Operation ▁M I ). ▁ ▁Battle ▁of ▁Mid way ▁ ▁Admir al ▁Is or oku ▁Yam am oto ▁planned ▁to ▁l ure ▁and ▁destroy ▁US N ▁carri ers ▁by ▁attack ing ▁the ▁Mid way ▁Islands ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 4 2 . ▁The ▁Japanese ▁were ▁una ware ▁that ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁had ▁broken ▁their ▁naval ▁code . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁this , ▁US N ▁carri ers ▁were ▁already ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁when ▁the ▁Japanese ▁attacked ▁Mid way . ▁On ▁ 3 ▁June ▁US ▁land - based ▁bom bers ▁from ▁Mid way ▁attacked ▁the ▁Japanese ▁fleet ▁but ▁scored ▁no ▁hits . ▁On ▁ 4 ▁June , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁poor ▁reconna issance ▁efforts ▁and ▁tact ical ▁mistakes ▁of ▁Vice ▁Admir al ▁Ch ū ichi ▁Nag um o , ▁US N ▁d ive ▁bom bers ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁surprise ▁the ▁Japanese ▁car rier ▁force ