The Battle of Midway

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The United States is a Nation whose history is punctuated by conflict. It was born out of conflict in the American Revolution, expanded its borders through conflict, and continues to police conflicts throughout the world. Among all of these various conflicts, one in particular stands out in history as one of the greatest of all-time: World War II.
World War II was significant not only in its magnitude, but also in the great technological changes that had found their way into the battle space. One such technological innovation was the advanced role of Naval Carrier aviation. This gave Navies the ability to project airborne power anywhere on the globe, within a short amount of time. In early 1942, there were two people in particular who understood the advantages and dangers of Carrier aviation, as well as how to best utilize it. One was Admiral Chester Nimitz, the United States Navy’s Commander-in-Charge of the Pacific fleet. The other was Japanese Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku. (Symonds, Decision at Sea: Five Naval Battles That Shaped American History 5)
The centerpiece of the Japanese Navy was a group of ships known as the Kid¬o Butai. Kido Butai most literally translates to “mobile force,” but generally is understood to mean “attack force.” (Symonds, Pivotal Moments in American History: Battle of Midway 25) Normally comprised of six Aircraft Carriers, two Battleships, and several Cruisers and Destroyers, the Kido Butai was theoretically capable of putting approximately 412 aircraft airborne at any given time. (Symonds, Pivotal Moments in American History: Battle of Midway 25) During World War II, the Kido Butai roved the Pacific Ocean freely, conquering territories and defeating enemies. To the Japanese, as well as much ...

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...u was abandoned, and the devastated remnants of the Kido Butai retreated to the west. (Symonds, Pivotal Moments in American History: Battle of Midway 338) All four of the Japanese Aircraft Carriers that had arrived at Midway had been destroyed. More importantly, the balance of power in the Pacific had radically shifted, and the Japanese Navy now knew that the United States Navy was a force to be reckoned with.

Works Cited

Parker, Frederick D. A Priceless Advantage: US Navy Communications Intelligence and the Battles of Coral Sea, Midway, and the Aleutians. Fort Meade: National Security Agency, Center for Cryptalogic History, 1993. PDF File.
Symonds, Craig L. Decision at Sea: Five Naval Battles That Shaped American History. Cary, NC: Oxford University Press, 2005.
—. Pivotal Moments in American History: Battle of Midway. Cary, NC: Oxford University Press, 2011.

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