Midway order of battle
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This is the order of battle for the World War II Battle of Midway.
Contents
Overview[edit]
Ships involved in the Midway operation[1]
Japan[edit]
The Japanese forces (the "Combined Fleet") actually consisted of two different fleets detailed to two separate operations, namely Operation AL (for the Aleutians) and Operation MI (for Midway).
First Fleet[edit]
- First Fleet Main Force
- 1st Battleship Division - Rear Admiral Gihachi Takayanagi in Yamato
- Yamato - Rear Admiral Takayanagi, (Flagship of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander of the Japanese Combined Fleet)
- Mutsu - Rear Admiral Gunji Kogure
- Nagato - Captain Hideo Yano
- Carrier Group:
- CVE Hōshō - Captain Kaoru Umetani (8 B4Y1 'Jean' - Lt. Yoshiaki Irikiin)
- DD Yūkaze - Lt. Commander Shizuka Kajimoto
- Special Force
- CVS Chiyoda - Captain Kaku Harada
- CVS Nisshin - Captain Katsumi Komazawa
- Screening Force
- 3rd Destroyer Squadron - Rear Admiral Shintaro Hashimoto in Sendai
- CL Sendai - Captain Nobue Morishita
- 11th Destroyer Division - Captain Kichiro Shoji (Fubuki - Lt. Commander Shizuo Yamashita, Shirayuki - Lt. Commander Rokoro Sugawara, Hatsuyuki - Lt. Commander Junnari Kamiura, Murakumo - Lt. Commander Hideo Higashi)
- 19th Destroyer Division - Captain Ranji Oe (Isonami - Commander Ryokichi Sugama, Uranami - Lt. Commander Tsutomu Hagio, Shikinami - Lt. Commander Akifumi Kawahashi, Ayanami - Commander Eiji Sakuma)
- 3rd Destroyer Squadron - Rear Admiral Shintaro Hashimoto in Sendai
- 1st Supply Group: Captain Shigeyasu Nishioka in Naruto
- AO Naruto - Captain Nishioka
- Toei Maru
- 1st Battleship Division - Rear Admiral Gihachi Takayanagi in Yamato
- First Carrier Striking Force (First Air Fleet) - Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo
- 1st Carrier Division: Vice Admiral Nagumo in Akagi
- Akagi - Captain Taijiro Aoki
- Air Unit: Commander Mitsuo Fuchida (19 A6M2 Type 21 - Lt. Commander Shigeru Itaya, 18 D3A1 - Lt. Commander Takehiko Chihaya, 18 B5N2 - Lt. Commander Shigeharu Murata)
- Kaga - Captain Jisaku Okada†.
- Air Unit: Lt Commander Tadashi Kusumi† (18 A6M2 Type 21 - Lt. Masao Sato, 18 D3A1 - Lt. Shoichi Ogawa, 27 B5N2 - Lt. Ichiro Kitajima)
- Akagi - Captain Taijiro Aoki
- 2nd Carrier Division: Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi† in Hiryū.
- Hiryū - Captain Tomeo Kaku†
- Air Unit: Lt Joichi Tomonaga† (18 A6M2 Type 21 - Lt. Shigeru Mori†, 18 D3A1 - Lt. Michio Kobayashi†, 18 B5N2 - Lt. Kikuchi Rokuro†)
- Sōryū - Captain Ryusaku Yanagimoto†
- Air Unit: Lt Commander Takashige Egusa (18 A6M2 Type 21 - Lt. Masaharu Suganami, 18 D3A1 - Lt. Masahiro Ikeda, 18 B5N2 - Lt. Heijiro Abe, 2 D4Y1)
- Hiryū - Captain Tomeo Kaku†
- Support Group
- 8th Cruiser Division: Rear Admiral Hiroaki Abe in Tone
- 3rd Battleship Division, 2nd Section: RADM Tamotsu Takama in Haruna
- Haruna - RADM Takama (3 E8N2 Type 95)
- Kirishima - Captain Sanji Iwabuchi (3 E8N2 Type 95)
- Screening Force
- 10th Destroyer Squadron - Rear Admiral Susumu Kimura in Nagara
- CL Nagara - Captain Toshio Naoi
- 4th Destroyer Division - Captain Kōsaku Aruga (Nowaki - Commander Magataro Koga, Arashi - Commander Yusumasa Watanabe, Hagikaze - Commander Juichi Iwagami, Maikaze - Commander Seiji Nakasugi)
- 10th Destroyer Division- Captain Toshio Abe (Kazagumo - Commander Masayoshi Yoshida, Yūgumo - Commander Shigeo Semba, Makigumo - Commander Isamu Fujita)
