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Battle of Midway
Date Range
June 4–7, 1942
Location
Midway Atoll, Pacific Ocean
Combatants
Imperial Japan vs. United States
Outcome
Decisive American victory — shift in balance of power in the Pacific
Casualties
Japan: 4 carriers, 248 aircraft, 3,057 killed; US: 1 carrier, 145 aircraft, 307 killed
Strategic Significance
The turning point of the Pacific war. Japan lost four fleet carriers — the core of its offensive power — in four days, and never regained strategic initiative. American superiority was partly due to breaking Japanese naval codes.