Midway Atoll. Yantarny Island, Thule Island, Tin Islands…

Prange Gordon. Miracle at Midway Island

Title: Buy the book "Miracle at Midway Island": feed_id: 5296 pattern_id: 2266 book_author: Prange Gordon book_name: Miracle at Midway Island

About the author: Prange, Gordon - professor, famous American historian, author of the books “Pearl Harbor: The Verdict of History” (co-authored with D. Goldstein and K. Dillon) (New York, 1986), “We Slept at Dawn” ( New York, 1981).

Introduction

More than 45 years ago in the center Pacific Ocean One of the decisive naval battles known in the annals took place between the United States and Japan. military history. Encouraged by a continuous string of victories after the surprise attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor and hoping to establish dominance over the entire Pacific Ocean after the capture of Midway Island, the advancing Japanese assembled the largest and most powerful armada of ships. The American fleet quickly came out to meet it, significantly inferior to the Japanese in numbers and firepower and having experienced a series of defeats. The battle ended in one of the most decisive naval victories since the Battle of Trafalgar. It marked a turning point in the Pacific War: as the smoke of battle cleared, Japan's Rising Sun began to decline.

The ships of the Japanese 1st Carrier Fleet - the vanguard of the most formidable naval armada in the history of mankind - were confidently heading east at 16 knots. Ahead, cutting through the waves with a sharp bow, as if paving the way for the rest of the ships, the light cruiser Nagara was moving. On his heels, like a pack of watchdogs, stretched out in a phalanx, rushed 11 destroyers of the 10th squadron.

Behind the cruisers, like two giant whales, the battleships Haruna and Kirashima, each displacing 30 thousand tons, rushed forward uncontrollably. Four majestic aircraft carriers closed the vanguard - the giant Akagi and Kaga and the same type Hiryu and Soryu. These four veterans of the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 represented Japan's air strike force. On board were some of the most experienced and battle-hardened fanatical pilots in the world.

But this powerful fleet represented only part of a gigantic naval armada engaged in an operation that served two purposes. The carriers would first strike the tiny US-owned coral atoll of Midway, about 1,150 miles west of Pearl Harbor. An invasion fleet was also approaching the atoll from the west and south, its transport ships carrying 5 thousand soldiers. After the air strike, the landing force will land on the atoll, capture it and turn it into a springboard for the invasion of the Hawaiian Islands.

Meanwhile, 600 miles behind the aircraft carriers, the main force was moving: three huge battleships, escorted by cruisers and destroyers. When the US Pacific Fleet sailed from Pearl Harbor to the aid of Midway, this main force intended to finish it off in battle.

The Japanese armada also included a northern group, which launched a diversionary attack on American bases in the Aleutian Islands, and an operational strike group, which was supposed to maneuver between Midway and the Aleutian Islands and, if necessary, provide support. Together with tankers, transport ships and submarines, the Japanese armada numbered almost 200 ships.

Vice Admiral Nagumo, commander of the 1st Carrier Fleet, learned of the operation a month ago when he led his carriers back to Japan after a successful raid in the Indian Ocean. He had only four weeks to repair his ships and prepare his pilots for combat, but even with this hasty preparation, he had no doubt that the 1st Carrier Fleet would be able to complete all the tasks assigned to it.

Strongly built, Nagumo was an experienced sailor. On that foggy morning of June 2, 1942, as he stood on the bridge of his flagship aircraft carrier, the Akagi, his broad face radiated confidence. Since that bold, high-risk attack on Pearl Harbor that launched the Pacific War, his carrier fleet has sunk or seriously damaged five enemy battleships, an aircraft carrier, two cruisers, seven destroyers, and sunk many more without losing not a single ship of his own.

A career naval officer, Nagumo, 55, was an expert in torpedo warfare, but was not well acquainted with naval aviation. But on board the Akagi, he had as the two main driving forces of the complex mechanism of carrier strike power two talented specialist pilots: the chief of the operational department of the headquarters of the 1st carrier fleet, Captain Genda Minoru, the author of the tactical plan for the attack on Pearl Harbor, and Captain Fuchida Mitsuo , the combat pilot who led the air strike against this American naval base. However, this victorious duo has now broken up. Futida was lying in the hospital on board the Akagi - on the very first day the squadron went to sea, his appendicitis was removed, and then Genda fell seriously ill with pneumonia. And thus, on the eve of the decisive battle, Admiral Nagumo was left without the two main assistants on whom he had come to rely.

Lessons from Pearl Harbor

Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, reflected on the situation at his headquarters in Pearl Harbor. Thin and fair-haired, Nimitz seemed much younger than his 57 years. But now his face is haggard and darkened.

The long winter and spring of 1942 were a difficult period for the United States and its American allies. Pearl Harbor, Guam, Wake, the Philippine Islands, battles in the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean - the names sounded like a list of bitter defeats. On May 6, military luck once again turned against the Americans: the remnants of General Jonathan Wainwright’s troops defending the Corregidor naval base on Philippine Islands, capitulated. Two days later, Japanese and American aircraft carriers clashed in the Coral Sea. The Japanese sank the aircraft carrier Lexington and inflicted heavy damage on the aircraft carrier Yorktown, which barely managed to reach Pearl Harbor for repairs. The Japanese lost one light aircraft carrier and were forced to send two large aircraft carriers to Japan for repairs and replacement of crew losses.

Nimitz was comforted by one thought: military intelligence at Pearl Harbor, led by Rochefort, through persistent efforts, was partially able to solve the Japanese naval code (the Americans had decoded the Japanese diplomatic code back in 1940, but at the beginning of the war the naval code had not yet been decoded ) and by April, using radio intercepts, she knew that the Japanese command was planning some important operation in the AF area. AF could mean anything: San Francisco, the Aleutian Islands, Oahu, but Rochefort intuitively believed that we were talking about Midway Island. So he set up a little trap.

Usually, secret messages from Midway Island were transmitted via an underwater telegraph cable; the Japanese could not intercept them. At Rochefort's suggestion, an unencrypted radiogram was sent from Midway to the Hawaiian Islands, reporting that there was not enough fresh water on the island. The Japanese took the bait. 48 hours later, American intelligence intercepted a Japanese radio message notifying all interested commanders that there was not enough water in the AF. Therefore, AF was indeed Midway Island!

By mid-May, American radio intelligence established that three Japanese fleets would concentrate in the area of ​​this island for the attack, which would begin on June 4: the Carrier Strike Force, the Support Group, and the Transport Group with landing forces.

The American intelligence service also knew that a diversionary strike would be launched on the Aleutian Islands. This was an important and accurate assessment of the enemy's intentions, but not complete enough. In particular, it did not take into account the main forces of the United Japanese Fleet, which included battleships that were supposed to complete the defeat of the American formation that left Pearl Harbor.

Even without taking into account these main forces, the US Pacific Fleet was inferior in number to the enemy. Nevertheless, Nimitz made a bold decision: gathering all available warships for the upcoming battle, he ordered the task force battleships stay with West Coast USA. The formidable but slow battleships would hamper the maneuverability of faster carriers, and Nimitz lacked the aircraft to provide air protection for his battleships. For many years, the American Navy adhered to the doctrine that the basis of military power lay in battleships. Now, however, the admiral, who found himself in the face of superior enemy forces, had the courage to break with this traditional doctrine and abandon the dreadnoughts. Thus, it was the losers, not the victors, who learned the lessons of Pearl Harbor.

The only weapon with which Admiral Nimitz could defeat the enemy at Midway was the carriers, the new kings of the seas, and he needed every carrier he could beg, borrow, or steal. Enterprise and Hornet were ready for battle. And when the damaged Yorktown limped into Pearl Harbor on May 27, Navy ship repair shops immediately began restoring her combat capability.

It was believed that repairs to the ship would require at least two weeks—and perhaps as many as three months—too long for the Yorktown to take part in the upcoming battle. But Nimitz couldn't wait that long. As soon as the aircraft carrier was put into dry dock, an army of electricians, mechanics, and welders poured into it. Work was in full swing all afternoon and all night. Only the essentials were restored and repaired. By some miracle, Yorktown came to life again. The next day, while she was still undergoing work, the aircraft carrier left the dry dock and moved to her usual berth in the harbor, where she was replenished with fuel, aircraft and ammunition. Two days later he was ready to go to sea!

In his hot, stuffy office, Nimitz held a final meeting with the two carrier commanders. Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance led the 16th Carrier Task Force, the core of which was the Hornet and Enterprise.

Reticent, thin, straight as a blade, Spruance could instantly assess the situation and make a decision.

Sitting next to him was Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher, commander of Carrier Task Force 17. Blonde, balding, with a strong jaw, Fletcher had hardly had a chance to catch his breath after the recent battle in the Coral Sea aboard the Yorktown. But he knew how to quickly adapt to the situation and prepared for a new battle.

Nimitz had already outlined a plan of action. Spruance will set sail the next day. Fletcher will follow him as soon as Yorktown is operational again. The two carrier forces would rendezvous 325 miles northeast of Midway, position themselves outside Japanese air reconnaissance range, and wait for Midway's long-range ground patrol aircraft to detect Japanese carriers moving from the northwest.

It was necessary to take the enemy by surprise, because a head-on collision would undoubtedly lead to disaster. The Americans should have allowed the Japanese fleet to get close enough, but not very close. Then using aerial reconnaissance and intuition, Fletcher and Spruance will try to strike the Japanese aircraft carriers at the moment when their planes are on the take-off decks.

Nimitz closed the meeting. Each commander knew that the decisions he would make in the next few days were fraught with far-reaching consequences.

David and Goliath

600 miles behind Nagumo's carriers, the main battleships ironed the waves of the Pacific Ocean. The flagship battleship, the formidable new Yamato, armed with nine 18.2-inch guns and displacing 72,800 tons, was the largest and most powerful super-dreadnought in the world.

