Osprey Campaign 30 : Midway 1942 : Turning-Point in the Pacific

One of the most important and decisive naval battles in history, Midway was fought barely six months after the devastating Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor which began the war in the Pacific. Midway was the last US-held base west of Hawaii and the Japanese considered its capture vital to protect their conquests in the western Pacific. They attempted to deceive the Americans with a diversionary attack on the Aleutians, but unknown to the Japanese General Staff code-breakers had cracked their military codes warning the US where the real attack would come. Badly damaged at Coral Sea the USS Yorktown was repaired in 48 hours and with Enterprise and Hornet sent out to meet the Japanese fleet. In a battle marked by great heroism on both sides the United States dealt a devastating blow to the Imperial Japanese Fleet sinking four of her most powerful carriers. This battle turned the tide in the Pacific; after Midway the Japanese never recovered the initiative and the US forces began their island hopping counter-attack. In this superbly illustrated book Mark Healy tells the whole story of Midway; espionage, daring, luck and extreme heroism supplemented by genuine photographs of the battle in progress.

Contents

• Prelude to Midway
• The US Preparations
• The Opposing Plans
• The Opposing Commanders
• The Opposing Naval Air Arms
• The Battle - 3 June
• The Battle - 4 June
• The Aftermath
• Chronology
• A Guide to Further Reading
• Wargaming Midway