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.
US Navy code-breaking, 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 Ships involved in the Midway operation Losses indicated by *, counts in parentheses
Combat vessels Imperial Japanese Navy Ship Type United States Navy * · * · * · * 4 (4) Fleet carriers(CV) 3 (1) · · * · 2 Light carriers(CVL) - · · · 4 Seaplane tenders(CVS/AVD) 2 · Part of the Aleutian's Support Force: These ships detached from the Main Body before the Midway action commenced · · · · · · · · · · 11 Battleships(BB) - · * · · · · · 11 (1) Heavy cruisers(CA) 7 · · · · · · · · · · · 6 Light cruisers(CL) 1 · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 46 Destroyers(DD) 20 (1) · · · · · · · · · · * · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 22 Submarines(SS) 19 · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·
Auxiliaries Imperial Japanese Navy Ship Type United States Navy · · · · · · · · · Nissan Maru · · · · Toa Maru · · · 17 AO 4 · · · No. 1 · No. 2 · No. 34 · No. 35 4 PT 16 · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Asaka Maru . Awata Maru 2 AMC - 1 AE - Argentina Maru · Azuma Maru · · · Hakusan Maru · Hokuroku Maru · Kano Maru · Keiyo Maru · · Kirishima Maru · Kiyosumi Maru · · · Nankai Maru · Toa Maru No. 2 Go · · · Zenyo Maru 18 AP / AK - · · · · · Kaihō Maru · 7 AMS - · · 3 SC - 1 AR - 1 ML - - AT 1
Aircraft Imperial Japanese Navy Aircraft Type United States Navy 105 × Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" Fighters 86 × Grumman F4F-4 "Wildcat" 97 × Aichi D3A "Val" Divebombers 131 × Douglas SBD-3 "Dauntless" 17 × Chance-Vought SB2U-3 "Vindicator" (USMC) 101 × Nakajima B5N "Kate" Torpedobombers 42 × Douglas TBD-1 "Devastator" 6 × Grumman TBF "Avenger" (USMC) Levelbombers 17 × Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" (USAAC) 4 × Martin B-26 "Marauder" (USAAC) 10 × Nakajima E8N2 Type 95 "Dave" float plane 6 × Aichi E13A1 Type 0 "Jake" float plane
2 × Yokosuka D4Y1 "Judy" dive bomber Reconnaissance 31 × Consolidated PBY "Catalina"(Due to production flaws early D4Y were unable to dive bomb and were used for reconnaissance)(US Navy used carrier dive bombers for reconnaissance, reflected in the designation SB - scout-bomber)
Japan Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto Commander, Combined Fleet
Significant combat was experienced by Nagumo's First Striking Force and Kurita's Midway Support Force. The vast majority Japanese ships saw no action during the entire Midway campaign.
First Fleet (Main Force)
Main Force / 1st Fleet Main Body
Admiral Yamamoto in Yamato 1st Battleship Division (Admiral Yamamoto) 1 (9 × 18-in. main battery) (Rear Adm. Gihachi Takayanagi) 2 s (8 × 16-in. main battery) (Rear Adm. Gunji Kogure) (Captain Hideo Yano) Carrier Group: CVL (Capt. Kaoru Umetani) Air Unit: 8 Yokosuka B4Y1 'Jean' biplane torpedo bombers (Lieutenant Yoshiaki Irikiin) 1 (4 × 4.7-in. main battery) (Lt. Cmdr. Shizuka Kajimoto) Special Force CVS (Capt. Kaku Harada) CVS (Capt. Katsumi Komazawa) Screening Force 3rd Destroyer Squadron Rear Admiral Shintaro Hashimoto in Sendai 1 (7 × 5.5-in. main battery) (Capt. Nobue Morishita) 11th Destroyer Division (Capt. Kichiro Shoji) 4 s (6 × 5-in. main battery) (Lt. Cmdr. Shizuo Yamashita) (Lt. Cmdr. Rokoro Sugawara) (Lt. Cmdr. Junnari Kamiura) (Lt. Cmdr. Hideo Higashi) 19th Destroyer Division (Capt. Ranji Oe) 4 s (6 × 5-in. main battery) (Cmdr. Ryokichi Sugama) (Lt. Cmdr. Tsutomu Hagio) (Lt. Cmdr. Akifumi Kawahashi) (Cmdr. Eiji Sakuma) 1st Supply Group Captain Shigeyasu Nishioka in Naruto AO Naruto (Capt. Nishioka) AO Toei Maru
First Carrier Striking Force / 1st Air Fleet
Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo in Akagi
