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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORY & HERITAGE COMMAND
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WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Battle of Midway, 4-7 June 1942: Composition of Japanese Naval Forces

Combined Fleet

Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto (Commander in Chief)
in Yamato (Battleship)

Chief of Staff, Rear Admiral Matome Ugaki

Advance Expeditionary Force
Vice Admiral Teruhisa Komatsu (Commander in Chief, Sixth Fleet)
in Katori (Light Cruiser) at Kwajalein.

Submarine Squadron 3

I-168
I-169
1-171
I-174
I-175
Deployed between latitude 20 degrees North, longitude 166 degrees 20 minutes West and latitude 23 degrees 30 minutes North, longitude 166 degrees 20 minutes West.

Submarine Squadron 5

I-156
I-157
I-158
I-159
I-162
I-164 - sunk en route by USS Triton (SS-201), off Kyushu, Japan, 17 May 1942.
I-165
I-166
Deployed between latitude 28 degrees 20 minutes North, longitude 162 degrees 20 minutes West, and latitude 26 degrees North, longitude 165 degrees West.

Submarine Division 13

I-121
I-122
I-123
Bringing gas and oil to Lisianski Island and French Frigate Shoals.

Carrier Striking Force (First Mobile Force)
Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo

Chief of Staff, Rear Admiral Ryunosuke Kusaka

Carrier Division 1, Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo

Akagi

Severely damaged by aircraft from the USS Enterprise (CV-6) NW of Midway Island, 4 June 1942, and scuttled by Japanese destroyers Nowake, Arashi, and Hagikaze, 5 June 1942.

Akagi Air Group (aircraft numbers approximate)
21 Mitsubishi carrier fighter (Zeke)
21 Aichi Type 99 carrier bombers (Vals)
21 Nakajima Type 97 torpedo bomber (Kate)

Kaga

Sunk by aircraft from the USS Enterprise (CV-6) NW of Midway Island, 4 June 1942.

Kaga Air Group (aircraft numbers approximate)
30 Mitsubishi carrier fighter (Zeke)
23 Aichi Type 99 carrier bombers (Vals)
30 Nakajima Type 97 torpedo bomber (Kate)

Carrier Division 2
Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi

Hiryu

Severely damaged by aircraft from the USS Enterprise (CV-6) and USS Yorktown (CV-5) NW of Midway Island, 4 June 1942, and scuttled by Japanese destroyers Kazegumo and Yugumo, 5 June 1942.

Hiryu Air Group (aircraft numbers approximate)
21 Mitsubishi carrier fighter (Zeke)
21 Aichi Type 99 carrier bombers (Vals)
21 Nakajima Type 97 torpedo bomber (Kate)

Soryu

Sunk by aircraft from the USS Yorktown (CV-5) NW of Midway Island, 4 June 1942.

Soryu Air Group (aircraft numbers approximate)
21 Mitsubishi carrier fighter (Zeke)
21 Aichi Type 99 carrier bombers (Vals)
21 Nakajima Type 97 torpedo bomber (Kate)

Cruiser Division 8
Rear Admiral Hiroaki Abe

Tone
Chikuma

Battleship Division 3, 2ND Section

Haruna
Kirishima

Screen
Rear Admiral Susumu Kimura, Commander Destroyer Squadron 10
in Nagara (Light Cruiser)

Destroyer Division 10

Kazagumo
Yugumo
Makigumo
Akigumo - detached to escort the Supply Unit, 3 June 1942.

Destroyer Division 17

Isokaze
Urakaze
Hamakaze
Tanikaze

Destroyer Division 4

Arashi
Nowake
Hagikaze
Maikaze

Supply Unit

Oilers

Kyokuto Maru
Shinkoku Maru
Toho Maru
Nippon Maru
Kokuyo Maru

Midway Occupation Force
Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondo (Commander in Chief, Second Fleet)
Chief of Staff, Rear Admiral Kazutaka Shiraishi

Covering Group
Vice Admiral Kondo

Cruiser Division 4, 1ST Section

Atago
Chokai

Cruiser Division 5
Vice Admiral Takeo Takagi

Myoko
Haguro

Battleship Division 3, 1ST Section
Rear Admiral Gunichi Mikawa

Kongo
Hiei

Screen

Destroyer Squadron 4
Rear Admiral Shoji Nishimura, in Yura (Light Cruiser)

