Midway order of battle - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Overview

Imperial Japanese Navy	Ship Type	United States Navy
\| \| \|	CV Aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...	\|
Hosho \|	CVL Light aircraft carrier A light aircraft carrier is an aircraft carrier that is smaller than the standard carriers of a navy. The precise definition of the type varies by country; light carriers typically have a complement of aircraft only ½ to ⅔ the size of a full-sized or "fleet" carrier.-History:In World War II, the...	None
Chitose \| \| \|	CVS Seaplane tender A seaplane tender is a ship that provides facilities for operating seaplanes. These ships were the first aircraft carriers and appeared just before the First World War.-History:...	None
\| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \|	BB Battleship A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...	None
\| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| >	CA Heavy cruiser The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...	\| \| \| \| \|
\| \|	CL Light cruiser A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
\| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \|	DD Destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...	\| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \|
\| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| >	Submarine Submarine A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...	\| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \|
\| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \|	AO Replenishment Oiler A replenishment oiler or fleet tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds, which can replenish other ships while underway in the high seas. Such ships are used by several countries around the world....	\|
No. 2 \| No. 34 \| No. 35	PT Patrol boat A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...	\| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \|
Meiyo \| Yamafuku	AE Ammunition ship An ammunition ship is a warship specially configured to carry ammunition, usually for Navy ships and aircraft. Their cargo handling systems, designed with extreme safety in mind, include ammunition hoists with airlocks between decks, and mechanisms for flooding entire compartments with sea water in...	None
Tama Maru No. 5 \| Showa Maru No. 7 \| Showa Maru No. 8	AMS Minesweeper (ship) A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...	None
No. 17 \| No. 18	SC Submarine chaser A submarine chaser is a small and fast naval vessel specially intended for anti-submarine warfare. Although similar vessels were designed and used by many nations, this designation was most famously used by ships built by the United States of America...	None
Akashi		None
97 x Aichi D3A "Val" \| 101 x Nakajima B5N "Kate"	A/C	129 x Douglas SBD-3 "Dauntless" \| 42 x Douglas TBD-1 "Devastator" \| 32 x PBY-5/A "Catalina" \| 6 x Grumman TBF "Avenger" \| 4 x Martin B-26 "Marauder" \| 19 x Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress"

Japanese Combined Fleet

The Japanese forces actually consisted of two different fleets detailed to two separate operations, namely Operation AL (for the Aleutians) and Operation MI (for Midway

Midway Atoll

Midway Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. Unique among the Hawaiian islands, Midway observes UTC-11 , eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time and one hour...

First Fleet

First Fleet Main Force
- 1st Battleship
  Battleship
  A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
  
  Division
  Division (military)
  A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
  
  - Rear Admiral
  Rear Admiral
  Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
  
  Gihachi Takayanagi in Yamato

} - Rear Admiral Takayanagi, (Flagship

Flagship

A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...

of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto

Isoroku Yamamoto

was a Japanese Naval Marshal General and the commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet during World War II, a graduate of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy and a student of Harvard University ....

, commander of the Japanese Combined Fleets)
} - Rear Admiral Gunji Kogure
} - Captain

Captain (naval)

Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....

Hideo Yano

- Carrier
  Common carrier
  A common carrier in common-law countries is a person or company that transports goods or people for any person or company and that is responsible for any possible loss of the goods during transport...
  
  Group:
  - CVE - Captain Kaoru Umetani (8 B4Y1
    Yokosuka B4Y
    -References:NotesBibliography* Francillon, Ph.D., René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1970 . ISBN 0-370-30251-6....
    
    'Jean' - Lt. Yoshiaki Irikiin)
  - DD - Lt. Commander Shizuka Kajimoto
- Special Force
  - CVS - Captain Kaku Harada
  - CVS - Captain Katsumi Komazawa
- Screening Force
  - 3rd Destroyer
    Destroyer
    In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
    
    Squadron
    Squadron (naval)
    A squadron, or naval squadron, is a unit of 3-4 major warships, transport ships, submarines, or sometimes small craft that may be part of a larger task force or a fleet...
    
    - Rear Admiral
    Rear Admiral
    Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
    
    Shintaro Hashimoto
    Shintaro Hashimoto
    -Web:- Firsthand account of the battle by a member of HMS Vigilant's crew.- Fairly detailed account of the battle...
    
    in Sendai
    - CL Sendai - Captain Nobue Morishita
    - 11th Destroyer Division - Captain Kichiro Shoji ( - Lt. Commander Shizuo Yamashita, - Lt. Commander Rokoro Sugawara, - Lt. Commander Junnari Kamiura, Murakumo - Lt. Commander Hideo Higashi)
    - 19th Destroyer Division - Captain Ranji Oe ( - Commander Ryokichi Sugama, Uranami - Lt. Commander Tsutomu Hagio, Shikinami - Lt. Commander Akifumi Kawahashi, Ayanami - Commander Eiji Sakuma)
- 1st Supply Group: Captain Shigeyasu Nishioka in Naruto
  - Naruto (Oiler) - Captain Nishioka
  - Toei Maru
First Carrier Striking Force (First Air Fleet) - Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...

