As a significant turning point in the Pacific during World War II, the Battle of Midway in June 1942 shattered the advancing Japanese forces. In the months since the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese had seen victories throughout the Asia-Pacific region—from as far west as Sri Lanka to as far east as Wake Atoll. While American morale had been lifted with the Doolittle Raid in April 1942 and success in the Battle of the Coral Sea in May, American forces would face their greatest naval challenge yet at Midway.
The Imperial Japanese Navy attempted to force a crippling battle on the U.S. Navy and establish a base between Pearl Harbor and Japan. Japanese control of Midway Atoll would have been disastrous, putting them in close striking distance of Hawaii. The story of this battle has often been told. American Naval intelligence, using code breaking and false messages, discovered the Japanese plans. This allowed an inferior force of three American aircraft carriers and the Midway defenders to sink four Japanese carriers in a day and turn back the invasion.
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