Asia Pacific 1942: Battle of Midway
7 June 1942
7 Jun 1942
WWII: The Greater East Asia War
1894–1911 The Rise of Japan
1911–1927 Warlords and Revolutionaries
1927–1937 China's Nanjing Decade
1937–1941 Second Sino-Japanese War
1941–1943 WWII: The Greater East Asia War
1943–1945 WWII: Victory Over Japan
1945–1950 End of the Old Order
1950–1989 The Cold War in Asia
1989–pres Asian Economic Powers
Battle of Midway
Both the Doolittle Raid and the Battle of the Coral Sea emphasized the threat US air power still posed to Japan. To deny the US its air bases and draw out its outnumbered navy, the Japanese overran central China, invaded the Aleutian Islands and launched an attack on Midway Island. Unfortunately for the Japanese, the Americans had cracked their codes, and it was the smaller US fleet that prevailed at Midway, sinking Japan's aircraft carrier force.
