1942 : BATTLE OF MIDWAY ENDS:
On June 7, 1942, the Battle of Midway--one of the most decisive U.S.
victories in its war against Japan--comes to an end. In the four-day
sea and air battle, the outnumbered U.S. Pacific Fleet succeeded in
destroying four Japanese aircraft carriers with the loss of only one
of its own, the Yorktown, thus reversing the tide against the
previously invincible Japanese navy.
In six months of offensives, the Japanese had triumphed in lands
throughout the Pacific, including Malaysia, Singapore, the Dutch East
Indies, the Philippines, and numerous island groups. The United
States, however, was a growing threat, and Japanese Admiral Isoruku
Yamamoto sought to destroy the U.S. Pacific Fleet before it was large
enough to outmatch his own. A thousand miles northwest of Honolulu,
the strategic island of Midway became the focus of his scheme to smash
U.S. resistance to Japan's imperial designs. Yamamoto's plan consisted
of a feint toward Alaska followed by an invasion of Midway by a
Japanese strike force. When the U.S. Pacific Fleet arrived at Midway
to respond to the invasion, it would be destroyed by the superior
Japanese fleet waiting unseen to the west. If successful, the plan
would eliminate the U.S. Pacific Fleet and provide a forward outpost
from which the Japanese could eliminate any future American threat in
the Central Pacific.
Unfortunately for the Japanese, U.S. intelligence broke the Japanese
naval code, and the Americans anticipated the surprise attack. Three
heavy aircraft carriers of the U.S. Pacific Fleet were mustered to
challenge the four heavy Japanese carriers steaming toward Midway. In
early June, U.S. command correctly recognized a Japanese movement
against Alaska's Aleutian Islands as a diversionary tactic and kept
its forces massed around Midway. On June 3, the Japanese occupation
force was spotted steaming toward the island, and B-17 Flying
Fortresses were sent out from Midway to bomb the strike force but
failed to inflict damage. Early in the morning on June 4, a PBY
Catalina flying boat torpedoed a Japanese tanker transport, striking
the first blow of the Battle of Midway.
Later that morning, an advance Japanese squadron numbering more than
100 bombers and Zero fighters took off from the Japanese carriers to
bomb Midway. Twenty-six Wildcat fighters were sent up to intercept the
Japanese force and suffered heavy losses in their heroic defense of
Midway's air base. Soon after, bombers and torpedo planes based on
Midway took off to attack the Japanese carriers but failed to inflict
serious damage. The first phase of the battle was over by 7:00 a.m.
In the meantime, 200 miles to the northeast, two U.S. attack fleets
caught the Japanese force entirely by surprise. Beginning around 9:30
a.m., torpedo bombers from the three U.S. carriers descended on the
Japanese carriers. Although nearly wiped out, they drew off enemy
fighters, and U.S. dive bombers penetrated, catching the Japanese
carriers while their decks were cluttered with aircraft and fuel. The
dive-bombers quickly destroyed three of the heavy Japanese carriers
and one heavy cruiser. The only Japanese carrier that initially
escaped destruction, the Hiryu, loosed all its aircraft against the
American task force and managed to seriously damage the U.S. carrier
Yorktown, forcing its abandonment. At about 5:00 p.m., dive-bombers
from the U.S. carrier Enterprise returned the favor, mortally damaging
the Hiryu. It was scuttled the next morning.
Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto still had numerous warships at his command,
but without his carriers and aircraft he was forced to abandon his
Midway invasion plans and begin a westward retreat. On June 5, a U.S.
task force pursued his fleet, but bad weather saved it from further
destruction. On June 6, the skies cleared, and U.S. aircraft resumed
their assault, sinking a cruiser and damaging several other warships.
After the planes returned to their carriers, the Americans broke off
from the pursuit. Meanwhile, a Japanese submarine torpedoed and
fatally wounded the Yorktown, which was in the process of being
salvaged. It finally rolled over and sank at dawn on June 7, bringing
an end to the battle.
At the Battle of Midway, Japan lost four carriers, a cruiser, and 292
aircraft, and suffered 2,500 casualties. The U.S. lost the Yorktown,
the destroyer USS Hammann, 145 aircraft, and suffered 307 casualties.
Japan's losses hobbled its naval might--bringing Japanese and American
sea power to approximate parity--and marked the turning point in the
Pacific theater of World War II. In August 1942, the great U.S.
counteroffensive began at Guadalcanal and did not cease until Japan's
surrender three years later.
history.com/tdih.do
1893 : Gandhi's first act of civil disobedience
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5073
1939 : British king visits U.S.