Chuichi Nagumo
Chuichi Nagumo
was a Japanese admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II and one time commander of the Kido Butai . He committed suicide during the Battle of Saipan.-Early life:...
- 1st Carrier Division: Vice Admiral Nagumo in Akagi

} - Captain Taijiro Aoki

Taijiro Aoki

Taijiro Aoki（青木泰二郎） was a Japanese Captain of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Aoki graduated from the Naval Academy at Etajima in 1910. In April 1942, he became the captain of the . He was in command of ship at the time of her sinking at the battle of Midway in 1942, and attempted to go down with his...

- - - Air Unit: Commander
      Commander
      Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
      
      Mitsuo Fuchida
      Mitsuo Fuchida
      was a Japanese Captain in the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service and a bomber pilot in the Imperial Japanese Navy before and during World War II. He is perhaps best known for leading the first air wave attacks on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941...
      
      (19 A6M2 Type 21 - Lt. Commander Shigeru Itaya, 18 D3A1 - Lt. Commander Takehiko Chihaya, 18 B5N2 - Lt. Commander Shigeharu Murata)

} - Captain Jisaku Okada

Jisaku Okada

Jisaku Okada was a Japanese Navy Captain. During his career he was the commander of the seaplane tender Notoro and aircraft carrier Ryujo. A couple of months before the start of the Second World War he was given the command of the Kaga. He was KIA during the Battle of Midway wheh the ship was...

†.

- - - Air Unit: Lt Commander Tadashi Kusumi† (18 A6M2 Type 21 - Lt. Masao Sato, 18 D3A1 - Lt. Shoichi Ogawa, 27 B5N2 - Lt. Ichiro Kitajima)
- 2nd Carrier Division: Rear Admiral
  Rear Admiral
  Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
  
  Tamon Yamaguchi† in Hiryū.

} - Captain Tomeo Kaku†

- - - Air Unit: Lt Joichi Tomonaga† (18 A6M2 Type 21 - Lt. Shigeru Mori†, 18 D3A1 - Lt. Michio Kobayashi†, 18 B5N2 - Lt. Kikuchi Rokuro†)

} - Captain Ryusaku Yanagimoto

Ryusaku Yanagimoto

- Notes :...

†

- - - Air Unit: Lt Commander Takashige Egusa (18 A6M2 Type 21 - Lt. Masaharu Suganami, 18 D3AI - Lt. Masahiro Ikeda, 18 B5N2 - Lt. Heijiro Abe, 2 D4Y1)
- Support Group
  - 8th Cruiser Division: Rear Admiral Hiroaki Abe
    Hiroaki Abe
    was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.-Early career:Abe was born in Yonezawa city in Yamagata prefecture in northern Japan. He graduated from the 39th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1911, with a ranking of 26th out of a class of 148 cadets. As a...
    
    in Tone
    - CA Tone - Captain Tametsugu Okada (3 E13A1 Type 0, 2 E8N2 Type 95)
    - CA Chikuma - Captain Keizo Komura (3 E13A1 Type 0, 2 E8N2 Type 95)
- 3rd Battleship Division, 2nd Section: RADM Tamotsu Takama in Haruna

} - RADM Takama (3 E8N2 Type 95)
} - Captain Sanji Iwabuchi (3 E8N2 Type 95)

- Screening Force
  - 10th Destroyer Squadron - Rear Admiral Susumu Kimura
    Susumu Kimura
    -External links:*-Notes:...
    
    in Nagara
    - CL - Captain Toshio Naoi
    - 4th Destroyer Division - Captain Kosaku Ariga
      Kosaku Ariga
      , was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He commanded the battleship during its final mission: Operation Ten-Go.-Biography:...
      
      ( - Commander Magataro Koga, - Commander Yusumasa Watanabe, - Commander Juichi Iwagami, - Commander Seiji Nakasugi)
    - 10th Destroyer Division- Captain Toshio Abe ( - Commander Masayoshi Yoshida, Yugumo - Commander Shigeo Semba, Makigumo - Commander Isamu Fujita)
    - 17th Destroyer Division - Captain Masayuki Kitamura ( - Commander Nagayoshi Shiraishi, - Commander Shunichi Toyoshima, - Commander Motoi Katsumi, - Commander Tsuneo Orita)
- Supply Group 1 - Captain Masanao Ota in Kyokuto Maru
  - DD - Commander Shohei Soma
  - 5 Oilers - Kyokuto Maru, Shinkoku Maru, Tōhō Maru, Nippon Maru, Kokuyo Maru

Second Fleet (Midway Invasion Force)

Second Fleet Main Body - Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondō in Atago
- 3rd Battleship Division (less 2nd Section): Rear Admiral Gunichi Mikawa
  Gunichi Mikawa
  was a Vice-Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.Mikawa was the commander of a heavy cruiser force that carried out spectacular I.J.N. victory over the U.S. Navy and the Royal Australian Navy at the Battle of Savo Island in Ironbottom Sound on the night of August 1942. In...

