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It isn’t often remembered. It isn’t celebrated or memorialized outside of 2 Hollywood movies of the same name. Both star studded films, called Midway, show the story of one of the greatest naval battles in history. The first, starring men like Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, and Robert Mitchum, focused more on the battle itself and covering the highlights, also using real combat footage when possible. The second, which stars Woody Harrelson, Luke Evans, Ed Skrein, and more, tells the story mostly through the eyes of Dick Best, who became only one of 2 pilots to hit 2 targets in one battle. That battle, which occurred 80 years ago today, marked a turning point in the world’s greatest and worst war to date.
I’m only familiar with the first Midway movie. True, a Naval battle, but more accurately an air battle between carriers. A difficult concept to portray on film.
Imperial Japan had a great Navy that on that day was shown to be vulnerable at last.
Eileen
Indeed. It also didn’t help that they were rearming from sea combat to shore and back to sea when the US attacked. Plus one of the greatest successful failures occurred that day, when the US Air group, contrary to doctrine, attacked piecemeal, eventually leaving the skies mostly clear for Bombing 3 (Yorktown) and Bombing 6 (Enterprise), though another blunder occurred from McCluskey when he and Bombing 3 attacked the first carrier in sight.
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The battle of Midway was the battle that brought about the famous phrase…
DAMN THE TORPEDOS!!!
EDIT….
Sorry….. I’ve been corrected. I must have been napping when this was covered in history class or I was too occupied admiring the teachers makeup and outfit.
You are incorrect, Michelle. In fact you are off by about 80 years. The phrase, “Damn the Torpedoes” is from the War Between the States (American Civil War), and not the Second World War.
The full quote, “Damn the Torpedoes! Captain Drayton, go ahead! Jouett, full speed!” was uttered by then Rear Admiral David Glasgow Farragut at the Battle of Mobile Bay to the commander of his flagship, USS Hartford upon being warned of torpedoes (floating mines) ahead of the squadron’s course into the bay.
MacKenzie Alexandra
Sorry Michelle. Politics and history are my hobbies. Admiral Farragut in 1864, Battle of Mobile Bay, his orders were, “Damn the torpedoes!” https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/damn-torpedoes
Torpedoes were not the same as we know them today.
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Duh…. thank you dear
And that military intelligence could aid in a fight
The Battle of Midway demonstrated that the United States’ greatest asset is not its military technology, but rather the men and women who crew and operate this technology.
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Thanks dear
Midway was the critical turning point as Japan lost 4 of its 6 fleet carriers, losing its offensive punch. Bad luck ( or good ) that Tones’ scout, whose patrol area was where the U.S. fleet was, did not launch. Had it launched on time, the American carriers would probably have been spotted first. Dang, I could go on all day about this stuff, lol. In carrier engagements the one who finds the enemy first usually wins.
Haven’t watched the second Midway movie yet. I’m afraid to, after watching Pearl Harbor years back. ( it sucked compared to Tora Tora Tora )
Stevie
It isn’t that bad. It’s not made as a remake, just tells the story through Dick Best of Bombing 6 (Enterprise). If you know the history of the war to that point, it’s easy to follow as it skips from Pearl to the Marshall Islands, to Doolittle, to Coral Sea, to Midway (sorry for any spoiler). But I could do the same. I’ve studied Midway for years and can go on about what both sides did right or wrong for days on end
US Navy cryptologists, working in an unmarked windowless building, located at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, being led by LCDR Joe Rochefort, in 1942, had broken the Japanese naval code JN-25.
Communications intelligence produced by this “On The Roof Gang,” (unofficial name), enabled Admiral Nimitz to place his three carriers in a position which gave him superior tactical advantage over the Japanese.
They Served In Silence, US Navy Cryptologists.
Station Hypo. The real key, championed by Commander Edwin Layton
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