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Weekly Online LessonOnline Lesson ArchiveGrade Level: 7-12
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The Battle of Midway
This
week, World War II veterans commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the
Battle of Midway, a critical turning point of the war in the Pacific.
For three days, June 4-6, 1942, American dive bombers and fighter pilots
fended off the Japanese naval fleet's attempt to gain Midway as a military
outpost. After Midway, the crippled Japanese fleet withdrew to a defensive
position, while the United States retained a strategic military base that
brought submarines four days closer to patrol stations in Asia.
Some veterans and historians are disappointed that the Battle of Midway does not receive the same attention as other key events of the war, such as Pearl Harbor or V-J Day.
For
more than 90 years, Midway was under the jurisdiction of the Navy. The
Naval Air Facility on Midway was closed in the early 1990s, and the atoll
became a National Wildlife Refuge. In 2000, the atoll was designated the
Battle of Midway National Memorial, as authorized by Congress.
This week's online lesson commemorates the anniversary of this important American victory and honors the many brave men who fought and died in defense of freedom.
Naval Historical Center
For
an good description of the Battle of Midway, you can't get much more authoritative
than the Naval Historical Center's Battle
of Midway site. Scroll past the navigation options for now and
read the brief introduction and general background information. How did
naval intelligence find out about Japan's planned attack on Midway? How
did the Doolittle attack on the Japanese home islands (portrayed in the
film Pearl Harbor) affect the Midway attack plans? What were the
names of the four Japanese carriers in the First Mobile Strike Force,
and how many total aircraft did they carry? What were the names of the
three American carriers?
Now read about the three-day battle. Who launched the first attack on June 4, and what was the result? The following morning, torpedo squadrons attacked Japanese carriers, but they were all but wiped out by the defending Japanese fighters. How did their sacrifice lead to the destruction of three Japanese carriers? How was the fourth carrier destroyed? Name the downed pilot who survived and watched the whole battle floating in the water.
Scroll back up to the navigation at the top of the page and click Online Photography and related images. Look at each of the images and read the descriptions.
Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
Turn
now to the Midway
Atoll National Wildlife Refuge for another write-up of the battle.
The difference here is that the story is told with a stronger Midway Atoll
emphasis. You will learn about the buildings of Midway, armaments and
defenses at Midway, and attacks prior to the pivotal battle? Who was First
Lt. George H. Cannon and why was he awarded the Medal of Honor? How did
intelligence experts test the theory that Midway (AF) was a target of
the Japanese? Name several things that "went wrong" for the
Japanese. What did Admiral Nagumo decide to do when he realized that all
the downed planes couldn't be coming from Midway? How did this leave the
Japanese fleet vulnerable?
While at the Midway site, consider visiting some of the links at the top left and learning about the reserve's people, location, landscape, and wildlife.
Battle of Midway Art
You've
seen a few images from the Battle of Midway. Now visit the Battle
of Midway Art site and view paintings by John Greaves of related
planes, ships, and events. Read the caption for each image, most of which
include a first-person account. Click each image to see a larger view.
At
this site you can also view color photos of Torpedo
Squadron Eight taken from the movie of the same name. Read the
introduction and explanation of the footage, and then view the images.
Click each photo to see a larger view. Find the photo of ENS George H.
Gay, the only survivor of the June 4 battle. How do these images affect
your personal feelings about the Battle of Midway and war in general?
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