This is the order of battle for the World War II Battle of Midway.
Contents |
Japanese Combined Fleet
The Japanese forces 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
- Battleship Division (BatDiv) 1 - Rear Admiral Gihachi Takayanagi in Yamato
- Carrier Group:
- Special Force
- CVS Chiyoda - Captain Kaku Harada
- CVS Nisshin - Captain Katsumi Komazawa
- Screening Force
- CL Sendai - Captain Nobue Morishita
- Destroyer Squadron (DesRon) 3 - Rear Admiral Shintaro Hashimoto in Sendai
- Destroyer Division (DesDiv) 11 - Captain Kichiro Shoji (Fubuki - Lt. Commander Shizuo Yamashita, Shirayuki - Lt. Commander Rokoro Sugawara, Hatsuyuki - Lt. Commander Junnari Kamiura, Murakamo - Lt. Commander Hideo Higashi)
- DesDiv 19 - Captain Ranji Oe (Isonami - Commander Ryokichi Sugama, Uranami - Lt. Commander Tsutomu Hagio, Shikinami - Lt. Commander Akifumi Kawahashi, Ayanami - Commander Eiji Sakuma)
- 1st Supply Group: Captain Shigeyasu Nishioka in Naruto
- Naruto - Captain Nishioka
- Toei Maru
- First Carrier Striking Force (First Air Fleet) - Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo
- Carrier Division (CarDiv I): 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
- Carrier Division 2 (Cardiv 2): 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 D3AI - Lt. Masahiro Ikeda , 18 B5N2 - Lt. Heijiro Abe, 2 D4Y1)
- Hiryū - Captain Tomeo Kaku†
- Support Group Rear Admiral Hiroaki Abe in Tone
- BatDiv 3, 2nd Section: RADM Tamotsu Takama in Haruna
- Screening Force
- CL Nagara - Captain Toshio Naoi
- DesRon 10 - Rear Admiral Susumu Kimura in Nagara
- DesDiv 4 - Captain Kosaku Ariga (Nowaki - Commander Magataro Koga, Arashi - Commander Yusumasa Watanabe, Hagikaze - Commander Juichi Iwagami, Maikaze - Commander Seiji Nakasugi)
- DesDiv 10 - Captain Toshio Abe (Kazagumo - Commander Masayoshi Yoshida, Yugumo - Commander Shigeo Semba, Makigumo - Commander Isamu Fujita)
- DesDiv 17 - Captain Masayuki Kitamura (Urakaze - Commander Nagayoshi Shiraishi, Isokaze - Commander Shunichi Toyoshima, Tanikaze - Commander Motoi Katsumi, Hamakaze - Commander Tsuneo Orita)
- Supply Group 1 - Captain Masanao Ota in Kyokuto Maru
- Carrier Division (CarDiv I): Vice Admiral Nagumo in Akagi
Second Fleet (Midway Invasion Force)
- Second Fleet Main Body - Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondo in Atago
- BatDiv 3 (less 2nd Section): Rear Admiral Gunichi Mikawa
- Kongō - Captain Tomiji Koyanagi
- Hiei - Captain Masao Nishida
- CruDiv 4 (less 2nd Section): Vice Admiral Kondo
- CA Atago - Captain Baron Matsuji Ijuin
- CA Chōkai - Captain Mikio Hayakawa
- CruDiv 5 : Vice Admiral Takeo Takagi
- Screening Force - Rear Admiral Shoji Nishimura
- CL Yura - Captain Shiro Sato
- DesRon 4 - Rear Admiral Nishimura in CL Yura
-
- DesDiv 3 - Captain Ranji Oe (DDs Murusame - Lt. Commander Naoji Suenaga, Samidare - Commander Takisaburo Matsubara, Harusame - Lt. Commander Masao Kamiyama, Yudachi - Commander Kiyoshi Kamiyama)
- DesDiv 9 - Captain Yasuo Sato (DDs Asagumo - Commander Toru Iwahashi, Minegumo - Lt. Commander Yasuatsu Suzuki, Natsugumo - Lt. Commander Moritaro Tsukamoto)
-
- Carrier Group - Captain Sueo Obayashi
- CVL Zuihō - Captain Obayashi.
- Air Component: 12 A6M2 Zero Type 21 - Lt. Moriyasu Hidaka, 12 B5N2 - Lt. Kaji Matsuo
- DD Mikozuki - Lt. Commander Saneho Maeda
- CVL Zuihō - Captain 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
- BatDiv 3 (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
- DesDiv 15 - Captain Torajiro Sato (Kuroshio - Commander Tamaki Ugaki, Oyashio - Commander Tokiyoshi Arima)
- DesDiv 16 - Captain Shiro Shibuya (Yukikaze - Commander Kenjiro Tobita, Amatsukaze - Commander Tameichi Hara, Tokitsukaze - Commander Giichiro Nakahara, Hatsukaze - Commander Kameshiro Takahashi)
- DesDiv 18 - Captain Yoshito Miyasaka (Shiranuhi - Commander Shizuo Akazawa, Kasumi - Commander Kiyoshi Tomura, Arare - Commander Tomoe Ogata, Kagero - Commander Minoru Yokoi)
- Seaplane Tender Group: Rear Admiral Ruitaro Fujita in Chitose
- Seaplane Tender Div 11
- 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)
- Seaplane Tender Div 11
- 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
- CruDiv 7 - Vice Admiral Kurita.
