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Battle of Midway order of battle

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IJ Combined Fleet and US Pacific Fleet Commanders
Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto (HQ aboard BB Yamato)
Adm. Chester W. Nimitz (HQ at Pearl Harbor)

This is the order of battle for the Battle of Midway, a major engagement of the Pacific Theatre of World War II, fought 4–7 June 1942 by naval and air forces of Imperial Japan and the United States in the waters around Midway Atoll in the far northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

The Japanese had two purposes for the campaign: to occupy Midway for use as a base for long-range search planes (for which the Americans were already using it), and to draw the US Pacific Fleet out of its base at Pearl Harbor for a decisive showdown battle.

Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander of the Japanese Combined Fleet (comprising all combat vessels) and mastermind of the Pearl Harbor Attack, was tasked with drawing up the operational plan. The Japanese Naval General Staff, responsible for strategic planning, required him to include a diversionary move as part of his detailed battle plan; they told him to include a side operation that would result in the capture of two islands in the Aleutians chain, believing that the occupation of even a tiny portion of a US possession would be sufficient to draw out the bulk of the Pacific Fleet.[1]

US Navy code-breaking, breathtaking Japanese overconfidence and the courage of American carrier fliers combined to create both a strategic and a tactical defeat for the Japanese: they failed to capture Midway and they suffered much greater losses in ships and planes than did the Americans (the loss of experienced naval pilots would prove to be particularly costly as the war dragged on). Midway put an end to Japanese expansion in the Pacific.

Because the Japanese assumed the tactical initiative, their forces are listed first.

Overview

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Ships involved in the Midway operation[2][3]
Losses indicated by *, counts in parentheses

Combat vessels

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Imperial Japanese Navy Ship Type United States Navy
Akagi * | Hiryū * | Kaga * | Sōryū * 4 (4) Fleet carriers
(CV) 		3 (1) Enterprise | Hornet | Yorktown *
Zuihō | Hōshō 2 Light carriers
(CVL) 		-
Chitose | Kamikawa Maru | Chiyoda | Nisshin 4 Seaplane tenders
(CVS/AVD) 		2 Thornton | Ballard
Fusō[4] | Haruna | Hiei | Hyūga[4] | Ise[4] | Kirishima | Kongō | Mutsu | Nagato | Yamashiro[4] | Yamato 11 Battleships
(BB) 		-
Atago | Chikuma | Chōkai | Haguro | Kumano | Mikuma * | Mogami | Myōkō | Nachi | Suzuya | Tone 11 (1) Heavy cruisers
(CA) 		7 Astoria | Minneapolis | New Orleans | Northampton | Pensacola | Portland | Vincennes
Jintsu | Kitakami[4] | Nagara | Ōi[4] | Sendai | Yura 6 Light cruisers
(CL) 		1 Atlanta
Akigumo | Amagiri[4] | Amatsukaze | Arare | Arashi | Arashio | Asagiri[4] | Asashio | Asagumo | Ayanami | Fubuki | Hagikaze | Hamakaze | Harusame | Hatsukaze | Hatsuyuki | Hayashio | Isokaze | Isonami | Kagerō | Kasumi | Kazagumo | Kuroshio | Maikaze | Makigumo | Minegumo | Mikazuki | Murakumo | Murasame | Natsugumo | Nowaki | Oyashio | Samidare | Shikinami | Shiranui | Shirakumo[4] | Shirayuki | Tanikaze | Tokitsukaze | Urakaze | Uranami | Yūdachi | Yūgiri[4] | Yūgumo | Yūkaze | Yukikaze 46 Destroyers
(DD) 		20 (1) Aylwin | Anderson | Balch | Benham | Blue | Clark | Conyngham | Dewey | Ellet | Gwin | Hammann * | Hughes | Maury | Monaghan | Monssen | Morris | Phelps | Russell | Ralph Talbot | Worden
I-9 | I-15 | I-17 | I-19 | I-25 | I-26 | I-121 | I-122 | I-123 | I-156 | I-157 | I-158 | I-159 | I-162 | I-164 | I-165 | I-166 | I-168 | I-169 | I-171 | I-174 | I-175 22 Submarines
(SS) 		19 Cachalot | Cuttlefish | Dolphin | Finback | Flying Fish | Gato | Grayling | Grenadier | Grouper | Growler | Gudgeon | Narwhal | Nautilus | Pike | Plunger | Tambor | Tarpon | Trigger | Trout

Auxiliaries

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Imperial Japanese Navy Ship Type United States Navy
Akebono | Fujisan | Genyo | Kenyo | Kokuyu | Kyokuto | Naruto | Nichiei | Nippon | Nissan Maru | San Clemente[4] | Sata | Shinkoku | Toa Maru[4] | Toei | Tōhō Maru | Tsurumi 17 AO 4 Cimarron | Guadalupe | Platte | Kaloli
No. 1 | No. 2 | No. 34 | No. 35 4 PT 16 PT-20 | PT-21 | PT-22 | PT-24 | PT-25 | PT-26 | PT-27 | PT-28 | PT-29 | PT-30 | PT-42 | Crystal | YP-284 | YP-290 | YP-345 | YP-350
Awata Maru 2 AMC -
Soya 1 AE -
Argentina Maru | Azuma Maru | Brazil Maru | Goshu Maru | Hakusan Maru | Hokuroku Maru | Kano Maru | Keiyo Maru | Kinugasa Maru | Kirishima Maru | Kiyosumi Maru | Kumagawa Maru | Meiyo Maru | Nankai Maru | Toa Maru No. 2 Go | Tōkō Maru No. 2 Go | Yamafuku Maru | Zenyo Maru 18 AP / AK -
Tama Maru No. 3 | Tama Maru No. 5 | Showa Maru No. 7 | Showa Maru No. 8 | Hakuhō Maru | Kaihō Maru | Shunkotsu Maru 7 AMS -
CH-16 | CH-17 | CH-18 3 SC -
Akashi 1 AR -
Magane Maru 1 ML -
- AT 1 Vireo