} - Captain Tomiji Koyanagi

Tomiji Koyanagi

, was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.-Biography:A native of Niigata Prefecture, Koyanagi was a graduate of the 42nd class of the Imperial Japanese Navy Academy in 1914. He served his midshipman duty on the cruiser and battleship . Commissioned a sub-lieutenant in...

} - Captain Masao Nishida

- 4th Cruiser Division (less 2nd Section): Vice Admiral Kondo
  - CA - Captain Baron Matsuji Ijuin
    Matsuji Ijuin
    - External links :* by Vincent P. O'Hara- Notes :...
  - CA - Captain Mikio Hayakawa
- 5th Cruiser Division : Vice Admiral Takeo Takagi
  Takeo Takagi
  was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.-Biography:Takagi was a native of Iwaki city, Fukushima prefecture. He was a graduate of the 39th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, ranking 17th of 148 cadets in 1911...
  - CA - Captain Teruhiko Miyoshi
  - CA - Captain Tomokazu Mori
- Screening Force
  - 4th Destroyer Squadron - Rear Admiral Shoji Nishimura in CL Yura
    - CL - Captain Shiro Sato
    - 3rd Destroyer Division - Captain Ranji Oe (DDs Murasame - Lt. Commander Naoji Suenaga, - Commander Takisaburo Matsubara, - Lt. Commander Masao Kamiyama, - Commander Kiyoshi Kamiyama)
    - 9th Destroyer Division - Captain Yasuo Sato (DDs Asagumo - Commander Toru Iwahashi, - Lt. Commander Yasuatsu Suzuki, - Lt. Commander Moritaro Tsukamoto)
- Carrier Group - Captain Sueo Obayashi
  - CVL - Captain Obayashi.
    - Air Component: 12 A6M2 Zero Type 21 - Lt. Moriyasu Hidaka, 12 B5N2 - Lt. Kaji Matsuo
  - DD Mikazuki
    Japanese destroyer Mikazuki (1926)
    was one of twelve destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolescent by the start of the Pacific War...
    
    - Lt. Commander Saneho Maeda
- Supply Group: - Captain Jiro Murao in Sata
  - AO Sata - Captain Murao
  - AO Tsurumi - Captain Toshizo Fujita
  - AO Genyo Maru
  - AO Kenyo Maru
  - AR Akashi - Captain Tsunekichi Fukuzawa
Midway Occupation Force - Rear Admiral Raizo Tanaka
Raizo Tanaka
was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during most of World War II. A specialist in the heavy torpedoes that were carried by all the destroyers and cruisers of the IJN, Tanaka mainly commanded destroyer squadrons, with a cruiser or two attached, and he was the primary leader of the...
- Transports and Patrol Boats carrying about 5000 troops under Captain Minoru Ota
  Minoru Ota
  was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, and the final commander of the Japanese naval forces defending the Oroku Peninsula during the Battle of Okinawa.-Biography:...
  
  IJN
  Imperial Japanese Navy
  The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
  
  and Colonel
  Colonel
  Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
  
  Kiyonao Ichiki IJA
  Imperial Japanese Army
  -Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
  - Kiyozumi Maru
  - Keiyo Maru
  - Zenyo Maru
  - Goshu Maru #2
  - Toa Maru
  - Kano Maru
  - Argentina Maru
  - Hokuriku Maru
  - Brazil Maru
  - Kirishima Maru
  - Azuma Maru
  - Nankai Maru
  - Patrol Boat #1
  - Patrol Boat #2
  - Patrol Boat #34
  - AO Akebono Maru - damaged by torpedo night of June 3–4
- Escort Force - Rear Admiral Tanaka in CL Jintsu
  - CL - Captain Torazo Kozai
  - 15th Destroyer Division - Captain Torajiro Sato ( - Commander Tamaki Ugaki, - Commander Tokiyoshi Arima)
  - 16th Destroyer Division - Captain Shiro Shibuya ( - Commander Kenjiro Tobita, - Commander Tameichi Hara
    Tameichi Hara
    was an Imperial Japanese naval commander during the Pacific War and the author of the IJN manual on torpedo attack techniques, famous for his high skill .-Early life:...
    
    , - Commander Giichiro Nakahara, - Commander Kameshiro Takahashi)
  - 18th Destroyer Division - Captain Yoshito Miyasaka ( - Commander Shizuo Akazawa, - Commander Kiyoshi Tomura, - Commander Tomoe Ogata, - Commander Minoru Yokoi)
- Seaplane
  Seaplane
  A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
  
  Tender
  Seaplane tender
  A seaplane tender is a ship that provides facilities for operating seaplanes. These ships were the first aircraft carriers and appeared just before the First World War.-History:...
  
  Group: Rear Admiral Ruitaro Fujita in Chitose
  - 11th Seaplane Tender Division
    - CVS - Captain Tamotsu Furukawa (16 A6M2 -N 'Rufe' floatplane fighters, 4 E13A scout aeroplanes)
    - AV Kamikawa Maru
      Japanese seaplane tender Kamikawa Maru
      was a seaplane tender in the Imperial Japanese Navy . The ship was initially built at Kawasaki's Kōbe Shipyard and launched on 13 December 1936 as a merchant vessel for the Kawasaki Kisen K. K. Line. On 18 September 1937 the IJN requisitioned as an aircraft transport ship and was refitted in 1939...
      