Destroyer Division 2

Murasame
Harusame
Yudachi
Samidare

Destroyer Division 9

Asagumo
Minegumo
Natsugumo

Supply Unit

Oilers

Genyo Maru
Kenyo Maru
Sata
Tsurumi

Repair Ship

Akashi

Light Carrier

Zuiho
12 Mitsubishi carrier fighter (Zeke)
11 Aichi Type 99 carrier bombers (Vals)

Destroyer

Mirazuki

Close Support Group
Rear Admiral Takeo Kurita, Commander Cruiser Division 7

Cruiser Division 7

Suzuya
Kumano
Mogami - damaged by aircraft from the USS Hornet (CV-8) and USS Enterprise (CV-6) W of Midway Island, 6 June 1942.
Mikuma - sunk by aircraft from the USS Hornet (CV-8) and USS Enterprise (CV-6) W of Midway Island, 6 June 1942.

Destroyer Division 8

Asashio - damaged by aircraft from the USS Hornet (CV-8) and USS Enterprise (CV-6) W of Midway Island, 6 June 1942.
Arashio - damaged by aircraft from the USS Hornet (CV-8) and USS Enterprise (CV-6) W of Midway Island, 6 June 1942

note - Michishio and Oshio of Destroyer Division 8, damaged at Lombok Strait, were still under repair.

Oiler

Nichiei Maru

Transport Group
Rear Admiral Raizo Tanaka, Commander Destroyer Squadron 2
in Jintsu (Light Cruiser)

12 transports and freighters carrying "Kure" and "Yokosuka" 5TH Special Naval Landing Forces (S.N.L.F.) and Army Ichiki detachment; two construction battalions; "survey group", weather group, etc.; about 5,000 officers and men.

- Two of the freighters were filled with US construction equipment and weapons captured at Wake Island.

Oiler

Akebono Maru

Patrol Boats

No. 1 - old Japanese destroyer Shimakaze.
No. 2 - old Japanese destroyer Nadakaze.
No. 34 - old Japanese destroyer Suzuki.
Carrying assault detachments, S.N.L.F.

Screen

Jintsu (Light Cruiser)

Desroyer Squadron 2

Kuroshio
Oyashio
Hatsukaze
Yukikaze
Amatsukaze
Tokitsukaze
Kasumi
Arare
Kagero
Shiranuhi

Seaplane Group

Carrier Division 11 - Rear Admiral Ruitaro Fujita

Seaplane Carriers

Chitose - 20 observation seaplanes

Kamikawa Maru - 8 observation seaplanes
Carrying seaplane group to be set up at Kure Island.

Destroyer

Hayashio

Patrol Boat

No. 35 - old Japanese destroyer Tsuta

Minesweeping Group

Converted Minesweepers

Tama Maru No. 3
Tama Maru No. 5
Showa Maru No. 7
Showa Maru No. 8

Submarine Chasers

No. 16
No. 17
No. 18

Supply Ship

Soya

Cargo Ships

Meiyo Maru
Yamafuku Maru

note - This Group, proceeding from Saipan and Wake, retired upon receiving word that the occupation of Midway had been given up.

Main Body (First Fleet)
Admiral Yamamoto

Battleship Division 1

Yamato
Mutsu
Nagato

Light Carrier

Hosho
8 Nakajima Type 97 torpedo bombers (Kate)

Destroyer

Yukaze

Seaplane Carriers

Chiyoda
Nisshin - carrying 2 motor torpedo boats and 6 midget submarines.

Screen

Destroyer Squadron 3
Rear Admiral Shintaro Hashimoto in Sendai (Light Cruiser)

Destroyer Division 11

Fubuki
Shirayuki
Hatsuyuki
Murakumo

Destroyer Division 19

Isonami
Uranami
Shikinami
Ayanami

Destroyer Division 20

Amagiri
Asagiri
Yugiri
Shirakumo

Detachment from Main Body as Aleutian Screening (Support) Force
Vice Admiral Shiro Takasu

Battleship Division 2

Ise
Hyuga
Fuso
Yamashiro

Cruiser Division (Light) 9
Rear Admiral Fukuhara Kishi

Kitagami
Oi

Supply Unit: Oilers

Toei Maru
Naruto
San Clemente Maru
Toa Maru

note - Part of Destroyer Squadron 3 acted as Screen to this Force.



Sources:

Midway Operations (May-June 1942). Japanese Monograph #93. Washington: Dept. of the Army, 1953.

Hansgeorg, Jentschura, Dieter Jung and Peter Mickel. Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945. Annapolis, MD. Naval Institute Press, 1978.

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.

25 May 1999