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Battle of Midway: 4-7 June 1942: Composition of Japanese Naval Forces
Combined Fleet Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto (Commander in Chief)
in Yamato (Battleship) Chief of Staff, Rear Admiral Matome Ugaki Advance Expeditionary Force
Vice Admiral Teruhisa Komatsu (Commander in Chief, Sixth Fleet)
in Katori (Light Cruiser) at Kwajalein. Submarine Squadron 3
I-168
I-169
1-171
I-174
I-175
Deployed between latitude 20 degrees North, longitude 166 degrees 20 minutes West and latitude 23 degrees 30 minutes North, longitude 166 degrees 20 minutes West.
Submarine Squadron 5
I-156
I-157
I-158
I-159
I-162
I-164 - sunk en route by USS Triton (SS-201), off Kyushu, Japan, 17 May 1942.
I-165
I-166
Deployed between latitude 28 degrees 20 minutes North, longitude 162 degrees 20 minutes West, and latitude 26 degrees North, longitude 165 degrees West.
Submarine Division 13
I-121
I-122
I-123
Bringing gas and oil to Lisianski Island and French Frigate Shoals.
Carrier Striking Force (First Mobile Force)
Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo Chief of Staff, Rear Admiral Ryunosuke Kusaka Carrier Division 1, Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo Akagi Severely damaged by aircraft from the USS Enterprise (CV-6) NW of Midway Island, 4 June 1942, and scuttled by Japanese destroyers Nowake, Arashi, and Hagikaze, 5 June 1942.
Akagi Air Group (aircraft numbers approximate)
21 Mitsubishi carrier fighter (Zeke)
21 Aichi Type 99 carrier bombers (Vals)
21 Nakajima Type 97 torpedo bomber (Kate) Kaga Sunk by aircraft from the USS Enterprise (CV-6) NW of Midway Island, 4 June 1942.
Kaga Air Group (aircraft numbers approximate)
30 Mitsubishi carrier fighter (Zeke)
23 Aichi Type 99 carrier bombers (Vals)
30 Nakajima Type 97 torpedo bomber (Kate) Carrier Division 2
Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi Hiryu Severely damaged by aircraft from the USS Enterprise (CV-6) and USS Yorktown (CV-5) NW of Midway Island, 4 June 1942, and scuttled by Japanese destroyers Kazegumo and Yugumo, 5 June 1942.
Hiryu Air Group (aircraft numbers approximate)
21 Mitsubishi carrier fighter (Zeke)
21 Aichi Type 99 carrier bombers (Vals)
21 Nakajima Type 97 torpedo bomber (Kate) Soryu Sunk by aircraft from the USS Yorktown (CV-5) NW of Midway Island, 4 June 1942.
Soryu Air Group (aircraft numbers approximate)
21 Mitsubishi carrier fighter (Zeke)
21 Aichi Type 99 carrier bombers (Vals)
21 Nakajima Type 97 torpedo bomber (Kate) Cruiser Division 8
Rear Admiral Hiroaki Abe Tone
Chikuma Battleship Division 3, 2ND Section Haruna
Kirishima Screen
Rear Admiral Susumu Kimura, Commander Destroyer Squadron 10
in Nagara (Light Cruiser) Destroyer Division 10 Kazagumo
Yugumo
Makigumo
Akigumo - detached to escort the Supply Unit, 3 June 1942. Destroyer Division 17 Isokaze
Urakaze
Hamakaze
Tanikaze Destroyer Division 4 Arashi
Nowake
Hagikaze
Maikaze Supply Unit Oilers Kyokuto Maru
Shinkoku Maru
Toho Maru
Nippon Maru
Kokuyo Maru Midway Occupation Force
Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondo (Commander in Chief, Second Fleet)
Chief of Staff, Rear Admiral Kazutaka Shiraishi Covering Group
Vice Admiral Kondo Cruiser Division 4, 1ST Section Atago
Chokai Cruiser Division 5
Vice Admiral Takeo Takagi Myoko
Haguro Battleship Division 3, 1ST Section
Rear Admiral Gunichi Mikawa Kongo
Hiei Screen Destroyer Squadron 4
Rear Admiral Shoji Nishimura, in Yura (Light Cruiser) Destroyer Division 2 Murasame
Harusame
Yudachi
Samidare Destroyer Division 9 Asagumo
Minegumo
Natsugumo Supply Unit Oilers
Genyo Maru
Kenyo Maru
Sata
Tsurumi
Repair Ship
Akashi
Light Carrier
Zuiho
12 Mitsubishi carrier fighter (Zeke)
11 Aichi Type 99 carrier bombers (Vals)
Destroyer
Mirazuki Close Support Group
Rear Admiral Takeo Kurita, Commander Cruiser Division 7 Cruiser Division 7 Suzuya
Kumano
Mogami - damaged by aircraft from the USS Hornet (CV-8) and USS Enterprise (CV-6) W of Midway Island, 6 June 1942.