      - Captain Tarohachi Shinoda (8 A6M-2N 'Rufe' floatplane fighters, 4 E13A scout aeroplanes)
  - DD - Commander Kiyoshi Kaneda
  - Patrol boat #35 (carrying troops)
Midway Support Force - Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita
Takeo Kurita
Vice Admiral was a vice-admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.-Early life:Kurita was born in Mito city, Ibaraki Prefecture in 1889. He was sent off to Etajima in 1905 and graduated from the 38th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1910, ranked 28th out of a class of...

in Kumano
- 7th Cruiser Division - Vice Admiral Kurita.
  - CA - Captain Kikumatsu Tanaka
  - CA Suzuya - Captain Masatomi Kimura
    Masatomi Kimura
    -External links:*****- Notes :...
  - CA - Captain Shakao Sakiyama†
  - CA - Captain Akira Soji
- 8th Destroyer Division - Commander Nobuki Ogawa

} - Lt. Commander Goro Yoshii
} - Commander Hideo Kuboki

- Attached Oiler
  - AO Nichiei Maru
Minesweeper
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...

Group - Captain Sadatomo Miyamoto
- 4 Minesweepers
  - Tama Maru #3
  - Tama Maru #5
  - Shonan Maru #7
  - Shonan Maru #8
- 3 Subchasers
  - Subchaser #16
  - Subchaser #17
  - Subchaser #18
- 1 Supply ship
  - Soya - Commander Toshi Kubota
- 2 Cargo ships
  - Meiyo Maru
  - Yamafuku Maru
Advance (Submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...

) Force (Sixth Fleet) - Vice Admiral Teruhisa Komatsu
Teruhisa Komatsu
-Notes:...

in at Kwajalein
Kwajalein
Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
- - CL Katori - Captain Noboru Owada
- 3rd Submarine Squadron- Rear Admiral Chimaki Kona in Rio de Janeiro Maru (flagship at Kwajalein
  Kwajalein
  Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
  
  )
  - 19th Submarine Division - Captain Ryojiro Ono
} - Lt. Commander Katsuo Ohashi
} - Lt. Commander Sakae Nakajima
} - Lt. Commander Soshichi Kitamura
} - Lt. Commander Tamori Yoshimatsu
- - 13th Submarine Division - Captain Takeji Miyazaki
} - Lt. Commander Yasuo Fujimori
} - Lt. Commander Sadatoshi Norita
} - Lt. Commander Toshitake Ueno
- - 30th Submarine Division - Captain Maseo Teraoka
} - Lt. Commander Takakazu Kinashi
Takakazu Kinashi
-Notes:...
} - Lt. Commander Hakue Jarada
} - Lt. Commander Makio Tanaka

Shore-based Air Force

Eleventh Air Fleet - Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...

Nishizo Tsukahara (at Tinian
Tinian
Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.-Geography:Tinian is about 5 miles southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi....

)
- Midway Expeditionary Force - Captain Chisato Morita
  - 36 'Zero' fighters
    Fighter aircraft
    A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
    
    - Lt. Commander Mitsugu Kofukuda
  - 10 'Betty' bombers at Wake Island
    Wake Island
    Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
  - 6 flying boats at Jaluit
- 24th Air Flotilla - Rear Admiral Minoru Maeda
- Chitose Air Group at Kwajalein
  Kwajalein
  Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
  
  - Captain Fujiro Ohashi
  - 36 'Zero' fighters
  - 36 B5N2s
- 1st Air Group at Aur
  Aur Atoll
  Aur Atoll is a coral atoll of 42 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. Its total land area is only , but it encloses a lagoon with an area of...
  
  and Wotje - Captain Samaji Inoue
  - 36 'Zero' fighters
  - 36 B5N2s
- 14th Air Group - Captain Daizo Nakajima
- 36 H6K Flying boats at Jaluit and Wotje

Northern Area Force

Fifth Fleet Main Body - Vice Admiral Boshirō Hosogaya
Boshiro Hosogaya
, was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.-Biography:Hosogaya was born to a farming family in Nozawa, Nagano prefecture in 1888. He graduated from the 36th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1908. He was ranked 16th in a class of 191 cadets. As a midshipman, he...

in Nachi
- CA - Captain Takahiko Kiyota
- DD - Lt. Commander Hajime Takeuchi
- DD - Lt. Commander Shunsaku Kudo
- Supply Group
  - AO Fujisan Maru
  - AO Nissan Maru
  - 3 Cargo Ships
Second Carrier Striking Force - Rear Admiral Kakuji Kakuta
Kakuji Kakuta
, was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He is noted for his role in commanding Japanese naval aviation units in the Pacific War.-Biography:...

in Ryujo
- 4th Carrrier Division - Rear Admiral Kakuta
  - CVL - Captain Tadeo Kato
    - Air Unit - Lt. Masayuki Yamagami (16 A6M2 - Lt. Minoru Kobayashi, 21 B5N2 - Lt. Yamagami)
  - CV - Captain Shizue Isii
    - Air Unit - Lt. Yoshio Shiga
      Yoshio Shiga
      was an officer, ace fighter pilot, and leader in the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific theater of World War II. At the December 1941 Attack on Pearl Harbor, Shiga led one of the aircraft carrier Kaga's fighter divisions during the first strike on American...
      