- 17th Destroyer Division - Captain Masayuki Kitamura (Urakaze - Commander Nagayoshi Shiraishi, Isokaze - Commander Shunichi Toyoshima, Tanikaze - Commander Motoi Katsumi, Hamakaze - Commander Tsuneo Orita)
- 10th Destroyer Squadron - Rear Admiral Susumu Kimura in Nagara
- Supply Group 1 - Captain Masanao Ota in Kyokuto Maru
- 1st Carrier Division: Vice Admiral Nagumo in Akagi
Second Fleet (Midway Invasion Force)[edit]
- Second Fleet Main Body - Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondō[3] in Atago
- 3rd Battleship Division (less 2nd Section): Rear Admiral Gunichi Mikawa
- Kongō - Captain Tomiji Koyanagi
- Hiei - Captain Masao Nishida
- 4th Cruiser Division (less 2nd Section): Vice Admiral Kondo
- CA Atago - Captain Baron Matsuji Ijuin
- CA Chōkai - Captain Mikio Hayakawa
- 5th Cruiser Division: Vice Admiral Takeo Takagi
- CA Myōkō - Captain Teruhiko Miyoshi
- CA Haguro - Captain Tomokazu Mori
- Screening Force
- 4th Destroyer Squadron - Rear Admiral Shoji Nishimura in CL Yura
- CL Yura - Captain Shiro Sato
- 3rd Destroyer Division - Captain Ranji Oe (DDs Murasame - Lt. Commander Naoji Suenaga, Samidare - Commander Takisaburo Matsubara, Harusame - Lt. Commander Masao Kamiyama, Yūdachi - Commander Kiyoshi Kamiyama)
- 9th Destroyer Division - Captain Yasuo Sato (DDs Asagumo - Commander Toru Iwahashi, Minegumo - Lt. Commander Yasuatsu Suzuki, Natsugumo - Lt. Commander Moritaro Tsukamoto)
- 4th Destroyer Squadron - Rear Admiral Shoji Nishimura in CL Yura
- Carrier Group - Captain Sueo Obayashi
- Supply Group: - Captain Jiro Murao in Sata
- AO Sata - Captain Murao
- AO Tsurumi - Captain Toshizo Fujita
- AO Genyo Maru
- AO Kenyo Maru
- AR Akashi - Captain Tsunekichi Fukuzawa
- 3rd Battleship Division (less 2nd Section): Rear Admiral Gunichi Mikawa
- Midway Occupation Force - Rear Admiral Raizo Tanaka
- Transports and Patrol Boats carrying about 5000 troops under Captain Minoru Ota IJN and Colonel Kiyonao Ichiki IJA
- Kiyozumi Maru
- Keiyo Maru
- Zenyo Maru
- Goshu Maru #2
- Toa Maru
- Kano Maru
- Argentina Maru
- Hokuriku Maru
- Brazil Maru
- Kirishima Maru
- Azuma Maru
- Nankai Maru
- Patrol Boat #1
- Patrol Boat #2
- Patrol Boat #34
- AO Akebono Maru - damaged by torpedo night of June 3–4
- Escort Force - Rear Admiral Tanaka in CL Jintsu
- CL Jintsu - Captain Torazo Kozai
- 15th Destroyer Division - Captain Torajiro Sato (Kuroshio - Commander Tamaki Ugaki, Oyashio - Commander Tokiyoshi Arima)
- 16th Destroyer Division - Captain Shiro Shibuya (Yukikaze - Commander Kenjiro Tobita, Amatsukaze - Commander Tameichi Hara, Tokitsukaze - Commander Giichiro Nakahara, Hatsukaze - Commander Kameshiro Takahashi)
- 18th Destroyer Division - Captain Yoshito Miyasaka (Shiranui - Commander Shizuo Akazawa, Kasumi - Commander Kiyoshi Tomura, Arare - Commander Tomoe Ogata, Kagerō - Commander Minoru Yokoi)
- Seaplane Tender Group: Rear Admiral Ruitaro Fujita in Chitose
- 11th Seaplane Tender Division
- CVS Chitose - Captain Tamotsu Furukawa (16 A6M2 -N 'Rufe' floatplane fighters, 4 E13A scout aeroplanes)
- AV Kamikawa Maru - Captain Tarohachi Shinoda (8 A6M-2N 'Rufe' floatplane fighters, 4 E13A scout aeroplanes)
- DD Hayashio - Commander Kiyoshi Kaneda
- Patrol boat #35 (carrying troops)
- 11th Seaplane Tender Division
- Transports and Patrol Boats carrying about 5000 troops under Captain Minoru Ota IJN and Colonel Kiyonao Ichiki IJA
- Midway Support Force - Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita in Kumano
- 7th Cruiser Division - Vice Admiral Kurita.
