Battle of Midway Anniversary: 03-06 JUN

The Battle of Midway looms large in any Navy professional's mind. So much has been written, and if you have not looked at it in detail, go here and review.

I'll keep it short and let the above links speak for themselves. But I want you to put yourself in the shoes of the American personnel headed out to battle that started that beautiful day on 03 JUN. You are headed into battle with the following:

- 3 Aircraft Carriers (1 barely seaworthy)
- NO Battleships
- 8 Cruisers
- 22 Destroyers
- 19 Submarines
- 5 Oilers
- 14 PT boats and small patrol craft
- 348 aircraft at sea and on the island

Seven months after their huge victory at Pearl Harbor, the Imperial Japanese Navy is coming at you with the following.
- 6 Aircraft Carriers (4 Fleet and 2 light)
- 1 Seaplane Carrier
- 11 Battleships
- 13 Cruisers
- 49 Destroyers
- 10 Submarines
- 16 Oilers
- 7 small patrol craft
- 12 Transports
- 268 aircraft

All that for this little speck of an island. Big things on little packages.

Did you notice that 80 plane difference in favor of the Americans? Ahhh.....

For those without message traffic, here is the CNO's message.

R 032210Z MAY 05
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC
TO NAVADMIN
ZEN/NAVADMIN @ AL NAVADMIN(UC)
INFO ZEN/CNO CNO
BT
UNCLAS
SUBJ: 2005 BATTLE OF MIDWAY COMMEMORATION
PASS TO OFFICE CODES:
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N09//
TO NAVADMIN
UNCLAS
NAVADMIN 095/05
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N09/MAY//
SUBJ/2005 BATTLE OF MIDWAY COMMEMORATION//
REF/A/MSG/CNO/041653Z//
AMPN/REF A IS NAVADMIN 164/99 - NAVY HERITAGE//
POC/RICHARD JAMES/GSCM(SW)/CMC NSA WASHINGTON, DC/LOC:WNY
/TEL:TEL (202) 685-0875//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. THIS YEAR FROM 3-6 JUNE, WE WILL MARK THE 63RD ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY. ON 4 JUNE 1942, A VASTLY OUTNUMBERED AND OUTGUNNED U.S. FLEET WOULD DEFEAT THE FINEST OF THE IMPERIAL JAPANESE NAVY OVER A SMALL PACIFIC ATOLL NAMED MIDWAY. THEIR DARING COMBINATION OF INTEL, TACTICS, COURAGE, AND SACRIFICE
FOREVER CHANGED THE COURSE OF THE WAR AND WORLD HISTORY.
2. IT IS ONLY FITTING THAT WE TAKE A MOMENT TO CELEBRATE OUR GREAT NAVAL HERITAGE AND REMEMBER THE DEEDS AND SACRIFICES OF THOSE BRAVE NAVAL AIRMEN, SAILORS AND MARINES. I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE ALL COMMANDS TO COMMEMORATE THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY IN A MANNER COMMENSURATE WITH THEIR MISSION REQUIREMENTS.
3. THE NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER (NHC) MAINTAINS A WEBSITE THAT MAY BE HELPFUL IN PLANNING COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS AND PROVIDES HISTORICAL INFORMATION AND ANALYSIS, WORLD WAR II ACTION REPORTS, THE ORDER OF BATTLE FOR THE U.S. AND JAPANESE FORCES, ONLINE PHOTOGRAPHY AND ARTWORK, AND A SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY WWW.HISTORY.NAVY.MIL/MIDWAY.HTM. THE NHC ALSO MAINTAINS A ROSTER OF OVER 400 SURVIVORS OF THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY. COMMANDS WISHING TO INCLUDE MIDWAY SURVIVORS IN THEIR CEREMONIES CAN CONTACT DR. BERNARD CAVALCANTE AT COMMERCIAL (202)433-7174 OR DSN 288-7174.
4. COMMANDS IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY COMMEMORATION CEREMONY SPONSORED BY NAVAL DISTRICT WASHINGTON, AT THE U.S. NAVY MEMORIAL, WASHINGTON D.C. ON 3JUNE 2005 AT 1100.
5. RELEASED BY ADM R. F. WILLARD, VICE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.//
BT
#1151
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