Sunday, May 27, 2012

70 Years Ago: May 27, 1942 - Japanese Carriers Underway

Admiral Nagumo’s carrier force (Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu and Soryu) got underway to provide carrier air support for the planned invasion of Midway. Escorting the force were two battleships, three cruisers and many destroyers. Including the invasion force, the Japanese fleet numbered about ninety vessels. Japanese planners were certain that the US only had two carriers available, and expected them to be in Pearl Harbor, unable to reach Midway in time.

The Japanese Navy was unaware that US Navy cryptographers had broken the fleet's operational code, known to US analysts as JN-25.

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