Aboard this brontosaurus was Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet, who led the operation to capture Midway Island. Short, stocky, with broad shoulders and a commanding face, Yamamoto was an energetic, courageous and outspoken man.

Yamamoto studied at Harvard University (USA) and served in Washington as a naval attaché. He was opposed to war with the United States and had no illusions about the hope of achieving complete victory in the long armed conflict against the industrial power of the United States. But he revered the Emperor, loved his country, and when it became obvious that Japan would enter the war, he planned a risky surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.

The success of this carrier strike exceeded all expectations. (Shortly before this, Yamamoto predicted: “I will live happily for the first six months, but I have no confidence in the final outcome.”)

Yamamoto knew that the American forces based in Hawaii were still potentially strong and eager to take revenge. However, misconceptions about American casualties in the Coral Sea battle increased his confidence. Believing that, along with the Lexington, they also sank the Yorktown in this battle, the Japanese ignored the temporary loss of their two aircraft carriers. The battle in the Coral Sea actually turned out to be a costly victory: the Japanese lost 1,074 people killed and wounded, and, most importantly, the reserve of experienced pilots, the mainstay of Japanese naval power, was reduced.

“We had virtually no intelligence on the enemy,” Admiral Nagumo said after Midway. “Until the very end, we still didn’t know where the enemy was and what their numbers were.”

But even if the Japanese learned that their plans were known to the Americans, it is unlikely that their attitudes and plans would change. On paper, those rushing east looked like Goliath, setting out to crush the American David. Yamamoto, not counting the Aleutian formation, had 86 warships and 43 various auxiliary vessels. Against them, Nimitz was able to field only 27 warships and 23 auxiliary vessels, including torpedo boats and a converted yacht.

Regarding the ratio air force, then the Japanese had 333 aircraft, based mainly on aircraft carriers, and the Americans had 348, of which 118 were on Midway Island. However, the slight numerical superiority of the Americans essentially meant nothing. Nimitz, for example, had 20 more dive bombers than Yamamoto; but the latter had 17 more fighters, and these were the famous "Zeros", which were far superior to all types of fighters available to the United States. The Japanese not only had big amount torpedo bombers, but these torpedo bombers were of a higher class: American torpedo bombers had shamefully low speed and poor survivability, and American torpedoes had already earned the contempt of the Japanese: they often did not explode when hit.

As the various Japanese battle formations inexorably approached the tiny atoll, Captain Miwa Yoshitake aboard the Yamato reflected the fighting spirit of the Japanese fleet in his diary: “I pray to God that he will grant us the opportunity to meet with a large enemy force. Where does such inspiration come from that defeats the enemy even before the battle begins?

At Midway on the eve of the battle

At Midway, intense preparations were in full swing. The two tiny spits of sand that actually made up the island—Sand Island and Eastern Island—bristled with barbed wire and guns, and the coast and shallows were strewn with mines. Eleven torpedo boats prepared to patrol the reefs and lagoon and participate in repelling air raids. The yacht and four converted fishing trawlers were intended for rescue operations, and 19 submarines guarded the approaches to the atoll. The commanders of the garrison, numbering 3,600 people, were confident that they could repel the Japanese amphibious assault. But if Japanese ships come close to the island and, under the dense protection of fighter aircraft, begin massive shelling, then Midway will not have enough of its own air forces to drive them away.

There were 118 aircraft on the island. Of these, 30 were slow-moving and vulnerable patrol seaplanes, and 37 other aircraft were obsolete. Windycater dive bombers—Navy pilots called them “vibrators” or “weather vanes”—had difficulty getting into the air, and Brewster Buffalo fighters were an outdated design, nicknamed “flying coffins.” The Japanese "Zero" developed a higher speed in horizontal flight than the "Buffalo" during a dive!

Beginning in mid-May, Nimitz began sending to Midway "all reinforcements that the island was able to accommodate." New planes, pilots and mechanics arrived daily. The rugged B-17s (“flying fortresses”) were the best air weapon of the day: four-engine bombers with high combat survivability that could cover long distances with large bomb loads. They were ferried daily to Midway from Hawaiian Islands, where they were delivered from the mainland. However, they were clearly not enough. The trouble is, as Nimitz wrote, that Midway “could accommodate a limited number of aircraft, about as many as one aircraft carrier.”

Living conditions on the island were almost unbearable, and the congested airstrips on Eastern Island made night landings and takeoffs extremely dangerous. Sand Island was almost drowning under the weight of arriving reinforcements. The island seemed a chaotic collection of worried officers, newly arrived soldiers, various types of aircraft, always thirsty for gasoline tanks, seagulls and albatrosses.

Command of air operations was headed by Commodore Logan K. Ramsay. Since May 30, he conducted intensive aerial reconnaissance, patrol planes took off every day at dawn. He also increased the patrol radius - in the western sector to 700 miles, which, naturally, did not improve the situation with the fuel supply. “The fuel situation here and on Sand Island is extremely tense,” one report noted.

Then disaster struck. Midway's defenders planted land mines at key points in case they had to blow up various structures to prevent them from falling into Japanese hands. Due to a fatal accident, a group of sailors, while checking wires leading to a landmine, blew up a fuel warehouse.

“The warehouse was well protected from incompetent fools, but not from incompetent sailors,” a naval officer commented sarcastically. Thousands of gallons of aviation gasoline were destroyed in the explosion.

Nimitz immediately dispatched a merchant ship with a cargo of gasoline to Midway. But no sooner had the ship dropped anchor off the island than the crew went on strike due to overtime work. (The American Merchant Marine wrote golden pages in the history of the war, but in its initial period the fact that the god of war Mars did not take into account union orders was not immediately understood.) Ultimately, the Marines of Midway transported barrels of fuel ashore at night with the help of the ship's officers and the boatswain who served the winches.

The Americans may have gone overboard with their secrecy. Few at Midway knew when the Japanese invasion was expected. The naval pilots based on the island had no idea that their comrades from American aircraft carriers would be fighting alongside them. Nimitz's only chance against the Japanese lay in keeping his preparations a secret; The admiral could not put her at risk in order to once again assure the defenders of Midway that they were not alone.

Watching and waiting

By June 2, it became clear to the Japanese that the enemy was aware of their intentions. The increased flow of American radio communications with its numerous encrypted radiograms labeled “urgent” was one of the signs. Skirmishes occurred between Japanese reconnaissance bombers from Wake Island and large Catalina flying boats based at Midway. The American vehicles were heavily damaged, but the coordinates of the air skirmishes indicated that Midway's defenders had expanded their patrol area to 700 miles west of the atoll.

When these reports reached Fuchida, who was lying in the infirmary aboard the Akagi, he frowned. If the Americans were patrolling this far from Midway—200 miles further than the Japanese thought—then the Japanese Transport Group would enter the patrol area on June 3, Tokyo time. True, it was assumed that the Americans should detect these ships, which were moving significantly south of the Carrier Strike Force and the main forces. Yamamoto hoped that this would mislead the Americans about the direction of the main attack and lure the US fleet under the waiting guns of his battleships. But all this was supposed to happen, as expected, on June 5th, and not on June 3rd.

“However,” decided Yamamoto’s chief of staff, Rear Admiral Ugaki Matome, “for now we have no need to change our plan.”

The Japanese had no idea at all about one important factor: their advanced curtain of submarines, deployed between the Hawaiian Islands and Midway Island, arrived in the target area too late. Having received the task of warning in advance of any advances of enemy ships in the Pearl Harbor area, these submarines conducted continuous reconnaissance during the day through periscopes, and at night by floating to the surface. But to no avail. The American 16th and 17th task forces had long passed this area and were moving west.

* * *

Judging by the logs, June 2 was a calm day for the aircraft carriers Hornet and Enterprise, which were escorted by six cruisers and nine destroyers. The Enterprise zigzagged, lay down on a straight line, changed direction, and a routine check was carried out on board the aircraft carrier. At 11.32 a destroyer approached the aircraft carrier, delivering mail.

In the morning, Yorktown joined this formation with an escort of two cruisers and five destroyers. As senior Admiral Fletcher assumed overall command, but in practice both task forces would operate independently.

Morale on American ships was comparatively high. However, two important questions kept bouncing around in Fletcher's mind. Is Yorktown really ready for battle? And when exactly, from which side and in what number will the Japanese aircraft carriers strike?

Midway, the center of all plans, watched and waited. To this tiny atoll - two specks of dust, almost indistinguishable on the map of the Pacific Ocean - the main forces of the US and Japanese navies were drawn together. Will the Pacific Ocean become Lake Japan for many years? Will the furious squall of war descend upon the West Coast of the United States? These and many other questions were hidden in the white crested waves splashing around Midway.

There were also a number of subtle factors. Yamamoto, along with superiority in tonnage and firepower, was accompanied by a habit of winning, self-confidence, fighting traditions and a passionate desire to “unite the whole world under one roof.” Fletcher and Spruance had on their side surprise, flexibility, a first-class intelligence system and a determined resolve to put an end to prolonged failure.

First blood

Around 9:20 on June 3, pilot Jack Reid was finishing his reconnaissance duty flight. He was preparing to turn his lumbering-looking Catalina around and head back toward Midway when he noticed specks on the horizon. “Is there dirt stuck to the windshield?” - he thought and looked again. "My God! - he yelled. “It looks like we broke the bank!”

The co-pilot grabbed his binoculars. Yes, they were ships. The raid radioed this sensational information to Midway. He descended and, at low level flight, literally gliding along the white crests of the waves, boldly flew his plane along a long circular route to the rear of the enemy squadron, and then again carefully gained altitude to better review. For a while, like a cat hunting a mouse, he lurked in ambush behind the Japanese ships - the Transport Group - trying to see as much as possible and remain unnoticed.

