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| Battle of Midway: |
| The Battle of Midway is among the most important in World War II history. At this point in 1942, it was unclear which way the naval war in the Pacific was going. Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto convinced the Japanese high command that it was necessary to engage in one decisive battle with the United States to determine which way the war would go. Unaware that the U.S. had already broken the Japanese codes, Yamamoto assembled the largest Japanese naval force ever, consisting of over one hundred warships. The attack was carefully orchestrated to start fighting on June 4, 1942. Since the United States had broken the codes, the American Navy was ready. The two navies stayed far enough apart that broadside weapons proved useless, so planes were the key to this battle. The American torpedo and dive bombers were too intense for the Japanese, and after four days of fighting, it was clear that the Japanese were suffering a crushing defeat at the hands of the land based American air force. Yamamoto ordered a retreat, having lost four carriers, a heavy cruiser, and having suffered serious damage to many other ships. The United States only lost one carrier, a destroyer, and a number of planes. The Japanese had initiated a surprise attack upon a sparsely defended island with a vastly superior force, and still suffered a defeat. This is considered to be the turning point of the naval war in the Pacific, as almost every operation following this battle proved to be successful for the American Navy. |
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