Midway order of battle
This is the order of battle for the World War II Battle of Midway.
Contents
Overview
Ships involved in the Midway operation[1]
Japan
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
- 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)
- 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
- 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
- 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
The US Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas are under the overall command of Admiral Chester Nimitz.[4]
Carrier Strike Force
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
- Air group
- Marine Aircraft Group 22 - Colonel Ira Kimes, USMC
- VMF-221 Major Floyd B. Parks, USMC (KIA)
- VMSB-241 Major Lofton R. Henderson, USMC, KIA
- 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, KIA
- 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
American Forces
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
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
References
- ↑ http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/articles/aftermidway.aspx
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Part of the Aleutian's Support Force: These ships detached from the Main Body before the Midway action commenced
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.