This time he transmitted to Midway: “Eleven ships, heading 090, speed 19 knots, including one small aircraft carrier, one seaplane transport, two battleships, several cruisers and destroyers.”

The Japanese did not find Reid's plane. But they drove away with anti-aircraft fire another Catalina, which noticed part of the ships from the group of minesweepers, and immediately notified the Japanese Main Forces about this. This was bad news. “Discovered ahead of schedule!” – the distressed Ugaki wrote in his diary: the battle could start at any moment.

He wasn't wrong. At 12:30 p.m., nine B-17 bombers, having refilled their tanks with fuel after a morning patrol flight, took off with four 250-pound bombs each.

Reports of the discovery of Japanese ships created a tense situation for senior US naval commanders. Nimitz, who had been monitoring events at Pearl Harbor, had to quickly decide whether these ships were the Japanese “main force,” as Reid reported. Nimitz decided to trust the intelligence service's initial forecasts. Therefore, he urgently transmitted an encrypted radiogram to Admiral Fletcher: “This is not, I repeat, not an enemy strike force. The strike force will launch an attack from the northwest direction tomorrow at dawn.”

Nimitz's radiogram was welcome confirmation for Fletcher, who had already reached a similar conclusion. Therefore, he ignored this bait and sent the Yorktown to a square located about 200 miles north of Midway Island.

In the afternoon, the B-17s found the Japanese Transport Group discovered by Reid. The bombers made several test runs, either entering or leaving the enemy's anti-aircraft fire zone. Then, at dusk, all the escorting Japanese destroyers opened fire as the bombers dropped their bombs in three waves from 8,000 to 12,000 feet.

Within a few minutes this is usually quiet place in the middle of the Pacific Ocean was filled with the roar of guns, the whistle and roar of bomb explosions, the ringing of ship bells and the hiss of rising water columns.

But when the noise of the battle died down, it turned out that neither side was harmed: some of the bombs did not explode, while others exploded far from the ships.

After this fruitless raid, it was decided to hang torpedoes on several Catalinas for a night attack - an idea worthy of comic books. "Catalinas" were slow-moving, vulnerable flying boats, not suitable for these purposes. The crews were tired and inexperienced in dropping torpedoes. However, at about 10 p.m., four radar-equipped seaplanes rose heavily into the dark sky with torpedoes suspended under their wings. One did not find the enemy and returned to base. The other three took turns attacking Japanese transports at low level and, dodging anti-aircraft guns and machine guns, disappeared into the clouds. One torpedo hit the tanker Akebono Maru, killing and wounding 23 people, and the tanker temporarily slowed down.

These ineffective attacks nevertheless caused alarm among Yamamoto and his staff aboard the battleship sailing with the Main Force, for they indicated that the Americans knew that the Japanese fleet was in their neighborhood. However, no one bothered to inform Admiral Nagumo and his carrier force about the morning skirmish with the Catalina, the B-17 bomber raid and the night torpedo attack. Thus, Yamamoto allowed Nagumo to prepare his air strike on Midway, completely unaware that the Americans knew about the Japanese flotilla moving towards the atoll.

“Start the engines!”

The command transmitted through loudspeakers woke up the sleeping pilots and raised Genda to his feet in the predawn darkness on June 4. Still weak from pneumonia, Genda got dressed and went up to the bridge. Admiral Nagumo put a fatherly arm around his shoulders.

"How are you feeling?" - he asked. “It’s much better now,” Genda said, although his face showed that he was not yet completely healthy. But his presence on the bridge strengthened the high morale of the officers and pilots.

Futida soon also got out of the infirmary, deciding at all costs to be present at the takeoff of the planes that he was supposed to lead into battle.

The sky was still dark, but it was felt that the weather would be excellent for an air strike on Midway Island, and the sea was calm. Upon learning that the reconnaissance planes had not yet taken off, Fuchida expressed concern. The reconnaissance sector resembled a fan with seven radial segments. The search radius for aircraft was 300 miles. After flying this distance, the plane would turn left and fly another 60 miles, and then turn back - a single-phase reconnaissance, one plane, which, in Futida's opinion, was simply not enough. Anything that cannot be noticed on the first try will remain undetected.

But Nagumo felt a surge of confidence. According to Japanese calculations, the American fleet should have been located somewhere far to the east, beyond the patrol screen of Japanese submarines, and could only appear later. Admiral Nagumo's official assessment of the situation contains this glaring error: "The enemy does not know our plans."

At 4.00 the pilots huddled in the cabin under the bridge, where the last crew briefing took place. A few minutes later they poured out onto the deck and rushed towards the waiting planes. “Start the engine!” The engines roared and bluish-white flames burst out of the exhaust pipes. The spotlights flashed, flooding the flight deck with bright light, and the command was heard from the bridge: “Begin takeoff!” The green signal lamp in the officer's hands described a wide circle in the air, and the first fighter, picking up speed, soared into the air, urged on by the thunder of cheers and waving arms and caps. Eight more fighters took off behind him, followed by dive bombers.

About 4 thousand meters on the port side, flashes of signal lights indicated that Hiryu was also launching its aircraft.

In 15 minutes, all the planes of the first wave took off; They formed a formation, made a circle over the ships and headed for Midway. The first attack wave involved 108 aircraft - 36 bombers, 36 dive bombers and 36 escort fighters. Nine other fighters circled in the air, covering the ships, and nine more stood on the deck of the aircraft carrier Akagi in full combat readiness. Dedicating 18 fighters to protect the 21 ships of Nagumo's strike force is about the same as covering a house instead of shingles. toilet paper, is further evidence of how little the Japanese expected the attack.

Among the last planes to take off at exactly 4:30 were three reconnaissance aircraft. During the last quarter of an hour, three more reconnaissance aircraft belatedly took to the air. But the seventh reconnaissance seaplane took off half an hour late at 5.00.

These delays were partly due to the fact that the Japanese were primarily preparing for offensive actions and paid little attention to search and reconnaissance, considering them mainly defensive measures, which cost them dearly. If all the reconnaissance planes had taken off on time, one of them would have flown directly over the American 17th carrier force.

“I see a lot of enemy planes!”

05:00 arrived, but there were no signs of the enemy, and the defenders of Midway Island, who were preparing for a fight, began to calm down. The engines of the planes, which had warmed up since 4.30, were turned off, the gas tanks were replenished to capacity, and the pilots returned to their flight shelters. Six Wildcat fighters circling the atoll were given the command to land; during landing, one fighter damaged its landing gear.

Midway fell into a wary silence.

Cary's three fighters were the first to enter the battle. At 6:12 a.m. Carey ordered, “Japanese bombers at 12,000 feet.”

The Zeros accompanying the bombers were slightly above and behind them, giving Carey the chance to quickly attack the bombers before Japanese fighters could intercept him. Having made a smooth turn and went into a dive, Carey caught the plane in sight and opened fire. His windshield was cracked by a bullet, then he saw the bomber he attacked explode. Having rushed through the wedge-shaped formation of enemy vehicles, he soared up again and made a sharp turn to go behind the rear of the Japanese squadron. While he was maneuvering, Japanese radio gunners poured lead on his Wildcat - the bullets hit both Carey's legs.

Second Lieutenant Clayton M. Canfield, who participated in the attack with Carey, fired at the Japanese bomber “until it burst into flames and came crashing down like a flaming torch.” In the midst of the battle, he saw a group of Japanese “zeros” diving at him from the left. Evading the attack, Canfield disappeared into a large cloud, went around it and joined Carey, who was returning to the airfield, “with difficulty keeping the plane in the air.”

Twice Carey almost lost consciousness, but, straining all his will, he stubbornly continued to fly. Canfield landed first, his landing gear gave way, and the fighter slid on its belly along runway. Carey's plane hobbled after him, but upon landing Carey lost control. The car left the lane and hit the guardrail. Two soldiers rushed to the rescue, pulled the pilot out of the plane and took cover behind the fence just as the first bomb fell on Midway.

Major Park would no doubt have been amused by the Japanese report that their bombers had encountered "30-40" Wildcats 20 miles from Midway. There were only eight of these fighters in the air, and the fact that experienced Japanese pilots mistook a handful of fearsome Buffalo fighters for a comparatively larger force of more modern machines is a credit to the skill and courage of the American pilots. Of Park's six Buffaloes, only one survived that day: due to engine failure, he was unable to participate in the battle. The remaining five "flying coffins" attempted to approach a large group of Japanese bombers 20 miles from the island. They all died.

The second detachment of six Buffaloes attacked a group of 24 bombers flying in three wedges. After the first attack, the detachment commander, Captain Philip R. White, managed to enter a steep dive, break away from the pursuing Japanese fighter, and then, again gaining altitude, intercept an enemy bomber returning from Midway. The little Buffalo opened fire, the bomber shuddered, “fell onto its left wing and fell into the water.”

Among the crews of this group of six aircraft, only White and one other pilot survived. White gave the following damning assessment of the Buffalo fighter: “The Japanese Zero can weave lace around it,” he wrote in the report. “The commander who sends pilots into battle in these machines must consider them dead even before they take off.”

Lieutenant Roy A. Corry, in his Wildcat, shot down a Japanese fighter and bomber before being shot down himself. He would later praise the Japanese Zero as “the most maneuverable aircraft in existence today.” He will note, however, that this fighter "seems to have low survivability if you are lucky enough to hit it with your machine guns."

The secret was to be able to catch it in your crosshairs!

Island under siege

Despite the ferocity of the air battles, they had no noticeable effect on the Japanese bombing attack. American Marines noted with professional admiration the skill and discipline with which the Japanese pilots maintained formation. If one bomber was shot down, the others, regrouping, maintained formation, the given course and speed.

