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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORY & HERITAGE COMMAND

Battle of Midway, 3-6 June 1942
Composition of U. S. Forces

United States Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas



Adm. Chester W. Nimitz, USN, Commander in Chief

Carrier Striking Force
Rear Adm. Frank Jack Fletcher, USN

Task Force 17 (TF 17)
Rear Adm. Frank Jack Fletcher, USN
Chief of Staff, Capt. Spencer S. Lewis, USN

Task Group 17.5 (TG 17.5)
Carrier Group
Capt. Elliot Buckmaster, USN

USS Yorktown (CV-5) -Capt. Elliot Buckmaster, USN
Damaged by aircraft (bombs and torpedoes) from Japanese carrier Hiryu 4 June 1942,
torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-168 on 6 June 1942,
and capsized and sank on 7 June 1942.

Commander Yorktown Air Group (CYAG) - Lt. Comdr. Oscar Pederson, USN

Fighting Squadron 3 (VF-3) (including elements of VF-42) Lt. Comdr. John S. Thach, USN
25 Grumman F4F-4 (Wildcat)

Bombing Squadron 3 (VB-3) Lt. Comdr. Maxwell F. Leslie, USN
17 Douglas SBD-3 (Dauntless)

"Scouting Squadron 5 (VS-5)" (the temporarily redesignated Bombing Squadron 5) Lt. Wallace C. Short Jr., USN
16 Douglas SBD-3 (Dauntless)

Torpedo Squadron 3 (VT-3) Lt. Comdr. Lance E. Massey, USN (KIA)
12 Douglas TBD-1 (Devastator)

Task Group 17.2 (TG 17.2)
Cruiser Group
Rear Adm. William W. Smith, USN

USS Astoria (CA-34)
USS Portland (CA-33)

Ship Units, Cruiser Scouting Squadron 4 (VCS-4) and Cruiser Scouting Squadron 6 (VCS-6)

8 Curtiss SOC/Naval Aircraft Factory SON (Seagull)

Task Group 17.4 (TG 17.4)
Destroyer Screen
Capt. Gilbert C. Hoover, USN
Commander Destroyer Squadron 2 (ComDesRon 2)

USS Hammann (DD-412) - torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine I-168 on 6 June 1942.
USS Hughes (DD-410)
USS Morris (DD-417)
USS Anderson (DD-411)
USS Russell (DD-414)
USS Gwin (DD-433) (diverted to join Yorktown, arrived on 5 June 1942)

Task Force 16 (TF 16)
Rear Adm. Raymond A. Spruance, USN
Chief of Staff, Capt. Miles R. Browning, USN
Task Group 16.5 (TG 16.5)
Carrier Group
Capt. George D. Murray, USN
USS Enterprise (CV-6)
Capt. George D. Murray, USN
Commander Enterprise Air Group (CEAG) - Lt. Comdr. C. Wade McClusky, USN

Fighting Squadron 6 (VF-6) Lt. James S. Gray, Jr., USN
27 Grumman F4F-4 (Wildcat)

Bombing Squadron 6 (VB-6) Lt. Richard H. Best, USN
15 Douglas SBD-2/SBD-3 (Dauntless)

Scouting Squadron 6 (VS-6) Lt. W. Earl Gallaher, USN
17 Douglas SBD-3 (Dauntless)

Torpedo Squadron 6 (VT-6) Lt. Comdr. Eugene E. Lindsey, USN (KIA)
14 Douglas TBD-1 (Devastator)

USS Hornet (CV-8)
Capt. Marc A. Mitscher, USN
Commander Hornet Air Group (CHAG) - Lt. Comdr. Stanhope C. Ring, USN

Fighting Squadron 8 (VF-8) Lt. Comdr. Samuel G. Mitchell, USN
27 Grumman F4F-4 (Wildcat)

Bombing Squadron 8 (VB-8) Lt. Comdr. Robert R. Johnson, USN
19 Douglas SBD-3 (Dauntless)

Scouting Squadron 8 (VS-8) Lt. Comdr. Walter F. Rodee, USN
15 Douglas SBD-1, SBD-2, and SBD-3 (Dauntless)

Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) Lt. Comdr. John C. Waldron, USN (KIA)
15 Douglas TBD-1 (Devastator)

Task Group 16.2 (TG 16.2)
Cruiser Group
Rear Adm. Thomas C. Kinkaid, USN
Commander Cruiser Division 6 (ComCruDiv 6)

USS New Orleans (CA-32)
USS Minneapolis (CA-36)
USS Vincennes (CA-44)
USS Northampton (CA-26)
USS Pensacola (CA-24)

Ship Units, Cruiser Scouting Squadron 5 (VCS-5) and Cruiser Scouting Squadron 6 (VCS-6)

20 Curtiss SOC/Naval Aircraft Factory SON (Seagull)

USS Atlanta (CL-51)

Task Group 16.4 (TG 16.4)
Destroyer Screen
Capt. Alexander R. Early, USN
Commander Destroyer Squadron 1 (ComDesRon 1)

USS Phelps (DD-360)
USS Worden (DD-352)
USS Monaghan (DD-354)
USS Aylwin (DD-355)

Destroyer Squadron 6 (DesRon 6)
Capt. Edward P. Sauer, USN

USS Balch (DD-363)
USS Conyngham (DD-371)
USS Benham (DD-397)
USS Ellet (DD-398)
USS Maury (DD-401)

