SIXTY YEARS AGO ... 4 - 7 June 1942 - The Batle of Midway

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Sixty Years Ago ...
Dateline: 4-7 June 1942
The Battle of Midway
Pacific Theater of Operations
by Jennifer King and Timothy Rollins

June 5, 2002

First of Three Parts

Reflections on World War II

A Special Note to Our Readers: Because this battle raged over several days, as well as the fact that it is considered the turning point of the Pacific War, we will be running this series in several installments over the next few days. - Jennifer and Tim

Midway Atoll is a windswept atoll which lies 1135 miles West-Northwest of Hawaii. The entire atoll is six miles wide, consisting of two islets - Sand and Eastern, 2 miles and 1 mile long, respectively. The first Western discovery of Midway came in 1859, when it was claimed for America by a skipper on the Hawaiian route. The first formal declaration of possession was on the order of Secretary Gordon Welles, and was carried out by the USS Lackawanna on 28 August, 1867. The impetus for this came from the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, who wished to establish a coaling station there. Midway thus became America’s first island possession.

For the next thirty years, Midway slumbered under the semi-tropical breezes, visited only occasionally by Japanese seeking feathers from the island’s bird population. In 1903, however, the Pacific Commercial Cable Company decided to establish a station on Midway as part of their Honolulu-Guam-Manila line. President Theodore Roosevelt issued an order placing Midway under the protection of the United States Navy. The Navy put out buoys and built the lighthouse, and also stationed a twenty man Marine guard on the island. Inhabitants of the cable station brought in a variety of grasses and hardwoods, transforming the sandy islands into a luxurious garden spot.

The next big development happened in 1935, when Pan American Airlines decided to use Midway as a stopping over for the trans-Pacific Clippers. Pan Am constructed a seaplane ramp, new quarters and a small hotel. Around this time, the first real ship channel was successfully dredged between the two islets. In May of 1938, Congress became alarmed by the war clouds forming over Europe and Asia. They ordered the Secretary of the Navy to appoint a board of five or more naval officers to investigate and report upon naval shortages and needs. The subsequent board, titled “Hepburn” after its chairman, Rear Admiral A.J. Hepburn, reported back on 1 December of that same year.

The Hepburn Board considered a Midway Air Base as second in importance only to Pearl Harbor. Subsequently, in March of 1940, major construction began to take place on Midway. By 18 August 1941, NAS (Naval Air Station) was commissioned, with Commander Cyril T. Simard as its first Commanding Officer. By this time, Midway boasted a large seaplane hanger, artificial harbor, fuel tanks and a 5300 foot airstrip on Eastern Island. She also hosted a defense battalion of the Fleet Marine Force.

In May of 1942, Midway Island stood alone - an American outpost against the Japanese juggernaut. The fall of Midway would allow the Japanese to establish a new perimeter line along a chain comprising the islands of Kiska-Midway-Wake-Marshalls-Gilberts-Guadalcanal and Port Moresby. Conquering Midway would protect the Japanese inner defenses while simultaneously allowing them a forward staging base for further raids against Pearl Harbor or the American Mainland direct. Admiral Yamamoto also was seeking a chance to draw out the American Fleet, and finish the job he had started at Pearl Harbor. It was up to Admiral Chester W. Nimitz to fight off the Japanese, and save the Pacific Fleet. ***

Photos of Jennifer King and Timothy Rollins courtesy of staff files