Aircraft

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Imperial Japanese Navy Aircraft Type United States Navy
105 × Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" Fighters 86 × Grumman F4F-4 "Wildcat"
97 × Aichi D3A "Val" Dive
bombers 		131 × Douglas SBD-3 "Dauntless"
101 × Nakajima B5N "Kate" Torpedo
bombers 		42 × Douglas TBD-1 "Devastator"
6 × Grumman TBF "Avenger" (USMC)
Level
bombers 		19 × Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" (USAAC)
4 × Martin B-26 "Marauder" (USAAC)
Long-range
patrol 		31 × Consolidated PBY Catalina

Japan

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Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto[a]
Commander, Combined Fleet

The only significant combat, both offensive and defensive, was experienced by Nagumo's First Striking Force. Kurita's transports were bombed with limited success by B-17s of the US Army Air Corps, but the vast majority Japanese ships saw no action during the entire Midway campaign.

First Fleet

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First Fleet Main Force

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Super battleship Yamato fitting out several weeks before the attack on Pearl Harbor
Battleship Nagato
Light carrier Hosho

Admiral Yamamoto in Yamato

1st Battleship Division
1 Yamato-class battleship (9 × 18-in. main battery)
Yamato (Rear Adm. Gihachi Takayanagi)
2 Nagato-class battleships (8 × 16-in. main battery)
Mutsu (Rear Adm. Gunji Kogure)
Nagato (Captain Hideo Yano)
Carrier Group:
CVL Hōshō (Capt. Kaoru Umetani)
Air Unit: 8 Yokosuka B4Y1 'Jean' biplane torpedo bombers (Lieutenant Yoshiaki Irikiin)
1 Minekaze-class destroyer (4 × 4.7-in. main battery)
Yūkaze (Lt. Cmdr. Shizuka Kajimoto)
Special Force
CVS Chiyoda (Capt. Kaku Harada)
CVS Nisshin (Capt. Katsumi Komazawa)
Screening Force
3rd Destroyer Squadron
Rear Admiral Shintaro Hashimoto[b] in Sendai
1 Sendai-class cruiser (7 × 5.5-in. main battery)
Sendai (Capt. Nobue Morishita)
11th Destroyer Division (Capt. Kichiro Shoji)
4 Fubuki-class destroyers (6 × 5-in. main battery)
Fubuki (Lt. Cmdr. Shizuo Yamashita)
Shirayuki (Lt. Cmdr. Rokoro Sugawara)
Hatsuyuki (Lt. Cmdr. Junnari Kamiura)
Murakumo (Lt. Cmdr. Hideo Higashi)
19th Destroyer Division (Capt. Ranji Oe)
4 Fubuki-class destroyers (6 × 5-in. main battery)
Isonami (Cmdr. Ryokichi Sugama)
Uranami (Lt. Cmdr. Tsutomu Hagio)
Shikinami (Lt. Cmdr. Akifumi Kawahashi)
Ayanami (Cmdr. Eiji Sakuma)
1st Supply Group
Captain Shigeyasu Nishioka in Naruto
AO Naruto (Capt. Nishioka)
AO Toei Maru

First Carrier Striking Force / First Air Fleet

[edit]
Chuichi Nagumo
Deck scene on carrier Akagi in Indian Ocean
Carrier Kaga showing small superstructure and downward pointing funnel
Carrier Hiryu on fire after US air attacks at Midway
Carrier Soryu pre-war
Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighter
Aichi D3A "Val" dive bomber
NakajimaB5N "Kate" torpedo bomber

Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo[c] in Akagi

1st Carrier Division
Vice Admiral Nagumo
Akagi (scuttled 5 June) (Capt. Taijiro Aoki)
Air Unit (Commander Mitsuo Fuchida)
18 Mitsubishi A6M2 Type 21 'Zeke' fighters (Lt. Cmdr. Shigeru Itaya)
18 Aichi D3A1 'Val' dive bombers (Lt. Takehiko Chihaya)
18 Nakajima B5N2 'Kate' torpedo bombers (Lt. Cmdr. Shigeharu Murata)
Kaga (sunk 4 June) (Capt. Jisaku Okada†)
Air Unit (Lt. Cmdr. Tadashi Kusumi†):
18 Mitsubishi A6M2 Type 21 'Zeke' fighters (Lt. Masao Sato)
18 Aichi D3A1 'Val' dive bombers (Lt. Shoichi Ogawa†)
27 Nakajima B5N2 'Kate' torpedo bombers (Lt. Ichiro Kitajima)
2nd Carrier Division
Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi† in Hiryū
Hiryū (scuttled 5 June) (Capt. Tomeo Kaku†)
Air Unit (Lt. Joichi Tomonaga†)
18 Mitsubishi A6M2 Type 21 'Zeke' fighters (Lt. Shigeru Mori†)
18 Aichi D3A1 'Val' dive bombers (Lt. Michio Kobayashi†)
18 Nakajima B5N2 'Kate' torpedo bombers (Lt. Rokuro Kikuchi†)
Sōryū (scuttled 4 June) (Capt. Ryusaku Yanagimoto†)
Air Unit (Lt. Cmdr. Takashige Egusa)
18 Mitsubishi A6M2 Type 21 'Zeke' fighters (Lt. Masaji Suganami)
16 Aichi D3A1 'Val' dive bombers (Lt. Masai Ikeda)
18 Nakajima B5N2 'Kate' torpedo bombers (Lt. Heijiro Abe)
2 Yokosuka D4Y1 'Judy' dive bombers
Support Group
8th Cruiser Division
Rear Admiral Hiroaki Abe[d] in Tone
2 Tone-class heavy cruisers (8 × 7.9-in. main battery)
Tone (Capt. Tametsugu Okada)
Air Unit: 3 Aichi E13A1 Type 0 'Jake' float planes, 2 Nakajima E8N2 Type 95 'Dave' float planes
Chikuma (Capt. Keizo Komura)
Air Unit: 3 Aichi E13A1 Type 0 'Jake' float planes, 2 Nakajima E8N2 Type 95 'Dave' float planes
3rd Battleship Division, 2nd Section
Rear Admiral Tamotsu Takama in Haruna
2 Kongo-class fast battleships (8 × 14-in. main battery)
Haruna (Rear Adm. Takama)
Air unit: 3 Nakajima E8N2 Type 95 'Dave' float planes
Kirishima (Capt. Sanji Iwabuchi)
Air unit: 3 Nakajima E8N2 Type 95 'Dave' float planes
Screening Force
10th Destroyer Squadron
Rear Admiral Susumu Kimura in Nagara
1 Nagara-class light cruiser (7 × 5.5-in. main battery)
Nagara (Capt. Toshio Naoi)
4th Destroyer Division (Capt. Kōsaku Aruga)
4 Kagero-class destroyers (6 × 5-in. main battery)
Nowaki (Cmdr. Magataro Koga)
Arashi (Cmdr. Yusumasa Watanabe)
Hagikaze (Cmdr. Juichi Iwagami)
Maikaze (Cmdr. Seiji Nakasugi)
10th Destroyer Division (Capt. Toshio Abe)
3 Yugumo-class destroyers (6 × 5-in. main battery)
Kazagumo (Cmdr. Masayoshi Yoshida)
Yūgumo (Cmdr. Shigeo Semba)
Makigumo (Cmdr. Isamu Fujita)
17th Destroyer Division (Capt. Masayuki Kitamura)
4 Kagero-class destroyers (6 × 5-in. main battery)
Urakaze (Cmdr. Nagayoshi Shiraishi)
Isokaze (Cmdr. Shunichi Toyoshima)
Tanikaze (Cmdr. Motoi Katsumi)
Hamakaze (Cmdr. Tsuneo Orita)
Supply Group 1
Captain Masanao Ota in Kyokuto Maru
1 Kagero-class destroyer (6 × 5-in. main battery)
Akigumo (Cmdr. Shohei Soma)
AO Kyokuto Maru (Capt. Ota)
AO Shinkoku Maru (Capt. Tokugyo Ito)
AO Tōhō Maru (Capt. Kazutaka Niimi)
AO Nippon Maru (Capt. Hironosuke Ueda)
AO Kokuyo Maru (Capt. Toraji Hidai)

Second Fleet (Midway Invasion Force)

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Nobutake Kondo
Battleship Hiei during war
Atago-class heavy cruiser pre-war
Nagara-class light cruiser pre-war
Light carrier Zuiho pre-war

Second Fleet Main Body

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Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondō[5] in Atago

3rd Battleship Division less 2nd Section
Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa
2 Kongo-class fast battleships (8 × 14-in. main battery)
Kongō (Capt. Tomiji Koyanagi)
Hiei (Capt. Masao Nishida)
4th Cruiser Division less 2nd Section
Vice Admiral Kondo
2 Takao-class heavy cruisers (10 × 7.9-in. main battery)
Atago (Capt. Baron Matsuji Ijuin)
Chōkai (Capt. Mikio Hayakawa)
5th Cruiser Division
Vice Admiral Takeo Takagi[e]
2 Myōkō-class heavy cruisers (10 × 7.9-in. main battery)
Myōkō (Capt. Teruhiko Miyoshi)
Haguro (Capt. Tomokazu Mori)
Screening Force
4th Destroyer Squadron
Rear Admiral Shoji Nishimura[f] in Yura
1 Nagara-class light cruiser (7 × 5.5-in. main battery)
Yura (Capt. Shiro Sato)
3rd Destroyer Division (Capt. Ranji Oe)
4 Shiratsuyu-class destroyers
Murasame (Lt. Cmdr. Naoji Suenaga)
Samidare (Cmdr. Takisaburo Matsubara)
Harusame (Lt. Cmdr. Masao Kamiyama)
Yūdachi (Cmdr. Kiyoshi Kamiyama)
9th Destroyer Division (Capt. Yasuo Sato)
3 Asashio-class destroyers
Asagumo (Cmdr. Toru Iwahashi)
Minegumo (Lt. Cmdr. Yasuatsu Suzuki)
Natsugumo (Lt. Cmdr. Moritaro Tsukamoto)
Carrier Group
Captain Sueo Obayashi
CVL Zuihō (Capt. Obayashi)
12 Mitsubishi A6M2 Type 21 'Zeke' fighters (Lt. Saneyasu Hidaka)
12 Nakajima B5N2 'Kate' torpedo bombers (Lt. Kaji Matsuo)
1 Mutsuki-class destroyer (4 × 4.7-in. main battery)
Mikazuki (Lt. Cmdr. Saneho Maeda)
Supply Group
Captain Jiro Murao in Sata
AO Sata (Capt. Murao)
AO Tsurumi (Capt. Toshizo Fujita)
AO Genyo Maru (Capt. Shigetaro Ogawa)
AO Kenyo Maru (Capt. Yoshio Kanemasu)
AR Akashi (Capt. Tsunekichi Fukuzawa)

