The Battle of Midway was a decisive naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II, fought in June 1942.

It took place just six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The Japanese planned to lure the American aircraft carriers into a trap and destroy them, which would have given Japan naval supremacy in the Pacific.

A crucial advantage for the U.S. was that its cryptanalysts had partially broken Japanese naval codes, revealing their plan to attack Midway.

U.S. Admiral Chester Nimitz used this intelligence to set up an ambush for the Japanese fleet.

The battle was fought almost entirely with aircraft, with the opposing fleets never sighting one another.

In a pivotal five-minute period, U.S. dive bombers attacked and destroyed three of the four Japanese aircraft carriers.

The final outcome was a devastating defeat for Japan, which lost all four of its large carriers, while the U.S. lost only one.

The loss of its carriers and experienced pilots was a blow from which the Japanese Navy never fully recovered.

The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific campaign and the turning point of the war in the Pacific.