Before the Japanese bombers dropped their deadly payload, two aircraft fell victim to anti-aircraft artillery fire. No one jumped out of the first plane that caught fire and fell with a parachute: the pilot moved the canopy, waved to his comrades, pushed the canopy back again and put the plane into its final dive. Then a hail of bombs fell from the sky.

The bombs destroyed gasoline tanks and disabled a battery of anti-aircraft guns. One of them hit an ammunition depot, causing a giant explosion and killing four people. A dive bomber destroyed the power plant on Eastern Island, cutting off power to the island. Another bomb cut off the fuel lines between the main fuel depot and the dock area, forcing aircraft to be refueled manually from canisters. A direct hit destroyed three gas tanks on Sand Island. They burned for three days. The bomb that hit the dining room threw pots and pans in all directions. The infirmary, pharmacy, laundry, post office and store were completely destroyed.

Because all of the fighters from Midway engaged the conventional bombers leading the raid, the Japanese dive bombers reached the island without damage. Behind them the Zeros raced, pouring fire on ground targets. By this time Major Park had been killed. He managed to jump out with a parachute, but the Japanese shot him in the air.

At 06.48, the radar station at Midway reported: “Enemy aircraft are flying away,” but the air raid warning was not sounded until 07.15. “Fighters land and refuel,” radioed Lieutenant Colonel I. Kimes, commander of the 22nd Naval Aviation Group. But no one answered. He repeated the command: “All fighters land and refuel.” Only a few planes landed.

14 of the 26 pilots were killed. Only two fighters were suitable for further flights. What was the result of the air battle? According to American pilots, they managed to shoot down eight bombers, three fighters and seriously damage two aircraft (according to Japanese data, they lost four bombers and two fighters).

Midway itself suffered significant damage, but the atoll was in better condition than could have been expected. 20 people died on the island - a surprisingly low casualty rate. The runways were almost undamaged. After the raid, the garrison worked together to eliminate the damage: they restored the power supply, repaired the water supply, put out fires and cleared away the ruins.

Returning the damaged bomber to the aircraft carriers, Lieutenant Commander Tomonaga, who led the raid, was not satisfied with the results of the raid. It was not possible to catch the American bombers on the ground. And since the runways were not disabled and the artillery installations at Midway were not suppressed, the Japanese landing could be destined for a heated meeting.

So Tomonaga radioed: “A second attack is necessary!”

Fatal decision

American bombers, of course, were in the air at that time. All of them - 51 aircraft - in five separate groups, their engines humming strained, flew towards Nagumo's fleet.

Immediately, as soon as the Japanese aircraft carriers were discovered, a detachment of six Avenger torpedo bombers under the command of A.K. Ernst left Midway. On his heels, four B-26 bombers armed with torpedoes took off into the air.

These two groups entered the target area almost simultaneously around 07.10. "Akagi" immediately picked up speed and turned its nose towards the enemy torpedo bombers in order to minimize the affected area. Ten fighters soared from the deck into the sky and, skillfully interacting, attacked the Americans.

Lacking fighter escorts, the slow-moving Avengers were sitting ducks for the Japanese. Ernst's turret gunner fired several bursts, and then stuck his face into the machine gun and fell silent. On the next approach, the Zero disabled the hydraulic control system, killed the radio operator and wounded the second gunner.

With the elevator out of control and bleeding, Ernst dropped the torpedo—the altitude was too high for it to hit its target—and turned back to base. The two Zeros continued to pursue him. By clumsily maneuvering, Ernst managed to avoid several attacks, then the fighters, apparently having fired their ammunition, turned away. The engine was still running, and the wounded Ernst, driving at random, managed to land at Midway. He and the gunner were the only survivors of this group of six aircraft.

The B-26 bombers were not much luckier; half of them were killed without causing any damage. One of the B-26s streaked through a thick curtain of anti-aircraft fire a few meters above the Akagi. “It’s going to crash into the bridge!” - someone shouted. But the plane passed the aircraft carrier - its white star on the dark blue fuselage was clearly visible - turned sharply to the right and crashed into the water. The sailors aboard the Akagi jumped for joy. “That’s great!” – Fuchida noted.

The second wave of Nagumo's aircraft was already on the take-off decks of the aircraft carriers Akagi and Kaga. In addition to the group of dive bombers from the aircraft carriers Hiryu and Soryu, it also included 36 Akagi and Kaga bombers with suspended torpedoes in case enemy ships were detected. However, reconnaissance aircraft, which by this time had reached their assigned patrol sectors, did not transmit any reports of sighted enemy ships. Therefore, Nagumo decided to carry out a second attack on Midway. This meant that it was urgent to lower these bombers into the hangar, replace the torpedoes with bombs and lift them back onto the flight deck.

The work began to boil, but by the time it was half completed, an urgent message arrived from a reconnaissance aircraft: “I see ten ships, obviously the enemy. Bearing 10, range 240 miles from Midway.” But the message did not say anything about the most important thing: are there aircraft carriers among them? The aircraft carriers were the only ships that posed a direct threat to all Japanese ships.

Nagumo hesitated. “Leave the torpedoes on the planes where they have not yet been replaced,” he commanded. Then he gave the order to the reconnaissance plane: “Set the class of ships!”

At that very moment, new American planes appeared in the air - 15 downless dive bombers. Japanese fighters rushed to attack. Several bombs fell near the ships: at one point the aircraft carrier Hiryu disappeared in gigantic splashes of water and clouds of smoke, and the Japanese watching from Akagi thought that Hiryu had not escaped the hits. But he soon emerged from behind a curtain of water and smoke unharmed, and eight American planes were shot down.

In this atmosphere of the dull, strained hum of the aircraft carrier's turbines operating at full power, the piercing howl of fighter engines, and the barking of anti-aircraft guns, Admiral Nagumo found it difficult to concentrate. He was worried and annoyed when the patrol plane's deciphered response finally fell into his hands: "The enemy formation consists of five cruisers and five destroyers." But the relief that everyone felt after receiving this radiogram was short-lived. These must be escort ships; no fleet would send such a weak force into these waters.

However, if an American aircraft carrier were in the area, wouldn't it send its planes to support ground attacks from Midway? Therefore, Nagumo’s headquarters did not change their chosen tactics. In addition, recent combat experience had instilled in these people a deep contempt for American air power, a contempt that the latest series of incredibly uncoordinated, chance-based air attacks could not dispel.

There was now another group of bombers in the skies - 14 four-engine B-17 "flying fortresses". They took off from Midway earlier than others to re-attack the Japanese Transport group, but were then ordered to attack the aircraft carriers. Although they did not suffer from attacks by Japanese fighters, they did not achieve success. As one American pilot later explained: “Achieving a direct hit on a fast-moving ship is like trying to accurately drop a pebble on a frightened mouse.”

At 08.20, the final ground attack from Midway began, in which 12 Windycater dive bombers took part. The Weathervanes were unable to even scratch Nagumo's ships. Only two of them were shot down: the Japanese pilots were tired after four continuous attacks.

The bombers reached Midway and landed at the airfield, many with heavy damage. Tension was growing among the defenders of the atoll: the Japanese were about to appear again. On the runways, fueled slowly, manually, the “flying fortresses” resembled sitting ducks. There was now essentially nothing at Midway to prevent a second Japanese air raid and landing.

* * *

“The enemy column is closed by a ship similar to an aircraft carrier.” This last radio message from a reconnaissance plane shocked the Japanese more than all the American bombs dropped so far. This news came at the worst possible moment, for the planes returning from Midway, low on fuel, were circling overhead, awaiting orders to land.

Nagumo had a critical decision to make. Should he immediately send all his available bombers to attack the American aircraft carrier? The complexity of the problem was as follows: (1) Against ships, torpedoes were a much more effective weapon than bombs. (2) He had no fighter escort (they were all in the air, and they were all running low on gas), and he had just personally seen enemy planes die without escort fighters. (3) An immediate order to launch an attack could lead to the fact that about 100 aircraft of the first wave, having used up the remaining fuel, would fall into the water.

There was an alternative solution: clear the decks of aircraft carriers by lowering the planes (this would also make it possible to equip them all with torpedoes), land the first wave of planes, fill them with fuel and ammunition, then launch a massive air strike and crush the emerging threat.

Nagumo made this seemingly logical decision. The decks were cleared of aircraft with feverish speed, and at 08.37 the command was given: “Start landing.” Work was in full swing on the aircraft carriers. Down on the hangar deck, tired sailors were removing 800-kilogram bombs from planes, stacking them right there on the deck instead of lowering them into artillery magazines. "Akagi" and "Kaga" must be ready to launch aircraft by 10.30, "Hiryu" and "Soryu" - no later than 11.00. Nagumo signaled to all ships: “After completing the reception of aircraft, we plan to find and destroy enemy strike forces.”

Then at 0901 he received another message from a reconnaissance aircraft: "Enemy torpedo bombers are approaching you."

Nagumo made a theoretically perfect decision, but it turned out to be wrong.

Brave people

A gentle dawn colored the sky over the Pacific Ocean. The morning of June 4 arrived. Admirals Spruance and Fletcher eagerly awaited dawn, solving a tactical problem. Their strike task forces were 10 miles apart. Between 0530 and 0600, radio operators received reports from patrol aircraft from Midway about sighted Japanese aircraft carriers, and Spruance, without hesitation, turned his ships to the west-southwest to meet the enemy. After analyzing the radio messages received by 07.00 about the progress of the air attack on Midway, American officers calculated that the Japanese planes would return to their aircraft carriers around 09.00. To attack the enemy while all carriers were receiving and refueling aircraft, and “thereby preventing further damage to Midway and ensuring his own safety,” Spruance had to begin launching his aircraft without delay.

