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Military

Was This WWII’s Greatest Battle?

Photo of Chris Lange
By Chris Lange Published
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Was This WWII’s Greatest Battle?

© USS Yorktown during the Battle... (CC BY 2.0) by Cassowary Colorizations

24/7 Wall St. Insights

  • The Battle of Midway was one of the most significant conflicts of World War II and crippled the naval forces of Imperial Japan.
  • Many famous aircraft carriers participated in this epic battle, although nearly all of Japan’s were destroyed in the conflict.
  • Also: Discover the next Nvidia.

Japan’s strategy in World War II centered on eliminating the United States’ power in the Pacific, aiming to create a critical advantage. The attack on Pearl Harbor was part of this approach, in addition to the assault on Midway. At Midway, however, the U.S. was prepared for the attack and destroyed nearly all of Japan’s aircraft carriers. (These World War II battles had by far the most casualties.)

The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as one of the most significant events of World War II, and one of the largest aerial battles in the Pacific Theater, showcasing the importance and dominance of aircraft carriers.

Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the warships and submarines that fought in this pivotal battle. To identify the warships and submarines that fought in the Battle of Midway, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a catalog of naval vessels from Military Factory, an online database of arms, vehicles, and aircraft. We ordered warships and submarines chronologically. We also included supplemental information regarding the type, armament, speed, displacement, and aircraft for each vessel.

Many of the most prominent WWII aircraft carriers fought in the Battle of Midway. On the side of the United States, the USS Enterprise, USS Yorktown, and the USS Hornet played very important roles. For Japan, the IJN Soryu, IJN Kaga, and IJN Akagi each rose to meet them. (These are the most important events of World War II: a timeline.)

Why Are We Covering This?

Defense.gov/Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons

The Battle of Midway was one of the largest and most significant aerial battles in the Pacific during World War II, especially in terms of its impact and strategic outcome. It would ultimately shape the outcome of the conflict while demonstrating the power of aircraft carriers.

Here is a look at all of the naval vessels that fought in the Battle of Midway:

IJN Kongo

IJN+Kongo | Untitled 26
Untitled 26 / Flickr / Public Domain

  • Type: Cruiser
  • Year introduced: 1913
  • Top speed: 31.6 mph
  • Displacement: 26,230 tons
  • Armament: 356mm main guns, 152mm guns, 127mm dual-purpose guns, 25mm anti-aircraft guns
  • Aircraft: 3 navy floatplanes

IJN Hiei

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

  • Type: Cruiser
  • Year introduced: 1914
  • Top speed: 34.5 mph
  • Displacement: 37,200 tons
  • Armament: 356mm main guns, 152mm guns, 127mm dual-purpose guns, 25mm anti-aircraft guns, 530mm torpedo tubes
  • Aircraft: 2 navy floatplanes

IJN Fuso

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

  • Type: Dreadnought battleship
  • Year introduced: 1915
  • Top speed: 26.5 mph
  • Displacement: 36,500 tons
  • Armament: 356mm twin-gun turrets, 152mm guns, 127mm dual-purpose guns, 25mm anti-aircraft guns, 533mm torpedo tubes
  • Aircraft: 3 navy floatplanes

IJN Haruna

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

  • Type: Cruiser
  • Year introduced: 1915
  • Top speed: 34.5 mph
  • Displacement: 37,200 tons
  • Armament: 356mm main guns, 152mm guns, 76mm guns, 530mm torpedo tubes
  • Aircraft: 3 navy floatplanes

IJN Kirishima

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

  • Type: Cruiser
  • Year introduced: 1915
  • Top speed: 34.5 mph
  • Displacement: 37,200 tons
  • Armament: 356mm main guns, 152mm guns, 127mm dual-purpose guns, 25mm anti-aircraft guns
  • Aircraft: 3 navy floatplanes

IJN Nagato

IJN+Nagato | Nagato, Japan (LOC)
library_of_congress / Flickr / No known copyright restrictions

  • Type: Dreadnought battleship
  • Year introduced: 1920
  • Top speed: 28.8 mph
  • Displacement: 39,130 tons
  • Armament: 409mm twin-gunned turrets, 127mm dual-purpose guns, 25mm anti-aircraft guns, 13mm anti-aircraft guns, 533mm torpedo tubes
  • Aircraft: 3 navy floatplanes

