would be launched.
  • Bombs! Down they came straight toward me!
  • We had been caught flatfooted in the most vulnerable condition possible - decks loaded with planes armed and fueled for attack.

  11 more annotations...

• 31 Mar 14
  

  usborneqls

  wars_eyewitnesses Delicious

• 07 Jan 13
  

  armstrongmichael z

  Eyewitness Reports.

  • The Japanese threw almost the entire Imperial Fleet into the battle - six aircraft  carriers, eleven battleships, thirteen cruisers, forty-five destroyers, assorted  submarines, transports and mine sweepers.
  • three  aircraft carriers (Hornet, Enterprise and Yorktown), eight cruisers, fourteen destroyers, and the aircraft stationed on Midway itself. The Yorktown, mauled in the Battle of the Coral Sea, limped into battle after band-aid repairs at Pearl Harbor.
• 14 Nov 12
  

  NHD6 m
• 30 Mar 10
  

  mfguser
  • The Battle of Midway, 1942
• 08 Feb 10
  

  Kristin Welch

  World War II battles

• 30 Jan 08
  

  Winifred Barnes

  This is a good source on the battle of midway. It has about three pages of good info about the battle. This website is sponsered by Iris Communcations which is connected to 'national Geographic, the smithsonian, and the US Army.

  Midway

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