He ordered the immediate launch of all available aircraft. This was a dangerous and difficult decision, since the distance to the enemy - 155 miles - practically meant that his low-flying, slow-moving Devastator torpedo bombers would not be able to return back. Nevertheless, the Hornet and Enterprise turned into the wind, and 117 aircraft took off from them: 68 dive bombers, 29 torpedo bombers, 20 fighters. This formidable force rushed towards the Japanese aircraft carriers.

But fortune has not yet abandoned Nagumo. Having completed receiving the first wave of aircraft, the Japanese fleet changed course and headed northeast. (Incredibly, Spruance received no reports of this.) As a result, when 35 dive bombers and 10 fighters from the USS Hornet flew into the area where the Americans thought the Japanese fleet would be, it was not there. American planes circled in this area for some time and then headed back.

One of the torpedo bomber squadrons from the USS Hornet, led by a pilot who showed an amazing intuitive understanding of the enemy's intentions, chose a course that led the Americans directly to their target. But it's no use. Japanese fighters attacked them in a flock and shot down all 15 torpedo bombers - four of them did not even have time to drop torpedoes. One of the pilots survived and was found the next day at sea.

Fourteen torpedo bombers from the USS Enterprise reached their target at 09.58, but the torpedoes they dropped passed close to the Japanese ships, which skillfully maneuvered. On the Akagi's flight deck, Fuchida and his pilots whistled and cheered as the Zeros were shot down one by one by the hulking Devastators. From the captain's bridge, Genda watched the web of orange tracer bullets, the dark clouds of exploding anti-aircraft shells and the black spirals of smoke from burning and falling enemy aircraft - an ominous panorama of a fierce air battle. “We have nothing to fear from enemy aircraft, no matter how many there are!” - he rejoiced.

* * *

The last torpedo attack in this battle was carried out by a squadron of torpedo bombers from the Yorktown. While the American fighter escorts engaged the Japanese Zeros, 18 other Japanese fighters attacked the torpedo bombers. These outdated, clunky machines failed to achieve more than their predecessors. By this time they had shown their complete unsuitability for modern warfare.

Of the 41 Devastators that took part in the attack, only four wounded returned to their carriers - one so badly damaged that it had to be jettisoned. No one mourned the planes, but only the dead brave pilots.

But these people did not die in vain. For even as it perished, this last torpedo squadron helped the Americans achieve the most astonishing turnaround in the history of the war.

Horror and tears

Lieutenant Commodore Clarence W. McCluskey, who led 33 dive bombers from the USS Enterprise in the attack, reached the intended interception point at 0920 hours. Some pilots on the far left flank of his air group could see smoke billowing over Midway Atoll. But below them, from horizon to horizon, only the blue ocean stretched, twisted in the sun. Where are the Japanese?

The short and stocky McCluskey distinguished himself in the battle of Marshall Islands, and now commanded all the pilots of the Enterprise.

The fuel in the tanks was at its limit: he had only 15 minutes at his disposal before returning to the aircraft carrier. Should he patrol the area waiting for the Japanese to appear, or should he send his planes to search and fly around a wide area? McCluskey quickly made a decision: fly another 3.5 miles west, then turn northwest. Admiral Nimitz would later call this “the most important decision of the battle.”

Seven minutes after turning northwest, McCluskey spotted the wake of a destroyer heading north. Deciding that it was a straggler trying to catch up with the rest of the main Japanese force, McCluskey followed it. Ten minutes later he saw Nagumo.

Now even the mistakes made by the Americans benefited them, since at that very moment 17 dive bombers from the Yorktown also flew into the area. They took off an hour later than McCluskey, but because he was late in finding Nagumo's fleet, they appeared over the target within seconds of each other. Even long training could not ensure such a coordinated attack!

Three Japanese aircraft carriers - Akagi, Kaga and Soryu - sailed in formation that resembled an elongated triangle, the fourth aircraft carrier - Hiryu - was located further north from them. All Japanese fighters were circling low over the sea near the Hiryu, repelling the last attack of torpedo bombers, and had not yet had time to gain altitude when the dive bombers at an altitude of 6600 meters, hiding in the advancing clouds, together with a group from the Yorktown, went unnoticed strike position directly above Soryu, then went into a steep dive. The lead pilot saw a large red circle on the deck of the aircraft carrier - the emblem of the Rising Sun. At the same time, McCluskey, like a kite, quickly dived onto the Kaga.

"Dive bombers!" - the signalmen on the Kaga exclaimed. Lieutenant Commodore Mitoya Sesu lay sprawled on the deck as the roar of the engines grew into a piercing howl. The first three bombs fell near the ship. The fourth crashed into aft decks among planes lined up for takeoff. Instantly, the Kaga's flight deck turned into a raging sea of ​​fire. Planes scattered by the explosion, tilted on their noses or wings like chimneys, threw smoke and flames into the air.

The bombs continued to fall when a fire department officer ran up to the bridge to report that all the corridors and passages below were engulfed in flames and most of the crew were isolated below. But Captain Okada stood silently on the bridge and looked into the distance. A worried officer urged him to go down to the boat deck to save his life as the aircraft carrier listed on its side. Okada shook his head: “I’ll stay on the ship,” he said melancholy.

Mitoya tried to reach the sailors who were cut off in the engine room. When he returned to the deck, he did not see either the captain or the other officers with him on the bridge. An American bomb hit a small gasoline tank near the bridge, and the flaming debris killed everyone on the bridge. Another bomb penetrated the forward elevator and exploded on the hangar deck among the aircraft with suspended torpedoes, refueled and prepared to rise up to participate in the attack. The fourth hit was essentially unnecessary, since the ship was deprived of lighting and power and efforts to extinguish the fire or localize it were doomed to failure.

At 10.22, the order was given from the bridge of the Akagi for the planes to take off, and the first Zero, picking up speed, took off from the deck with a whistle. At this moment the signalman screamed shrilly: “Dive bombers!” Futida looked up and saw three blunt-nosed downless bombers diving steeply towards the ship, then three black drops separated from the planes and smoothly, almost slowly, began to fall directly towards him.

Only three aircraft from McCluskey's group attacked the Akagi, but that was more than enough. The first bomb fell nearby at the side, and a giant column of water washed over the bridge. The second hit the rear section of the central elevator and exploded in the hangar below. (The fuze of each would have gone off within seconds of impact.) Fuchida rolled onto his stomach and covered his head with his hands as the third bomb exploded. The explosion sound was not as loud as the first hit, but the Akagi's damage log notes: “Fatal hit. Several holes." About 200 people were thrown overboard by the explosion.

The noise of the battle died down, and there was an unusual silence. Under normal conditions, two bomb hits would not be enough to disable such a giant ship. But the carriers were caught at a time when their flight decks were filled with armed and refueled aircraft, while other aircraft in the same condition were below. In addition, the Japanese did not have time to return large 800-kilogram bombs to the cellar. The explosions of ammunition and gasoline caused by fire and detonation, as well as the burning of aircraft one after another, standing wing to wing on the deck, soon turned the Akagi and Kaga, in the words of Fuchida, “into a living hell.”

Meanwhile, Soryu, hit by three bombs, received the most serious damage of all. Seeing the Soryu shrouded in a huge cloud of black and white smoke, Genda realized the extent of Japan's losses. He looked at Foutida and said succinctly: “We lost.”

By 10.40 the Akagi's steering mechanism failed, the dynamos stopped, and it became clear that it would not be possible to extinguish the fire. Chief of Staff Rear Admiral Kusaka urged Admiral Nagumo to leave the aircraft carrier and continue to lead the battle from another ship. At first Nagumo refused, but then he obeyed the demands of reason. He was almost late. Fire and smoke blocked the passages and ladders leading from the bridge, and the admiral and other staff officers had to descend through the cabin window along a rope that had already begun to smolder. They boarded a boat rocking on the waves and went to the light cruiser Nagara.

* * *

A joyful McCluskey landed his plane on the Enterprise with dry tanks. In three minutes, the dive bombers accomplished what all previous waves of attack aircraft had failed to achieve in three hours. Those who piloted them had approximately the same professional training, were just as determined and ready for battle as the torpedo bomber pilots, who did not manage to damage a single ship. The United States owes its amazing success to three factors: McCluskey's decision to continue the search and the extraordinary tactics of this search; the “uncoordinated coordination” that brought aircraft from the Yorktown and the Enterprise simultaneously to their target; and the sacrifice of American torpedo bombers, which distracted Japanese fighters and left the sky above clear for dive bombers.

Duel to the death

Hiryu, carrying Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi, remained the only combat-ready Japanese aircraft carrier. “Well,” the decisive and courageous admiral declared to his headquarters, “with one Hiryu we will destroy the ships of our enemy.” By 10.58, a strike group of 18 dive bombers and six fighters took off from the aircraft carrier. 40 minutes later they spotted the US 17th Carrier Task Force.

Having detected enemy aircraft by radar, Yorktown immediately ordered her escort ships to take position to repel the air attack. Mechanics pumped out high-octane gasoline from all gas lines and replaced it with carbon dioxide. Even before the appearance of enemy aircraft, all gas lines and hoses were made safe, and gas tanks were pumped with carbon dioxide.

Twenty-eight American fighters attacked the Japanese 15 miles from the ships. This air battle, like a ball of smoke, thunder, fiery tracks and sparkling wings, rather than flying, was rolling towards the Yorktown. By the time he approached the carrier, three Japanese fighters and 10 bombers had been shot down. But eight bombers managed to break through!

