1942
Battle of Midway
The setting
Near Midway Atoll, central Pacific Ocean
Open ocean and air around a small atoll
Reveal the outcome
Recorded sideUnited States
Recorded resultDecisive victory
U.S. carrier aircraft sank all four Japanese fleet carriers (Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, Hiryu) for the loss of the carrier Yorktown.
How the atlas explains it
U.S. signals intelligence revealed Japanese plans, allowing Nimitz to ambush the carrier force; well-timed dive-bomber strikes caught Japanese carriers while rearming with fueled, armed aircraft on deck.
What followed
A decisive turning point in the Pacific War that crippled Japanese carrier strength and shifted the strategic initiative to the United States.