Why Japan lost the Battle of Midway

Has the balance of power ever changed so much in so little time than at the Battle of Midway? In the space of just 5 minutes, American dive bombers scored hits on three Japanese aircraft carriers, dramatically turning the tide of the war in the Pacific.
But this pivotal moment was a product of more than chance. It was the culmination of decisions made not only in the heat of battle but in the preceding weeks and months. To truly grasp the significance of this critical juncture and how it happened, we have to go right back to the beginning of the pacific war.
In this video, IWM curator Adrian Kerrison examines the timeline of events that lead to the Battle of Midway and the crucial decisions that doomed the Japanese to defeat.
Explore and licence the film clips used in this video from IWM Film:
film.iwmcollections.org.uk/co...
A short history of the Pacific War: www.iwm.org.uk/history/a-shor...
What happened at Pearl Harbor?: www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-h...
A guide to Japan's role in WW2: www.iwm.org.uk/history/a-quic...
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[@TallDude73]

Just to add, the US torpedo bombers not only drew away and exhausted the Japanese combat air patrol, but more importantly brought the Zeros down to sea level, so they weren't in position to attack the dive bombers at their height before the US planes made their attack dives.

[@EllieMaes-Grandad]

This they did, but at no small cost to themselves.

[@Rocketsong]

This has long been debunked (See Broken Sword). There was a good 15 minutes between when the last torpedo bomber was shot down and when the dive bombers arrived. The Zeros had plenty of time to climb back to altitude. The CAP was far too small to deal with the number of Dauntlesses that showed up, and they were almost certainly out of ammo for their 20mm cannons, as the zero only held 60 rounds each.

[@what4hats]

@Rocketsong they had the time, but their radios had problems. A good design, but not properly shielded or grounded, resulting in the carriers not being able to tell them where the next attack was coming.

[@Rocketsong]

@@what4hats WWII radios were remarkably bad. But I don't believe the IJN had detection radar at the time.

[@stevefox7566]

And it was by blind luck that it happened that way.

[@joesantamaria5874]

Lest we forget the acts of incredible heroism by the likes of McClusky, Kleiss, Best, and their comrades. Great men all.

[@kisaragi_san1378]

Thach and George Gay deserve to be named too!

[@denvan3143]

Memorial day 2001 I saw the small turnouts at remembrances of Pearl Harbor and everything that came after that. I was keenly aware that bad things were brewing around the world and that we in the US were in another December 6, 1941, people were hearing, but ignoring the signs of impending disaster. And then 9/11 happened. I was only surprised that it wasn’t worse. When we don’t remember the past events can happen again that remind us rudely of them. Remember Pearl Harbor. Remember 9/11.

[@edwarddesoignie1194]

Read the book Broken Sword. It was a combination of events including how Japanese carriers operated and were designed. Great book with lots of researched detail.

[@danielbond9755]

And don’t forget that the bombers from the Hornet never found their targets, and then more than half couldn’t find their way home.

[@joesantamaria5874]

@@denvan3143 I do remember 9/11. I was a Red Cross volunteer. I remember the smell. I also remember not being surprised, after knowing for years about the Kamikaze. Same hate, different day.

[@johnvan6082]

One thing that is over looked in most videos about Midway is that it wasn't so much the loss of the four aircraft carriers , but the loss of the pilots and aircrew . Later in the war Japan was able to build new carriers but was never able to replace the highly skilled veteran aircrew . What replacements that were put aboard were easily shot down .

[@hithere7382]

Japan used their aces until they died instead of the American method of rotating them back to the World to train the next squadrons.

[@Bullet-Tooth-Tony-]

@@hithere7382 The luftwaffe were the same they did not rotate their pilots enough times, but the British and Americans had a superior system in place compared to the Axis powers who just wasted all of their veteran air men.

[@legoeasycompany]

Except they barely lost 150 pilots and aircrew when the IJN naval air arm had over 2000 pilots in 1941. They'd lose over 3 times more in the meat grinder of the Solomons, more important loses were the loss of mechanics and flight deck personnel who couldn't easily be replaced.

[@Nugs387]

​@@legoeasycompany I see someone's read Shattered Sword! o7

[@legoeasycompany]

@@Nugs387 its a great book

[@playerzedra6590]

The Japanese planes did not finish off the USS Yorktown, but it was a japanese submarine that did. She was able to stay afloat after being bombed by the japanese. She was, then, being pulled by one of her allied ships, but was hit by a torpedo attack.

[@TallDude73]

That was anti-climactic ... to survive two huge battles (both barely) and then to be torpedoed by a lowly sub lurking in the shadows.

[@frankiefierro7129]

She still might have survived the hit, except the Hammon, which was tied next to her providing electricity for the work crews, had her depth charges explode after taking the torpedo hit.

[@contumelious-8440]

@@TallDude73 Your low opinion of submarines is why every submariner here is grinning ear to ear and hoping that you have command of the enemy's next ship.

[@captainclone1367]

The Yorktown class CV was one tough SOB!!

[@paulhicks6667]

“Lowly sub”, you mean the weapon that came close to winning the European war for Germany, and strangled the Japanese war effort by sinking almost their entire merchant fleet?

[@brianhourigan4472]

Wade McClusky, from Buffalo, NY, made a gutsy call that allowed it all to happen.

[@wassup287]

Any hardcore history fans going to mention that Yorktown was still afloat after Hiryu's first counter-attack and its damage repair crews did such a good job putting out the fires that the second attack wave mistook it for an untouched carrier, saving Enterprise and Hornet. Even after the second attack it was STILL afloat, they attempted to salvage it but a submarine finally finished the job.

