Miracle at Midway

The Battle of Midway was the most decisive battle in the Pacific in the Second World War. Prior to the battle the Japanese had one victory after another. They had put the majority of the American Pacific Fleet out of action at Pear Harbor, they had sunk the British Battle ships the Prince of Wales and the Repulse in a few minutes and they had won naval actions in conquering the Philippines. The Japanese had in their carrier arm a superb weapon. The Zero fighter at that time was superior to any American aircraft. Their naval pilots had been fighting since 1936 in China and were superbly trained. The Japanese fleet which sailed to Midway had four carriers and a huge battle fleet. The Americans had only three carriers available, one the Yorktown had only just been repaired after the battle of the Coral Sea. Logically the Japanese should have won and dominated the Pacific. Instead at the end of the battle all the Japanese carriers involved in the battle were sunk, the cream of the Japanese fliers had been killed and the Japanese started to lose their confidence. As the war developed the Americans were able to rebuild their fleet and to develop technology which meant by the 1944 the Japanese navy was totally outclassed both in numbers and qualitatively.Unlike the European war there have been no real mysteries about the pacific campaign. The conquest of Japan meant that records of all major battles were available from both sides. Never the less this book is a clear well-written account of an important battle. It can be easily understood by anyone and is a delight to read. In short the victories of the Japanese meant that they became careless. The did not do a proper search for the American forces and their carriers were caught with fully armed aircraft on their flight deck. This meant that single bomb hits detonated the weapons of the Japanese dive bombers causing multiple explosions and the destruction of the carriers. A great book of a battle in which American bravery allowed them to win against considerable odds.

Gordon Prange, the late author of At Dawn We Slept, Miracle at Midway, Pearl Harbor, the Verdict of History and The Pearl Harbor Papers does an unmatched job of researching the beginnings of the Pacific War from the Japanese perspective, interviewing many of the participants of the Nihon Kaigun (Imperial Japanese Navy) especially the Kido Butai (First Striking Force). Midway was an extremely close call and victory for the Japanese might have meant conquest of Hawaii and therefore a war lasting some two years longer for America (my opinion). Prange excellently presents the intelligence dilemma and the precise interpretation which presented Admiral Nimitz with his opportunity to ambush Nagumo Chuichi and his four carriers. The author gives credit to the American commanders, Spruance and Fletcher for their flexibility and all the Americans for their courage and stamina. Midway was won by American naval airmen and Prange makes that clear.

In the same tradition as At Dawn We Slept, Miracle At Midway engulfs and captivates the reader. This book describes in great detail both American and Japanese plans for battle. The apprehensions of the Japanese staff to approve the Midway mission are described, as well as Washington's uncertainty of the Japanese intentions. Many believed that Japan would try to attack Hawaii or the West Coast. Thanks to the codebreakers, Midway was found to be the true objective. Prange describes in great detail how the brave torpedo bomber pilots flew undaunted against the Japanese carriers, clearing the way for the deadly attacks by the Dauntless dive bomber pilots. Also, the Japanese blunders in rearming their aircraft after the Midway strike are described. This book is a must read for any fan of naval warfare.

While this is probably the best book on the Battle of Midway I noticed a couple of factual errors. The authors have fallen for one of the biggest myth of WWII in their account of the recovery of a crashed Zero. They stated that American designers tested the rebuilt plane and were able to counter its weaknesses and designed the Grumman Hellcat as a response. Totally, false, design work on the Hellcat and construction of a prototype was well underway by June 1942 and the captured enemy plane had no bearing on the Hellcat's design. This story has been repeated in so many historical works that it is rare to find a book on the Pacific War that does not mention it. Blatant mistakes like this, which can easily be checked, cast doubt on the credibility of the rest of the research.