Midway Occupation Force

[edit]
Raizo Tanaka
Kagero-class destroyer
Light cruiser Sendai
Seaplane tender Chitose
A6M "Rufe" floatplane fighter
Aichi E13 "Jake" scout plane

Rear Admiral Raizo Tanaka[g] in Jintsu

Transport Group carrying about 5000 troops under Captain Minoru Ōta[h], IJN and Colonel Kiyonao Ichiki[i], IJA
Transports
Kiyosumi Maru (Capt. Seiichiro Kito)
Keiyo Maru (Capt. Masamichi Ikeuchi)
Zenyo Maru
Goshu Maru (Capt. Hiyoshi Furuya)
Toa Maru No. 2 Go
Kano Maru (Capt. Tomosaburo Miura)
Argentina Maru (Cmdr. Takeshi Watanabe)
Hokuroku Maru (Capt. Hiotaro Tsukagoshi)
Brazil Maru (Capt. Kyujiro Jintsu)
Kirishima Maru (Capt. Hiroshi Okubo)
Azuma Maru (Capt. Nobuyoshi Morikawa)
Nankai Maru (Capt. Akira Maki)
Patrol Boats
Patrol Boat #1
Patrol Boat #2
Patrol Boat #34 also carrying SNLF detachment
AO Akebono Maru (damaged by torpedo night of June 3–4) (Capt. Miki Otsuka)
Escort Force
Rear Admiral Tanaka
1 Sendai-class cruiser (7 × 5.5-in. main battery)
CL Jintsu (Capt. Torazo Kozai)
15th Destroyer Division (Capt. Torajiro Sato)
2 Kagero-class destroyers
Kuroshio (Cmdr. Tamaki Ugaki)
Oyashio (Cmdr. Tokiyoshi Arima)
16th Destroyer Division (Capt. Shiro Shibuya)
4 Kagero-class destroyers
Yukikaze (Cmdr. Kenjiro Tobita)
Amatsukaze (Cmdr. Tameichi Hara)
Tokitsukaze (Cmdr. Giichiro Nakahara)
Hatsukaze (Cmdr. Kameshiro Takahashi)
18th Destroyer Division (Capt. Yoshito Miyasaka)
2 Kagero-class destroyers
Shiranui (Cmdr. Shizuo Akazawa)
Kagerō (Cmdr. Minoru Yokoi)
2 Asashio-class destroyers
Kasumi (Cmdr. Kiyoshi Tomura)
Arare (Cmdr. Tomoe Ogata)
Seaplane Tender Group
Rear Admiral Ruitaro Fujita in Chitose
11th Seaplane Tender Division
CVS Chitose (Capt. Tamotsu Furukawa)
16 Nakajima A6M2-N 'Rufe' floatplane fighters
4 Aichi E13A 'Jake' scout floatplanes
AV Kamikawa Maru (Capt. Tarohachi Shinoda)
8 Nakajima A6M2-N 'Rufe' floatplane fighters
4 Aichi E13A 'Jake' scout floatplanes
1 Kagero-class destroyer
Hayashio (Cmdr. Kiyoshi Kaneda)
Patrol Boat #35 (carrying troops)

Midway Support Force

[edit]
Heavy cruiser Mikuma heavily damaged by US air attack at Midway
Destroyer Asashio
Nakajima E8N "Dave" scout plane

Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita in Kumano

7th Cruiser Division (Vice Adm. Kurita)
Kumano (Capt. Kikumatsu Tanaka)
Suzuya (Capt. Masatomi Kimura)
Mikuma (scuttled x June) (Capt. Shakao Sakiyama†)
Mogami (Capt. Akira Soji)
8th Destroyer Division (Cmdr. Nobuki Ogawa)
2 Asashio-class destroyers
Asashio (Lt. Cmdr. Goro Yoshii)
Arashio (Cmdr. Hideo Kuboki)
Attached Oiler
AO Nichiei Maru (Capt. Matsushi Yamamoto)
Minesweeper Group
Captain Sadatomo Miyamoto
4 auxiliary minesweepers
Tama Maru #3 (Lt. (j.g.) Atsutoshi Yamaguchi)
Tama Maru #5 (Lt. Akira Takato)
Showa Maru #7 (Lt. Teruhisa Takahashi)
Showa Maru #8 (Lt. (j.g.) Kiichi Sasaki)
3 subchasers
Subchaser #16 (Lt. Yasukichi Suzuki)
Subchaser #17 (Lt. Shigematsu Yoshioka)
Subchaser #18 (Lt. Mitsugu Miyoi)
1 supply ship
Soya (Cmdr. Toshi Kubota)
2 cargo ships
Meiyo Maru (Capt. Hisao Koizumi)
Yamafuku Maru (Capt. Torao Honda)

Advance (Submarine) Force (Sixth Fleet)

[edit]
Light cruiser Katori pre-war
I-class submarine underway

Vice Admiral Teruhisa Komatsu in Katori at Kwajalein

1 Katori-class cruiser (4 × 5.5-in. main battery)
Katori (Capt. Noboru Owada)
3rd Submarine Squadron
Rear Admiral Chimaki Kona in Rio de Janeiro Maru at Kwajalein
19th Submarine Division (Capt. Ryojiro Ono)
I-156 (Lt. Cmdr. Katsuo Ohashi)
I-157 (Lt. Cmdr. Sakae Nakajima)
I-158 (Lt. Cmdr. Soshichi Kitamura)
I-159 (Lt. Cmdr. Tamori Yoshimatsu)
13th Submarine Division (Capt. Takeji Miyazaki)
I-121 (Lt. Cmdr. Yasuo Fujimori)
I-122 (Lt. Cmdr. Sadatoshi Norita)
I-123 (Lt. Cmdr. Toshitake Ueno)
30th Submarine Division (Capt. Maseo Teraoka)
I-162 (Lt. Cmdr. Takakazu Kinashi)
I-165 (Lt. Cmdr. Hakue Jarada)
I-166 (Lt. Cmdr. Makio Tanaka)