[@footballtbone]

God bless these men. And let us never forget the their sacrifices....we owe these men everything.

[@MarkHarrison733]

It's why Communist China is the world superpower.

[@Stilicho19801]

This is the best (and briefest) explanation of the Battle of Midway of those I have watched on KZbin.

[@lqr824]

Search KZbin for Midway Montemayor: a three-part video showing you how the battle unfolded to the Japanese commander. It's probably the best video I've ever seen on KZbin.

[@dicksonfranssen]

If you have the time read the book Shattered Sword. Printed in 2005 so you'll probably find a cheap one somewhere.

[@73Trident]

This was good. Read the book and watch Montemayors video on the Battle of Midway.

[@lqr824]

@@73Trident yeah I've been commenting that too. The Montemayor video is the best thing I've ever seen on this battle in any kind of media.

[@sg-yq8pm]

He narrates from the point of view that his audience don't know anything, as if we are all ignorant children, very simplistic and only a possible "the best explanation" if made for primary school aged children.

[@edwardloomis887]

I love Catalinas/PBYs. They're slow, they're ugly in a way, but they always seem to be in the right place at the right time, like 6:47 and 8:13 of this video and during the hunt for the Bismarck. Only recently have I learned about the "Black Cat" night operations in the Pacific, which increased my love for them even more.

[@thewhorenextdoor8268]

Bismarck was struck by swordfish not Catalinas

[@dicksonfranssen]

The days of amphibious aircraft are still here. Check out the ShinMaywa US-2, not as cool as a Cat but still does the job.

[@lastguy8613]

​@@thewhorenextdoor8268 Bismarck was relocated by a Catalina after losing its pursuers, enabling it to be hunted down and sunk

[@jmscalercio]

It was also a Catalina that spotted a crashed Zero on an island, allowing the first U.S. reverse engineering of it.

[@tim71pos]

Let's not forget Roosevelt. He pushed to start building those carriers in the late thirties.

[@timothy4664]

He also had the help of Willis Ching Lee. Lee was in Washington helping to prepare the navy for war. The bureau of ordinance was a bottleneck on new equipment, weapons. They were sitting on radar thinking it wasn't going to be effective. Lee basically pushed it through and ordered it on every vessel. The navy was building a new class of heavy battle cruiser, the Alaska class. The navy built two. Lee pressed to put in end to the project and to build more aircraft carriers instead knowing the aircraft carrier would be crucial to the war.

[@54mgtf22]

The importance of those few minutes on the outcome of the second world war cannot be overstated.

[@bimsbarkas]

I actually don't think it made much of a difference. The war for japan was lost the moment they started it. For germany there might be winning scenarios, for japan I just can't see any.

[@breamoreboy]

@@bimsbarkas I believe it made a huge difference. Had the Japanese attack on Midway succeeded, wouldn't FDR have been forced by public opinion to focus on the Pacific rather than the European war?

[@Minigoat_92]

@@bimsbarkas it's not necessarily a case of Japan/Germany winning, but it would have led to the war going on for much longer than it did.

[@harzzachseniorgamer5516]

There was no hope for Japan to counter the massive industrial capacity of the US. Their entire Kantai Kessen strategy, defeating the US navy in one single battle and then somehow (?) forcing the US to make a peace agreement, because Japans high command thought so little of the combat will Americans, was flawed from the start. Attacking Pearl Harbour had the US people so riled up ... there would have been not enough political pressure for peace even if the US would have lost Hawai.

[@MarkHarrison733]

@@bimsbarkas The US started World War II on 24 March 1933.

[@mingyuhuang8944]

This was such a tremendous event in the war. Thanks for covering it. Well made video. This is also the best narrator in The imperial war museum ❤❤

[@MarkHarrison733]

It was of zero consequence in reality.

[@humbleopionist4366]

@@MarkHarrison733 ????

[@MarkHarrison733]

@@humbleopionist4366 Japan lost World War II on 7 December 1941.

[@humbleopionist4366]

@@MarkHarrison733 You could say that, but that would be like saying Austria lost as soon as Archduke Ferdinand died, because theoretically they had no chance of winning, even with Germany on their side.

[@nonenone7761]

It was hardly of no consequence. The four carriers lost that single day, took a total of 14 years to construct. Midway is where Japan lost the actual war. While it is not wrong to say they severely screwed themselves attacking Pearl Harbor, at Midway, they lost all hope and four carriers.

[@denvan3143]

Japan, December 7: It seemed like a good idea at the time. Japan, midway: Well, _that_ didn’t turn out the way we thought.

[@timovangalen1589]

Germany, Stalingrad: You're telling me!

[@MarkHarrison733]

The US caused the attack on the naval base, as Roosevelt confirmed.

[@MarkHarrison733]

@@timovangalen1589 The Second Battle of El Alamein was far more important than Stalingrad.

[@DirtyMikeandTheBoys69]

​@@MarkHarrison733 how do you figure?

[@jimslancio]

"Pearl Harbor didn't work out, so we got you with tape decks."

[@shootfirst2097]

Midway is the most fascinating, stand-alone battle of WWII (yes, I know there are others) and Guadacanal is the greatest campaign of WWII... because ALL of the key battle elements were in play: land, sea, air, scarce replenishment, codebreaking... along with the unknown outcome that tantalizingly seesawed back and forth...

[@roygardiner2229]

That was mesmerising and sobering. The courage on both sides was very evident. I shall have to watch it again to fully grasp how the pendulum of fate was swinging.

[@onenote6619]

Montemayor has an excellent set of animated videos showing how Midway proceeded from the Japanese point-of-view, using only the data that Japanese commanders had and showing why they made their decisions on the day.

[@sergiocortes7151]

If you guys are interested. Montemayor has an excellent 3 video series on this Battle. Must see!

[@russkinter3000]

Hearing and reading about this battle never fails to send chills down my spine.

[@lqr824]

check out the KZbin video Midway Montemayor: a three-part video showing you how the battle unfolded to the Japanese commander. It's probably the best video I've ever seen on KZbin.

[@jmay3200]

Great content, really clear and accessible

[@kevinbrown7219]

Not one mention of Rudi Spruance? A cruiser commander who was in charge of the carriers and pivotal in the victory.

[@jerrymiller8313]

Read John Parshalls book on midway it dispells some of the oft repeated myths of this battle.

[@jeffandjoannbauer9567]

What's the book title and what were some of the myths it dispelled?

[@frednone]

@@jeffandjoannbauer9567 Shattered Sword, is the book, The state of the Japanese carriers flight decks is the big one.

[@jerrymiller8313]

Shattered sword. Another myth/ opinion is that AF was a mystery. They knew it was midway but had to sell Washington . He also talks about the state of the decks and that they had plenty of time to get a combat air patrol to altitude. My opinion Marshall's book is excellent

[@bclmax]

great book..its my catcher in the rye

[@marcomarc3482]

The cameraman always impresses me, being actually able to record this is amazing.

[@frisk151]

Excellent coverage! Thanks!

[@MrShadowpanther3]

For a different angle on this event, there are a couple of videos out there that depict the battle of Midway from the Japanese perspective. What they knew, when they knew it, and how the dynamic nature of the attacks cause decision making that ultimately was their undoing. It does a good job of creating the "fog of war" and lack of information the Japanese commanders had.

[@patrickwentz8413]

Fletcher and Spruance were the stars of the battle. Fletcher was a battleship man, and Spruance was a cruiser man. Both could remain calm and make the correct decisions under high pressure, which I can assure you is a rare trait. Spruance would go on to command the Battle of the Philippines Sea.

[@breamoreboy]

Halsey would have been in command of the carriers, but at the time of Midway was out of action with a skin complaint. Halsey recommended Spruance for the job, and oh boy, did he do it.

[@penultimateh766]

Actually it had more to do with blind luck than their command ability.

[@timovangalen1589]

@@penultimateh766 Spruance ordered his strike force to fly directly to the target without forming up. He gambled that they would catch the Japanese carriers off guard and in transition; receiving planes from Midway while spotting the carrier aircraft on deck. A lot of pilots died because they attacked in dribs and drabs, but Spruance's gamble ultimately paid off.

[@contumelious-8440]

@@penultimateh766 Wrong, but thanks for being an idiot we can all rally around. Watch the videos, read more about it. It wasn't luck. The US planned this battle and brought the resources needed to win it. The commanders used their resources in a way that brought victory. They didn't GUESS, HOPE, WISH. They made tactical decisions to send their forces to defeat the enemy. Otherwise, you could have been in command, we all could have put our hands over our eyes and hoped for the best luck.

[@centurymemes1208]

@@contumelious-8440its more luck. analysis videos showed. its just a bad day for the japanese to not have luck on their side 😂

[@chingading957]

Brilliant video expert retelling of one of my favorite stories from ww2. Incredible battle

[@whbrown1862]

Excellent and informative video! Thank you!

[@josephbingham1255]

This is the best illustration of aircraft numbers, types and arrival times on station I have seen. It really clarifies the movements. My father was on a destroyer ranging from the Aleutians to New Guinea. A friend of his is still entombed on the USS Arizona. My mother "strung cables" (electrical?) through P38s in Burbank. 16:02 above the Saratoga must be the Lexington sunk 8 May 1942. A quality presentation.

[@toma5153]

Love that PBY at IWM. It looks very sharp.

[@Floods-uy6tl]

Great video!!

[@oneshotme]

I very much enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up

[@Jayjay-qe6um]

John Ford directed two films about the events: 18-minute 1942 Movietone News documentary (released by the War Activities Committee) The Battle of Midway, which received the 1942 Academy Award for Best Documentary; and the eight-minute documentary Torpedo Squadron 8, which describes the heroism of Torpedo Squadron 8 of the USS Hornet. Ford, who was a Navy Reserve commander at the time, was present at Midway Atoll's power plant on Sand Island during the Japanese attack and filmed it. He received combat wounds from enemy fire in his arm during the filming.

[@MarkHarrison733]

Ford abused children.

[@EllieMaes-Grandad]

It was no coincidence that he and his teams were there . . .

[@MarkHarrison733]

Ford was a nonce, as Maureen O'Hara confirmed.

[@BHuang92]

Japan got their Trafalgar but not in the way they wanted......

[@MarkHarrison733]

Both battles were irrelevant in reality.

[@gmunro5443]

@@MarkHarrison733 Trafalgar ensured British naval superiority during the Napoleonic wars, which stopped Napoleon from invading Britain. History could have been radically different if Napoleon won.

[@rexringtail471]

@@MarkHarrison733 How on Earth was Midway irrelevant? TF77 was on the ropes, the majority of 3rd/7th fleet were on the seafloor and even the US could not reconstitute losses fast enough to prevent a full invasion of Australia if Midway had gone pear shaped. It was a last throw of the dice, and failure would have led directly to the inevitable fall of Australia and probable fall of India and possible link up of the Axis in the red sea, eliminating the German's oil woes. Absolutely mind-boggling take you have there.