- CA Kumano - Captain Kikumatsu Tanaka
- CA Suzuya - Captain Masatomi Kimura
- CA Mogami - Captain Shakao Sakiyama†
- CA Mikuma - Captain Akira Soji
- 8th Destroyer Division - Commander Nobuki Ogawa
- Attached Oiler
- AO Nichiei Maru
- 7th Cruiser Division - Vice Admiral Kurita.
- Minesweeper Group - Captain Sadatomo Miyamoto
- 4 Minesweepers
- Tama Maru #3
- Tama Maru #5
- Shonan Maru #7
- Shonan Maru #8
- 3 Subchasers
- Subchaser #16
- Subchaser #17
- Subchaser #18
- 1 Supply ship
- Soya - Commander Toshi Kubota
- 2 Cargo ships
- Meiyo Maru
- Yamafuku Maru
- 4 Minesweepers
- Advance (Submarine) Force (Sixth Fleet) - Vice Admiral Teruhisa Komatsu in Katori at Kwajalein
-
- CL Katori - Captain Noboru Owada
- 3rd Submarine Squadron- Rear Admiral Chimaki Kona in Rio de Janeiro Maru (flagship at Kwajalein)
- 19th Submarine Division - Captain Ryojiro Ono
- 13th Submarine Division - Captain Takeji Miyazaki
- 30th Submarine Division - Captain Maseo Teraoka
- I-162 - Lt. Commander Takakazu Kinashi
- I-165 - Lt. Commander Hakue Jarada
- I-166 - Lt. Commander Makio Tanaka
-
Shore-based Air Force[edit]
- Eleventh Air Fleet - Vice Admiral Nishizo Tsukahara (at Tinian)
- Midway Expeditionary Force - Captain Chisato Morita
- 36 'Zero' fighters - Lt. Commander Mitsugu Kofukuda
- 10 'Betty' bombers at Wake Island
- 6 flying boats at Jaluit
- 24th Air Flotilla - Rear Admiral Minoru Maeda
- Chitose Air Group at Kwajalein - Captain Fujiro Ohashi
- 36 'Zero' fighters
- 36 B5N2s
- 1st Air Group at Aur and Wotje - Captain Samaji Inoue
- 36 'Zero' fighters
- 36 B5N2s
- 14th Air Group - Captain Daizo Nakajima
- 36 H6K Flying boats at Jaluit and Wotje
- Chitose Air Group at Kwajalein - Captain Fujiro Ohashi
- Midway Expeditionary Force - Captain Chisato Morita
Northern Area Force[edit]
- Fifth Fleet Main Body - Vice Admiral Boshirō Hosogaya in Nachi
- CA Nachi - Captain Takahiko Kiyota
- DD Inazuma - Lt. Commander Hajime Takeuchi
- DD Ikazuchi - Lt. Commander Shunsaku Kudo
- Supply Group
- AO Fujisan Maru
- AO Nissan Maru
- 3 Cargo Ships
- Second Carrier Striking Force - Rear Admiral Kakuji Kakuta in Ryujo
- 4th Carrier Division - Rear Admiral Kakuta
- CVL Ryūjō - Captain Tadeo Kato
- Air Unit - Lt. Masayuki Yamagami (16 A6M2 - Lt. Minoru Kobayashi, 21 B5N2 - Lt. Yamagami)
- CV Jun'yō - Captain Shizue Isii
- Air Unit - Lt. Yoshio Shiga (24 A6M2 - Lt. Shiga, 15 D3A1 - Lt. Zenji Abe)
- CVL Ryūjō - Captain Tadeo Kato
- 4th Cruiser Division, 2d Section - Captain Shunsaku Nabeshima in Maya
- CA Takao - Captain Bunji Asakura
- CA Maya - Captain Nabeshima
- 7th Destroyer Division - Captain Kaname Konishi (Akebono - Lt. Commander Minoru Nakagawa, Ushio - Lt. Commander Yoshitake Uesugi, Sazanami - Lt. Commander Hiroshi Uwai)
- AO Teiyo Maru
- 4th Carrier Division - Rear Admiral Kakuta
- Aleutian Support Force - Vice Admiral Shiro Takasu in Hyūga
- 2nd Battleship Division - Vice Admiral Takasu
- Fusō - Captain Chozaemon Obata
- Hyūga - Captain Chiaki Matsuda
- Ise - Captain Isamu Takeda
- Yamashiro - Captain Gunji Kogure
- Screening Force - Rear Admiral Fukuji Kishi in Kitakami
- 9th Cruiser Division - Rear Admiral Kishi
- CL Kitakami - Captain Saiji Norimitsu
- CL Ōi - Captain Moichi Narita
- 20th Destroyer Division - Captain Yuji Yamada (Asagiri - Lt. Commander Nisaburo Maekawa, Yūgiri - Commander Masayoshi Motokura, Shirakumo - Commander Toyoji Hitomi, Amagiri - Captain Buichi Ashida)