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5074
########################################
On June 7, 1942, the Battle of Midway--one of the most decisive U.S.
victories in its war against Japan--comes to an end. In the four-day
sea and air battle, the outnumbered U.S. Pacific Fleet succeeded in
destroying four Japanese aircraft carriers with the loss of only one
of its own, the Yorktown, thus reversing the tide against the
previously invincible Japanese navy.
In six months of offensives, the Japanese had triumphed in lands
throughout the Pacific, including Malaysia, Singapore, the Dutch East
Indies, the Philippines, and numerous island groups. The United
States, however, was a growing threat, and Japanese Admiral Isoruku
Yamamoto sought to destroy the U.S. Pacific Fleet before it was large
enough to outmatch his own. A thousand miles northwest of Honolulu,
the strategic island of Midway became the focus of his scheme to smash
U.S. resistance to Japan's imperial designs. Yamamoto's plan consisted
of a feint toward Alaska followed by an invasion of Midway by a
Japanese strike force. When the U.S. Pacific Fleet arrived at Midway
to respond to the invasion, it would be destroyed by the superior
Japanese fleet waiting unseen to the west. If successful, the plan
would eliminate the U.S. Pacific Fleet and provide a forward outpost
from which the Japanese could eliminate any future American threat in
the Central Pacific.
Unfortunately for the Japanese, U.S. intelligence broke the Japanese
naval code, and the Americans anticipated the surprise attack. Three
heavy aircraft carriers of the U.S. Pacific Fleet were mustered to
challenge the four heavy Japanese carriers steaming toward Midway. In
early June, U.S. command correctly recognized a Japanese movement
against Alaska's Aleutian Islands as a diversionary tactic and kept
its forces massed around Midway. On June 3, the Japanese occupation
force was spotted steaming toward the island, and B-17 Flying
Fortresses were sent out from Midway to bomb the strike force but
failed to inflict damage. Early in the morning on June 4, a PBY
Catalina flying boat torpedoed a Japanese tanker transport, striking
the first blow of the Battle of Midway.
Later that morning, an advance Japanese squadron numbering more than
100 bombers and Zero fighters took off from the Japanese carriers to
bomb Midway. Twenty-six Wildcat fighters were sent up to intercept the
Japanese force and suffered heavy losses in their heroic defense of
Midway's air base. Soon after, bombers and torpedo planes based on
Midway took off to attack the Japanese carriers but failed to inflict
serious damage. The first phase of the battle was over by 7:00 a.m.
In the meantime, 200 miles to the northeast, two U.S. attack fleets
caught the Japanese force entirely by surprise. Beginning around 9:30
a.m., torpedo bombers from the three U.S. carriers descended on the
Japanese carriers. Although nearly wiped out, they drew off enemy
fighters, and U.S. dive bombers penetrated, catching the Japanese
carriers while their decks were cluttered with aircraft and fuel. The
dive-bombers quickly destroyed three of the heavy Japanese carriers
and one heavy cruiser. The only Japanese carrier that initially
escaped destruction, the Hiryu, loosed all its aircraft against the
American task force and managed to seriously damage the U.S. carrier
Yorktown, forcing its abandonment. At about 5:00 p.m., dive-bombers
from the U.S. carrier Enterprise returned the favor, mortally damaging
the Hiryu. It was scuttled the next morning.
Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto still had numerous warships at his command,
but without his carriers and aircraft he was forced to abandon his
Midway invasion plans and begin a westward retreat. On June 5, a U.S.
task force pursued his fleet, but bad weather saved it from further
destruction. On June 6, the skies cleared, and U.S. aircraft resumed
their assault, sinking a cruiser and damaging several other warships.
After the planes returned to their carriers, the Americans broke off
from the pursuit. Meanwhile, a Japanese submarine torpedoed and
fatally wounded the Yorktown, which was in the process of being
salvaged. It finally rolled over and sank at dawn on June 7, bringing
an end to the battle.
At the Battle of Midway, Japan lost four carriers, a cruiser, and 292
aircraft, and suffered 2,500 casualties. The U.S. lost the Yorktown,
the destroyer USS Hammann, 145 aircraft, and suffered 307 casualties.
Japan's losses hobbled its naval might--bringing Japanese and American
sea power to approximate parity--and marked the turning point in the
Pacific theater of World War II. In August 1942, the great U.S.
counteroffensive began at Guadalcanal and did not cease until Japan's
surrender three years later.
history.com/tdih.do
1893 : Gandhi's first act of civil disobedience
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5073
1939 : British king visits U.S.
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5074
########################################
No comments:
Post a Comment