[@Stilicho19801]

​@@gmunro5443 Trafalgar might have been avoided, because Napoleon had already decided to skip invading Britain (choosing instead to take his army to meet Austria and Russia at Austerlitz). Nelson gained victory at the cost of his life, while Villeneuve, having ignored orders to stay put, lost the battle at sea, was captured and later exchanged but died by Napoleon's orders upon his return to France.

[@gmunro5443]

@@Stilicho19801 Before the war of the third coalition, Napoleon massed 200,000 troops on the other side of the English channel for an invasion of Britain.

[@Pozer714]

Great documentary!

[@lumberlikwidator8863]

Nimitz kicked Yamamoto’s ass at Midway. He is an American superhero. By the way, my Aunts Maria and Celia worked in a war plant, wiring the cockpits of Army and Navy aircraft. They were tiny enough to crawl into the nose of the airplanes reach into the narrowest space to get the job done. My Uncles Charlie and Mike were in the Navy, but not until the last couple years of the war. My Dad tried repeatedly to enlist but kept getting turned away because he was almost blind in one eye. Thanks for the great job of breaking down the action at Midway. In my opinion, the most important naval battle in history.

[@apokatastasian2831]

I was just hearing someone say that cheated eye exams to get into the army may be the most influential cheating in americas history because of how many absolute badasses went on to do tons of damage for uncle sam, with less than perfect peepers

[@bearcat0551]

The real turn in the war came when a late 1970's aircraft carrier went through a storm that transferred them back to 1941.

[@michaelcodelmar9547]

The real heroes were the codebreakers

[@davidbrooks8809]

100% True

[@Ken-fh4jc]

They forgot to mention after the first attack on the Yorktown, the fire control crews did such a good job that on the next wave of attacks the Japanese thought it was an entirely different carrier and attacked it again.

[@robertgross578]

Fire control is used for attacks on the enemy. Damage control is to keep the ship operating despite damage by the enemy.

[@TinKnight]

It's just crazy that Pearl Harbor to Midway was exactly-ish 6 months, with Guam, Wake Island, Hong Kong, the Philippines conquest, ABDACOM's calamities in Java Sea & everywhere else, the collapse of Indonesian, Malayan, & Singaporean defenses, Burma, Doolittle, the raid on Ceylon, the raid on Sydney Harbor, & Coral Sea all taking place in that stretch (not to mention offensives in China). It's also mind-boggling how much could've been changed if the US Navy spent just a teeny bit more pre-War to test their torpedoes with warheads so that they would've actually worked when launched from subs, ships, & aircraft..

[@jimnorris4600]

This battle was of phenomenal importance because it meant that from then on, the Japanese were essentially done at some time in the future. Therefore, the US could concentrate on winning the war in Europe. It probably shortened the war by at least two years and God knows how many casualties.

[@Idahoguy10157]

In 1942 American torpedoes did not work. At Midway only on torpedo struck and detonated on a Japanese ship.

[@jimreilly917]

What’s infuriating is the manufacturers and navy KNEW THIS. CYA is hard to fight even in war.

[@joesantamaria5874]

Midway is a clear reminder of how a united, determined America was potent and virtually unstoppable, and could be again. A great moment in our history. Thanks to IWM for the reminder.

[@raijinenel3116]

I doubt they could be so effective anymore, it is too politically and racially mixed up now.

[@MarkHarrison733]

The Soviet Union won World War II.

[@charlesterrizzi8311]

The more we promote people based on their skin color or other “diversity” qualification the less likely we will be to stand against any threat existential. DEI stands for Didn’t Earn It.

[@batsonelectronics]

@@charlesterrizzi8311 so you don't know what DEI is and spouting stupid shit on youtube, got it. " Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are organizational frameworks which seek to promote the fair treatment and full participation of all people, particularly groups who have historically been underrepresented or subject to discrimination on the basis of identity or disability." no where does it mean unqualified people are promoted over white people.

[@TinKnight]

Midway is a clear reminder that luck & planning matter more than just about anything else. The US VERY EASILY could've lost Midway if just one thing had gone wrong. Without the rushed repairs to Yorktown, the Japanese strike force would've been nearly intact & caught the 2 American carriers with what remained of their strike force reloading on their deck (if they even bothered trying to strike again with such massive losses). If the Japanese had altered their air wing strategy to allow units from multiple carriers, Zuikaku would've easily been deployed. If the Japanese hadn't launched an ineffective flying boat bombing raid on Pearl Harbor in March, the US wouldn't have mined French Frigate Shoals, which the Japanese planned to use to warn of US carrier movements (thus, they would've known that 3 carriers were involved, rather than thinking it was only land-based aircraft). If the Japanese hadn't delayed changing their codebook by a couple of days, the US wouldn't have known (as quickly) that the target was Midway. If a B-26 hadn't nearly kamikazed into Nagumo's bridge, Nagumo wouldn't have been as motivated to eliminate the otherwise ineffectual Midway resistance. If Nagumo hadn't violated Yamamoto's order, his 2nd wave would've been armed for attacks against ships & launched before his 1st wave returned. Unity & general American awesomeness had minimal impacts on Midway. Luck & effective planning made all of the difference.

[@karlzaunbrecher8241]

The Midway battle is one of the best examples of the expression "the fog of war". It was like a chess match in which both players could only see half the board.

