Midway

In December 1937 in Tokyo, American naval attaché intelligence officer Lieutenant Commander Edwin T. Layton and his counterpart are discussing the US and Japanese positions in the Pacific Ocean during a state function. Layton is warned by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto that if the Japanese oil supply is threatened by the US, the Japanese will take immediate action.On December 7, 1941, the Japanese use their carrier fleet to strike at Pearl Harbor. The attack leads the US to enter World War...
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In December 1937 in Tokyo, American naval attaché intelligence officer Lieutenant Commander Edwin T. Layton and his counterpart are discussing the US and Japanese positions in the Pacific Ocean during a state function. Layton is warned by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto that if the Japanese oil supply is threatened by the US, the Japanese will take immediate action.On December 7, 1941, the Japanese use their carrier fleet to strike at Pearl Harbor. The attack leads the US to enter World War II. Naval aviator Lieutenant Dick Best and the Air Group (CAG) of the carrier USS Enterprise fail to find the Japanese carrier fleet. In the months following the Pearl Harbor attack, the Americans launch raids against the Marshall Islands, the Japanese mainland, and engage a Japanese fleet at the Battle of the Coral Sea. Yamamoto proposes his most audacious plan yet -- the invasion of Midway Island using the four available carriers of the Kido Butai.Joseph Rochefort and his cryptology team begin intercepting messages concerning a location the Japanese identify as "AF". Layton speaks with Admiral Chester Nimitz, who informs him that Washington believes "AF" to be a target in the South Pacific. Layton disagrees, believing the intended target to be Midway Atoll. After meeting with Rochefort, Nimitz instructs the team to find a way to definitively prove that "AF" is Midway. After Layton instructs Midway to telegraph in the clear (unencrypted) that they are suffering a water shortage, cryptologists working for Rochefort intercept Japanese communications concerning water shortages on "AF", confirming that "AF" is indeed Midway.In preparation for an ambush of the Japanese fleet, Nimitz orders carriers USS Hornet and Enterprise recalled from the Coral Sea and demands that the damaged USS Yorktown be made ready for combat operations. On June 4, the Japanese launch an air attack against Midway and inflict heavy damage. Initial attempts by US land-based aircraft to strike at the Japanese fleet carriers fail despite a crashing bomber narrowly missing the Akagi. Torpedo Squadrons from the American carriers soon arrive and attack but are slaughtered and their torpedoes prove ineffective. However, the attacks keep the Japanese carriers off balance and unable to prepare and launch their own counterstrike.American submarine USS Nautilus launches a torpedo at a Japanese carrier but misses and is chased off by Japanese destroyer Arashi. Upon spotting the Arashi, the Commander of the Air Group (CAG) of the Enterprise, C. Wade McClusky, correctly infers the Japanese destroyer is rushing back to the main Japanese fleet and leads his planes to follow its course. Arriving to find the Japanese Combat Air Patrol out of position due to the torpedo attacks, the dive-bombers score several hits on Akagi, Kaga and Sōryū, effectively destroying them.Aboard Hiryu, Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi launches a strike wave that succeeds in destroying Yorktown, prompting Enterprise and Hornet to launch their remaining aircraft. Best leads the squadron, which successfully bombs the Hiryu, setting it aflame. Admiral Yamaguchi and the captain go down with the ship. Hiryu is then scuttled. Yamamoto receives news that his carrier force has been destroyed. After learning that the American fleet has withdrawn, thus depriving him of the chance to use his main force of battleships to win a night battle against the American fleet, he orders a general withdrawal.At Pearl Harbor, Rochefort intercepts the Japanese order to withdraw and passes it to Layton, who then informs Nimitz and his elated staff. A post-script reveals the fate of each of the key participants in the battle.