Shore-based Air Force

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Mistubishi G4M "Betty" level bombers
Kawanishi H6K "Mavis" flying boat

Eleventh Air Fleet
Vice Admiral Nishizo Tsukahara at Tinian

Midway Expeditionary Force (Capt. Chisato Morita)
36 Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters (Lt. Tadashi Kaneko)
10 Mitsubishi G4M 'Betty' level bombers at Wake Island
6 flying boats at Jaluit
24th Air Flotilla (Rear Adm. Minoru Maeda)
Chitose Air Group at Kwajalein (Capt. Fujiro Ohashi)
36 Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters
36 Nakajima B5N2 'Kate' torpedo bombers
1st Air Group at Aur and Wotje (Capt. Samaji Inoue)
36 Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters
36 Nakajima B5N2 'Kate' torpedo bombers
14th Air Group (Capt. Daizo Nakajima)
36 Kawanishi H6K 'Mavis' flying boats at Jaluit and Wotje

Northern Area Force

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Fifth Fleet Main Body

[edit]
Boshirō Hosogaya

Vice Admiral Boshirō Hosogaya[j] in Nachi

1 Myoko-class heavy cruiser
Nachi (Capt. Takahiko Kiyota)
2 Akatsuki-class destroyers
Inazuma (Lt. Cmdr. Hajime Takeuchi)
Ikazuchi (Lt. Cmdr. Shunsaku Kudo)
Supply Group:
AO Fujisan Maru (Capt. Kikuta Maki)
AO Nissan Maru (Capt. Hachiro Naotsuka)
AC Muroto (Capt. Masaji Yamagata)
AP Akashisan Maru (Capt. Yoshio Hosoya)
AF Tōkō Maru No. 2 Go

Second Carrier Striking Force

[edit]
Kakuji Kakuta

Rear Admiral Kakuji Kakuta[k] in Ryujo

4th Carrier Division (Rear Adm. Kakuta)
CVL Ryūjō (Capt. Tadeo Kato)
Air Unit (Lt. Masayuki Yamagami)
16 Mitsubishi A6M2 Type 21 'Zeke' fighters (Lt. Minoru Kobayashi)
21 Nakajima B5N2 'Kate' torpedo bombers (Lt. Yamagami)
CV Jun'yō (Capt. Shizue Isii)
Air Unit (Lt. Yoshio Shiga)
24 Mitsubishi A6M Zero Type 21 'Zeke' fighters (Lt. Shiga)
15 Aichi D3A1 'Val' dive bombers (Lt. Zenji Abe)
4th Cruiser Division, 2nd Section (Capt. Shunsaku Nabeshima in Maya)
2 Takao-class heavy cruisers
Takao (Capt. Bunji Asakura)
Maya (Capt. Nabeshima)
7th Destroyer Division (Capt. Kaname Konishi)
3 Fubuki-class destroyers
Akebono (Lt. Cmdr. Minoru Nakagawa)
Ushio (Lt. Cmdr. Yoshitake Uesugi)
Sazanami (Lt. Cmdr. Hiroshi Uwai)
AO Teiyo Maru (Capt. Katasuke Tanaka)

Aleutian Support Force

[edit]
Shiro Takasu

Vice Admiral Shiro Takasu[l] in Hyūga

2nd Battleship Division (Vice Adm. Takasu)
Fusō (Capt. Chozaemon Obata)
Hyūga (Capt. Chiaki Matsuda)
Ise (Capt. Isamu Takeda)
Yamashiro (Capt. Gunji Kogure)
Screening Force (Rear Adm. Fukuji Kishi] in Kitakami)
9th Cruiser Division (Rear Adm. Kishi)
CL Kitakami (Capt. Saiji Norimitsu)
CL Ōi (Capt. Moichi Narita)
20th Destroyer Division (Capt. Yuji Yamada)
4 Fubuki-class destroyers
Asagiri (Lt. Cmdr. Nisaburo Maekawa)
Yūgiri (Cmdr. Masayoshi Motokura)
Shirakumo (Cmdr. Toyoji Hitomi)
Amagiri (Capt. Buichi Ashida)
24th Destroyer Division (Capt. Yasuji Hirai)
4 Shiratsuyu-class destroyers
Umikaze (Cmdr. Nagahide Sugitani)
Yamakaze (Lt. Cmdr. Shuichi Hamanaka)
Kawakaze (Lt. Cmdr. Kazuo Wakabayashi)
Suzukaze (Lt. Cmdr. Kazuo Shibayama)
27th Destroyer Division (Capt. Matake Yoshimura)
2 Hatsuharu-class destroyers
Ariake (Lt. Cmdr. Shoichi Yoshida)
Yūgure (Lt. Cmdr. Kiyoshi Kamo)
2 Shiratsuyu-class destroyers
Shigure (Cmdr. Noboru Seo)
Shiratsuyu (Lt. Cmdr. Kanematsu Hashimoto)
Supply Group (Capt. Matsuo Eguchi)
AO San Clemente Maru (Capt. Eguchi)
AO Toa Maru (Capt. Yataro Yokohama)
Attu Invasion Force
[edit]
Sentarō Ōmori