[@wutang80oc39]

Admirial Yamamoto who planned pearl harbor, said if Japan didnt defeat the US in 6 months they would lose the war, the power shift at midway happened just days before he predicted the shifting of the tide of war.

[@jamesbriers696]

Read "Shattered Sword" by Parshall and Tully. It gives a picture of the battle from the Japanese perspective. Explains the problems the IJN had with their carrier operations for the entire battle. Essential reading if you want to understand this pivotal battle in the Pacific.

[@alfnoakes392]

Correction: 7:30. We have a flying PBY5A here in New Zealand, based at Ardmore. It is more 'original' than the one shown, with no later-modification entry-staircase (Health and Safety requirement?) added to the rear hull (entry is by climbing into an upper hatchway on the forward hull). Been up in her a couple of times. Given the number of PBYs built, I am guessing there are others out there.

[@jamespriddy8275]

I’ve read exhaustively about this. The consensus, though all opinionated, is that the intelligence in breaking the code was most instrumental in the victory. It was weeks before the news reach all of America. My childhood mentor served in the Army in the war. He had never heard of the Midway battle in his life. When I recounted the story to him, he was 92. I must have told it well. He was mesmerized and asked how come I knew so much about it. LOL

[@dulio12385]

Midway was an object lesson in "Put your toys away when you are done," especially they're the highly explosive kind.

[@stephennewton2223]

My reading is that in face to face combat the Wildcat was superior to the Zero. Once we learned to maximize the Wildcat's strengths, which seems to have happened at Midway, Wildcat's shot down more Zeros than they lost.

[@catinthehat906]

You might be thinking of the later Hellcat with the R-2800 Double Wasp engine.

[@stephennewton2223]

@@catinthehat906 I don't think so. I was thinking of the air battles around Guadalcanal.

[@lqr824]

> Wildcat's shot down more Zeros than they lost. That's important if you're narrowly arguing which aircraft was "better." As far as the war, it's all about production and logistics. Even if every Zero could shoot down four Wildcats, the Japanese would have been absolutely scoured from the seas. They couldn't build replacements while the US could. They couldn't man replacements while the US could. They couldn't train the men while the US could. They couldn't fuel the planes and ships, and the US could.

[@lqr824]

@@catinthehat906 > You might be thinking of the later Hellcat with the R-2800 Double Wasp engine. The Hellcat and Corsair basically came once the Wildcat-equipped forces had turned the Japanese onto the defensive. Sure, the R-2800 aircraft were quite superior, but it was a superiority arguably we didn't even need. We turned the tide with Wildcats.

[@catinthehat906]

@@lqr824 The Zero was significantly faster, more manoeuvrable than the Wildcat- that's why it was replaced by the Hellcat. US pilots had to develop tactics like the 'Thatch weave' to counter these weaknesses. The fact that they managed to hold their own was a tribute to the skills and superior training of the US pilots- despite having an inferior plane.

[@JimJohnson777]

So, in a sense, it was a battle of attrition. A very short, intense, violent, chaotic battle of attrition. The torpedo bombers were indeed devastated however they wore down the defenses, letting the dive bombers in. Plus, Nagumo hesitated following doctrine while Fletcher attacked even when unprepared, throwing the Japanese off-balance. iIn the manner of Grant and Patton.

[@jamesbednar8625]

Great video!!! Also often overlooked is the ABSENCE of a possible 5th Japanese aircraft carrier at Midway. The Japanese carrier SHOKAKU was badly damaged at the Battle of the Coral Sea but had a relatively intact air group. ZUIKAKU had its air group pretty much destroyed during the same battle. Japanese DOCTRINE at the time did not allow the transfer of one carrier air group to another. Had the Japanese allowed for the transfer of that air group, perhaps ZUIKAKU would have participated at Midway and may have been the deciding factor for victory OR just been a 5th carrier sunk. USS YORKTOWNs air group was virtually destroyed and basically the only trained/combat experienced air group that the US had was from the USS SARATOGA (though most of that combat experience was from the island raids early in the war). SARATOGA, being the torpedo magnet that she was early in the war, sailed to the West Coast for repairs while her air group was flown to Hawaii. SARATOGAs air group was transferred to YORKTOWN making her combat ready as well as the Herculean efforts to repair her. THANKS!!! for at least highlighting that SHOKAKU was badly damaged and had an air group pretty much intact at Coral Sea and that ZUIKAKU was not damaged but had not much of an air group remaining - this is probably one of the very few KZbin channels that actually mentioned that fact. Also, Japan's belief in the probable sinking of YORKTOWN at Coral Sea may have also been the deciding factor in not adding an additional carrier to their strike group.

[@Ian-iu2tl]

Guadalcanal was the pivotal campaign as the IJN had remained as a force to be reckoned with. Midway was important and also psychologically profound for both sides but again, Guadalcanal was the real turning point.

[@user-cb3id6ef4z]

John Prados book 'Islands of Destiny:The Solomons Campaign and the Eclipse of the Rising Sun' proves that Midway was not the acclaimed turning point of the war in the Pacific. It was the IJN being defeated in the Solomons by their inability to retake Henderson Field on Guadalcanal.

[@Ian-iu2tl]

@@user-cb3id6ef4z Excellent book. Solomons and Guadalcanal were a brutal slog and the question of success for the Allies was certainly not well defined...but they did it. I am currently in the Philippines and I have been blessed with stories of first hand acounts from Filipinos and their struggles with Japanese occupation. Just amazing.

