Battle Of Midway Essay

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Introduction At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor and up until the Battle of Midway Island, the Japanese Navy enjoyed a dominance of the seas in the Pacific Theatre. The Japanese Navy aircraft carriers outnumbered the United States Two to One. This imbalance of power allowed the Japanese to initiate their phased plan of attack with amazing speed and success. With the attack on Midway Island, the Japanese lost much more than just a battle. They lost their dominance in the Pacific Theatre, which would eventually lead to their downfall and unconditional surrender. History Leading up to the Attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. was on the edge of war with Japan. Due to Japan’s brutal tactics and imperialistic objectives and their…show more content…
The primary lessons were operational, tactical and strategic. The operational lesson learned was the need for more aircraft carriers. The separation of Task Force 16 and Task Force 17 limited the ability to put up a formidable air patrol and utilize the mass of fires from all of the screening cruisers and destroyers. Also learned from this battle was the ability to project power over long distances. The tactical lessons learned were that the current 18 fighters per squadron were too few to protect the carrier and the dive/scout bombers. This led to increasing a squadron’s size from 18 fighters to 36 fighters. It was also realized that there is no substitute for training and experience. While flying slower, less maneuverable aircraft, some pilots were able to put up a viable defense while others could not. One of the most important strategic lessons learned was to keep the plan simple and let your leaders lead. Admiral Yamamoto’s plan was extremely complex and full of orders produced prior to the battle that served little in any purpose once they were reviewed after the battle. Conversely, Admiral Nimitz made his desires clear; destroy Japan’s aircraft carriers. Then guided by Admiral Nimitz’s principal of calculated risk, his commanders were allowed to engage the enemy as operations and tactics
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