The Yorktown's anti-aircraft guns opened fire. The first bomber broke into three parts, which fell next to the aircraft carrier. But his bomb hit the flight deck, made a huge hole and exploded on the second deck, causing fires that were quickly extinguished by the fire-fighting water-spreading system.

Another time-fuse bomb exploded after impact in the carrier's enormous smokestack, the flaming heart of the ship. The blast wave extinguished the fire in the Yorktown boilers and disabled the pipes of three boilers. After 20 minutes, the aircraft carrier lost speed and stopped. The third bomb started a fire near the forward gas storage facility. Vigorous emergency repairs repaired the damage, and a little over an hour after the attack, amid the jubilant cries of the crews of all the other ships in the formation, the Yorktown signaled: “My speed is five.” As the steam pressure in the boilers increased, the speed increased to 19 knots.

On the Enterprise, Spruance was urged to strike back immediately. But he insisted on the need to wait for reports from reconnaissance aircraft about the exact location of the enemy; the planes were now approaching the point where, according to the Americans, the Japanese aircraft carrier should be located. This was the right decision, as Yamaguchi turned north, launched all remaining aircraft into the air, and then moved northeast. An American attack at this point would probably have missed its target.

The second Hiryu attack group consisted of 10 torpedo bombers (one from the Akagi) and 6 fighters (two from the Kaga). Having three American aircraft carriers as a target, this group - purely by chance - also went directly to the Yorktown. American fighters rushed to intercept, and the air battle that broke out was essentially a repeat of the morning battle. Despite her slower speed, Yorktown managed to evade two torpedoes, but the other two reached their target, striking the middle of the starboard side. The explosions pierced oil tanks, flooded the boiler room and forward engine room, and cut off power to the ship. With the rudder jammed, the Yorktown again lost mobility and listed to starboard.

After 10 minutes the roll increased to 26 degrees. All communication lines are down. Around the aircraft carrier, the surface of the water was covered with a deadly oil film, which any spark could turn into a raging sea of ​​​​fire. At 14.55 the commander of the aircraft carrier gave the order to abandon the ship. (“Yorktown” stayed afloat for two more days until a Japanese submarine discovered it on the afternoon of June 6 and torpedoed it with two torpedoes. The next day at 6 o’clock in the morning it sank. At the same time, the destroyer Hamman was also sunk, engaged in the rescue of property. - Transl.)

100 miles from Yorktown, Admiral Yamaguchi, confident that his pilots had now sunk or badly damaged two American aircraft carriers, was planning the destruction of the remaining American forces. Although only six fighters, five dive bombers and four torpedo bombers remained on the Hiryu, they were being prepared for a third strike after dusk. When the Hiryu passed the cruiser Nagara, Nagumo’s new flagship, the cruiser’s crew and rescued sailors greeted the aircraft carrier with cries of “Hiryu,” avenge us!”

However, Yamaguchi's luck was short-lived. At 17.01, Spruance's remaining 24 combat-ready bombers appeared over the aircraft carrier. Japanese fighters rushed to intercept. But a few minutes later, the American bombers went into a steep dive, aiming for the red circle on the light yellow deck of the Hiryu. Four bombs crashed into the aircraft carrier one after another. The fire quickly engulfed the entire ship, cutting off the path to the engine room. Airplanes loaded with ammunition exploded on deck. To avoid new hits, the commander of the aircraft carrier maneuvered at high speed, but as a result, the wind fanned the flames even more. Soon the Hiryu was burning from stem to stern, continuing, in the words of an astonished Japanese eyewitness, “its rapid run, like an enraged bull.” A few more minutes, and the ship lost its significance as a combat unit.

Into the abyss

The warm evening sun illuminated a panorama of death and destruction. Of the fatally damaged Japanese aircraft carriers, Soryu was the first to go to the bottom. Thirty short minutes turned this once beautiful, proud aircraft carrier into a burnt crematorium, and her commander, Yanagimoto, ordered the ship abandoned. While the destroyers circled around rescuing survivors, it was discovered that Yanagimoto remained on the bridge. He was one of the most popular and respected captains in the Japanese Navy, and the crew members tasked Chief Petty Officer Abe, the Japanese Navy's wrestling champion, with rescuing him at all costs.

Abe did everything he could. He climbed onto the bridge, saluted and said: “Captain, I have come to save you.” The answer was silence. Abe went to the commander with the firm intention of taking him into the boat by force. But the commander stopped him with a glance. The sailor saluted, then turned back. As Abe left the bridge, he heard Yanagimoto quietly singing the national anthem.

As the sunset turned the Pacific Ocean pink, a terrible explosion shook the Soryu, and a pillar of red flame shot high into the sky. Someone on board the destroyer shouted, “Soryu,” banzai!” – and everyone echoed this cry. The aircraft carrier quietly sank. Ten minutes later, the sea was shaken by a huge underwater explosion.

The Kaga, shrouded in a giant billowing cloud of black smoke, sank at 7:25 p.m. The aircraft carrier took with it 800 crew members to the bottom - dead or immured below the decks.

The final order to abandon Hiryu was given on the night of June 5th. Admiral Yamaguchi decided to remain on the ship, but ordered everyone else to leave. Before parting, the admiral and his staff officers made a farewell toast - their glasses were filled with water from a barrel. At 03.15, the officers began to leave the ship, which by this time was almost completely engulfed in flames. Soon after the personnel were removed, the Hiryu was sunk by torpedoes.

No Japanese aircraft carrier has been the subject of such serious efforts to save it as Akagi - the flagship, the champion of aircraft carriers, the symbol of Japanese naval power. But attempts to extinguish the raging fire by manual means proved futile. At 13.38 on June 4, a portrait of the emperor was removed from the aircraft carrier. By evening, the evacuation of the team began.

Confident that if the abandoned aircraft carrier remained afloat, “it would become a museum piece on the Potomac River,” the Japanese nevertheless could not decide to sink it. Finally, at 0500 on June 5, on Yamamoto’s personal orders, the destroyers torpedoed the burning flagship, and to the cries of “Akagi,” banzai!” the sea closed over the mighty ship.

* * *

When the headquarters of the Combined Fleet on the battleship Yamato received the first message about fires on board the Kaga, Soryu and Akagi, it caused a state close to shock. Then, throughout the entire day of the battle, Yamamoto sat stern and impassive, like a judge, while his staff feverishly prepared for him one proposal after another on how to save the situation, the 2nd Carrier Strike (Aleutian) Force (It consisted of two light the aircraft carrier "Ryudz?" and "Zunyo", which had about 80 aircraft on board - Transl.) received an order to go to the battle area, a similar order was given to two detachments of submarines; The invasion force was ordered to withdraw temporarily to the northwest (the Japanese remained unaware of the vulnerable position of Midway Atoll). The Japanese now planned to destroy the American fleet in a night battle. The ships of the Main Forces went at full speed to the battlefield: Yamamoto was determined to engage in battle with the enemy.

Nagumo also counted on a night battle. But during the duel between Hiryu and Yorktown and the subsequent crushing counterattack by Spruance's planes, time and events relentlessly pursued his fleet.

Spruance had no intention of engaging in night combat with enemy surface forces. The Japanese still had superior firepower, and in the dark Spruance's remaining aircraft would be ineffective. So he turned his ships to the east. At 17.15 Nagumo received a discouraging message from a reconnaissance aircraft: “The enemy has begun to retreat to the east.”

Combined Fleet headquarters was already in turmoil after receiving Nagumo's message about the sinking of the Hiryu, and the withdrawal of Spruance's ships to the east completed the demoralization. For several hours, the Japanese ships sailed east, but the hope of making contact with the enemy before dawn gradually faded. Finally Yamamoto said to the assistant: “It’s too late now. This battle ends." At 02.55 on June 5, a distressed and sad Yamamoto ordered the entire Japanese armada to begin withdrawing.

At noon of the same day, the main Japanese forces met with the defeated Nagumo strike force. Instead of the anticipated joyful meeting of the fleets, it was a sad rendezvous! Four of the best aircraft carriers were lost, taking with them 332 aircraft and, worst of all, 2,155 skilled and experienced pilots and sailors.

Grand victory

The Japanese fleet was leaving to the west, heavy clouds hung low over the sea, and a ghostly fog swirled over the water. On the Yamato, Admiral Yamamoto gave orders not to look for those responsible for the disaster among the 1st carrier force or in the submarine detachment. “I alone must bear responsibility for the defeat at Midway,” he said firmly. And he kept his word. He retained Admiral Nagumo as commander of the 1st Carrier Strike Force and gave him the opportunity to restore his reputation.

The mood of the crew aboard Nagara improved when the cruiser received orders to return to Japan with Nagumo's headquarters so that he could immediately begin formulating a reorganization plan. But when the cruiser arrived in Kure, no one, not even the captain, was given permission to go ashore; all contact with the shore was prohibited. Some 500 wounded, including Foutida, were essentially smuggled into a port hospital, where they were isolated from the outside world. The government decided not to tell the country the truth about Japan's crushing defeat.

For the Japanese, the legend of invincibility died at Midway. The 1st carrier strike force - Yamamoto's sword and the pride of the nation - was broken. And the Japanese fleet now learned that the Americans were capable of throwing into battle loyal officers and sailors like their own, and equally determined and calculating admirals.

The Americans were under no illusion that the Battle of Midway paved the way for an easy victory. “Pearl Harbor has been partially avenged,” Nimitz declared in his first communique about the battle. “Retribution will not be complete until Japanese sea power is reduced to nothing. We have made significant progress in this direction."

Nimitz and Spruance were realistic about the situation. Neither then nor later did they fall victim to the overconfidence that overwhelmed the Japanese. “Midway for us at that time meant the starting point from which we would begin a hard, bitter war against the Japanese,” Spruance said.