- CA Kumano - Captain Kikumatsu Tanaka
- CA Suzuya - Captain Masatomi Kimura
- CA Mogami - Captain Shakao Sakiyama†
- CA Mikuma - Captain Akira Soji
- DesDiv 8 - Commander Nobuki Ogawa
- Attached Oiler
- AO Nichiei Maru
- CruDiv 7 - 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
- Submarine Squadron (SubRon) 3 - Rear Admiral Chimaki Kona in Rio de Janeiro Maru (flagship at Kwajalein)
- Submarine Division (SubDiv) 19 - Captain Ryojiro Ono
- I-156 - Lt. Commander Katsuo Ohashi
- I-157 - Lt. Commander Sakae Nakajima
- I-158 - Lt. Commander Soshichi Kitamura
- I-159 - Lt. Commander Tamori Yoshimatsu
- SUBDIV 13 - Captain Takeji Miyazaki
- I-121 - Lt. Commander Yasuo Fujimori
- I-122 - Lt. Commander Sadatoshi Norita
- I-123 - Lt. Commander Toshitake Ueno
- SUBDIV 30 - Captain Maseo Teraoka
- I-162 - Lt. Commander Takakazu Kinashi
- I-165 - Lt. Commander Hakue Jarada
- I-166 - Lt. Commander Makio Tanaka
- Submarine Division (SubDiv) 19 - Captain Ryojiro Ono
-
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
- Midway Expeditionary Force - Captain Chisato Morita
Northern Area Force
- Fifth Fleet Main Body - Vice Admiral Boshiro Hosogaya in Nachi
- Second Carrier Striking Force - Rear Admiral Kakuji Kakuta in Ryujo
- Aleutian Support Force - Vice Admiral Shiro Takasu in Hyūga
- BatDiv 2 - Vice Admiral Takasu
- Screening Force - Rear Admiral Fukuji Kishi in Kitakami
- CruDiv 9 - Rear Admiral Kishi
- DesDiv 20 - Captain Yuji Yamada (Asagiri - Lt. Commander Nisaburo Maekawa, Yugiri - Commander Masayoshi Motokura, Shirakumo - Commander Toyoji Hitomi, Amagiri - Captain Buichi Ashida)
- DesDiv 24 - Captain Yasuji Hirai (Umikaze - Commander Nagahide Sugitani, Yamakaze - Lt. Commander Shuichi Hamanaka, Kawakaze - Lt. Commander Kazuo Wakabayashi, Suzukaze - Lt. Commander Kazuo Shibayama)
- DesDiv 27 - Captain Matake Yoshimura (Ariake - Lt. Commander Shoichi Yoshida, Yugure - Lt. Commander Kiyoshi Kamo, Shigure - Commander Noboru Seo, Shiratsuyu - Lt. Commander Kanematsu Hashimoto)
- Supply Group - Captain Matsuo Eguchi
- AO San Clemente Maru - Captain Eguchi
- AO Toa Maru
- Attu Invasion Force - Rear Admiral Sentaro Omori in Abukuma
- CL Abukuma - Captain Seiroku Murayama
- DesDiv 21 - 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
- CruDiv 21 - Captain ono
- Screening Force
- Minesweeper Div 13 - 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
- Aleutian Seaplane Tender Force - Captain Keiichi Ujuku
- AV Kimikawa Maru - Captain Ujuku (air unit 8 3-seat floatplanes)
- DDShiokaze - Lt. Yoji Tanegashima
United States
The US Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas are under the overall command of Admiral Chester Nimitz.
Carrier Strike Force
Task Force 17 - Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher in Yorktown
- Task Group 17.5 (Carrier Group)
- 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)
- USS Enterprise - Captain George D. Murray
- Enterprise Air Group (27 F4F-4, 38 SBD-2/3, 14 TBD-1) - Lt. Cmdr. C. Wade McClusky
- USS Hornet - Captain Marc A. Mitscher
- Hornet Air Group (27 F4F-4, 38 SBD-1/2/3, 15 TBD-1) - 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)
- Detachment of 7th Army Air Force - Maj. Gen. Willis Hale
- B-26 Marauders Capt. James Collins, USA
- B-17 Flying Fortress Lt. Col. Walter C. Sweeney, 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:
- 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: 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 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
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)
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)


