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110%er [9109]
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Normandy/Midway Connection
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Jun 7, 2023, 10:36 AM
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I've read much about D-Day and much about the Battle of Midway, but never made this connection.
As we all know, June 6, 1944, was D-Day, when the allies invaded Europe and began its liberation and ultimately was the beginning of the end of the European war.
But June 7, 1943, was the end of the Battle of Midway, when the US Navy dealt the Japanese Navy a major blow, sinking multiple aircraft carriers and subsequently taking out of action hundreds of skilled Japanese pilots. This was the beginning of the end of the Pacific war.
Midway doesn't get nearly the press or remembrance as D-Day, but it was equally important in the Pacific theater. Had the Japanese surprised our relatively small naval forces, which was very possible, the US Navy could've effectively been taken out of the Pacific war for many more months, if not years, as we rebuilt our carrier fleet and trained more naval aviators. Call it luck, or call it providence, or call it cunning leadership - or all 3 - but thankfully the US Navy were the ones who surprised the Japanese and caught them basically flat-footed while they were re-arming their planes and leaving their carrier decks covered with live bombs and full fuel lines. It ended in disaster for the Japanese and greatly reduced the threat of Japanese carrier aviation in the Pacific and opened the way for the Navy and the Marine Corps to begin clearing out Japanese forces as they moved slowly but surely to the home islands.
Only one year and a day apart. Never realized that.
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Heisman Winner [108390]
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Midway was actually '42, but the June catch stands.***
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Jun 7, 2023, 10:40 AM
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110%er [9109]
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Thanks for the catch - I knew that, just brain farted
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Jun 7, 2023, 10:43 AM
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Been doing that more and more since I passed 50 years old!
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Heisman Winner [108390]
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All good, what was amazing was the month turnaround...
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Jun 7, 2023, 10:49 AM
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from Coral Sea to Midway including the 3 day refit of Yorktown so she could make way with the fleet.
The intel misdirections involved in Midway & D-Day were stories of their own.
Great stuff.
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CU Medallion [64593]
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Actually...
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Jun 7, 2023, 10:48 AM
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The Battle of Midway took place from June 4th to the June 7th in 1942 which was just six months after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.
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Heisman Winner [140588]
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Re: Actually...
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Jun 7, 2023, 11:03 AM
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All-In [30839]
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just the way it goes. The Japanese murdered waaaaaaay
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Jun 7, 2023, 10:54 AM
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more so called "inferior" people than the Germans..
no 1 ever talks about it.
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Hall of Famer [22335]
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The good results of Normandy & Midway were both heavily
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Jun 7, 2023, 11:00 AM
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influenced by Allied intelligence. Cracking (a portion) of the JN-25 code gave us the heads up and allowed us to ambush em at Midway. The work of the British at Bletchley Park was also instrumental in always staying one step ahead of the Nazis. Capturing the Enigma machine on the sub before it went down, etc. We were lucky in a lot of ways...
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All-In [30839]
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soem call it luck
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Jun 7, 2023, 11:02 AM
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some call it SKILL
some say you have to PUNISH THE SKILL
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CU Medallion [64593]
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Orange Blooded [4884]
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honestly believe god all mighty was with us in those battles
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Jun 7, 2023, 12:05 PM
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..
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110%er [5101]
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Re: Normandy/Midway Connection
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Jun 7, 2023, 12:12 PM
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Great battles by brave men.
Thanks for sharing.
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Athletic Dir [861]
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Re: Normandy/Midway Connection
Jun 7, 2023, 12:25 PM
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Midway was important but it was not as decisive as D-Day. From June 6, 1944 to May 1945 - that's how long it took to defeat the Nazis. But Midway was June 1942 and it took until August 1945 to defeat the Japanese.
Once the allies established themselves in Normandy the end was in sight. But that was certainly not the case in the Pacific after Midway.
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