70th anniversary of critical Battle of Midway noted

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — Six months after the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan sent four aircraft carriers to the tiny Pacific atoll of Midway to draw out and destroy what remained of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

But this time the U.S. knew about Japan’s plans. U.S. cryptologists had cracked Japanese communications codes, giving Fleet Commander Adm. Chester Nimitz notice of where Japan would strike, the day and time of the attack, and what ships the enemy would bring to the fight.

The U.S. was badly outnumbered and its pilots less experienced than Japan’s. Even so, it sank four Japanese aircraft carriers the first day of the three-day battle and put Japan on the defensive, greatly diminishing its ability to project air power as it had in the attack on Hawaii.

On Monday, the current Pacific Fleet commander, Adm. Cecil Haney, and other officials flew 1,300 miles northwest from Oahu to Midway to mark the 70th anniversary of the pivotal battle that changed the course of the Pacific war.

The U.S. lost one carrier, 145 planes and 307 men. Japan lost four aircraft carriers, a heavy cruiser, 291 planes navy kept the details a closely guarded secret. Most Japanese never heard of the battle until after the war. and 4,800 men, according to the U.S. Navy and an account by former Japanese naval officers in “Midway: The Battle That Doomed Japan, the Japanese Navy’s Story.”

The defeat was so overwhelming that the Japanese

Mark Wilson / Getty Images Navy personnel salute at a ceremony on the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Midway at the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington. Midway is considered the pivotal naval battle of World War II.