In early June 1942, the Battle of Midway was set into motion when Admiral Chūichi Nagumo, leading the Japanese task force, ordered an offensive strike on Midway Atoll. The Japanese Imperial Navy sought to expand its territorial gains in the Pacific, following their successes at Pearl Harbor and in Southeast Asia. Nagumo's forces consisted of four aircraft carriers, numerous battleships, cruisers, and destroyers, deploying a significant part of the Japan's navy in a bid to decimate U.S. naval power. Midway Island was chosen as the target for its strategic location, which facilitated control over the central Pacific, critical for locating and engaging American reinforcements.Midway Island had been fortified by U.S. forces in anticipation of further Japanese aggression. The location was only a small atoll, but its capture was pivotal for the U.S. Navy to counter-attack and regain the initiative in the Pacific Theater. As Nagumo executed the strike, American forces prepared to defend the island, having anticipated such an attack due to intelligence insights regarding Japanese plans. The ensuing clash would showcase the importance of aircraft carriers in modern naval warfare and would change the course of the Pacific War significantly.