Battle of Midway
1942 CE · Pacific Ocean
The Battle of Midway was fought in 1942 CE in Pacific Ocean between United States vs the Empire of Japan; decisive American victory; Japan lost four fleet carriers.
Battle of Midway: quick facts
- Date
- 1942 CE
- Location
- Pacific Ocean
- Belligerents
- United States vs the Empire of Japan
- Commanders
- Chester W. Nimitz, Frank Jack Fletcher and Raymond A. Spruance vs Isoroku Yamamoto and Chūichi Nagumo
- Result
- decisive American victory; Japan lost four fleet carriers.
- Era
- 🪖 World Wars
- Quiz difficulty
- easy
What happened at the Battle of Midway?
American codebreakers intercepted Japanese plans, allowing Admiral Nimitz to set a trap near Midway Atoll. In just five minutes, American dive bombers destroyed three Japanese carriers, with a fourth sunk later that day. Japan lost four fleet carriers, 248 aircraft, and hundreds of experienced pilots—losses that Japan could never replace. The battle shifted the Pacific War's momentum permanently to the Allies.
Did you know?
The five crucial minutes at Midway when American dive bombers caught three Japanese carriers with fueled and armed planes on their decks changed the entire course of the Pacific War.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Midway on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.