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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.

Parshall, Jonathan, and Anthony Tully. Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway. Washington, DC: Potomac Books, 2005.

Topic
  • Boats-Ships--Cruisers
  • Boats-Ships--Destroyer
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Battle of Midway, 3-6 June 1942
Composition of Japanese Naval Forces


Combined Fleet
Adm. Yamamoto Isoroku (Commander in Chief)
in battleship Yamato Chief of Staff, Rear Adm. Ugaki Matome

Advance (Submarine) Force
Vice Adm. Komatsu Teruhisa (Commander in Chief, Sixth Fleet)

Chief of Staff, Rear Adm. Mito Hisashi
in light cruiser Katori at Kwajalein.

Submarine Squadron 3, Rear Adm. Kōno Chimaki (in submarine tender Rio de Janeiro Maru, at Kwajalein)

I-168, damaged by depth charges by screening destroyers following the boat’s attack on carrier Yorktown (CV-5) on 6 June 1942.
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-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 gasoline and oil to Laysan Island and French Frigate Shoals.

First Carrier Striking ForceVice Adm. Nagumo ChūichiChief of Staff, Rear Adm. Kusaka Ryūnosuke

Carrier Division 1

 Vice Adm. Nagumo Chūichiin carrier Akagi

Akagi, Capt. Aoki Taijirō

Severely damaged by bombs from SBDs from Enterprise (VB-6 and VS-6) NW of Midway (30°20'N, 179°17'W)on 4 June 1942, and scuttled by Japanese destroyers NowakeArashi, and Hagikaze, on 5 June 1942 (30°30'N, 179°08'W).

Akagi Air Unit,  Comdr. Fuchida Mitsuo18 Mitsubishi A6M2 Navy Type 00 carrier fighters,  [r2] Lt. Comdr. Itaya Shigeru
18 Aichi D3A1 Navy Type 99 carrier bombers , Lt. Comdr. Chihaya Takehiko
18 Nakajima B5N2 Navy Type 97 carrier attack aircraft, Lt. Comdr. Murata Shigeharu

6 Mitsubishi A6M2 Navy Type 00 carrier fighter (6th Air Group)

Kaga, Capt. Okada Jisaku (KIA)

Sunk by bombs from SBDs from Enterprise (VB-6 and VS-6) on 4 June 1942 (30°20'N, 179°17'W).

Kaga Air Unit,  Lt. Comdr. Kusumi Tadashi (KIA)
18 Mitsubishi A6M2 Navy Type 00 carrier fighter,  Lt. Satō Masao 18 Aichi D3A1 Navy Type 99 carrier bomber, Lt. Ogawa Shōichi (KIA)   27 Nakajima B5N2 Navy Type 97 carrier attack aircraft, Lt. Kitajima Ichirō

9 Mitsubishi A6M2 Navy Type 00 carrier fighter (6th Air Group)

2 Aichi D3A1 Navy Type 99 carrier bomber (embarked as cargo for Soryu)

Carrier Division 2
Rear Adm. Yamaguchi Tamon (KIA)

Chief of Staff, Capt. Ito Seiroku

Hiryu, Capt. Kaku Tomeo (KIA)

Severely damaged by bombs from SBDs from Enterprise (VS-6) and Yorktown (VB-3) NW of Midway Island, 4 June 1942, and scuttled by Japanese destroyersKazegumo and Yugumo on 5 June 1942 (31°38'N, 178°51'W).

Hiryu Air Unit, (aircraft numbers approximate) Lt. Comdr. Tomonaga Jōichi (KIA)18 Mitsubishi A6M2 Navy Type 00 carrier fighter, Lt. Mori Shigeru (KIA)  
18 Aichi D3A1 Navy Type 99 carrier bomber, Lt. Kobayashi Michio (KIA)   18 Nakajima B5N2 Navy Type 97 carrier attack aircraft, Lt. Kikuchi Rokurō (KIA)  

3 Mitsubishi A6M2 Navy Type 00 carrier fighters (6th Air Group)

Soryu, Capt. Yanagimoto Ryūsaku (KIA)

Sunk by bombs from SBDs from Yorktown (VB-3) NW of Midway Island (30°38'N, 179°13'W).