“After Midway, we didn’t feel like we had won the war,” Nimitz emphasized. “It was certainly a big turning point in many ways, but we were still up against a stubborn enemy and had a difficult job to do.”

However, the nature of the war suddenly changed. “This battle brought about an unusually rapid reversal of fortunes known in naval history,” wrote renowned historian Basil Liddell Hart. Japan's offensive was over, its navy had lost its dominance in the central Pacific, and its dreams of creating a gigantic empire had been dashed. At the Battle of Midway, the United States seized the initiative and never relinquished it throughout the three painful years of war that lay ahead.

Encyclopedia of Battles of World History

Midway Island

World War 2

On June 4, 1942, the Japanese attacked this US base 1,000 miles from Pearl Harbor in the central Pacific Ocean with the goal of destroying the remnants of the US Pacific fleet and expanding the Japanese network. strong points. This was the largest Japanese operation. navy. Adm. Yamamoto and Nagumo had a strike force of 162 warships and auxiliaries, including 12 transports with 5,000 troops and four aircraft carriers. At the disposal of the Americans. adm. Nimitz had 76 ships and three aircraft carriers, as well as 100 aircraft based on the island. Midway. Amer. experts managed to uncover the Japanese. naval ciphers, thanks to which Yamamoto's plans became known. They were to lure the US fleet north through a diversionary strike on the western and eastern parts Aleutian Islands, especially along Dutch Harbor, and the main forces of the Japanese would strike the island. Midway. Having ensured a landing there, the Japanese. the fleet could waylay the US fleet returning from the Aleutian Islands and defeat it. However, not succumbing to the diversionary maneuver, Nimitz transferred the Aleutian Islands to the custody of the northern squadron of the Pacific Fleet and remained to wait for the Japanese northeast of Midway. Unaware of this, Nagumo, then 240 miles to the northwest, sent 108 aircraft to Midway on a reconnaissance mission on June 4. Amer. A reconnaissance pilot noticed Nagumo's squadron. 100 amer. The bombers took off and attacked the Japanese in three waves. However, without sinking a single target, they lost almost half of their strength. At the moment when his planes returned from the raid on Midway to refuel and replenish ammunition, Nagumo received a message that a squadron of 10 Americans was approaching. ships. By mid-afternoon, aircraft from the aircraft carriers Yorktown and Enterprise had sank all four Japanese ships. aircraft carrier with 250 aircraft. Deprived of air cover for his battleships, Yamamoto was forced to retreat. The Americans lost the aircraft carrier Yorktown, 150 aircraft, one destroyer and 307 people. Japanese losses amounted to four aircraft carriers, 275 aircraft, the cruiser Mikuma and over 4,000 people. This battle was a turning point in the Pacific War, as it opened the way for the Amer. counteroffensive.

See Aleutian Islands, Coral Sea, Solomon islands.

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"Midway Island" in the books

7. Midway

From the book Aircraft Carriers, Volume 1 by Polmar Norman

Island of Saint-Louis (Ile Saint-Louis, Island of St. Louis)

From the book In Search of a Wooden Elephant. Images of Paris author Betaki Vasily Pavlovich

Chapter 14 American victories at sea. Coral Sea and Midway Island

From the book World War II author Churchill Winston Spencer

Chapter 14 American victories at sea. The Coral Sea and Midway Island Now exciting events were taking place in the Pacific Ocean that were reflected in the entire course of the war. By the end of March, the first stage of the Japanese war plan was a success so complete that it surprised even him.

Chapter Nineteen Island of the Moon and Island of the Sun

From the book Luminous Serpent: The Movement of the Earth's Kundalini and the Rise of the Sacred Feminine author Melchizedek Drunvalo

Chapter Nineteen Island of the Moon and Island of the Sun Life is truly amazing! What happened on a small island in the middle of Lake Titicaca was never planned by anyone, yet both the timing and the action were calculated with the precision with which a surgeon’s hand guides

2.1. The island of Crete (Candia) or possibly the English (Cantian) island is represented on the seal from Corbus' diary under the name "Condinia"

From the book Tatar-Mongol Yoke. Who conquered whom? author

Chapter Fourteen American victories at sea. Coral Sea and Midway Island.

From the book World War II. (Part II, volumes 3-4) author Churchill Winston Spencer

Chapter Fourteen American victories at sea. Coral Sea and Midway Island. Now exciting events were taking place in the Pacific Ocean, which were reflected in the entire course of the war. By the end of March, the first stage of the Japanese war plan was crowned with such complete success that it

20.9. British Isles = England or the island of Crete as the Cantine Island on the state emblem of Rus'-Horde

From the book Book 2. The Mystery of Russian History [New Chronology of Rus'. Tatar and Arabic languages ​​in Rus'. Yaroslavl as Veliky Novgorod. Ancient English history author Nosovsky Gleb Vladimirovich

Yantarny Island, Thule Island, Tin Islands…

From the book Atlantic without Atlantis author Kondratov Alexander Mikhailovich

Yantarny Island, Thule Island, Tin Islands... Amber products were highly valued in the ancient Mediterranean countries. After all, it was brought from afar, from the shores of distant northern countries, lying somewhere on the edge of the earth. Now we know that in reality these countries were not like that

Midway

From the book American submarines from the beginning of the 20th century to the Second World War author Kashcheev L B

Midway The Battle of Midway in June 1942. is generally considered one of the turning points of the World War. 12 US submarines were deployed around Midway, four of them came into contact with enemy ships. The Nautilus boat broke into the middle of the order at periscope depth

7. Midway Japanese Invasion New Guinea and the Solomon Islands were only part of a broad strategic offensive. Capture of Midway and occupation of Western Aleutian Islands were the second phase of the operation, during which the Japanese planned to expand their defensive

Midway

From the book Japanese heavy cruisers of the Myoko class author Ivanov S.V.

Midway In an effort to completely defeat the American fleet in the Pacific, Admiral Yamamoto developed a plan to attack Midway Island, located northeast of Hawaii. An additional incentive to capture the island was the above-mentioned B-25 bomber raid on Japan.

Official name - Midway Islands(Midway Islands).

Located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean. The area of ​​Midway Island is 6.2 km2. Geographical coordinates: 28°13 north latitude and 177°22 west longitude. Midway Atoll belongs to the northwestern group of Hawaiian Islands. Consists of Sand Island, Eastern Island and Spit Island. Length coastline 15 km. The islands are formed from a coral reef surrounding a volcanic island that has sunk due to changes in sea levels. Under the influence of wind and water, their shape and size are constantly changing. Highest point 13 m.

Ironwood and eucalyptus trees are planted here to provide protection from the wind. Every year, up to 2 million birds of various species nest on the atoll. The lagoon is home to Hawaiian seals and green sea ​​turtles, as well as dolphins and about 200 species of fish.

Natural resources: fish stocks in coastal waters.

The climate on Midway Island is subtropical with two seasons: in November-April - cool, windy and rainy at a temperature of +17-19°C; May-October - warm and sunny (in summer up to +30°C). Average annual precipitation - St. 1000 mm.

There are no indigenous people on Midway Island. In 2003, the town of Sand Island was home to approximately 40 people employed by the National Wildlife Rescue Program.

The uninhabited atoll was discovered in 1859. Over time, the name Midway (“middle of the road”) became attached to it. In 1867 - declared the (first) US possession in the Pacific Ocean. Since 1903 - under the control of the US Navy. In June 1942 - the site of one of the decisive naval battles between the United States and Japan (“Battle of Midway”). Until 1996 - a naval base (the number of personnel with family members at its peak reached 5 thousand people). The atoll's facilities were used in the Korean and Vietnamese wars and were part of early warning and tracking systems for Soviet submarines. In 1996-2001 it was open to civilians. Then temporarily closed for reconstruction. Since 1997 - declared a National Wildlife Refuge.

Midway is an “unincorporated” territory of the United States (legally not part of their territory), since 1996 it has been under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior.

Midway Island's economy is driven by Fish and Wildlife Agency personnel, US Oceanic Society contractors, and sport fishing and other boating tourism facilities.

The length of the roads is 32 km (16 km - with hard surface). The main transport is bicycles. Sea port- Sand Island. Two runways accept all types of aircraft. Air communication with the outside world is carried out through the Hawaiian Islands.

Rich opportunities for fishing and underwater sports, historical monuments and memorials of the 2nd World War allow us to count on attracting tourists in the future, primarily from the USA and Japan.

The information portal is a guide to a world where people of different religious views and traditions live in 257 countries. All information about the country is provided in free access. Based on the site's materials, you can become familiar with the culture, history, geography and economy of the country. You never know in which part of the world you may find yourself; it is better to familiarize yourself with the peculiarities of a particular country in advance. By studying the report "Midway Island" you can discover a lot of interesting and unknown things.

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The first inhabitants - from 1903, when the trans-Pacific telegraph cable was laid. From 1935 to 1947 - a fuel refueling point for intercontinental air travel.

From now on, a US naval base was located on the island. In mid-1942, the Battle of Midway took place near the atoll, during which the US armed forces destroyed 4 Japanese aircraft carriers.

Now the atoll has the status of a US national reserve. One runway (2400 m) and a supply of aviation fuel are maintained in operational condition in case of emergency landing of aircraft.