Rear Admiral Sentarō Ōmori[m] in Abukuma

CL Abukuma (Capt. Seiroku Murayama)
21st Destroyer Division (Capt. Toshio Shimizu)
4 Hatsuharu-class destroyers
Wakaba (Lt. Cmdr. Masakichi Kuroki)
Nenohi (Lt. Cmdr. Saburo Terauchi)
Hatsuharu (Lt. Cmdr. Hiroshi Makino)
Hatsushimo (Lt. Cmdr. Satoru Kohama)
ML Magane Maru (Capt. Heiji Sasaki)
AP Kinugasa Maru (Capt. Naoshi Arima) carrying 1,200 army troops under Major Matsutoshi Hozumi
Kiska Invasion Force
[edit]

Captain Takeji Ono in Kiso

21st Cruiser Division (Capt. Ono)
2 Kuma-class cruisers
Kiso (Capt. Ono)
Tama (Capt. Masaharu Kawabata)
2 auxiliary cruisers
Asaka Maru (Capt. Jiro Ban)
Awata Maru (Capt. Kikuta Maki)
Screening Force
6th Destroyer Division (Capt. Yusuke Tamada)
2 Akatsuki-class destroyers
Hibiki (Lt. Cmdr. Hagumu Ishii)
Akatsuki (Lt. Cmdr. Osamu Takasuka)
1 Minekaze-class destroyer
Hakaze (Lt. Cmdr. Tomo Tanaka)
13th Minesweeper Division (Capt. Toshio Mitsuka)
Hakuhō Maru
Kaihō Maru
Shunkotsu Maru
Transports
Hakusan Maru (Capt. Hareyoshi Goto) carrying 550 troops under Lt. Cmdr. Hifumi Mukai
Kumagawa Maru (Capt. Shiro Yoshida) carrying 700 labor troops with construction equipment
Submarine Detachment
1st Submarine Squadron (Rear Adm. Shigeaki Yamakazi)
I-9 (Cmdr. Akiyoshi Fujii)
2nd Submarine Division (Capt. Hiroshi Imazato)
I-15 (Cmdr. Nobuo Ishikawa)
I-17 (Cmdr. Kozo Nishino)
I-19 (Cmdr. Shogo Narahara)
4th Submarine Division (Capt. Mitsuru Nagai)
I-25 (Cmdr. Akiji Tagami)
I-26 (Cmdr. Minoru Yokota)
Aleutian Seaplane Tender Force (Capt. Keiichi Ujuku)
AV Kimikawa Maru (Capt. Ujuku)
Air Unit: 8 3-seat floatplanes
1 Minekaze-class destroyer
Shiokaze (Lt. Yoji Tanegashima)

United States

[edit]

The US Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas were under the overall command of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz.[6]

Task Force 17

[edit]
Main article: Task Force 17
Frank Jack Fletcher
Damaged Yorktown with destroyer Balch standing by

Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher[n] in Yorktown

Task Group 17.5 (Carrier Group)
Yorktown (sunk by I-168 7 June) (Captain Elliott Buckmaster)
Yorktown Air Group[o] (Lieutenant Commander Oscar Pederson)
25 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat fighters (VF-3 – Lt. Cmdr. John S. Thach)
18 Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless dive bombers (VB-3 – Lt. Cmdr. Maxwell F. Leslie)
19 Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless dive bombers (VS-5 – Lt. Wallace C. Short, Jr.)
13 Douglas TBD-1 Devastator[p] torpedo bombers (VT-3 – Lt. Cmdr. Lance E. Massey†)
Task Group 17.2 (Cruiser Group)
Rear Admiral William W. Smith[q] in Astoria
1 New Orleans-class heavy cruiser (9 × 8-in. main battery)
Astoria (Capt. Francis W. Scanland)
1 Portland-class heavy cruiser (9 × 8-in. main battery)
Portland (Capt. Laurance T. DuBose)
Task Group 17.4 (Destroyer Screen)
Captain Gilbert Hoover[r], COMDESRON 2
5 Sims-class destroyers (4 × 5-in. main battery)
Hammann (sunk by I-168 7 June) (Commander Arnold E. True)
Anderson (Lt. Cmdr. William M. Hobby, Jr.)
Hughes (Lt. Cmdr. Donald J. Ramsey)
Morris (Cmdr. Harry B. Jarrett)
Russell (Lt. Cmdr. J. C. Pollock)
1 Gleaves-class destroyer (5 × 5-in. main battery)
Gwin (Lt. Cmdr. John M. Higgins)

Task Force 16

[edit]
Main article: Task Force 16
Raymond A. Spruance as a full admiral
Grumman F4F Wildcat
Douglas SBD Dauntless
Douglas TBD Devastator
Porter-class destroyer pre-war

Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance[s] in Enterprise

Task Group 16.5 (Carrier Group):[7]
Enterprise (Capt. George D. Murray)[t]
Enterprise Air Group (Lt. Cmdr. C. Wade McClusky)
27 F4F-4 fighters (VF-6 – Lt. James S. Gray)
19 SBD-2/3 dive bombers (VB-6 – Lt. Richard H. Best)
19 SBD-2/3 dive bombers (VS-6 – Lt. Wilmer E. Gallaher)
14 TBD-1 torpedo bombers (VT-6 – Lt. Cmdr. Eugene E. Lindsey†)
Hornet (Capt. Marc A. Mitscher, promoted to Rear Adm en route)[u]
Hornet Air Group (Cmdr. Stanhope C. Ring)
27 F4F-4 fighters (VF-8 – Lt. Cmdr. Samuel G. Mitchell)
19 SBD-2/3 dive bombers (VB-8 – Lt. Cmdr. Robert R. Johnson)
18 SBD-1/2/3 dive bombers (VS-8 – Lt. Cmdr. Walter F. Rodee)
15 TBD-1 torpedo bombers (VT-8 – Lt. Cmdr. John C. Waldron†)
Task Group 16.2 (Cruiser Group)
Rear Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid[v], COMCRUDIV 6
1 Pensacola-class heavy cruiser (10 × 8-in. main battery)
Pensacola (Capt. Frank L. Lowe)
1 Northampton-class heavy cruiser (9 × 8-in. main battery)
Northampton (Capt. William D. Chandler Jr.)
3 New Orleans-class heavy cruisers (9 × 8-in. main battery)
New Orleans (Capt. Howard H. Good)
Minneapolis (Capt. Frank J. Lowry)[w]
Vincennes (Capt. Frederick L. Riefkohl)[x]
1 anti-aircraft light cruiser (16 × 5-in. main battery)
Atlanta (Capt. Samuel P. Jenkins)
Task Group 16.4 (Destroyer Screen)
Captain Alexander R. Early, COMDESRON 1
Destroyer Squadron 1
1 Porter-class destroyer (8 × 5-in. main battery)
Phelps (Lt. Cmdr. Edward L. Beck)
3 Farragut-class destroyer (5 × 5-in. main battery)
Worden (Lt. Cmdr. William G. Pogue)
Monaghan (Lt. Cmdr. William P. Burford)
Aylwin (Lt. Cmdr. George R. Phelan)
Destroyer Squadron 6
1 Gridley-class destroyer (4 × 5-in. main battery)
Maury (Lt. Cmdr. Gelzer L. Sims)
2 Benham-class destroyer (4 × 5-in. main battery)
Benham (Lt. Cmdr. Joseph M. Worthington)
Ellet (Lt. Cmdr. Francis H. Gardner)
1 Mahan-class destroyer (5 × 5-in. main battery)
Conyngham (Lt. Cmdr. Henry C. Daniel)
1 Porter-class destroyer (8 × 5-in. main battery)
Balch (Lt. Cmdr. Harold H. Thiemroth)
Oilers Group
AO Cimarron (Cmdr. Russell H. Ihrig)
AO Platte (Capt. Ralph H. Henkle)
DD Dewey (Lt. Cmdr. C.F. Chillingworth, Jr.)
DD Monssen (Cmdr. Roland N. Smoot)[y]

Submarines

[edit]
Gato class
Nautilus class
Porpoise class

Rear Admiral Robert H. English[z]
Commander, Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet, HQ at Pearl Harbor

Task Group 7.1 (Midway Patrol Group)
3 Gato-class (10 tubes: 6 forward, 4 aft):
Gato (Lt. Cmdr. W.G. Myers)
Grouper (Lt. Cmdr. C.E. Duke)
Flying Fish (Lt. Cmdr. Glynn R. Donaho)
5 Tambor-class (10 tubes: 6 forward, 4 aft):
Tambor (Lt. Cmdr. J.W. Murphy)
Trout (Lt. Cmdr. F.W. Fenno)
Grayling (Lt. Cmdr. E. Olsen)
Grenadier (Lt. Cmdr. Willis A. Lent)
Gudgeon (Lt. Cmdr. H.B. Lyon)
4 Narhwhal-class (6 tubes: 4 forward, 2 aft):
Nautilus (Lt. Cmdr. William H. Brockman Jr.)
Dolphin (Lt. Cmdr. R.L. Rutter)
Cachalot (Lt. Cmdr. G.A. Lewis)
Cuttlefish (Lt. Cmdr. Martin P. Hottel)
Task Group 7.2 ("Roving Short-Stops")
1 Gato-class (10 tubes: 6 forward, 4 aft):
Trigger (Lt. Cmdr. J.H. Lewis)
1 Porpoise-class (6 tubes: 4 forward, 2 aft):
Plunger (Lt. Cmdr. D.C. White)
1 Narhwhal-class (6 tubes: 4 forward, 2 aft):
Narwhal (Lt. Cmdr. C.W. Wilkins)
Task Group 7.3 (North of Oahu Patrol)
2 Gato-class (10 tubes: 6 forward, 4 aft):
Growler (Lt. Cmdr. Howard W. Gilmore)
Finback (Lt. Cmdr. J.L. Hull)
2 Porpoise-class (6 tubes: 4 forward, 2 aft):
Pike (Lt. Cmdr. W.A. New)
Tarpon (Lt. Cmdr. Lewis Wallace)

Midway Garrison

[edit]
Brewster Buffalo
Consolidated Aircraft PBY Catalina
Boeing B-17
Air group
Marine Aircraft Group 22
Colonel Ira L. Kimes, USMC
21 Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo[aa] (VMF-221, Major Floyd B. Parks†, USMC)
7 Grumman F4F-3A Wildcat (VMF-221, Captain John F. Carey, USMC)
19 Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless (VMSB-241 Major Lofton R. Henderson†, USMC)
17 Chance-Vought SB2U-3 Vindicator (VMSB-241, Major Benjamin W. Norris†, USMC)
Navy Air Units
Captain Cyril T. Simard
31 PBY-5 and PBY-5A Catalinas (Detachments from Patrol Wings 1 and 2, USN)
6 Grumman TBF Avenger (Detachment from VT-8, USS Hornet - Lt. Langdon K. Fieberling†, USN)
Detachment of Seventh Air Force
Major General Willis Hale
4 Martin B-26 Marauder (Detachments from the 18th Reconnaissance and 69th Bombardment Squadrons - Capt. James Collins, USAAF)
17 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress (Detachments from the 26th, 31st, 72nd, and 431st Bombardment Squadrons - Lt.Col. Walter C. Sweeney, Jr., USAAF)
Local Defenses
Colonel Harold D. Shannon, Fleet Marine Force commander
"C" and "D" Companies, 2nd Raider Battalion, USMC
6th Defense Battalion (Reinforced) USMC Colonel Harold D. Shannon
1st Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron
11 PT boats (9 at Midway Island and 2 at Kure Atoll)[8]

