- Battle Name: Battle of Midway
- Battle Start Date: June 4th, 1942
- Battle End Date: June 7th, 1942
- Battle Belligerents: The Empire of Japan and the United States
- Battle Winner: United States
- Total Casualties: 3,300+
19 Battle of Midway Facts for Kids
- The Battle of Midway was a naval battle during World War 2 in the Pacific Theater.
- The Battle of Midway was fought between June 4th, 1942 and June 7th, 1984.
- The Battle of Midway was fought at the Midway Atoll.
- United States Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy fought each other during the Battle of Midway.
- The American forces involved in the Battle of Midway were Task Force 16, Task Force 17, the Midway Garrison, the United States Army Airforce and the United States Marine Corp.
- The Japanese forces involved in the Battle of Midway were the 1st Fleet, 2nd Fleet, 5th Fleet and the 11th Air Fleet.
- The United States of America lost 307 military personnel, 1 aircraft carrier, 1 destroyer and around 150 aircraft.
- The Imperial Japanese Navy sunk the American aircraft carrier Yorktown.
- The Empire of Japan lost 3,000+ military personnel, 4 aircraft carriers, 1 heavy cruiser, and around 248 aircraft.
- The United States Navy sunk the following Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carriers: Akagi, Kaga, Sōryū and the Hiryū.
- The four aircraft carriers sunk by the United States Navy were a part of the attack force that attacked Pearl Harbor just six months earlier.
- This battle resulted in a decisive victory for the United States. Some historians have declared that the Battle of Midway was the most decisive and stunning blow in the history of naval warfare.
- The Empire of Japan wanted to score another major defeat against the United States of America and the Battle of Midway was an attempt to lure the United State Navy’s aircraft carriers into a location where they could be destroyed.
- The United States of America had decoded the Imperial Japanese Navy’s encrypted notifications and were able to figure out the date and location of the attack on Midway.
- The decryption of the Imperial Japanese Navy’s communications gave the United States Navy a huge advantage during the Battle of Midway. This allowed them to prepare, defend and counterattack against the attack.
- The Battle of Midway involved four aircraft carriers from the Imperial Japanese Navy and three aircraft carriers from the United States Navy.
- The Battle of Midway was the first major naval defeat for The Empire of Japan, and it’s considered a major turning point for the United States during the Pacific War.
- The sunken American aircraft carrier Yorktown was discovered on May 19th, 1998.
- The sunken Japanese aircraft carriers Kaga and Akagi were discovered on October 18th, 2019 and October 21st, 2019.
Battle of Midway Pictures
A photo of the Midway Atoll prior to the Battle of Midway.Credit: National Archives (80-G-451086)
A photo of Japanese aircraft attacking and bombing the Midway Atoll.Credit: National Archives (80-G-701852)
A photo of Japanese and American aircraft fighting in the air.Credit: National Archives (80-G-701874)
A photo of the United States aircraft carrier Yorktown sinking.Credit: Naval History & Heritage Command
A photo of the Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryu after being attacked.Credit: Naval History & Heritage Command
A photo of the Japanese heavy cruiser Mikuma after being attacked.Credit: Naval History & Heritage Command
Find More Facts About the Battle of Midway
- Timeline of the Battle of Midway – Learn about the milestones events during the Battle of Midway on the U.S. Navy blog.
- Pictures of the Battle of Midway – View hundreds of pictures taking during the Battle of Midway on the Naval History and Heritage Command website.
- The Battle of Midway – Learn about the Battle of Midway on the National WW2 Museum website.
- Battle of Midway – Britannica – Find more facts about the Battle of Midway on the Britannica website.
- Battle of Midway – Wikipedia – Discover more facts and stats about the Battle of Midway on the Wikipedia website.