Days that Shook the World: The Battle of Midway
The film establishes the background of the battle.
The United States was at a major disadvantage in the battle.
John Ford, the filmmaker, is contacted by Admiral Nimitz and told to get to Midway.
The Japanese plan of attack.
This could also have been partially due to the Japanese arrogance, believing nothing could stop them.
This filming was risky to Ford and the others with him. Also, if they lost the battle, their work would have been in vain, but if they won the battle the film could serve as a very valuable piece of American propaganda.
All four Japanese characters will launch together.
The Japanese air attack is picked up and all planes on Midway are launched. The the movie moves on to cover the first several American plane attacks on the carriers and how they failed terribly.
The leader of the Japanese attack sees that there are no planes on the ground and that the runway has not been destroyed as it should have been. Also, he realizes that the Americans must have known there would be an attack.
Then things start to fall apart for the Japanese. Nagumo knows that the planes ready to launch are fitted with torpedos; that is what the plan said needed to be done. Now that he knows the Midway attack was not as successful as planned, he has to decided whether to change from torpedoes to bombs, taking ninety minutes, or launch with the torpedoes.
The danger is that during the changeover the carrier would be vulnerable to attack, but he doesn't know that the American planes are already closing in. He gives the order to change from torpedoes to bombs. John Ford himself was injured during the Midway attack.
Then the Japanese spot American ships and Nagumo reverses himself, deciding to go ahead and attack the ships, but that then requires changing the planes that now have bombs back to carrying torpedoes. Also, there is the possibility of an air attack from Midway since the island was not neutralized.
The attacks fail.
Then another attack force finds the Japanese carriers and attacks. The Zeroes that were to defend the carriers are elsewhere.
When the bomb hit Akagi it not only blew up but it caused the planes with the torpedoes to also blow up. The carrier Kaga is hit by four bombs. Only moments later a third Japanese carrier, Soryu, is destroyed.
Yamaguchi is in command of the last Japanese carrier there and he launches an attack on the American aircraft carrier Yorktown.
The Hiryu is destroyed.
American losses.
Japanese loses including four carriers.
This has to be the best film I have ever seen about the Battle of Midway.
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