      (24 A6M2 - Lt. Shiga, 15 D3A1 - Lt. Zenji Abe)
- 4th Cruiser Division, 2d Section - Captain Shunsaku Nabeshima in Maya
  - CA - Captain Bunji Asakura
  - CA - Captain Nabeshima
- 7th Destroyer Division - Captain Kaname Konishi ( - Lt. Commander Minoru Nakagawa, - Lt. Commander Yoshitake Uesugi, - Lt. Commander Hiroshi Uwai)
- AO Teiyo Maru
Aleutian Support Force - Vice Admiral Shiro Takasu
Shirō Takasu
Admiral was a career naval officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.-Biography:Takasu was a native of Sakuragawa Village, , and graduated from the 35th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, where his classmates included future admirals Nobutake Kondō and Naokuni Nomura...

in Hyūga
- 2nd Battleship Division - Vice Admiral Takasu

} - Captain Chozaemon Obata
} - Captain Chiaki Matsuda
} - Captain Isamu Takeda
} - Captain Gunji Kogure

- Screening Force - Rear Admiral Fukuji Kishi in Kitakami
  - 9th Cruiser Division - Rear Admiral Kishi
    - CL - Captain Saiji Norimitsu
    - CL - Captain Moichi Narita
  - 20th Destroyer Division - Captain Yuji Yamada ( - Lt. Commander Nisaburo Maekawa, - Commander Masayoshi Motokura, - Commander Toyoji Hitomi, - Captain Buichi Ashida)
  - 24th Destroyer Division - Captain Yasuji Hirai ( - Commander Nagahide Sugitani, - Lt. Commander Shuichi Hamanaka, - Lt. Commander Kazuo Wakabayashi, - Lt. Commander Kazuo Shibayama)
  - 27th Destroyer Division - Captain Matake Yoshimura ( - Lt. Commander Shoichi Yoshida, - Lt. Commander Kiyoshi Kamo, - Commander Noboru Seo, - Lt. Commander Kanematsu Hashimoto)
- Supply Group - Captain Matsuo Eguchi
  - AO San Clemente Maru - Captain Eguchi
  - AO Toa Maru
Attu
Attu Island
Attu is the westernmost and largest island in the Near Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, making it the westernmost point of land relative to Alaska and the United States. It was the site of the only World War II land battle fought on the incorporated territory of the United States ,...

Invasion Force - Rear Admiral Sentaro Omori
Sentaro Omori
, was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.-Early life:Ōmori was born in Kumamoto prefecture and graduated from the 41st class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1913. He was ranked 16th out of 118 cadets. He served his midshipman duty aboard the cruiser , battleships...

in Abukuma
- CL - Captain Seiroku Murayama
- 21st Destroyer Division - Captain Toshio Shimizu ( - Lt. Commander Masakichi Kuroki, - Lt. Commander Saburo Terauchi, - Lt. Commander Hiroshi Makino, - Lt. Commander Satoru Kohama)
- Magane Maru Minelayer
  Minelayer
  Minelaying is the act of deploying explosive mines. Historically this has been carried out by ships, submarines and aircraft. Additionally, since World War I the term minelayer refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines...
- AP Kinugasa Maru - carrying 1200 army troops under Major Matsutoshi Hozumi
Kiska
Kiska
Kiska is an island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska located at . It is about long and varies in width from - Discovery :...

Invasion Force - Captain Takeji Ono in Kiso
- 21st Cruiser Division - Captain ono
  - CL - Captain Ono
  - CL - Captain Masaharu Kawabata
  - Asaka Maru (Auxiliary
    Auxiliaries
    An auxiliary force is a group affiliated with, but not part of, a military or police organization. In some cases, auxiliaries are armed forces operating in the same manner as regular soldiers...
    
    Cruiser) - Captain Jiro Ban
  - Awata Maru (Auxiliary Cruiser)
- Screening Force
  - 6th Destroyer Division - Captain Yusuke Tamada ( - Lt. Commander Hagumu Ishii, - Lt. Commander Osamu Takasuka, - Lt. Commander Tomo Tanaka)
- 13th Minesweeper Division - Captain Toshio Mitsuka
  - Hakuho Maru
  - Kaiho Maru
  - Shinkotsu Maru
- Transports
  - Hokusan Maru - carrying 550 troops under Lt. Commander Hifumi Mukai
  - Kumagawa Maru - carrying 700 labor troops with construction equipment
Submarine Detachment
- 1st Submarine Squadron - Rear Admiral Shigeaki Yamakazi

} - Commander Akiyoshi Fujii

- - 2nd Submarine Division- Captain Hiroshi Imazato
    Hiroshi Imazato
    Captain Hiroshi Imazato was born in Nagasaki on September 24, 1896. He graduated from the Etajima Naval College in November 1917, and then took went to the Torpedo School in Yokosuka Naval Station , and later specialized in submarines, becoming commander of the 20th Submarine Division in November...
} - Commander Nobuo Ishikawa
} - Commander Kozo Nishino
} - Commander Shogo Narahara
- - 4th Submarine Division - Captain Mitsuru Nagai
} - Commander Meiji Tagami
} - Commander Minoru Yokota
Aleutian Seaplane Tender Force - Captain Keiichi Ujuku
- AV Kimikawa Maru - Captain Ujuku (air unit 8 3-seat floatplanes)
- DD - Lt. Yoji Tanegashima

United States

The US Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas are under the overall command of Admiral

Admiral

Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...