[@shawnn7502]

I think psychologically Midway was the main turning point though. The Japanese had been nearly invincible until that point. That five minutes changed everything.

[@Ian-iu2tl]

Yep...a deep slog. I think it's difficult for most to imagine the carnage and lives lost during this campaign.

[@JamieBainbridge]

I've always thought the IJN's aims at Midway were very successful. They wanted to force a decisive victor in the Pacific theatre through destruction of aircraft carriers. They forced it alright.

[@johnstirling6597]

I would have thought that Raymond Spruance would have had a mention, at least in passing.

[@timbergling674]

Ditto.

[@johnstirling6597]

@@timbergling674 As the on site battlefield commander making the minute by minute decisions, it is arguable that he changed the course of the war in the Pacific. To be sure he got very lucky, but he had the belief to back himself.

[@akkay47]

1:41 FYI this 45° camera angle in interviews NEVER WORKS

[@factchecker9358]

It doesn't make sense that the Japanese would divide their forces and send two carriers to the Aleutians as diversion while already assuming Yorktown was out of action. Historians should highlight that massive blunder to a greater extent.

[@anthonyxavier6300]

Well they used the light carriers since they still needed air cover for their invasion at the Aleutian. The Japanese expected only 2 carriers at Pearl when they attacked Midway. In my opinion, they made the same mistake twice. They should have waited the attack until that there was confirmation that the U.S. carriers were indeed at Pearl.

[@bclmax]

it wasnt a diversion....the IJN had to make a deal with the IJA.

[@ErroneousTheory]

Good god! That purple corduroy jacket with the fur collar is amazing! Oh, and cool video too

[@bobk4438]

My dad was a gunner on PBYs in WWII. Lucky for me he didn't see any hostile action.

[@billmactiernan6304]

Its nice to finally see a description of Midway which gives credit to the actual tactical commander who won the battle, Frank Jack Fletcher.

[@kingjoe3rd]

Admiral Farragut and Mahan would have been proud.

[@halecesar1461]

After researching this battle for years, it’s amazing how successful the battle turned out for America 🇺🇸. I call it fate, because the Japanese wasted time to rearm their planes to attack the US carriers thus giving the American time to attack their carriers. And the planes that sunk the Japanese Carriers got lost at first but with a stroke of fate the found the carriers while their guard was down and sunk all 3 Carriers 🫡🇺🇸

[@frednone]

I always point at Midway when someone asks about God favoring the US.

[@pimpompoom93726]

Excellent summary of the battle of Midway, one of the best I have seen. Well done.

[@patrickmiano7901]

Most conventional battles are won by the side with the most resources, provided it makes the fewest mistakes.

[@chryse]

One of the more understated outcomes of the Battle of Midway, beyond the loss of the four Japanese fleet carriers, was the severe losses the IJN suffered in their naval aviator corps. The so many of them were highly trained veterans of actions over China and in air strikes against British holdings in Ceylon (Sri Lanka today). They were the best naval aviators in the world at the time of Pearl Harbor and the Battle of the Coral Sea. So many were lost at Midway that the IJN could not really recover. This was because the Japanese pilot training program was not designed to pump out replacements at the rate needed to man expended carrier air groups. Whereas combat experienced American aviators were rotated home to train new pilots. Many of the IJN squadrons were sent into the South Pacific and operated from Rabaul against American action in and around Guadalcanal, where they experienced more attrition. It became a negative feedback loop they would never recover from.

[@bclmax]

totally wrong.. the pilot pool was beld out over the slot...pilot losses at midway was unfortunate but not lethal

[@kermitwilson]

The war was over before Midway, Japan lost in production and training. Japan could have kept those carriers, they about to overwhelmed by massive production numbers of carriers, small and large.

[@lqr824]

Basically the war was over when the first bomb hit Midway. Given the relative production capabilities, Japan had absolutely zero chance no matter what happened.

[@Bullet-Tooth-Tony-]

The Japanese were pretty much unstoppable until Midway.

[@ironboy3245]

I never understood why the japanese didn't transfer Shokaku's air wing to Zuikaku to reinforce the midway operation

[@what4hats]

Unlike the US or UK carriers, the Japanese carriers operated in pairs. The two carriers had their towers on opposite sides of the deck, allowing them to launch their aircraft in concert. This also made it much more difficult to land or take off from a carrier you hadn't trained on.

[@Andrew-ep4kw]

From what I understand, the primary purpose of seizing Midway was not to set up a defense position, though that may have been a secondary goal. The primary purpose was to seize Midway and lure the (supposedly) 2 remaining American carriers out to retake the island, where the 4 carriers of the Kido Butai could easily send them to the bottom of the Pacific. With no carriers left in the Pacific, the Japanese reasoned, the US would surely sue for a negotiated peace.

[@charlesharper2357]

The Japanese plan was overly complex...they should have used their small carriers to screen their main force instead of attacking Alaska.

[@matismf]

The US also brought their top film director - John Ford - to Midway to film the attack. THAT is what you are seeing in the Midway attack portions of this video.

[@mozzy207]

Great video as always o7

[@gwynm8506]

Aircraft carriers are a remarkable thing. I feel they are one of the only vehicles in a war where losing one has a significant impact on the outcome. A nation could lose hundreds of tanks, or planes and it will have little impact overall. However losing a few aircraft carriers cripples their navy.

