 The Battle of Midway has often been called " the turning point of the Pacific " . It was the Allies ' first major naval victory against the Japanese . Although the Japanese continued to try to secure more territory , and the U.S. did not move from a state of naval parity to one of supremacy until after several more months of hard combat , Midway allowed the Allies to switch to the strategic initiative , paving the way for the landings on Guadalcanal and the prolonged attrition of the Solomon Islands campaign . Midway allowed this to occur before the first of the new Essex @-@ class fleet carriers became available at the end of 1942 . 
