US Navy marks Battle of Midway's 70th anniversary
Six months after the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan sent aircraft carriers to the tiny Pacific atoll of Midway with an aim to draw out and destroy what remained of the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet. At the time, the Japanese military outnumbered the U.S. Navy pilots, who also were less experienced, The Associated Press reports.
Despite those odds, the U.S. Navy sank four Japanese aircraft carriers the first day of the three-day battle and put Japan on the defensive. And though intelligence was a key reason behind a U.S. victory, other factors came into play, such as brave heroics by Navy dive bomber pilots, Japanese mistakes and even a little luck, AP reports.
Monday, Navy leaders flew to Midway to mark the 70th anniversary of the pivotal battle of Midway that changed the course of the Pacific war, according to The Associated Press.
Source: The Associated Press