[@harzzachseniorgamer5516]

Not the US. Japan didnt have the ability to destroy enough shipyards on the West coast or block the entire West coast and even if ... there still was the East coast. As with Germany and the USSR, Japan started a war against an enemy they gravely underestimated. If Midway had been a loss for the US, Japan would have still lost the war. In 1944 Japan lost so much trade ships & ressources to US submarines, their industrial production and oil supply was crippled to a fraction of pre-war capacity. No chance, no way.

[@basilmcdonnell9807]

Carriers aren't much use if you have no planes or pilots. By end 1943 Japan had lost so many planes and pilots in the Solomons that their carriers were bobbing about uselessly with no aircraft.

[@gwynm8506]

@@basilmcdonnell9807 you're missing the point, what I'm saying is the value of a carrier. Any nation can lose hundreds of aircraft because they are replaceable. Carriers aren't

[@gwynm8506]

@@harzzachseniorgamer5516 dude you completely missed the point

[@Atlantis.Reborn]

The atomic bomb, while for a brief period, made all other wartime material and resources combined by all countries including those of the US, totally and completely redundant and obsolete. It was only when the USSR got their own nuclear weapon was the balance of power restored. Up until then, the USA had absolute power over all people on the planet and it didn't matter if any other country had more manpower and military material over the USA. The nuke was the God of war. Lets imagine what civilization would look like today if Stalin or Hitler got to the nukes first.

[@petestorz172]

The IJN and USN both made considerable use of seaplanes for scouting. Japanese seaplanes were a bit faster and longer range. When it came to scouting at sea, the IJN usually used seaplanes from their cruisers or battleships for scouting, while the USN used SBDs from carriers' "Scouting" squadron, the planes being armed with 500 lb. bombs for use in case they found something (SBDs could carry 1000 lb. bombs). WRT the time when Nagumo was arming/rearming his attack planes, this was done in the hangar decks, not the flight decks. That was IJN doctrine. Because of the piecemeal attacks from Midway and the US torpedo squadrons, Nagumo's flight decks were kept busy refueling and rearming CAP fighters, and the multiple waves had the CAP and ships' AA gunners focused at low altitudes.

[@ptonpc]

Drachinifel did a video about Japan's 'special' thinking about damage control and the inflexibility of Japan's naval organisational structure. These factors led to a much lower chance of saving ships that had been hit.

[@Donuthan]

What's it called, that would be a fantastic watch but searching on youtube gets worse every year and his library is... substantial.

[@tonystone1016]

Try a creator called Montemayor. His content is excellent and his library is relatively small compared to Drachinifel.

[@Donuthan]

@@tonystone1016I've been subbed to Monte since his Defeat in detail video before the algorithm hit his channel and he was averaging 30k or so, it may be retreading ground covered in other videos but Drachnifel always seems exhaustive, I appreciate the shoutout though 👍

[@kennethrobbins829]

Another consequence of Midway was the air cover that could have changed the Battle of Guadalcanal for the Japanese, was at the bottom of the Pacific.

[@David-hk3ly]

Japanese hubris is what doomed them. They conducted sloppy recon around the fleet and never kept two carriers in full reserve with fighters to protect the fleet in case of naval attack. The raid on Midway was a total waste as the aircraft stationed there had already been withdrawn. But the crucial factor is intelligence. The US already knew when Japan was to attack and timed the launch of its planes just as the Japanese Midway raiders were returning. Admiral Yamaguchi senselessly sacrificed the Hiryu in suicidal attacks and worse, went down with his ship depriving the IJN of competent leadership. When Bushido is your prime military tactic you are bound to lose, especially with flimsy planes and a total disregard for the lives of your valuable human assets.

[@TheEvilmooseofdoom]

Their recon was weak, but they had no reason to expect the US navy to be at sea, however that first sighting of ANY US ships should have changed things for them. The aircraft stationed at midway had been launched at the Japanese carriers.

[@Homar888]

true its like he just concede his game of chess when hes the one playing. Its just never going to be the attitude of an american to just concede in war if they made a blunder/mistake. For the japanese 1 mistake then they will kill themself to preserve honor instead of trying to get it back with a chip on your shoulder which is what americans always do

[@gojithecringe]

Another great video for you guys! When i will have a trip to UK, i will make sure to visit the Imperial War Museum

[@MartinHopkinson]

There are five IWM sites, so make sure you pick IWM Duxford if that’s what you’re interested in!

[@EllieMaes-Grandad]

Two sites, Duxford, near Cambridge, and central London, near Elephant & Castle.

[@VersusARCH]

Primarily because of inadequate early warning and fighter direction system. Radar and properly shielded radios were big advantages for the US.

[@babuzzard6470]

Well, that’s what happens when you awaken a sleeping giant.

[@MarkHarrison733]

The US was already at war in 1940, as Admiral King had confirmed at the time.

[@someonespadre]

It’s not just the number of ships, damage control and safety precautions were an advantage the US Navy was better at.

[@frednone]

Because of the automotive society the US had, a lot more sailors had basic mechanical skills, which was a huge damage control advantage.

[@antoniocarrascosa6060]

Muy buen documental, fantasticos gráficos del movimiento de los escuadrones aéreos de uno y otro bando....enhorabuena desde España....

[@Conn30Mtenor]

There are a host of reasons why. Firstly, the Japanese could have brought more power to bear but as was their wont the Midway plan was far more complicated than it need to be. Zuikaku could have taken on Shokaku's air group and joined the Kido Butai. The light carriers joining the pointless demonstration at Alaska could have been there as well. Secondly, Japanese doctrine, always attack attack attack. They could have used carrier bombers as scouting elements but didn't and as a result Japanese scouting was inadequate. Nagumo wasn't a carrier specialist- he fought the battle according to doctrine but somebody like Ozawa would probably have done a better job; the cause was Japanese culture- Nagumo was senior.