IJN Hosho

IJN+Hosho | Piction
sdasmarchives / Flickr / No known copyright restrictions

  • Type: Aircraft carrier
  • Year introduced: 1922
  • Top speed: 28.8 mph
  • Displacement: 9,500 tons
  • Armament: 140mm guns, 80mm anti-aircraft guns
  • Aircraft: 15 aircraft of various types, mainly torpedo bombers

IJN Akagi

IJN+Akagi | Untitled 46
Untitled 46 / Flickr / Public Domain

  • Type: Aircraft carrier
  • Year introduced: 1927
  • Top speed: 36.8 mph
  • Displacement: 33,800 tons
  • Armament: 50 caliber guns, 120cm anti-aircraft guns, 25mm anti-aircraft guns
  • Aircraft: 21 Mitsubishi A6M “Zero” fighters, 21 Aichi D3A “Val” dive bombers, 21 Nakajima B5N “Kate” torpedo bombers

IJN Kaga

IJN+Kaga | Untitled 158
Untitled 158 / Flickr / Public Domain
  • Type: Aircraft carrier
  • Year introduced: 1929
  • Top speed: 32.2 mph
  • Displacement: 38,800 tons
  • Armament: 20mm anti-aircraft guns, 127mm twin-barreled anti-aircraft guns, 25mm twin-barreled anti-aircraft guns
  • Aircraft: 90 total aircraft including, Mitsubishi A6M “Zero” fighters, Aichi D3A “Val” dive bombers, and Nakajima B5N “Kate” torpedo bombers

USS Narwhal

USS+Narwhal+SS-167 | AL218-012 USS Narwhal San Francisco Jun31
sdasmarchives / Flickr / No known copyright restrictions
  • Type: Diesel-electric attack submarine
  • Year introduced: 1930
  • Top speed: 16.1 mph
  • Displacement: 2,770 tons
  • Armament: 533mm torpedo tubes, 152mm deck guns
  • Aircraft: N/A

USS Nautilus

Keystone / Hulton Archive via Getty Images
  • Type: Diesel-electric attack submarine
  • Year introduced: 1930
  • Top speed: 20.1 mph
  • Displacement: 2,770 tons
  • Armament: 533mm torpedo tubes, 152mm deck guns
  • Aircraft: N/A

USS Portland

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Type: Cruiser
  • Year introduced: 1933
  • Top speed: 38.0 mph
  • Displacement: 10,000 tons
  • Armament: 200mm main guns, 127mm anti-aircraft guns, 3-pounder saluting guns, 12.7mm heavy machine guns
  • Aircraft: 4 navy floatplanes

USS Cuttlefish

national_museum_of_the_us_navy / Flickr / Public Domain
  • Type: Diesel-electric attack submarine
  • Year introduced: 1934
  • Top speed: 19.6 mph
  • Displacement: 1,150 tons
  • Armament: 533mm torpedo tubes, 76mm deck gun
  • Aircraft: N/A

USS Minneapolis

National Museum of the United States Navy / Public Domain / Flickr
  • Type: Heavy cruiser
  • Year introduced: 1934
  • Top speed: 37.6 mph
  • Displacement: 9,950 tons
  • Armament: 200mm triple-mounted turrets, 130mm anti-aircraft guns, 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine guns
  • Aircraft: 4 navy floatplanes

USS New Orleans

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Type: Heavy cruiser
  • Year introduced: 1934
  • Top speed: 37.6 mph
  • Displacement: 10,000 tons
  • Armament: 203mm triple-gunned turrets, 127mm secondary guns, 12.7mm heavy machine guns, 3-pounder saluting guns
  • Aircraft: 4 navy floatplanes

IJN Mogami

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

  • Type: Heavy cruiser
  • Year introduced: 1935
  • Top speed: 42.6 mph
  • Displacement: 8,500 tons
  • Armament: 200mm twin-gunned turrets, 127mm twin-gunned turrets, 25mm anti-aircraft guns, 610mm torpedo tubes
  • Aircraft: 11 Aichi A13E floatplanes

IJN Soryu

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

  • Type: Aircraft carrier
  • Year introduced: 1937
  • Top speed: 39.1 mph
  • Displacement: 16,000 tons
  • Armament: 127mm twin-barreled dual-purpose guns, 25mm twin-barreled anti-aircraft guns
  • Aircraft: 70 total aircraft including, Mitsubishi A6M “Zero” fighters, Aichi D3A “Val” dive bombers, and Nakajima B5N “Kate” torpedo bombers

