Great Blunders of WWII: Japan's Mistakes at Midway 7

This is one of a series of movies about blunders made in WWII.  This deals with the Japanese blunders at Midway.  The idea of Midway was a very good idea.  The Americans would have to defend Midway, and Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was hoping to eliminate the rest of the U.S. Navy in the Pacific.  However his superiors decided to eXpand the operation.  They added an attack on the Aleutians, with the logic the U.S. fleet would have to defend and be more scattered.  The other addition was a sea attack on Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea.  In this way they could threaten Australia.  they committed three carriers to this operation.  Even though in the Battle of Coral Sea which took place as a result, they damaged Yorktown and sunk Lexington, for their own part, one carrier was sunk, another badly damaged, and a third lost most of its planes.  This left only four carriers for Midway.  The Japanese assumed Yorktown had been sunk.  The U.S. had a repaired Yorktown available, as well as Enterprise and Hornet.  Yamamoto felt these carriers were in Hawaii, but had not confirmed this.  However, due to cracking of the Japanese code system, the U.S. knew that Midway was the major focus of the Japanese attack.  The carriers were ready and waiting.  The U.S. also had a landing strip and planes on Midway Island, including high flying B-17 bombers.  The first wave against Midway caused considerable damage, but the run way remained serviceable, and many planes were spared.  As the Japanese prepared for a second assault against Midway, his ships were attacked, and three carriers sunk.  The fourth counter-attacked against Yorktown, causing serious damage.  Eventually Yorktown was sunk by submarine torpedoes.  This fourth carrier was itself counter attacked and destroyed.  The end result, over three thousand Japanese dead, four carriers, and one cruisers sunk, another cruiser damaged.  On the American side over three hundred dead, one carrier lost and one destroyer sunk.

Battlefield: S1 E3: The battle of Midway

The most decisive Naval battle of WWII changed the course of the war.  This is a very good day by day and blow by blow description of the battle, including the battle of Coral Sea which took place shortly before, and had influence on the Battle of Midway.  A single day changed the course of the war, and Japan went from the offense to defense.

Akagi

Kaga

Soryu

Hiryu

Yorktown

Carriers lost at the Battle of Midway.  the Japanese lost over 3000 men, and all the planes and most of the pilots involved.  The pilots were mostly killed in their planes on the decks of the carriers.  The United States lost over 300 men, and two thirds of the aircraft involved.

The Battle of Midway — A John Ford Documentary Masterpiece

This is the documentary movie John Ford made from the footage he took during the battle of Midway.  He selected a raised area on Midway Island from which to film, and was actually wounded in the endeavour.  You can see in the film where this happens with the close bombing.  the most important news was what came at the end, the report of the turn in the war as Japan lost four carriers.  Though early in the war, this proved to be a turning point.  

World War II in Colour 5: Red Sun Rampant

This documentary episode starts with the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor.  The surprise attack damaged the American fleet in the Pacific, but it wasn't the knock out blow as the U.S. carriers were not in port.  Japan was defeating everyone in the region in the air, on land and at sea.  This movie follows the conflict until in each of these areas, the Japanese had been bested.  The Battle of the Coral Sea was basically a draw, with two carriers damaged on both sides.  The Yorktown was damaged on the American side, but quick repairs prepared her for the next battle.  However it was a moral victory for the Americans.  having cracked the Japanese code, The U.S. were laying in wait at Midway, where the Japanese planned to establish a forward base.
While the Japanese were bombing Midway Island, The U.S. were able to catch them unaware, and pound them from the air.  The initial torpedo planes were unsuccessful, but the dive bombers coming from the clouds were able to inflict serious damage to three carriers.  The Japanese had four carriers in the area.  They were able to inflict a counter blow to the Yorktown, but again the Americans finally caught the fourth carrier and inflicted heavy damage.  This day would mark a great difference at sea, while four Japanese carriers were gone, one American carrier was sunk and another damaged.
ON Land and air, the battle to Guadalcanal was important.  The Japanese were establishing an air base, but the American marines attacked and took control of the base.  however the Japanese fleet was able to cut them off by chasing the American boats away, sinking a couple.  Even so the completed the airway, and were resupplied by air.  In addition the planes were able to harass the Japanese.  It was some months before they were refortified with troops, but eventually the Americans were able to get through, and slowly Guadalcanal was taken.

Movie Review: Apacalypse: WWII: World Ablaze

This movie starts with the entry of the United States into the war.  This happened with Pearl Harbor.  The Japanese, although making peace gestures to the United States, had for some time planned to take the offensive in attacking Hawaii, in an effort to extend their power and control throughout the Pacific.  The needed space, and resources to extend their war machine.  They hoped a quick strike would give them the upper hand in the Pacific.  However, their efforts missed the aircraft carriers, while inflicting most of its damage against the battle ships. 
Japan's first strike was completely successful.  However they did not follow up with a second attack, which would have crippled the U.S. fleet.  As it was it was only bloodied. 
Before the next major battle, the U.S. had cracked the Japanese secret code, and new what the Japanese were planning.  The hoped to take Midway to be able to control from the air much of the area.  As they approached, the U.S. carriers were waiting.  Although the first wave of U.S. torpedo boats failed to make any strikes, they paved the way for the dive bombers, who proved more successful.  So with a fallen American, watching from the water, the Japanese carriers were decimated.  Following the battle, the Japanese still had naval superiority, but the odds were evened.  The Japanese also attempted to construct to construct an air base on Guadalcanal.  This lead to an allied response and invasion of the island, with subsequent Japanese reinforcements.  This lead to a long battle both at sea, in terms of controlling the ability to reinforce; and on land.  Eventually the Allies gained superiority and the Japanese were forced to evacuate.
This movie also presented the war in Europe, particularly in Russia.  After being driven back the previous winter, the German forces made another advance towards Stalingrad and Moscow.  This was known as Black Summer.  Again Russia employed a scorched earth policy.  But overall the Germans were able to pursue their march towards the Russian populated areas.  However the Germans split their force, trying to conquer Stalingrad for it industrial importance, and the Caucasus for oil.  This proved to be a bit too much to accomplish, and lead to stalemate. 

Documentary Movie Review: *****The Battle for Midway: National Geographic

This documentary tells three stories, the search for the sunken carriers, Japanese and American, the reaction of veterans of the battle, overlapped with the historical story of the battle.  This battle took place only four months after Pearl Harbor.  The Japanese thought the Americans were down to two carriers.  However the Yorktown was repaired in Hawaii in just three days.  The Americans had an advantage, in that they had deciphered Japanese code, and knew where the Japanese would be, attacking the island of Midway.  On the morning of June 4, the Japanese attacked.  The U.S. counter attacked from the carriers.  The initial attacks were unsuccessful as the torpedo crews were devastated.  Of the crews, only a handful survived.  However when the Japanese fighters were chasing them, the dive bombers were able to attack free from fighters, and destroyed three of the four Japanese carriers.

A subsequent attack against the Yorktown crippled it with both dive bombers and torpedo planes.  As it limped back to Hawaii it was downed by submarine torpedoes.

Subsequent attacks finished off the last Japanese carrier.  The battle had a precarious balance at several stages.  The five minutes of the dive bomb attack changed the battle, and possibly history.

They did find the Yorktown, but not the Japanese carriers.  I really enjoyed this movie, especially the story of the battle.  I must admit, seeing the Yorktown after over 50 years was pretty exciting.  You could see the anti-aircraft guns on the deck.