The Second Carrier Striking Force would launch attack planes against Dutch Harbor, at the eastern end of the island chain, and a 2,500-man force would occupy the western Aleutians. Rear Admiral Raymond Spruance replaced him as commander of Task Force 16. Early the next day, 4 June, Admiral Nagumo’s powerful First Carrier Striking Force launched aircraft against Midway. For the upcoming battle, Nimitz had divided his forces into two groups. The pilot did not identify the ships by type. At 0728 one of the planes reported a force of ten vessels 240 miles from Midway—about 200 miles away from the Japanese carriers. Moreover, Japan might someday use the islands as a base for bombing the American mainland. The following night, a Japanese fleet skilled at night fighting and using superior Type 97 Long Lance torpedoes, sank four American cruisers during the Battle of Savo Island. At age 54, he proudly earned his wings along with men half his age. Commander Joseph Rochefort, chief of the Combat Intelligence Group, suspected Midway, as did Pacific Fleet Commander-in-Chief Admiral Chester Nimitz, who inspected the atoll’s defenses on 2 May. The news made a timely strike against the new threat vital. That finally changed in 1935, when he was offered command of the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the Many of Halsey’s Sayings Were too Profane to Publish in PapersHalsey went to Pensacola for training, but insisted on being trained as a pilot despite one bad eye.
This meant the planes’ ordnance had to be changed, a time-consuming operation conducted on the hangar deck. Japanese planners believed that the success of this diversionary operation would preclude the Americans from running a bombing shuttle from Dutch Harbor to Vladivostok, in the event the Soviet Union came into the war against Japan. The Japanese made many mistakes. Halsey's promotion to Rear Admiral had come on 1 March 1938. At the time, President Theodore Roosevelt was busy building up America’s fleet and desperately needed young officers. In the process, they lost about ten planes to U.S. fighters and antiaircraft fire.While the Japanese planes were pummeling Midway, Eastern Island’s bombers were heading toward the enemy carriers. Leave torpedoes on those attack planes which have not as yet been changed to bombs.” The aircraft would attack the ten ships with whatever weapons they had on their racks. While the bombs still fell, Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, commanding at Pearl Harbor, ordered all ships then at sea to rally to Halsey’s task force. Captain Edwin T. Layton, an excellent intelligence officer and authority on Pearl Harbor, pointed out to Prange that “at Midway the Japanese lost or left behind a naval air force that had been the terror of the Pacific—an elite force, an overwhelming force that would never again come back and spread destruction and fear as it had over the first six months of the war.” This is the meaning of Midway.Gordon W. Prange, Donald M. Goldstein, and Katherine V. Dillon, Dr. Goldstein is a professor of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. The operation was part of Japan’s strategy to isolate Australia, and its goal was the capture of the Allied base of Port Moresby in New Guinea. Capture of the atoll, where a U.S. air base was located, would extend Japan’s defensive perimeter some 1,200 miles to the east and, more important, lure the Pacific Fleet to the area, setting the stage for the war’s climactic battle. What might have happened had the Japanese destroyed the three U.S. carriers and won at Midway is very debatable and open to speculation, but Australia and perhaps Hawaii would have been the next Japanese targets. Spruance pursued, and on the 6th, SBDs sank the heavy cruiser In the final analysis, the American victory at Midway was both brilliant and lucky. Fortunately for the Americans, the Japanese submarines scheduled to be in position on 1 June to warn of Pacific Fleet movements toward Midway were late. He and Katherine V. Dillon assisted in the publication of several books by Gordon W. Prange, including Sign up to get updates about new releases and event invitations.Top: The aircraft carrier Kaga burns furiously in the foreground of Griffith Baily Coale’s sea-level depiction of the Battle of Midway, which pitted the outnumbered Pacific Fleet of Admiral Chester Nimitz (left) against Japan’s Combined Fleet, led by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto (right).
However, to speed things up, the torpedoes were left on the decks instead of being properly stored below in the magazines.Scout planes from Nagumo’s force, meanwhile, were patrolling for enemy ships. “Bill” became “Bull,” and the famous nickname stuck.