Chester Nimitz

Fleet Admiral Chester William Nimitz, GCB, USN was a five-star admiral in the United States Navy. He held the dual command of Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet , for U.S. naval forces and Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas , for U.S...

Carrier Strike Force

Task Force 17 - Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher in Yorktown

Task Group 17.5 (Carrier Group)
- - Captain Elliott Buckmaster
  Elliott Buckmaster
  Vice Admiral Elliott Buckmaster was a United States Navy officer, later promoted to flag rank, and naval aviator during World War I and World War II....
  - Yorktown Air Group (Including elements of Saratoga Air Group) : 71 planes (25 F4F
    F4F Wildcat
    The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940...
    
    -4, 34 SBD-3
    SBD Dauntless
    The Douglas SBD Dauntless was a naval dive bomber made by Douglas during World War II. The SBD was the United States Navy's main dive bomber from mid-1940 until late 1943, when it was largely replaced by the SB2C Helldiver...
    
    , 12 TBD-1
    TBD Devastator
    The Douglas TBD Devastator was a torpedo bomber of the United States Navy, ordered in 1934, first flying in 1935 and entering service in 1937. At that point, it was the most advanced aircraft flying for the USN and possibly for any navy in the world...
    
    ) - Lt. Commander Oscar Pederson
Task Group 17.2 (Cruiser Group) - Rear Admiral William W. Smith in Astoria
Task Group 17.4 (Destroyer Screen) - Captain Gilbert Hoover (COMDESRON 2)

Task Force 16 - commander: Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance

Raymond A. Spruance

Raymond Ames Spruance was a United States Navy admiral in World War II.Spruance commanded US naval forces during two of the most significant naval battles in the Pacific theater, the Battle of Midway and the Battle of the Philippine Sea...

in Enterprise

Task Group 16.5 (Carrier Group)
- - Captain George D. Murray
  George D. Murray
  George Dominic Murray was a vice admiral of the United States Navy and early naval aviator.-Biography:Murray was born in Boston, Massachusetts, attended the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1910 and became a naval aviator in 1915...
  - Enterprise Air Group : 74 planes (27 F4F-4, 33 SBD-2/3, 14 TBD-1) - Lt. Cmdr. C. Wade McClusky
    C. Wade McClusky
    Rear Admiral Clarence Wade McClusky, Jr., was a United States Navy aviator during World War II. He is credited with playing a major part in the Battle of Midway...
- - Captain Marc A. Mitscher
  - Hornet Air Group : 76 planes (27 F4F-4, 34 SBD-1/2/3, 15 TBD-1) - Commander Stanhope C. Ring
Task Group 16.2 (Cruiser Group) - Rear Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid
Thomas C. Kinkaid
Thomas Cassin Kinkaid was an admiral in the United States Navy during World War II. He built a reputation as a "fighting admiral" in the aircraft carrier battles of 1942 and commanded the Allied forces in the Aleutian Islands Campaign...

(COMCRUDIV 6)
Task Group 16.4 (Destroyer Screen) - Captain Alexander R. Early (COMDESRON 1)
Oilers Group

Submarines
Operational command under Rear Admiral Robert H. English (Commander, Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet) at Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...

Task Group 7.1
Task Group 7.2
Task Group 7.3

Midway Garrison

Air group
- Marine Aircraft Group 22 - Colonel Ira Kimes, USMC
  - VMF-221
    VMF-221
    Marine Fighting Squadron 221 was a fighter squadron of the United States Marine Corps in World War II. During the war, they flew the Brewster Buffalo and after reconstitution in 1943, the venerable F4U Corsair...
    
    Major Floyd B. Parks
    Floyd B. Parks
    Major Floyd Bruce Parks was an officer in the United States Marine Corps.-Biography:Born in Salisbury, Missouri, Parks was a member of the United States Naval Academy class of 1934, and was appointed a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps June 1. He commanded Marine Fighting Squadron VMF-221...
    
    , USMC (KIA)
  - VMSB-241 Major Lofton R. Henderson, USMC, KIA
- Navy Air Units - Captain Cyril Simmard
  - Detachments of Patrol Wings 1 and 2 (PBY-5 and PBY-5A Catalinas
    PBY Catalina
    The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
    
    )
  - VT-8 TBF Avenger
    TBF Avenger
    The Grumman TBF Avenger was a torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air or naval arms around the world....
    
    detachment (from USS Hornet) - Lt. Langdon K. Fieberling, USN, KIA
- Detachment of Seventh Air Force
  Seventh Air Force
  The Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....
  
