Marine Order of Battle at Midway
Midway consists of two islands (Sand and Eastern) and its defenses were organized on these. On 4-5 June, 1942, there were 2,512 Marines (382 in MAG-22). All Marine, Navy and USAAF air units were at NAS, Midway on Eastern Island.
On Sand Island:
HQ and Service Battery, 6th Defense Battalion (Reinforced)
Batteries A and C (two 5-inch/51 each), Seacoast Artillery Group, 6th DB
7-inch Battery (provisional) (two 7-inch/45), SAG, 6th DB
3-inch Navy Battery (provisional) (two 3-inch/50 cd guns), SAG, 6th DB
One half of Battery G (Searchlight), 6th DB
22nd Provisional Marine Company (provided extra personnel for gun crews)
HQ, Detachment, 2nd Raider Battalion
Company C, 2nd Raider Battalion
Tank Platoon, 6th DB (five M-2A4 light tanks)
HQ, Antiaircraft Group, 6th DB
Battery D (four 3-inch AA guns), 3rd Defense Battalion
Batteries D & F (four 3-inch AA guns each), AAG, 6th DB
HQ, Special Weapons Group, 6th Defense Battalion
one half of Battery H, SWG, 6th DB (six .50 cal water-cooled AA guns)
one half of Battery I, SWG, 6th DB (six M-1917A1 .30 cal HMG)
one half of Battery K, SWG, 3rd DB (four 37mm AA guns)
one half of Battery L, SWG, 3rd DB (four 20mm AA guns)
Detachment, 407th Signal Company, Aviation (USAAF radio station)
On Eastern Island:
HQ, Seacoast Artillery Group, 6th Defense Battalion
Battery B (two 5-inch/51), SAG, 6th DB
7-inch Battery (Provisional) (two 7-inch/45), SAG, 6th DB
3-inch Navy Battery (Provisional) (two 3-inch/50 cd guns), SAG, 6th DB
23rd Provisional Marine Company (provided extra personnel for the gun crews)
Company D, 2nd Raider Battalion
HQ, Antiaircraft Group, 3rd Defense Battalion
Battery E (four 3-inch AA guns), AAG, 6th DB
Batteries E & F (four 3-inch AA guns ea), AAG, 3rd DB
one half of Battery H, SWG, 6th DB (six .50 cal water-cooled AA guns)
one half of Battery I, SWG, 6th DB (six M-1917A1 .30 cal HMG)
one half of Battery K, SWG, 3rd DB (four 37mm AA guns)
one half of Battery L, SWG, 3rd DB (four 20mm AA guns)
Japanese Opposition:
The 2nd Combined Special Landing Force consisted of 5,000 IJN/IJA personnel. The assault element was made up of the 1,250 Yokosuka 5th Special Navy Landing Force (to land on Sand Island) and the 1,200 Ichiki Force [28th Infantry Regiment, 7th Division] (and yes this is the same force that attacked the 1st Marine Division on Alligator Creek on Guadalcanal) who would land on Eastern Island. The IJN 11th and 12th Construction Battalions would provide support along with follow-up survey and weather groups. At least this was the plan for the June 7 landing.
Midway was attacked by 108 carrier aircraft (and claimed 53 shot down by AA guns and defending fighters; NOTE: this estimate may be a tad over the real losses). A submarine was damaged by Marine guns.
Came across a USMC site that states that Midway had two 7-inch gun batteries, each of two guns.
American air power at NAS, Midway consisted of:
Marine Aircraft Group 22
HQ Squadron 22
Service Squadron 22
Marine Fighting Squadron 221: 21 F2A-3 Buffalo (20 operational) and 7 F4F-3 Wildcat (6 operational)
Marine Scout-Bombing Squadron 241: 19 SBD-2 Dauntless (18 operational) and 21 SB2U-3 Vindicator (14 operational,
only 12 air crews)
USN
Patrol Squadron 23: 14 PBY-5 Catalina (13 operational, 11 dedicated to search, 2 to torpedo attack)
detachment, Patrol Squadron 44: 8 PBY-5A Catalina (7 operational, all dedicated to search)
detachment, Patrol Squadron 24: 6 PBY-5A Catalina (2 dedicated to search, 3 to torpedo attack)
detachment, Patrol Squadron 51: 3 PBY-5A Catalina, (2 dedicated to search, 1 to torpedo attack)
detachment, Torpedo Squadron Eight: 6 TBF-1 Avenger
USAAF
detachment, 349th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy): 1 B-17D photo recon
detachment, 42nd Bombardment Squadron (Heavy): 5 B-17E (4 operational)
detachment, 431st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy): 6 B-17E
detachment, 31st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy): 2 B-17E
detachment, 72nd Bombardment Squadron (Heavy): 1 B-17E
detachment, 18th Reconnaissance Squadron (Medium): 2 B-26 in torpedo attack role
detachment, 69th Bombardment Squadron (Medium): 2 B-26B in torpedo attack role
Finally,
Motor Torpedo Squadron One with PT-20, PT-21, PT-22, PT-24, PT-25, PT-26 and PT-27 at Midway
detachment, MTS1: PT-29 and PT-30 at Kure
at French Frigate Shoals: USS Clark, DD-361; USS Ballard, AVD-10 and USS Thorton, AV-12 (support for Catalinas)
At Pearl & Hermes Reef: USS Kaloli, AOG-13; USS Vireo, ATO-144 and USS Crystal, PY-25 (aviation fuel support)
At Lisianski: USS YP-284
At Gardner's Pinnacles: USS YP-345
At Necker Island: USS YP-350
At Laysan: USS YP-290
The YP or Yippies were converted fishing boats that were armed with a radio and perhaps a machinegun. Their job was to monitor the outlaying reefs/islands to insure that the Japanese didn't try to base floatplanes to support their operations against Midway. The presence of these outlaying ships played a little known part in that, by their very presence, prevented the Japanese from conducting long-range aerial reconnaissance of Pearl Harbor by staging seaplanes (refueled by subs) from these "tiny" rocks.
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The reason that the American Army does so well in wartime, is that war is chaos, and the American Army practices chaos on a daily basis.
Last edited by dragoon500ly; 06-25-2011 at 08:29 AM.
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