1st Carrier Division Vice Admiral Nagumo (Capt. Taijiro Aoki) Air Unit (Commander Mitsuo Fuchida) 24 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) (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 (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†) (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 in Tone 2 heavy cruisers (8 × 7.9-in. main battery) (Capt. Tametsugu Okada) Air Unit: 3 Aichi E13A1 Type 0 'Jake' float planes, 2 Nakajima E8N2 Type 95 'Dave' float planes (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 fast battleships (8 × 14-in. main battery) (Rear Adm. Tamotsu Takama) Air unit: 3 Nakajima E8N2 Type 95 'Dave' float planes (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 light cruiser (7 × 5.5-in. main battery) (Capt. Toshio Naoi) 4th Destroyer Division (Capt. Kōsaku Aruga) 4 s (6 × 5-in. main battery) (Cmdr. Magataro Koga) (Cmdr. Yusumasa Watanabe) (Cmdr. Juichi Iwagami) (Cmdr. Seiji Nakasugi) 10th Destroyer Division (Capt. Toshio Abe) 3 s (6 × 5-in. main battery) (Cmdr. Masayoshi Yoshida) (Cmdr. Shigeo Semba) (Cmdr. Isamu Fujita) 17th Destroyer Division (Capt. Masayuki Kitamura) 4 s (6 × 5-in. main battery) (Cmdr. Nagayoshi Shiraishi) (Cmdr. Shunichi Toyoshima) (Cmdr. Motoi Katsumi) (Cmdr. Tsuneo Orita) Supply Group 1 Captain Masanao Ota in Kyokuto Maru 1 (6 × 5-in. main battery) (Cmdr. Shohei Soma) AO Kyokuto Maru (Capt. Ota) AO Shinkoku Maru (Capt. Tokugyo Ito) AO (Capt. Kazutaka Niimi) AO Nippon Maru (Capt. Hironosuke Ueda) AO Kokuyo Maru (Capt. Toraji Hidai)
Second Fleet (Midway Invasion Force)
2nd Fleet Main Body Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondō in Atago
3rd Battleship Division less 2nd Section Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa 2 fast battleships (8 × 14-in. main battery) (Capt. Tomiji Koyanagi) (Capt. Masao Nishida) 4th Cruiser Division less 2nd Section Vice Admiral Kondo 2 heavy cruisers (10 × 7.9-in. main battery) (Capt. Baron Matsuji Ijuin) (Capt. Mikio Hayakawa) 5th Cruiser Division Vice Admiral Takeo Takagi 2 heavy cruisers (10 × 7.9-in. main battery) (Capt. Teruhiko Miyoshi) (Capt. Tomokazu Mori) Screening Force 4th Destroyer Squadron Rear Admiral Shoji Nishimura in Yura 1 light cruiser (7 × 5.5-in. main battery) (Capt. Shiro Sato) 3rd Destroyer Division (Capt. Ranji Oe) 4 s (Lt. Cmdr. Naoji Suenaga) (Cmdr. Takisaburo Matsubara) (Lt. Cmdr. Masao Kamiyama) (Cmdr. Kiyoshi Kamiyama) 9th Destroyer Division (Capt. Yasuo Sato) 3 s (Cmdr. Toru Iwahashi) (Lt. Cmdr. Yasuatsu Suzuki) (Lt. Cmdr. Moritaro Tsukamoto) Carrier Group Captain Sueo Obayashi CVL (Capt. Obayashi) 12 Mitsubishi A6M2 Type 21 'Zeke' fighters (Lt. Saneyasu Hidaka) 12 Nakajima B5N2 'Kate' torpedo bombers (Lt. Kaji Matsuo) 1 (4 × 4.7-in. main battery) (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 (Capt. Tsunekichi Fukuzawa)
Midway Occupation Force
Rear Admiral Raizo Tanaka in Jintsu
Transport Group carrying about 5000 troops under Captain Minoru Ōta, IJN and Colonel Kiyonao Ichiki, IJA Transports Kiyosumi Maru (Capt. Seiichiro Kito) Keiyo Maru (Capt. Masamichi Ikeuchi) Zenyo Maru (Capt. Hiyoshi Furuya) Toa Maru No. 2 Go Kano Maru (Capt. Tomosaburo Miura) Argentina Maru (Cmdr. Takeshi Watanabe) Hokuroku Maru (Capt. Hiotaro Tsukagoshi) (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 2nd Destroyer Squadron Rear Admiral Tanaka 1 (7 × 5.5-in. main battery) CL (Capt. Torazo Kozai) 15th Destroyer Division (Capt. Torajiro Sato) 2 s (Cmdr. Tamaki Ugaki) (Cmdr. Tokiyoshi Arima) 16th Destroyer Division (Capt. Shiro Shibuya) 4 s (Cmdr. Kenjiro Tobita) (Cmdr. Tameichi Hara) (Cmdr. Giichiro Nakahara) (Cmdr. Kameshiro Takahashi) 18th Destroyer Division (Capt. Yoshito Miyasaka) 2 s (Cmdr. Shizuo Akazawa) (Cmdr. Minoru Yokoi) 2 s (Cmdr. Kiyoshi Tomura) (Cmdr. Tomoe Ogata) Seaplane Tender Group Rear Admiral Ruitaro Fujita in Chitose 11th Seaplane Tender Division CVS (Capt. Tamotsu Furukawa) 16 Nakajima A6M2-N 'Rufe' floatplane fighters 4 Aichi E13A 'Jake' scout floatplanes AV (Capt. Tarohachi Shinoda) 8 Nakajima A6M2-N 'Rufe' floatplane fighters 4 Aichi E13A 'Jake' scout floatplanes 1 (Cmdr. Kiyoshi Kaneda) Patrol Boat #35 (carrying troops)
Midway Support Force
Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita in Kumano
7th Cruiser Division (Vice Adm. Kurita) (Capt. Kikumatsu Tanaka) (Capt. Masatomi Kimura) (Capt. Shakao Sakiyama†) (Capt. Akira Soji) 8th Destroyer Division (Cmdr. Nobuki Ogawa) 2 s (Lt. Cmdr. Goro Yoshii) (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 (Cmdr. Toshi Kubota) 2 cargo ships Meiyo Maru (Capt. Hisao Koizumi) (Capt. Torao Honda)
Advance (Submarine) Force (Sixth Fleet)
Vice Admiral Teruhisa Komatsu in at Kwajalein
1 (4 × 5.5-in. main battery) (Capt. Noboru Owada) 3rd Submarine Squadron