Battle of Midway (June 3–6, 1942), World War II naval battle, fought almost entirely with aircraft, in which the United States destroyed Japan’s first-line carrier strength and most of its best trained naval pilots. The American victory effectively ended Japan’s ability to prosecute an offensive war in the Pacific.
Department of Defense photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Dusty Howell, U.S. Navy
Top Questions
What is an aircraft carrier?
An aircraft carrier is a naval vessel from which airplanes may take off and land. Basically, an aircraft carrier is an airfield at sea. Special features include catapults on the flight deck to assist in launching aircraft; for braking while landing, aircraft are fitted with retractable hooks that engage wires on the deck.
Who was the first pilot to take off from a platform on a ship, a forerunner of the aircraft carrier?
American civilian Eugene Ely was the first pilot to fly a plane off a specially built platform on the deck of the U.S. cruiser