Mikuma - sunk by aircraft from the USS Hornet (CV-8) and USS Enterprise (CV-6) W of Midway Island, 6 June 1942. Destroyer Division 8 Asashio - damaged by aircraft from the USS Hornet (CV-8) and USS Enterprise (CV-6) W of Midway Island, 6 June 1942.
Arashio - damaged by aircraft from the USS Hornet (CV-8) and USS Enterprise (CV-6) W of Midway Island, 6 June 1942
note - Michishio and Oshio of Destroyer Division 8, damaged at Lombok Strait, were still under repair.
Oiler
Nichiei Maru Transport Group
Rear Admiral Raizo Tanaka, Commander Destroyer Squadron 2
in Jintsu (Light Cruiser) 12 transports and freighters carrying 'Kure' and 'Yokosuka' 5TH Special Naval Landing Forces (S.N.L.F.) and Army Ichiki detachment; two construction battalions; 'survey group', weather group, etc.; about 5,000 officers and men.
- Two of the freighters were filled with US construction equipment and weapons captured at Wake Island.
Oiler
Akebono Maru
Patrol Boats
No. 1 - old Japanese destroyer Shimakaze.
No. 2 - old Japanese destroyer Nadakaze.
No. 34 - old Japanese destroyer Suzuki.
Carrying assault detachments, S.N.L.F. Screen Jintsu (Light Cruiser) Desroyer Squadron 2 Kuroshio
Oyashio
Hatsukaze
Yukikaze
Amatsukaze
Tokitsukaze
Kasumi
Arare
Kagero
Shiranuhi Seaplane Group Carrier Division 11 - Rear Admiral Ruitaro Fujita Seaplane Carriers
Chitose - 20 observation seaplanes
Kamikawa Maru - 8 observation seaplanes
Carrying seaplane group to be set up at Kure Island.
Destroyer
Hayashio
Patrol Boat
No. 35 - old Japanese destroyer Tsuta Minesweeping Group Converted Minesweepers
Tama Maru No. 3
Tama Maru No. 5
Showa Maru No. 7
Showa Maru No. 8
Submarine Chasers
No. 16
No. 17
No. 18
Supply Ship
Soya
Cargo Ships
Meiyo Maru
Yamafuku Maru
note - This Group, proceeding from Saipan and Wake, retired upon receiving word that the occupation of Midway had been given up. Main Body (First Fleet)
Admiral Yamamoto Battleship Division 1 Yamato
Mutsu
Nagato
Light Carrier
Hosho
8 Nakajima Type 97 torpedo bombers (Kate)
Destroyer
Yukaze
Seaplane Carriers
Chiyoda
Nisshin - carrying 2 motor torpedo boats and 6 midget submarines.
Screen Destroyer Squadron 3
Rear Admiral Shintaro Hashimoto in Sendai (Light Cruiser) Destroyer Division 11 Fubuki
Shirayuki
Hatsuyuki
Murakumo
Destroyer Division 19 Isonami
Uranami
Shikinami
Ayanami Destroyer Division 20 Amagiri
Asagiri
Yugiri
Shirakumo Detachment from Main Body as Aleutian Screening (Support) Force
Vice Admiral Shiro Takasu Battleship Division 2 Ise
Hyuga
Fuso
Yamashiro Cruiser Division (Light) 9
Rear Admiral Fukuhara Kishi Kitagami
Oi
Supply Unit: Oilers
Toei Maru
Naruto
San Clemente Maru
Toa Maru
note - Part of Destroyer Squadron 3 acted as Screen to this Force.
Sources:
Midway Operations (May-June 1942).
Japanese Monograph #93. Washington: Dept. of the Army, 1953.
Hansgeorg,
Jentschura, Dieter Jung and Peter Mickel. Warships of the Imperial Japanese
Navy, 1869-1945. Annapolis, MD. Naval Institute Press, 1978.
Morison,
Samuel Eliot. Coral Sea, Midway and Submarine Actions, May 1942 - August
1942, vol. 4. of History of United States Naval Operations in World War
II. Boston, MA: Little Brown and Company, 1954.
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