The Battle of Midway

After Japan’s devastating attack on U.S. forces stationed at Pearl Harbor, it seemed the Japanese ruled the seas. The United States, determined to stop Japan from expanding its empire, entered World War II. In June 1942, as a massive Japanese force bore down on the islands of Midway, U.S. ships waited in ambush. There, U.S. and Japanese leaders played a deadly game of chess, using new technologies and strategies to try to wipe out the opposing navy once and for all. The battle would set the tone for the rest of World War II’s Pacific campaign.