Population

There has been no permanent population since 2006. In the 1940-1970s, the number of temporary population (base personnel) reached two thousand people. There are currently about 40 reserve staff residing on Midway.

see also

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Excerpt describing Midway

I was very upset, but, trying my best not to show this to Athenais, I asked as calmly as possible:
– What kind of “fingerprint” is this?
- Oh, everyone, when they die, comes back for him. When your soul ends its “languishing” in another earthly body, at the moment when it says goodbye to it, it flies to its real Home, and, as it were, “announces” her return... And then, she leaves this “seal”. But after this, she must again return back to dense earth in order to say goodbye forever to who she was... and a year later, having said “the last goodbye”, leave from there... And then, this free soul comes here to merge with the part of himself left behind and find peace, awaiting a new journey to the “old world”...
I didn’t understand then what Athenais was talking about, it just sounded very beautiful...
And only now, after many, many years (having long ago absorbed with my “hungry” soul the knowledge of my amazing husband, Nikolai), looking through my funny past today for this book, I remembered Athenais with a smile, and, of course, I realized that , what she called the “imprint,” was simply an energy surge that happens to each of us at the moment of our death, and reaches exactly the level to which the deceased person was able to reach with his development. And what Athenais called then “farewell” to “who she was” was nothing more than the final separation of all existing “bodies” of the essence from her dead physical body, so that she would now have the opportunity to finally leave, and there , on her “floor”, to merge with her missing piece, the level of development of which she, for one reason or another, did not manage to “reach” while living on earth. And this departure occurred exactly after a year.
But I understand all this now, and then it was still very far away, and I had to be content with my still very childish understanding of everything that was happening to me, and my sometimes erroneous and sometimes correct guesses...
– Do entities on other “floors” also have the same “imprints”? – the inquisitive Stella asked interestedly.
“Yes, of course they do, but they are different,” Athenais answered calmly. – And not on all “floors” they are as pleasant as here... Especially on one...
- Oh, I know! This is probably the “bottom” one! Oh, you definitely have to go and see it! This is so interesting! – Stella chirped contentedly again.
It was simply amazing how quickly and easily she forgot everything that had frightened or surprised her just a minute ago, and again cheerfully strived to learn something new and unknown to her.
- Farewell, young maidens... It's time for me to leave. May your happiness be eternal...” Athenais said in a solemn voice.
And again she smoothly waved her “winged” hand, as if showing us the way, and the already familiar, shining golden path immediately ran in front of us...
And the wondrous woman-bird again quietly floated in her airy fairy-tale boat, again ready to meet and guide new, “searching for themselves” travelers, patiently serving some kind of special vow, incomprehensible to us...
- Well? Where shall we go, “young maiden”?.. – I asked my little friend, smiling.
- Why did she call us that? – Stella asked thoughtfully. “Do you think that’s what they said where she once lived?”
– I don’t know... It was probably a very long time ago, but for some reason she remembers it.
- All! Let’s move on!.. – suddenly, as if waking up, the little girl exclaimed.
This time we did not follow the path so helpfully offered to us, but decided to move “our own way,” exploring the world on our own, which, as it turned out, we had quite a bit of.
We moved towards a transparent, golden-glowing, horizontal “tunnel”, of which there were a great many here, and along which entities were constantly moving smoothly back and forth.

Midway Atoll(English: Midway Atoll, Hawaiian: Pihemanu Kauihelani) - Atoll of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in the North Pacific Ocean. The name means "Middle of the Way" because it is located halfway between Asia and America.. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States. For statistical purposes, Midway is included in the United States Minor Outlying Islands.

There used to be a base on Midway armed forces USA. On June 4-6, 1942, the atoll became the center of the Battle of Midway, in which the Americans defeated the Japanese fleet, sank 4 aircraft carriers and turned the tide of World War II in the Pacific. The base was finally closed in 1993, and in 2006 Midway became part of National Nature Reserve Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. There is no permanent population on the atoll, but there are from 40 to 60 reserve staff present.

You can visit the atoll as part of organized tours or as a volunteer of the National Hunting and Fisheries Service; in 2012, 332 people visited the atoll, and in 2013 the volunteer program was suspended due to budget cuts. Tours focus on ecology and military history. The territory's economy is derived exclusively from government sources and tourist taxes. All food and industrial goods are imported.

Geography, geology, flora and fauna

Hawaiian Islands Sand Island

Midway Atoll is part of the Hawaiian Islands archipelago, part of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and located on their Northwestern edge. The atoll was formed about 28 million years ago as a shield volcano. The volcano, having fallen asleep, began to sink to the bottom, and a coral reef formed above it. Annular barrier reef is about 9.7 km across, in its southern part there are three sandy islands: Sand is the largest, Eastern and the small island of Spit between them.

Eastern Island

The Sand and Eastern Islands are nesting grounds for millions of birds.

Story

Midway has no indigenous inhabitants and was uninhabited until the 19th century. The atoll was discovered by US Navy Captain N. S. Middlebrooks on July 5, 1859. The captain named the islands "Brooks Islands" and established a U.S. claim to the atoll under the Guano Act. On August 28, 1867, Captain William Reynolds landed on the islands on the USS Lackawanna and the United States formally took possession. Shortly thereafter the name was changed to Midway. The atoll received the status of an unincorporated territory and became the first US territory in the Pacific Ocean. It was operated by the US Navy and became the only island Hawaiian archipelago, not part of the state of Hawaii.

The first attempt to settle the atoll was made in 1871, when the American Postal Steamship Company, with money allocated by the US Congress, began a project to dredge the fairway through the reef. The goal was to create a coal plant in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and avoid the high taxes on coal imposed by the Hawaiians. The project soon ended in complete failure, and the ship Saginaw, which carried out all the workers in October 1871, ran aground off Kure Atoll. All workers were saved.

Cable station building

In 1903, workers from the Commercial Pacific Cable Company settled on the atoll, and the Trans-Pacific Cable was laid through Midway. The workers brought many new plants and animals to the living world of the atoll. That same year, US President Theodore Roosevelt confirmed Midway's ownership by the US Navy, a radio station was built on the islands, and 21 Marines were stationed between 1904 and 1908 to protect against Japanese poachers.

In 1935, Midway became a refueling point for Martin M-130 flying boats en route from San Francisco to China. The flight was very expensive - it cost three times the average American salary.

Midway after the Japanese raid

Situated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Midway acquired important military significance. In 1940, as tensions increased in Japanese-American relations, Miway was recognized as the second most important point for the defense of the US West Coast after Pearl Harbor. A military airfield was built on the atoll, a channel was dredged in the reef, a seaplane and submarine base was built, and artillery guns were installed. Architect Albert Kahn built officer apartments, shopping mall and a number of other buildings. On December 7, 1941, simultaneously with the attack on Pearl Harbor, Midway was bombarded by two Japanese destroyers, whose attack was repulsed by coastal artillery. On February 10, 1942, the atoll was shelled again, this time from a submarine.

On June 4-6, 1942, the atoll became the center of a large-scale Battle of Midway, during which the Japanese tried to capture the atoll, but suffered a crushing defeat. The Japanese brought 4 aircraft carriers and 150 escort ships into the battle, and although they managed to bomb the islands, causing significant damage, they lost all the aircraft carriers and more than 250 aircraft. The battle was a turning point in the entire Pacific campaign.

The American military occupied the atoll from August 1, 1941 to 1945. In 1950, Naval Station Midway became operational again in support of the Korean War. Many ships and aircraft stopped at Midway for refueling and immediate repairs.

From 1968 to 1993, there was an air force base at Midway. A listening point for Soviet submarines was established, which was secret until the very end. cold war when it was demolished. WV-2 (EC-121K) “Willy Victor” aircraft, equipped with powerful radars and serving for early warning of a missile attack, were on duty at the atoll airfield. During the Vietnam War, the island's garrison, then 3,500 strong, also supported the fighting forces. In June 1969, at Midway, in the officers' quarters building, US President Richard Nixon met with South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu.

In 1978, Midway's status as an air force base declined, military installations began to close, and personnel began to leave the atoll. With the proliferation of reconnaissance satellites and nuclear submarines, Midway's importance to US national defense has greatly diminished. September 10, 1993 military base was closed. The Navy took responsibility for cleaning up all contamination.

national reserve

On April 22, 1988, Midway was designated a National Wildlife Refuge, then under the jurisdiction of the Navy. On October 31, 1996, US President Bill Clinton signed an executive order transferring Midway to the Department of the Interior. The last employees of the naval base left the atoll on June 30, 1997, after completing a large-scale environmental cleanup operation of the island. On September 13, 2000, Midway also received the status of the National Battle of Midway Memorial.

On June 15, 2006, US President George W. Bush. signed a decree creating the Northwest Hawaiian Islands National Maritime Monument, which included Midway. The monument is jointly managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the State of Hawaii. In 2007, the name of the monument was changed to the Hawaiian name - Papahanaumokuakea.

40-60 reserve employees are constantly on the atoll. Since August 1996, ecotours have been opened for the public to visit the atoll. This program was closed in 2002. Another program to visit the atoll began in 2008, but this too was closed in 2013 due to budget cuts.

Policy

Midway is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States. This means that it is not part of the territory of the United States, but is their possession, the constitution is not in full force, there is no local government, the territory is governed Federal Ministry US Internal Affairs. Since Midway is not part of the state of Hawaii, it is the only one of all the Hawaiian Islands that is in a different time zone - UTC-11 - Samoan Time.

Infrastructure

The backbone of Midway's infrastructure is Henderson Field on Sand Island. The airport has one operational runway with a length of 2400 meters. The airport is now used for emergency landings. Another airfield is located on Eastern Island. Actively used in the Second world war, it is now abandoned. To others important object is a harbor, it is protected by a breakwater, from which a shipping channel has been dug through the lagoon to the open ocean. In addition, 32 kilometers of roads and 7.7 kilometers of pipelines have been laid on the islands of the atoll.

List of islands

Atoll Islands

№	Name	Title in English	Area, km²
1	Sand	Sand Island	4,86
2	Eastern	Eastern Island
Island territories	American Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands
Outer minor islands	Baker, Jarvis, Johnston, Kingman, Midway, Navassa, Palmyra, Wake, Howland

 

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