Deployed along lesser reefs and islands of the Hawaiian Group

[edit]
Oiler Guadalupe refueling a destroyer and a carrier
French Frigate Shoals
seaplane tenders Thornton and Ballard
gasoline tanker Kaloli
destroyer Clark
Pearl and Hermes Reef
patrol boat Crystal
fleet tug Vireo
Lisianski Island
patrol boat YP-284
Gardner Pinnacles
patrol boat YP-345
Laysan Island
patrol boat YP-290
Necker Island
patrol boat YP-350

Midway Refueling Unit

[edit]
Cmdr. Harry R. Thurber, USN
AO Guadalupe
DD Blue and Ralph Talbot

The military forces at the immediate point of tactical contact (i.e. not including support formations) are described below.

Aircraft

[edit]

American Forces

[edit]

Naval Air Station (NAS) Midway operated:[9]

United States Navy

United States Army Air Forces

United States Marine Corps

Task Force 17:

Yorktown: 77 aircraft (sunk)

Task Force 16:

Enterprise: 78 aircraft

Hornet: 77 aircraft

Japanese Forces

[edit]

The Japanese carriers of the Striking Force operated:

Akagi: 60 aircraft (sunk)

Kaga: 74 aircraft (sunk)

Hiryū: 57 aircraft (sunk)

Sōryū: 57 aircraft (sunk) [10]

(Note: These figures include 21 operational Zero fighters of the 6th Air Group being ferried to Midway by the carriers.)

Footnotes

[edit]
  1. ^ Shot down and killed by US fighter planes while on tour of upper Solomons April 1943.
  2. ^ Killed during Battle of the Malacca Strait May 1945
  3. ^ Died by self-inflicted gunshot on Saipan July 1944
  4. ^ Forced to resign from navy March 1943 following unsatisfactory performance at Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
  5. ^ Died during Battle of Saipan July 1944
  6. ^ Killed during Battle of Surigao Strait October 1944
  7. ^ Fell out of favor with Naval high command after Guadalcanal Campaign and was assigned to shore duty from December 1942 until end of war.
  8. ^ Died by self-inflicted gunshot on Okinawa June 1945
  9. ^ Killed on Guadalcanal August 1942
  10. ^ Assigned to shore duty following unsatisfactory performance in Battle of the Komandorski Islands
  11. ^ Died on Tinian prob. by suicide August 1944
  12. ^ Died of illness September 1944 six months after promotion to full admiral
  13. ^ Later oversaw work with torpedo suicide weapons; survived war
  14. ^ Held overall command of invasion forces for Guadalcanal August 1942..
  15. ^ Including elements from the sidelined Saratoga air group
  16. ^ These aircraft were obsolete by mid-1942 and their slow speed allowed them to be practically wiped out during their attacks on the Japanese carriers. This sacrifice, however, was instrumental in allowing the US dive bombers to appear over Nagumo's task force almost unnoticed.
  17. ^ Held desk job for remainder of war following disappointing performance in Aleutian Islands campaign.
  18. ^ Impulsively relieved of command by Halsey following loss of light cruiser USS Juneau November 1942, a career-ruining move Halsey later supposedly expressed regret over.
  19. ^ Later promoted to full admiral and commanded US Third Fleet.
  20. ^ Later promoted to full admiral and commanded US First Fleet after war.
  21. ^ An early proponent of naval aviation; later promoted to full admiral and commanded Fast Carrier Task Force.
  22. ^ Later promoted to full admiral and commanded US Seventh Fleet.
  23. ^ Later promoted to vice admiral and commanded amphibious forces in both Mediterranean and Pacific Theatres.
  24. ^ First Puerto Rican to graduate from US Naval Academy; relieved following disastrous Battle of Savo Island and never held another sea command.
  25. ^ Received ten commendations over his service in war.
  26. ^ Killed in plane crash in Mendocino County, California January 1943.
  27. ^ These aircraft were obsolete by mid-1942 and were no match for the advanced Mitsubishi Zero.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Prange, Gordon W.; Goldstein, Donald M.; Dillon, Katherine V. (1982). Miracle at Midway. MJF Books. p. 30. ISBN 978-1567318951.
  2. ^ "MilitaryHistoryOnline.com". Archived from the original on 2018-03-10. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
  3. ^ Spennemann, Dirk HR (June 2009). "The Cultural Landscape of the World War II Battlefield of Kiska, Aleutian Islands" (PDF). National Park Service.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Part of the Aleutian's Support Force: These ships detached from the Main Body before the Midway action commenced
  5. ^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "Vice-Admiral Nobutake Kondō". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942.
  6. ^ "Battle of Midway". World War 2 Facts. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  7. ^ "Midway Order of Battle". NavWeaps.com. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  8. ^ THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY INCLUDING THE ALEUTIAN PHASE. U.S. Naval War College. 1948. p. 120. Meanwhile, at 1920 CNAS Midway decided to employ his motor torpedo boats as an attack squadron and sent a squadron of nine MTB's from Midway and two MTB's from Kure Island to attack the task force containing the burning carriers. They were unable to locate the target. With the coming of daylight they commenced their return to Midway.:
  9. ^ "ONI Review of Midway". iBiblio.org. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  10. ^ "After Midway". Military History Online. militaryhistoryonline.com. Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
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