[@jonny-b4954]

It really was luck and chance that won us the battle. Of course, the absolutely dedicated attack from ALL pilots on the U.S. side, whether torpedo or dive bomber, was what really drove it home. But, so much luck played a role, the destroyer that chased off the US Submarine and was returning to the fleet, leading back an entire group of American aircraft to the fleet. The Japanese CAP being too high to engage the incoming second wave coming from different directions etc. The decision for those commanders to push past their halfway fuel mark, essentially dooming every pilot under their command to at best, a ditch landing. Some of the bravest actions of the war.

[@nickdanger3802]

The Battle of Midway - 80th Anniversary Stream ft. Jon Parshall kzbin.info/www/bejne/oIfLeX6Gq8t_a80

[@davidanderson4091]

7:33 That is not the only flying Catalina outside of the Americas. Here in New Zealand, we have Catalina Serial No. CV357 built on March 1944 by Canadian Vickers - Reg ZK-PBY. There are also two in Australia, one in the UK, and one in Greece.

[@GeneralKenobiSIYE]

Yorktown had been hit, but was repaired enough to remain on station and launched another attack which got the last Japanese carrier, but planes from said carrier managed to hit Yorktown again, not knowing it was the same ship they managed to strike earlier in the day. They thought it was ANOTHER of the Yorktown class. The attack on Yorktown undid all the repair work and it was abandoned by all nonessential personnel and was well on its way back to being repaired enough to be able to make it back to Pearl, but she was attacked by a sub. The attack broke the escorting ship in half and the damage caused by further torpedo hits along with the escort's magazines going up (IIRC), forced the USN to abandon Yorktown. With how good the damage control on the experienced USN carriers was at this point, if they had tried to, they might have actually only just have saved Yorktown, but in the middle of battle it was believed the ship was doomed so she was scuttled.

[@ndotl]

Understated is how military intelligence is what really determined the outcome of the war, both with Japan and with the Nazis.

[@tonybrewster988]

Umm there's also a flying Catalina here in new Zealand. You can go for flights in it, it lives at new Plymouth airport.

[@HamBands]

Interesting, but there appears to be no mention of Adm. Spruance, who was in charge of Task Force 16. Later, he was in overall control of the whole fleet after the Yorktown was disabled and Adm. Fletcher had to retire from the action. This story keeps getting retold with a lot of differences regarding the actions of the various players. My impressions was that the actions of Spruance were of greater importance then were Fletcher's, even though Spruance was not an aviator.

[@pgwchaos]

Before the Yorktown was abandoned, the ship was hit by a Japanese attack; however the damage control teams was was able to get the ship back in the battle. After the main action of the battle they almost salvaged the Yorktown, and were in the process of towing the ship; however a Japanese submarine was able to sneak pass the destroyers and finished the Yorktown off, and sunk the destroyer towing the Yorktown. (Which I believe were the only two American ships lost during the battle)

[@davidbiren2062]

I wouldn't call it the turning point but it certainly made the turning point possible; The Solomon Islands were the meat grinder that finished Japan.

[@m1t2a1]

If that was Canadian Vickers it's PBV. 7:14 Consolidated was PBY Such a good plane.

[@hughledger7835]

Pretty sure it would be called a Canso.

[@vitruvianman7170]

Aren't Catalinas still flying in Australia? Thought they were landing in Sydney harbour?

[@drvinylscratch1936]

What plames are in the thumbnail? F-82E?

[@psour33]

When you don't respect your enemy, things like this happen.

[@jimreilly917]

Welll, USN code breakers figuring out the Japanese we’re targeting Midway helped a little.

[@user-mz6rz6mg9q]

Cool

[@KingfisherTalkingPictures]

The Hornet is an amazing museum in the city of Alameda, CA. I’ve been in it several times, and its shocking how many thousand young men were jammed into it.

[@anthonybennett3434]

If you check with the HARS museum at Albion Park NSW Australia they have a Catalina and I'm reasonably sure that its in flying order.

[@FUBAR1986]

The US damage control teams are what made a huge difference

[@je_suis_onur]

To be honest, even if US were to lose the Battle of Midway, in the grand scheme of things it would’ve mattered little. At the height of its might, US was launching a carrier every month. Every month! Yes Japan knew a prolonged fight with US was impossible but what they didn’t understand is how profitable a war is for a capitalist society if the mainland is not under attack in any form or shape. Japan lost the war the moment they attacked Pearl Harbor. Even without the atomic bombs all US had to do is to put a naval blockade on Japan’s mainland with that mighty navy and wait until resource poor Japan to crumble in a year or two. Sure Japan’s resolve was high but more people would’ve died in the ensuing famine under blockade than they died after atomic bombs. Think about millions not thousands.

[@duncanjames914]

My Dad was a WAG on a Canadian Catalina. They were the greatest generation for sure.

[@petestorz172]

Hypothetically, survivors from Shokaku's air group, from Zuikaku's air group, plus some fresh replacements could have been cobbled together into an air group to allow Zuikaku to be at Midway. But IJN doctrine at that time didn't envision that. Meanwhile at Pearl Harbor, the USN did very similarly, combining Lexington and Yorktown air group survivors and adding a squadron from the USS Saratoga, which was being repaired. In the event, Yorktown's air group did as well or better than Enterprise's, and Hornet's air group, except for her torpedo squadron, was a no-show.