How to Use the Images

Table of
Contents

Photo 1: Midway Atoll, 1941.

This photo shows Midway before the Pearl Harbor attack. Eastern Island is in the foreground with the somewhat larger Sand Island in the background.

Photo 2: Midway after the June 4, 1942 attack.

Questions for Photos 1 & 2

1. Locate the landing strips on Eastern Island. Why do you suppose the Japanese did not bomb this area?

2. Does Photo 1 or Map 2 give you a better sense of what Midway was like? Discuss.

3. Photo 2 shows damage caused by the Japanese air attack. Can you tell how serious this damage was? What effect do you think it might have had on the ability of the island to defend itself against the invasion planned for the next day?

4. Even though the invasion of Midway was one of the main objectives of the Japanese fleet, the bombing of the islands seems to have had virtually no effect on the outcome of the battle. Why do you think that might have been the case?

* The photos on this screen have a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi), and therefore will print poorly. You can obtain a larger version of Photo 1 and Photo 2, but be aware that each file will take as much as 36 seconds to load with a 28.8K modem.