USS Yorktown

File:USS Yorktown, 1943 aircraft carrier (17).jpg by Bubba73
File:USS Yorktown, 1943 aircraft carrier (17).jpg (CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED) by Bubba73
  • Type: Aircraft carrier
  • Year introduced: 1937
  • Top speed: 37.4 mph
  • Displacement: 20,000 tons
  • Armament: 127mm dual-purpose cannons, 28mm quadruple mount anti-aircraft cannons, 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons
  • Aircraft: Up to 90 aircraft including fighters, dive bombers, and torpedo bombers

IJN Chiyoda

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

  • Type: Light aircraft carrier
  • Year introduced: 1938
  • Top speed: 33.3 mph
  • Displacement: 11,400 tons
  • Armament: 12.7mm machine guns, 25mm anti-aircraft machine guns
  • Aircraft: 30 aircraft of various types

IJN Tone

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

  • Type: Heavy cruiser
  • Year introduced: 1938
  • Top speed: 40.3 mph
  • Displacement: 12,000 tons
  • Armament: 203mm twin-gunned turrets, 127mm guns, 25mm anti-aircraft guns, 610mm torpedo tubes
  • Aircraft: 8 Aichi A13E floatplanes

USS Enterprise

Naval History & Heritage Command / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Type: Aircraft carrier
  • Year introduced: 1938
  • Top speed: 36.8 mph
  • Displacement: 25,500 tons
  • Armament: 127mm single mount cannons, 28mm quadruple mount cannons, 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine guns
  • Aircraft: Up to 90 aircraft including fighters, dive bombers, and torpedo bombers

IJN Chikuma

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

  • Type: Heavy cruiser
  • Year introduced: 1939
  • Top speed: 40.3 mph
  • Displacement: 11,215 tons
  • Armament: 200mm twin-gunned turrets, 127mm cannons, 25mm anti-aircraft guns, 610mm torpedo tubes
  • Aircraft: 6 navy floatplanes

IJN Hiryu

IJN+Hiryu | Untitled 30
Untitled 30 / Flickr / Public Domain

  • Type: Aircraft carrier
  • Year introduced: 1939
  • Top speed: 40.3 mph
  • Displacement: 17,300 tons
  • Armament: 127mm twin gunned turrets, 25mm anti-aircraft guns
  • Aircraft: 64 total aircraft including, Mitsubishi A6M “Zero” fighters, Aichi D3A “Val” dive bombers, and Nakajima B5N “Kate” torpedo bombers

IJN Zuiho

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

  • Type: Light aircraft carrier
  • Year introduced: 1940
  • Top speed: 32.2 mph
  • Displacement: 11,265 tons
  • Armament: 127mm twin-barreled guns, 25mm twin-barreled anti-aircraft guns
  • Aircraft: 30 aircraft of various types

IJN Akigumo

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

  • Type: Destroyer
  • Year introduced: 1941
  • Top speed: 40.3 mph
  • Displacement: 2,530 tons
  • Armament: 127mm dual-purpose turreted main guns, 25mm twin-gunned anti-aircraft cannons, 13mm machine guns, 610mm torpedo tubes, depth charges
  • Aircraft: N/A

USS Gato

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

  • Type: Diesel-electric attack submarine
  • Year introduced: 1941
  • Top speed: 24.2 mph
  • Displacement: 1,525 tons
  • Armament: 533mm torpedo tubes, 102mm deck gun, 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft cannon, 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannon
  • Aircraft: N/A

USS Hornet

CVS 12 USS Hornet stbd bow DSC... by Bill Abbott
CVS 12 USS Hornet stbd bow DSC... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Bill Abbott
  • Type: Aircraft carrier
  • Year introduced: 1941
  • Top speed: 37.4 mph
  • Displacement: 20,000 tons
  • Armament: 127mm dual-purpose cannons, 28mm quadruple mount anti-aircraft cannons, 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons
  • Aircraft: Up to 90 aircraft including fighters, dive bombers, and torpedo bombers

USS Growler

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

  • Type: Diesel-electric attack submarine
  • Year introduced: 1942
  • Top speed: 24.2 mph
  • Displacement: 1,550 tons
  • Armament: 533mm torpedo tubes, 76mm deck gun, 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft cannon, 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannon
  • Aircraft: N/A
Photo of Chris Lange
About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.

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