# Canonical recap data for Battle of Midway (1942)
# Source: https://recap.at/1942/battle-midway
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: battle-midway
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1942/battle-midway"
title: Battle of Midway
aliases:
- Midway
- Battle of Midway Atoll
- Operation MI
subtitle: The naval clash at Midway marked the strategic shift in the Pacific War, ending Japanese expansion and establishing American naval supremacy.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1942-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1942
decade: 1940
country:
name: United States
slug: united-states
summaryShort: The Battle of Midway is a 1942 American short documentary film directed, co-edited and produced by John Ford. It is a montage of color footage of the Battle of Midway with voiceovers of narrators, Donald Crisp, Henry Fonda, and Jane Darwell.
summaryLong: The Battle of Midway is a 1942 American short documentary film directed, co-edited and produced by John Ford. It is a montage of color footage of the Battle of Midway with voiceovers of narrators, Donald Crisp, Henry Fonda, and Jane Darwell.
lede: In June 1942, the U.S. Navy intercepted and defeated a Japanese fleet near Midway Atoll in the central Pacific, reversing the momentum of the war in the Pacific Theater. The battle lasted three days and sank four Japanese aircraft carriers, marking the first major naval defeat Japan had suffered and the beginning of American ascendancy in the Pacific.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Battle_of_Midway_%281942_documentary%29_intro2.jpg/1280px-Battle_of_Midway_%281942_documentary%29_intro2.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "The Battle of Midway (film)"
importance: 91
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Date
  value: June 4-7, 1942
- label: Location
  value: Midway Atoll, central Pacific Ocean
- label: Japanese carriers sunk
  value: 4 (Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, Hiryu)
- label: U.S. carriers sunk
  value: 1 (USS Yorktown)
- label: Japanese naval personnel killed
  value: Approximately 3,500
- label: U.S. naval personnel killed
  value: Approximately 362
- label: Japanese aircraft lost
  value: Approximately 250
- label: U.S. aircraft lost
  value: Approximately 150
timeline:
- date: 1942-05-28
  title: Japanese Combined Fleet departs for Midway
  description: Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's fleet leaves for Operation MI, intended to destroy American carrier forces and seize Midway Atoll.
- date: 1942-06-03
  title: Search planes locate Japanese fleet
  description: U.S. reconnaissance detects the Japanese task force approximately 200 miles northwest of Midway. American carriers move into attack position.
- date: 1942-06-04
  title: First attacks on Midway and Japanese fleet
  description: Japanese aircraft strike Midway Atoll. U.S. carrier planes attack the Japanese fleet, sinking the carrier Akagi.
- date: 1942-06-04
  title: Kaga, Soryu, and Hiryu sunk
  description: American dive bombers sink three more Japanese carriers in succession. Japan loses four fleet carriers in a single day.
- date: 1942-06-05
  title: Japanese cruiser Mikuma sunk
  description: U.S. aircraft sink the heavy cruiser Mikuma and damage the cruiser Mogami. Yamamoto orders retreat.
- date: 1942-06-07
  title: Battle concludes
  description: Japanese Combined Fleet withdraws westward. USS Yorktown, damaged earlier in the battle, is sunk by submarine I-168.
- date: 1942-06-13
  title: John Ford begins documentary filming
  description: Director John Ford arrives at Midway Atoll to film combat footage for his documentary about the battle.
- date: 1943-01-20
  title: The Battle of Midway documentary released
  description: John Ford's 18-minute color documentary, narrated by Donald Crisp, Henry Fonda, and Jane Darwell, premieres. It wins the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_of_Midway_(film)"
  title: The Battle of Midway (1942 documentary)
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: Midway halted Japanese expansion and shifted control of the Pacific to the United States. The battle demonstrated the decisive role of aircraft carriers in modern naval warfare and gave the American military strategic initiative for the remainder of World War II.
categories:
- war
taxonomy:
domain: military
eventTypes:
- war
- invasion
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- transformation
impactRadius: global
velocity: sudden
predictability: forecastable
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: transition
metaDescription: June 1942 naval battle that reversed the Pacific War. U.S. sank four Japanese carriers and shifted the strategic balance.
wikidataQid: Q1795389
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The New York Times
  publisherSlug: new-york-times
  headline: Ford's Battle of Midway Film Captures Navy's Greatest Victory
  publishedAt: 1942-11-20
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: Director John Ford's documentary brings color footage of the pivotal Pacific engagement to American screens, offering audiences an intimate view of the Navy's decisive June triumph. The film features narration from veteran actors and serves as both historical record and morale booster.
  significance: 85
  type: newspaper
  region: United States
- publisher: Variety
  publisherSlug: variety
  headline: John Ford Directs Wartime Spectacle - Battle of Midway Debuts
  publishedAt: 1942-11-18
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Hollywood's master craftsman Ford trades narrative fiction for documentary truth, assembling vivid color sequences of naval combat with an ensemble cast of voices including Donald Crisp and Jane Darwell.
  significance: 78
  type: magazine
  region: United States
- publisher: Time Magazine
  publisherSlug: time-magazine
  headline: Filmmaker Ford Documents America's Pacific Turning Point
  publishedAt: 1942-11-23
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - In a rare venture into documentary, director John Ford presents the Battle of Midway through color film and distinguished narration, creating a portrait of Naval heroism that extends far beyond conventional war newsreels.
  significance: 82
  type: magazine
  region: United States
- publisher: The Times (London)
  publisherSlug: times-london
  headline: American Documentary Captures Pacific Naval Victory on Film
  publishedAt: 1942-12-15
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - John Ford's documentary effort brings the June battle to British audiences, underlining the strategic importance of American naval supremacy in the Pacific theatre and the technological advances in color cinematography.
  significance: 72
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260606083536/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_of_Midway_(film)"
  capturedAt: 2026-06-06
  label: The Battle of Midway (1942 documentary)
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_of_Midway_(film)"
