Throughout history, strategic and tactical decisions have been based to a large extent on the capabilities of armaments, and the Battle of Midway was no exception. Moreover, the lack of knowledge of the performance characteristics of the weaponry used in this battle makes the task of gaining a clear insight into the logic of the opponent's actions and the reasons behind each decision almost hopeless. For this reason, I decided to include a short, illustrated reference guide to the ships and aircraft that took part in the battle.

However, since virtually all types of ships and aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Navy and the United States Navy (plus several types of aircraft used by the United States Army) were used in both the Japanese MI and AL operations and the American counter-operations, I decided to include only those ships and aircraft that were involved in action in the area of Midway Island. That is, the reference guide covers only those ships and aircraft that were part of the First Mobile Force and Close Support Group on the Japanese side, and Task Force 16, Task Force 17, and NAS Midway Garrison on the US side. An exception was made for the carriers involved in the Battle of the Coral Sea.

If you feel that any detail of specification, markings, camouflage or configuration does not correspond to June 1942, please let the author know. Do not forget, however, to support your comments with a reference to the source of the information.