Soryu Air Unit, Lt. Comdr. Egusa Takashige 
18 Mitsubishi A6M2 Navy Type 0 carrier fighter, Lt. Suganami Masaharu  16 Aichi D3A1 Navy Type 99 carrier bomber, Lt. Ikeda Masahiro  18 Nakajima B5N2 Navy Type 97 carrier attack aircraft, Lt. Abe Heijirō

3 Mitsubishi A6M2 Navy Type 00 carrier fighters (6th Air Group)

2  Yokosuka D4Y1 Model 13 carrier bombers

Support Group

Cruiser Division 8
Rear Adm. Abe Hiroaki

Tone

3 Aichi E13A1 Navy Type 0 float reconnaissance seaplanes

2 Nakajima E8N2 Navy Type 95 float reconnaissance seaplanes   

Chikuma

3 Aichi E13A1 Navy Type 0 float reconnaissance seaplanes

2 Nakajima E8N2 Navy Type 95 float reconnaissance seaplanes

Battleship Division 3, (Section 2)

Rear Adm. Takama Tamotsu, in Haruna

Haruna

3 Nakajima E8N2 Navy Type 95 float reconnaissance seaplanes

Kirishima

3 Nakajima E8N2 Navy Type 95 float reconnaissance seaplanes

Destroyer Squadron 10
Rear Adm. Kimura Susumu, Commander Destroyer Squadron 10 
in light cruiser Nagara

Nagara

1 Aichi E11A1 night reconnaissance seaplane

Destroyer Division 10

Capt. Abe Toshio

Kazagumo
Yūgumo
Makigumo

Destroyer Division 17

Capt. Kitamura Masayuki

Isokaze
Urakaze
Hamakaze
Tanikaze

Destroyer Division 4

Capt. Ariga Kosaku

Arashi
Nowake
Hagikaze
Maikaze

Supply Group

Oilers

Capt. Ota Masanao

Kyokutō Maru
Shinkoku Maru
Tōhō Maru
Nippon Maru
Kokuyō Maru

Destroyer Akigumo – from Destroyer Division 10 (3 June 1942)

Midway Occupation Force

Vice Adm. Kondō Nobutake(Commander in Chief, Second Fleet)
Chief of Staff, Rear Adm. Shiraishi Kazutaka

Covering Group
Vice Adm. Kondō

Cruiser Division 4, Section 1

Atago
Chōkai

Cruiser Division 5
Vice Adm. Takagi Takeo

Myōkō
Haguro

Battleship Division 3,  Section 1
Rear Adm. Mikawa Gunichi

Kongō
Hiei

Screen

Destroyer Squadron 4
Rear Adm. Nishimura Shoji, in light cruiser Yura

Destroyer Division 3

Capt. Oe Ranji

Murasame
Harusame
Yudachi
Samidare

Destroyer Division 9

Capt. Satō Yasuo

Asagumo
Minegumo
Natsugumo

Supply Group

Capt. Murao Jirō, in Sata

Oilers

ō Maru
Kenyō Maru
Sata
Tsurumi

Repair Ship

Akashi

Carrier Group

Capt. Obayashi Sueo (Commanding Officer, Zuiho)

Small Carrier

Zuiho
6 Mitsubishi A6M2 Navy Type 00 carrier fighter

6 Mitsubishi A5M4 Navy Type 95 carrier fighter

12 Nakajima B5N2 Navy Type 97 carrier attack aircraft

Destroyer

Mikazuki

Close Support Group
Rear Adm. KuritaTakeo, Commander Cruiser Division 7

Cruiser Division 7

Suzuya
Kumano
Mogami
 - damaged in collision with Mikuma while turning to avoid shadowing submarine Tambor (SS-198) while retiring from Midway, 5 June 1942; damaged by bombs from SBDsfrom the Hornet (CV-8) and Enterprise (CV-6), W of Midway Island, 6 June 1942.
Mikuma - damaged in collision with Mogami while turning to avoid shadowing submarine Tambor (SS-198) while retiring from Midway, 5 June 1942; sunk by bombs from SBDs  from  Hornet (CV-8) and Enterprise (CV-6), W of Midway Island, 6 June 1942 (30°00'N, 173°00'E).