Oiler Group

USS Cimarron (AO-22)
USS Platte (AO-24)
USS Dewey (DD-349)
USS Monssen (DD-436)

Task Force 7 (TF 7)
Submarines
Rear Adm. Robert H. English, USN
Commander Submarine Forces, Pacific Fleet (ComSubPac)
Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii

Task Group 7.1 (TG 7.1)
Midway Patrol

USS Cachalot (SS-170)
USS Flying Fish (SS-229)
USS Tambor (SS-198)
USS Trout (SS-202)
USS Grayling (SS-209)
USS Nautilus (SS-168)
USS Grouper (SS-214)
USS Dolphin (SS-169)
USS Gato (SS-212)
USS Cuttlefish (SS-171)
USS Gudgeon (SS-211)
USS Grenadier (SS-210)

Support Patrol
Task Group 7.2 (TG 7.2)

USS Narwhal (SS-167)
USS Plunger (SS-179)
USS Trigger (SS-237)

Task Group 7.3 (TG 7.3)

USS Tarpon (SS-175)
USS Pike (SS-173)
USS Finback (SS-230)
USS Growler (SS-215)

Patrol Wings, Task Force 9 (TF 9)
Rear Adm. Patrick N. L. Bellinger, USN
Shore-Based Air, Midway
Capt. Cyril T. Simard, USN Patrol Wing 1 Detachment (PatWing 1 Det)
Comdr. F. Massie Hughes, USN
Patrol Wing 2 Detachment (PatWing 2 Det)
Lt. Comdr. Robert C. Brixner, USN
32 Consolidated PBY-5 and PBY-5A (Catalina)
Torpedo Squadron 8 Detachment (VT-8 Det)
Lt. Langdon K. Fieberling, USN (KIA)
6 Grumman TBF-1 (Avenger)
Marine Aircraft Group 22 (MAG 22)
Second Marine Aircraft Wing
Lt. Col. Ira L. Kimes, USMC

Marine Fighting Squadron 221 (VMF-221)
Maj. Floyd B. Parks, USMC (4 June 1942) (KIA)
Capt. Kirk Armistead, USMC (4-6 June 1942)
20 Brewster F2A-3 (Buffalo)
7 Grumman F4F-3 (Wildcat)

Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 241 (VMSB-241)
Maj. Lofton R. Henderson, USMC (4 June 1942) (KIA)
Maj. Benjamin W. Norris, USMC (4-5 June 1942) (KIA)
Capt. Marshall A. Tyler, USMC (5-6 June 1942)
11 Vought SB2U-3 (Vindicator)
16 Douglas SBD-2 (Dauntless)

Seventh Army Air Force Detachment
Maj. Gen. Willis P. Hale, USAAF
Capt. William F. Collins, Jr., USAAF
2 Martin B-26 (Marauder)
2 Martin B-26B (Marauder)

Lt. Col. Walter C. Sweeney Jr., USAAF
13 Boeing B-17 (Flying Fortress)

Maj. George A. Blakey, USAAF
6 Boeing B-17 (Flying Fortress)

Midway Local Defenses
Capt. Cyril T. Simard, USN

Sixth Marine Defense Battalion (reinforced), Fleet Marine Force
Col. Harold D. Shannon, USMC

Reinforcing Units

2d Raider Battalion, Company "C" (Sand Island)
2d Raider Battalion, Company "D" (Eastern Island)
Antiaircraft and Special Weapons personnel, Third Defense Battalion
22d and 23rd Provisional Infantry Companies


Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 1 (MTBRon 1)
Lt. Clinton McKellar Jr., USN

Midway Island

USS PT-20
USS PT-21
USS PT-22
USS PT-24
USS PT-25
USS PT-26
USS PT-27
USS PT-28

Kure Island

USS PT-29
USS PT-30

District Craft

Tamaha (YNT-12)

Island Patrols

French Frigate Shoals

USS Thornton (AVD-11)
USS Ballard (AVD-10)
USS Clark (DD-361)
USS Kaloli (AOG-13)

Pearl and Hermes Reef

USS Crystal (PY-25)
USS Vireo (ATO-144)

Lisianski

YP-284

Gardner Pinnacles

YP-345

Laysan

YP-290

Necker


YP-350

Midway Refueling Unit
Comdr. Harry R. Thurber, USN

USS Guadalupe (AO-32)
USS Blue (DD-387)
USS Ralph Talbot (DD-390)



Sources:

Bulkley, Robert J., Jr. At Close Quarters: PT Boats in the United States Navy. Washington, DC: Naval History Division, 1962.

Cressman, Robert J., et al."A Glorious Page in Our History": The Battle of Midway, 4-6 June 1942. Missoula, MT: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., Inc., 1990

Heinl, Robert D. Marines at Midway. Washington, DC: Headquarters Marine Corps, 1948

Morison, Samuel Eliot. Coral Sea, Midway and Submarine Actions, May 1942 - August 1942. Vol. 4 of History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. Boston, MA: Little Brown and Company, 1954.

Silverstone, Paul H. US Warships of World War II. Annapolis, MD. Naval Institute Press, 1989.

Swanborough, Gordon, and Peter M. Bowers. United States Naval Aircraft Since 1911. 3rd edition. Annapolis, MD. Naval Institute Press, 1990.