- 24th Destroyer Division - Captain Yasuji Hirai (Umikaze - Commander Nagahide Sugitani, Yamakaze - Lt. Commander Shuichi Hamanaka, Kawakaze - Lt. Commander Kazuo Wakabayashi, Suzukaze - Lt. Commander Kazuo Shibayama)
- 27th Destroyer Division - Captain Matake Yoshimura (Ariake - Lt. Commander Shoichi Yoshida, Yūgure - Lt. Commander Kiyoshi Kamo, Shigure - Commander Noboru Seo, Shiratsuyu - Lt. Commander Kanematsu Hashimoto)
- 9th Cruiser Division - Rear Admiral Kishi
- Supply Group - Captain Matsuo Eguchi
- AO San Clemente Maru - Captain Eguchi
- AO Toa Maru
- 2nd Battleship Division - Vice Admiral Takasu
- Attu Invasion Force - Rear Admiral Sentaro Omori in Abukuma
- CL Abukuma - Captain Seiroku Murayama
- 21st Destroyer Division - Captain Toshio Shimizu (Wakaba - Lt. Commander Masakichi Kuroki, Nenohi - Lt. Commander Saburo Terauchi, Hatsuharu - Lt. Commander Hiroshi Makino, Hatsushimo - Lt. Commander Satoru Kohama)
- Magane Maru Minelayer
- AP Kinugasa Maru - carrying 1200 army troops under Major Matsutoshi Hozumi
- Kiska Invasion Force - Captain Takeji Ono in Kiso
- 21st Cruiser Division - Captain ono
- Screening Force
- 6th Destroyer Division - Captain Yusuke Tamada (Hibiki - Lt. Commander Hagumu Ishii, Akatsuki - Lt. Commander Osamu Takasuka, Hakaze - Lt. Commander Tomo Tanaka)
- 13th Minesweeper Division - Captain Toshio Mitsuka
- Hakuho Maru
- Kaiho Maru
- Shinkotsu Maru
- Transports
- Hokusan Maru - carrying 550 troops under Lt. Commander Hifumi Mukai
- Kumagawa Maru - carrying 700 labor troops with construction equipment
- Submarine Detachment
- 1st Submarine Squadron - Rear Admiral Shigeaki Yamakazi
- I-9 - Commander Akiyoshi Fujii
- 2nd Submarine Division- Captain Hiroshi Imazato
- 4th Submarine Division - Captain Mitsuru Nagai
- 1st Submarine Squadron - Rear Admiral Shigeaki Yamakazi
- Aleutian Seaplane Tender Force - Captain Keiichi Ujuku
- AV Kimikawa Maru - Captain Ujuku (air unit 8 3-seat floatplanes)
- DD Shiokaze - Lt. Yoji Tanegashima
United States[edit]
The US Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas were under the overall command of Admiral Chester Nimitz.[4]
Carrier Strike Force[edit]
Task Force 17 - Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher in Yorktown
- Task Group 17.5 (Carrier Group)
- USS Yorktown - Captain Elliott Buckmaster
- Yorktown Air Group (Including elements of Saratoga Air Group) - Lt. Commander Oscar Pederson:
- VF-3 - F4F-4 - Lt. Cmdr. John Thach
- VB-3 - SBD-3 - Lt. Cmdr. Max Leslie
- VS-5 - SBD-3 - Lt. Wallace Clark Short
- VT-3 - TBD-1 - Lt. Cmdr. Lance Massey†
- Yorktown Air Group (Including elements of Saratoga Air Group) - Lt. Commander Oscar Pederson:
- USS Yorktown - Captain Elliott Buckmaster
- Task Group 17.2 (Cruiser Group) - Rear Admiral William W. Smith in Astoria
- Task Group 17.4 (Destroyer Screen) - Captain Gilbert Hoover (COMDESRON 2)
Task Force 16 - commander: Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance in Enterprise
- Task Group 16.5 (Carrier Group)[5]
- USS Enterprise - Captain George D. Murray
- Enterprise Air Group - Lt. Cmdr. C. Wade McClusky:
- VF-6 - F4F-4 - Lt. James S. Gray
- VB-6 - SBD-2/3 - Lt. Richard Halsey Best
- VS-6 - SBD-2/3 - Lt. Wilmer Earl Gallaher
- VT-6 - TBD-1 - Lt. Cmdr. Eugene E. Lindsey†
- Enterprise Air Group - Lt. Cmdr. C. Wade McClusky:
- USS Hornet - Captain Marc A. Mitscher
- Hornet Air Group - Commander Stanhope C. Ring:
- VF-8 - F4F-4 - Lt. Cmdr. Samuel G. Mitchell
- VB-8 - SBD-3 - Lt. Cmdr. Walter F. Rodee
- VS-8 - SBD-3 - Lt. Cmdr. Robert R. Johnson
- VT-8 - TBD-1 - Lt. Cmdr. John C. Waldron†
- Hornet Air Group - Commander Stanhope C. Ring:
- USS Enterprise - Captain George D. Murray
- Task Group 16.2 (Cruiser Group) - Rear Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid (COMCRUDIV 6)
- Task Group 16.4 (Destroyer Screen) - Captain Alexander R. Early (COMDESRON 1)
- Oilers Group
Submarines Operational command under Rear Admiral Robert H. English (Commander, Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet) at Pearl Harbor.
- Task Group 7.1
- Task Group 7.2
- Task Group 7.3
Midway Garrison[edit]
- Air group
- Marine Aircraft Group 22 - Colonel Ira Kimes, USMC
- VMF-221 Major Floyd B. Parks†, USMC
- VMSB-241 Major Lofton R. Henderson†, USMC
- Navy Air Units - Captain Cyril Simmard
- Detachments of Patrol Wings 1 and 2 (PBY-5 and PBY-5A Catalinas)
- VT-8 TBF Avenger detachment (from USS Hornet) - Lt. Langdon K. Fieberling†, USN
- Detachment of Seventh Air Force - Maj. Gen. Willis Hale
- B-26 Marauders Capt. James Collins, USA
- B-17 Flying Fortress Lt. Col. Walter C. Sweeney, Jr., USA
- Marine Aircraft Group 22 - Colonel Ira Kimes, USMC
- Local Defenses - Colonel Harold Shannon, Fleet Marine Force commander
- "C" and "D" Companies, 2nd Raider Battalion, USMC
- 6th Defense Battalion (Reinforced) USMC Colonel Shannon
- 1st Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron
- 8 PT boats (2 at Kure Atoll)
- 4 small patrol craft, 2 tenders, and 1 DD (at French Frigate Shoals), 1 Oiler, 1 minesweeper in the area
The military forces at the immediate point of tactical contact (i.e. not including support formations) are described below.
Aircraft[edit]
American Forces[edit]
Naval Air Station (NAS) Midway operated:[6]
- 4 B-26 Marauder, medium bombers
- 17 B-17 Flying Fortress, heavy bombers
- 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: 77 aircraft
- 25 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat, fighters
- 37 Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless, dive bombers
- 15 Douglas TBD-1 Devastator, torpedo bombers
Enterprise: 78 aircraft
- 27 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat, fighters
- 37 Douglas SBD-3 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 Forces[edit]
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
- 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)
Footnotes[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/articles/aftermidway.aspx
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Part of the Aleutian's Support Force: These ships detached from the Main Body before the Midway action commenced
- ^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "Vice-Admiral Nobutake Kondō". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942.
- ^ "Battle of Midway". World War 2 Facts. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
- ^ "Midway Order of Battle". NavWeaps.com. NavWeaps.com. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
- ^ "ONI Review of Midway". ONI Review of Midway. iBiblio.org. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
- ^ "After Midway". Military History Online. militaryhistoryonline.com. Retrieved 14 December 2013.