  - Maj. Gen.
  Major General
  Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
  
  Willis Hale
  - B-26 Marauder
    B-26 Marauder
    The Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
    
    s Capt. James Collins, USA
  - B-17 Flying Fortress Lt. Col. Walter C. Sweeney, Jr.
    Walter C. Sweeney, Jr.
    General Walter Campbell Sweeney, Jr. was a United States Air Force four star general who served as commander of the U.S. Air Force Tactical Air Command....
    
    , USA
Local Defenses - Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...

Harold Shannon, Fleet Marine Force
Fleet Marine Force
The United States Fleet Marine Forces are combined general and special purpose forces within the United States Department of the Navy that are designed in engaging offensive amphibious or expeditionary warfare and defensive maritime employment...

commander
- "C" and "D" Companies, 2nd Raider Battalion, USMC
- 6th Defense Battalion (Reinforced) USMC Colonel Shannon
- 1st Motor Torpedo Boat
  Motor Torpedo Boat
  Motor Torpedo Boat was the name given to fast torpedo boats by the Royal Navy, and the Royal Canadian Navy.The capitalised term is generally used for the Royal Navy boats and abbreviated to "MTB"...
  
  Squadron
  - 8 PT boat
    PT boat
    PT Boats were a variety of motor torpedo boat , a small, fast vessel used by the United States Navy in World War II to attack larger surface ships. The PT boat squadrons were nicknamed "the mosquito fleet". The Japanese called them "Devil Boats".The original pre–World War I torpedo boats were...
    
    s (2 at Kure Atoll
    Kure Atoll
    Kure Atoll or Ocean Island is an atoll in the Pacific Ocean beyond Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands at . The only land of significant size is called Green Island and is habitat for hundreds of thousands of seabirds...
    
    )
- 4 small patrol craft, 2 tenders
  Ship's tender
  A ship's tender, usually referred to as a tender, is a boat, or a larger ship used to service a ship, generally by transporting people and/or supplies to and from shore or another ship...
  
  , and 1 DD (at French Frigate Shoals
  French Frigate Shoals
  The French Frigate Shoals is the largest atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Its name commemorates French explorer Jean-François de La Pérouse, who nearly lost two frigates when attempting to navigate the shoals...
  
  ), 1 Oiler, 1 minesweeper in the area

The military forces at the immediate point of tactical contact (i.e. not including support formations) are described below.

American Forces

Naval Air Station (NAS) Midway operated:

United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

31 PBY-5 Catalina
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...

, seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...

s.
6 Grumman TBF-1 Avenger
TBF Avenger
The Grumman TBF Avenger was a torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air or naval arms around the world....

, torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...

s

United States Army Air Forces

The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....

4 B-26 Marauder
B-26 Marauder
The Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....

, medium bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...

s
17 B-17 Flying Fortress, heavy bombers

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

27 Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless
SBD Dauntless
The Douglas SBD Dauntless was a naval dive bomber made by Douglas during World War II. The SBD was the United States Navy's main dive bomber from mid-1940 until late 1943, when it was largely replaced by the SB2C Helldiver...

, dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...

s
17 Chance-Vought SB2U-3 Vindicator
SB2U Vindicator
The Vought SB2U Vindicator was a carrier-based dive bomber developed for the United States Navy in the 1930s, the first monoplane in this role. Obsolescent at the outbreak of World War II, Vindicators still remained in service at the time of the Battle of Midway, but by 1943, all had been withdrawn...

, dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...

s
21 Brewster F2A Buffalo
Brewster Buffalo
The Brewster F2A Buffalo was an American fighter aircraft which saw limited service early in World War II. Though the Buffalo won a competition against the Grumman F4F Wildcat in 1939 to become the US Navy's first monoplane fighter aircraft, it turned out to be a big disappointment...

, fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...

s
7 Grumman F4F-3A Wildcat
F4F Wildcat
The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940...

, fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...

s
1 light utility aircraft

: 76 aircraft

25 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat
F4F Wildcat
The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940...

, fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...

s
37 Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless
SBD Dauntless
The Douglas SBD Dauntless was a naval dive bomber made by Douglas during World War II. The SBD was the United States Navy's main dive bomber from mid-1940 until late 1943, when it was largely replaced by the SB2C Helldiver...

, dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...

s
14 Douglas TBD-1 Devastator
TBD Devastator
The Douglas TBD Devastator was a torpedo bomber of the United States Navy, ordered in 1934, first flying in 1935 and entering service in 1937. At that point, it was the most advanced aircraft flying for the USN and possibly for any navy in the world...

, torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...

s

: 78 aircraft

27 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat
F4F Wildcat
The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940...

, fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...

s
37 Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless
SBD Dauntless
The Douglas SBD Dauntless was a naval dive bomber made by Douglas during World War II. The SBD was the United States Navy's main dive bomber from mid-1940 until late 1943, when it was largely replaced by the SB2C Helldiver...

, dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...

s
14 Douglas TBD-1 Devastator
TBD Devastator
The Douglas TBD Devastator was a torpedo bomber of the United States Navy, ordered in 1934, first flying in 1935 and entering service in 1937. At that point, it was the most advanced aircraft flying for the USN and possibly for any navy in the world...

, torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...

s

: 77 aircraft

27 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat
F4F Wildcat
The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940...

, fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...

s
35 Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless
SBD Dauntless
The Douglas SBD Dauntless was a naval dive bomber made by Douglas during World War II. The SBD was the United States Navy's main dive bomber from mid-1940 until late 1943, when it was largely replaced by the SB2C Helldiver...

, dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...

s
15 Douglas TBD-1 Devastator
TBD Devastator
The Douglas TBD Devastator was a torpedo bomber of the United States Navy, ordered in 1934, first flying in 1935 and entering service in 1937. At that point, it was the most advanced aircraft flying for the USN and possibly for any navy in the world...

, torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...

s

Japanese Forces

The Japanese carriers of the Striking Force operated:

: 60 aircraft

24 A6M Zero
A6M Zero
The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a long-range fighter aircraft operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was designated as the , and also designated as the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen and Mitsubishi Navy 12-shi Carrier Fighter. The A6M was usually referred to by the...

, fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...

s
18 Aichi D3A
Aichi D3A
The , Allied reporting name "Val") was a World War II carrier-borne dive bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy . It was the primary dive bomber in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and participated in almost all actions, including Pearl Harbor....

, dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...

s
18 Nakajima B5N
Nakajima B5N
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bridgwater, H.C. and Peter Scott. Combat Colours Number 4: Pearl Harbor and Beyond, December 1941 to May 1942. Luton, Bedfordshire, UK: Guideline Publications, 2001. ISBN 0-9539040-6-7....

, torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...

s

: 74 aircraft

27 A6M Zero
A6M Zero
The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a long-range fighter aircraft operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was designated as the , and also designated as the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen and Mitsubishi Navy 12-shi Carrier Fighter. The A6M was usually referred to by the...

, fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...

s
18 Aichi D3A
Aichi D3A
The , Allied reporting name "Val") was a World War II carrier-borne dive bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy . It was the primary dive bomber in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and participated in almost all actions, including Pearl Harbor....

, dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...

s
27 Nakajima B5N
Nakajima B5N
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bridgwater, H.C. and Peter Scott. Combat Colours Number 4: Pearl Harbor and Beyond, December 1941 to May 1942. Luton, Bedfordshire, UK: Guideline Publications, 2001. ISBN 0-9539040-6-7....

, torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...

s
2 Aichi D3A
Aichi D3A
The , Allied reporting name "Val") was a World War II carrier-borne dive bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy . It was the primary dive bomber in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and participated in almost all actions, including Pearl Harbor....

, dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...

s (cargo, likely non-operational)

: 57 aircraft

21 A6M Zero
A6M Zero
The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a long-range fighter aircraft operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was designated as the , and also designated as the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen and Mitsubishi Navy 12-shi Carrier Fighter. The A6M was usually referred to by the...

, fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...

s
18 Aichi D3A
Aichi D3A
The , Allied reporting name "Val") was a World War II carrier-borne dive bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy . It was the primary dive bomber in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and participated in almost all actions, including Pearl Harbor....

, dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...

s
18 Nakajima B5N
Nakajima B5N
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bridgwater, H.C. and Peter Scott. Combat Colours Number 4: Pearl Harbor and Beyond, December 1941 to May 1942. Luton, Bedfordshire, UK: Guideline Publications, 2001. ISBN 0-9539040-6-7....

, torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...

s

: 57 aircraft

21 A6M Zero
A6M Zero
The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a long-range fighter aircraft operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was designated as the , and also designated as the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen and Mitsubishi Navy 12-shi Carrier Fighter. The A6M was usually referred to by the...

, fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...

s
16 Aichi D3A
Aichi D3A
The , Allied reporting name "Val") was a World War II carrier-borne dive bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy . It was the primary dive bomber in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and participated in almost all actions, including Pearl Harbor....

, dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...

s
18 Nakajima B5N
Nakajima B5N
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bridgwater, H.C. and Peter Scott. Combat Colours Number 4: Pearl Harbor and Beyond, December 1941 to May 1942. Luton, Bedfordshire, UK: Guideline Publications, 2001. ISBN 0-9539040-6-7....

, torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...

s
2 Yokosuka D4Y-1C
Yokosuka D4Y
The D4Y Navy Type 2 Carrier Dive bomber was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. Its Allied reporting name was "Judy". The D4Y was one of the fastest dive-bombers of the war, and only the delays in its development hindered its service, while its predecessor, the slower fixed gear Aichi D3A...

, pre-series dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...

s (experimental recon aircraft)

(Note: These figures include 21 operational Zero fighters of the 6th Air Group being ferried to Midway by the carriers.)

Japanese Battleships and Cruisers: 16 recon floatplanes, most of them short-ranged (5 Aichi E13A, 10 Nakajima E8N, 1 Aichi E11A)

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