Seventy-seven years ago, one of the most important naval battles in history was fought between Japanese naval forces and naval and air forces of the United States. Two years later, almost to the day, combined allied forces landed on Normandy, in the much celebrated landings later known as ‘D-day’.
I thought I knew the battle well. But a video posted by a YouTube content creator has given me a considerable better understanding. The video by “Montemayor”, The Battle of Midway 1942: Told from the Japanese Perspective, looks at a minute-by-minute account of the battle, looking at the decisions faced by Admiral Nagumo directing the battle from the Japanese side.
Among the things I learned:
1. While under bombardment, Japanese carriers could not prepare strikes because the planes protecting them would have to land and takeoff again to replenish ammunition.
2. The Japanese plan was fatally flawed–not enough planes for the multiple jobs required of the task force. They may have still won because their naval force was superior.
3. Japanese signals intelligence had noticed abnormal activity by U.S. forces, warning the higher-ups that an American task force may be in the area.
4. An American pilot debuted a new tactic against the zeroes that amounted to playing chicken with the Japanese pilots.
As we remember D-Day, let us remember too the heroism displayed at Midway.
Link (forty-two minutes):