Destroyer Division 8

Comdr. Ogawa Nobuki

Asashio - near-missed by bombs from SBDs from Hornet (CV-8) and Enterprise (CV-6), W of Midway Island, 6 June 1942.
Arashio - near-missed by bombs from SBDs from Hornet (CV-8) and Enterprise (CV-6), W of Midway Island, 6 June 1942

Oiler

Nichiei Maru

Transport Group

Approximately 5,000 troops embarked, Capt. Ota Minoru (Navy) (Kure and Yokosuka Special Naval Landing Forces (SNLF)) and Col. Ichiki Kiyonao (Army)
Rear Adm. Tanaka Raizō, Commander Destroyer Squadron 2 
in light cruiser Jintsu

Kiyozumi Maru
Keiyō Maru
Zenyō Maru
No.2 Goshu Maru
Tōa Maru
Kano Maru
Argentina Maru
Hokuriku Maru
Brazil Maru
Kirishima Maru
Azuma Maru
Nankai Maru

Two of the freighters carried construction equipment and weapons captured at Wake Island, 23 December 1941

High speed transports

Patrol Boat No. 1 Patrol Boat No. 2 Patrol Boat No. 34  
Carrying assault detachments, SNLF

Oiler

Akebono Maru (damaged by torpedo from PBY Catalina (VP-24) on 4 June 1942)

Screen

Light cruiser Jintsū

Destroyer Squadron 2

Rear Adm. Tanaka Raizo

Kuroshio
Oyashio

Hatsukaze
Yukikaze
Amatsukaze
Tokitsukaze
Kasumi
Arare
Kagerō
Shiranuhi

Seaplane Tender Group

Seaplane Tender Division 11 - Rear Adm.Fujita Ryūtarō

Seaplane Carriers

Chitose

16 Mitsubishi F1M Navy Type 0 observation floatplanes

4 Aichi E13A1 Navy Type 0 reconnaissance seaplanes

Kamikawa Maru

8 Mitsubishi F1M Navy Type 0 observation floatplanes

4 Aichi E13A1 Navy Type 0 reconnaissance seaplanes

Carrying seaplane group to be set up at Kure Island.

Destroyer

Hayashio

High Speed Transport

Patrol Boat No. 35 (troops embarked)

Minesweeping Group

Capt. Miyamoto Sadatomo

Converted Minesweepers

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

Submarine Chasers

Submarine Chaser No. 16
Submarine Chaser No. 17
Submarine Chaser No. 18

Supply Ship

Soya

Cargo Ships

Meiyō Maru
Yamafuku Maru

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

Main Body (First Fleet)
Adm. Yamamoto

Battleship Division 1

Rear Adm. Takayanagi Gihachi

Yamato
Mutsu
Nagato

Small Carrier

Hōshō
8 Yokosuka B4Y1 Navy Type 96 carrier attack plane, Lt. Irikiin Yoshiaki

Destroyer

Yūkaze

Seaplane Carriers

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

Screen

Destroyer Squadron 3
Rear Adm. Hashimoto Shintaro   in light cruiser Sendai

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 Adm. Takasu Shiro Battleship Division 2

Ise
Hyūga
Fuso
Yamashiro

Cruiser Division (Light) 9
Rear Adm. Kishi Fukuhara

Kitakami
Ōi

Supply Unit

Oilers

Tōei Maru
Narutō
San Clemente Maru
Toa Maru

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

[END]

Published: Wed Feb 14 08:28:12 EST 2018