70 Years Ago: First Encounter At Midway

At 0900 June 3, 1942, US Navy PBY-5 Catalina amphibious patrol seaplanes operating from Midway encountered ships of the Japanese invasion force more than 700 miles west of the island.  That afternoon, nine US Army B-17 heavy bombers operating from Midway made a high level (20,000 feet altitude) bombing attack on the invasion force. On this occasion, as other incidents early in the Pacific war, B-17's proved ineffective against ships or other moving targets. It would be later in 1942 before US Army air forces modified medium bombers to operate more effectively against ships, using low-level skip bombing tactics. The four USAAF B-26's on Midway had, however, been modified to deliver US Navy air-launched torpedoes.

The Battle of Midway was about aircraft.  By the time of the Japanese attack, Midway was defended by its own aircraft as well as those of three aircraft carriers:


Naval Air Station (NAS) Midway operated:
United States Navy

• 31 PBY-5 Catalina, seaplanes.
• 6 Grumman TBF-1 Avenger, torpedo bombers

United States Army Air Forces

• 4 B-26 Marauder, medium bombers (configured with air-launched torpedoes)
• 17 B-17 Flying Fortress, heavy bombers

United States Marine Corps

• 27 Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless, dive bombers
• 17 Chance-Vought SB2U-3 Vindicator, dive bombers
• 21 Brewster F2A Buffalo, fighters
• 7 Grumman F4F-3A Wildcat, fighters
• 1 light utility aircraft

Yorktown: 76 aircraft

• 25 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat, fighters
• 37 Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless, dive bombers
• 14 Douglas TBD-1 Devastator, torpedo bombers

Enterprise: 78 aircraft

• 27 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat, fighters
• 37 Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless, dive bombers
• 14 Douglas TBD-1 Devastator, torpedo bombers

Hornet: 77 aircraft

• 27 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat, fighters
• 35 Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless, dive bombers
• 15 Douglas TBD-1 Devastator, torpedo bombers

Japanese Aircraft:

The Japanese carriers of the Striking Force operated:
Akagi: 60 aircraft

• 24 A6M Zero, fighters
• 18 Aichi D3A, dive bombers
• 18 Nakajima B5N, torpedo bombers

Kaga: 74 aircraft

• 27 A6M Zero, fighters
• 18 Aichi D3A, dive bombers
• 27 Nakajima B5N, torpedo bombers
• 2 Aichi D3A, dive bombers (cargo, likely non-operational)

Hiryū: 57 aircraft

• 21 A6M Zero, fighters
• 18 Aichi D3A, dive bombers
• 18 Nakajima B5N, torpedo bombers

Sōryū: 57 aircraft

• 21 A6M Zero, fighters
• 16 Aichi D3A, dive bombers
• 18 Nakajima B5N, torpedo bombers
• 2 Yokosuka D4Y-1C, pre-series dive bombers (experimental recon aircraft)

(Note: These figures include 21 operational Zero fighters of the 6th Air Group being ferried to Midway by the carriers.)

• Japanese Battleships and Cruisers: 16 recon floatplanes, most of them short-ranged (5 Aichi E13A, 10 Nakajima E8N, 1 Aichi E11A)