The Battle of Midway – The First Aerial Strikes, 1942 – 3D Animated



Following the devastating U.S. losses at Pearl Harbor and the fall of Wake Island, Japan sought to eliminate American carrier forces and establish dominance in the central Pacific. What followed was a tense game of intelligence and deception, with U.S. cryptographers uncovering Japanese plans to attack Midway. As the Japanese fleet advanced, American forces prepared to counter Admiral Yamamoto’s overwhelming force. However, the U.S. Carriers weren’t in position as the IJN First Carrier Fleet launched its first strikes, leading to the outnumbered and outgunned Midway Garrison launching desperate attacks with their outdated aircraft…

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0:00 Introduction

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31 thoughts on “The Battle of Midway – The First Aerial Strikes, 1942 – 3D Animated”

  1. at 16:40. it was reported on your video that one American Aircraft had hit the deck of IJN CV Akagi but there are no reports of any American Army or Navy single engine aircraft strike plane(s) ever ramming any Japanese carriers in the initial strike from Midway.

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  2. Never understood the thinking of Japanese naval planning. They always wanted the major battles to take out the American Navy, yet they would make complex plans, split their forces, rely on the battles going exactly how they planned without taking enemy action into account.

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  3. The Aleutians operation (AL or AO) was not, repeat not, a component of Operation MI, the invasion of Midway. It was its own thing and had been ordered to prevent the Americans from using the island chain off the coast of Alaska as a staging area for bomber attacks on the Home Islands. It wasn't a deliberate diversionary effort. Sorry, but it needed to be said.

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  4. This Viddie would be far more believable it the F4F aircraft actually present at Midway were not depicted as F4U aircraft that were unavailable aircraft for another two full years to aircraft carrier usage.

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  5. Yamamoto was obviously a master tactician and commander, however, I have always been baffled as to his confusing battle plan – specifically splitting his naval assets, where one group would be used for his diversionary Aleutian Islands mission, hoping to draw the American navy to protect the islands with the second group attacking Midway.

    The plan was way to complex and relied on hoping America would fall for the diversion, and also, Yamamoto hoped the allies hadn't broken Japanese codes!!

    Far too many intangibles in my humble opinion.
    Yamamoto should have sent the entire force to attack Midway. The two small carriers should have been used strictly for fighters, with Japan's large carriers concentration on a mix of bombers and torpedo bombers.

    Had Yamamoto sent the full group the inexperienced American ships would most likely have been defeated rather quickly and Midway would have been taken, giving Japan a deadly base close enough to bomb at will for occupation.

    Just an opinion – I have the luxury of hindsight.
    That was a huge blunder by Japan's most experienced commander, who planned the Pearl Harbor attack which nobody believed was even possible. Japan developed shallow running torpedos knowing the harbor was too shallow for conventional torpedos.

    All his genius tactics during the war have a huge skid mark on them and Yamamoto should have been replaced, for risking so much with a foolish plan to split his force and hoping everything worked out, which all but guaranteeing an allied victory.

    Jack ~'()'~

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  6. There are several sections of the commentary that are not accurate or misleading.

    1:40 Japan did not want to seize Hawaii. They considered it twice when planning for Pearl Harbor. It would've been very risky, would've drawn forces from the simultaneous attacks all over the Pacific, and would be a logistical nightmare even if susseccful. All that was before the USA spent half a year to reinforce defenses.

    3:35 The Suryu was smaller than the Hiryu, and both reached the same speed. They had nominal airgroups of 68 and 72 aircraft, but carried 57 and 59 planes at Midway.

    4:00 The Yamato was hundreds of miles away, in no way part of the battle, and certainly not "ready to provide close support".

    4:50 The attack on the Aleutians was not meant to be a diversion, and could not have been one. First, to lure forces away from Midway the Aleutian attack would have to preceed Midway, not happen at the same time. Second, getting US forces to defend Midway was the very plan.

    8:35 That's 72 hours in harbor. Repairs began while at sea, engineers to support them were airlifted to the carrier, and they send back dimensions of necesary spare parts, prefabricated in Pearl. It was an amazing effort, but it was not quite the Scotty moment.

    12:40 He moved into the wind the day before the attacks? That makes no sense.

    13:40 Not "then", Kido Butai was spotted before the attack on Midway commenced.

    Source: Parshall/Tully 2005, Toll 2012

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  7. Excellent illustration using 3D graphics showing maps of the naval ships locations in the Pacific near Midway Atol as well as planes approaching the Kido Butai when US planes met a savage enemy attack.

    The useless and obsolete Douglas Devastators in Torpedo Squadron (VT-8) under commander Waldron were all but brutally annihilated in a brave fight to hit the carriers but nonetheless, these and others brought down the Japanese Zeros on lower altitudes so when the dive bombers from USS Enterprise and Yorktown arrived later, they were not around to disturb their dives.

    Look forward for the continuation of this battle and great job!

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