The best book I've read on Midway was by Gordan Prange, who also wrote what I consider to be the definitive work on the Pearl Harbor disaster.
June 4, 1942, the Miracle at Midway
- Thread starter nittanymoops
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If you're interested, the National Museum of the United State Navy is having an online "Historians Talk: Remembering the Battle of Midway," on Friday, June 6, at noon EDT. You have to register to be able to participate in it. For details, and to register, go to:
www.eventbrite.com
Historians Talk: Remembering the Battle of Midway
Two historians give their insights on the battle that changed the course of naval supremacy in the Pacific theater during WWII
www.eventbrite.com
It was probably fortunate for the US that Halsey was in the hospital and Ray Spruance was in command at Midway. Spruance was steady where Halsey was impulsive.
I think the claim was made in one of Tom Clancy’s early novels, but the Naval War College gamed out the scenario and if Japan had continued with the invasion at Midway they would have succeeded. Tough to believe with no air cover, but Midway’s air crews had taken heavy losses, and our carriers air crews had taken significant losses as well.
Nimitz and Spruance became very close friends, and along with Adms. Charlie Lockwood (ComSubPac) and Richmond Turner were all buried together at Golden Gate national cemetery.
Those torpedo planes were relatively slow and the pilot had to hold a steady course at a specific altitude while approaching the target. I'm not sure how much real protection the tail gunner provided so it seemed like they were as close to a sitting duck as one could get. It took some balls of steel to fly one of those things.
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I always thought that calling Midway a "miracle" was not fair to the men who fought the battle.
The pilots who flew from Midway suffered many casualties and the slaughter of the fine pilots of the torpedo squadrons was due to their willingness to press their attack without dive bombers and fighter cover to distract the Zero pilots.
It was largely due to these sacrifices that the dive bombers from two of the carriers were able to attack with only the anti-aircraft fire of the Japanese to avoid. They did a tremendous job finishing off three Japanese carriers. A fourth Japanese carrier, obscured by a passing storm, might have been added to the total in the first attack. That was sunk later, but only after it launched two attacks that led to the sinking of the Yorktown.
Few note that in the first attack the aircraft from one of the American carriers flew off on the wrong course and never arrived on target.
It is also stated that the Japanese had a huge numerical advantage. Not true. The carrier and Midway aircraft of the Americans was just about the same number of aircraft as what was on the four Japanese carriers. In the new carrier warfare of WW2 the supporting ships of the Japanese invasion fleet and battleship group were of no consequence. The fleets never got close enough to see one another.
The pilots who flew from Midway suffered many casualties and the slaughter of the fine pilots of the torpedo squadrons was due to their willingness to press their attack without dive bombers and fighter cover to distract the Zero pilots.
It was largely due to these sacrifices that the dive bombers from two of the carriers were able to attack with only the anti-aircraft fire of the Japanese to avoid. They did a tremendous job finishing off three Japanese carriers. A fourth Japanese carrier, obscured by a passing storm, might have been added to the total in the first attack. That was sunk later, but only after it launched two attacks that led to the sinking of the Yorktown.
Few note that in the first attack the aircraft from one of the American carriers flew off on the wrong course and never arrived on target.
It is also stated that the Japanese had a huge numerical advantage. Not true. The carrier and Midway aircraft of the Americans was just about the same number of aircraft as what was on the four Japanese carriers. In the new carrier warfare of WW2 the supporting ships of the Japanese invasion fleet and battleship group were of no consequence. The fleets never got close enough to see one another.
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I agree with HarrisburgDave "Shattered Sword" is a excellent account of the battle. Shattered Sword by Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully lists data I have seen no where else.
On another note Japan had one hope (a slim one) to win the war. Japan needed a short war. Japan needed the US to commit all recourses against Germany and seek a negotiated settlement against Japan. Thereby not having the US fight a two front war. Japan hoped to recreate the war against Imperial Russia in 1904-05 that ended in a negotiated settlement. The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor so aroused the American public that Japanese hopes for victory were cancelled.
On another note Japan had one hope (a slim one) to win the war. Japan needed a short war. Japan needed the US to commit all recourses against Germany and seek a negotiated settlement against Japan. Thereby not having the US fight a two front war. Japan hoped to recreate the war against Imperial Russia in 1904-05 that ended in a negotiated settlement. The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor so aroused the American public that Japanese hopes for victory were cancelled.