Book Description

This research was prepared by Captain (later Rear Admiral) Richard W. Bates, Head of the Department of Research and Analysis of the United States Naval War College, in 1948 as part of a series of similar studies devoted to the major naval battles of the Pacific Ocean Theater of World War II. The research was classified as "Confidential" (unclassified in 1968) and was never printed as a book: it was restrictedly distributed as photostats of the original typescript. Notwithstanding the classification of this research, it served as the basis for such well-known books about the Battle of Midway as classical Samuel Eliot Morison's "History of United States Naval Operations in World War II - Coral Sea, Midway and Submarine Actions" published in 1949 and Walter Lord's best-seller "Incredible Victory" published in 1967. Although over the decades that have passed since the making of Bates' research historians have obtained access to a number of additional sources, this study nevertheless remains an authoritative source of information, especially concerning the U.S. side of the battle. References to this research are found even in the most recent books on the Battle of Midway. This is the first time that "The Battle of Midway Including the Aleutian Phase, June 3 to June 14, 1942: Strategical and Tactical Analysis" by Richard W. Bates is published as a book. The text formatting was kept as close to the style of the original typescript as possible, including the original pagination for correct quotation. All the charts have been redrawn. Glossary of special terms and abbreviations as well as bibliographic records have been added. It is believed that this book will be useful to anyone interested in or studying the history of World War II in the Pacific Theater.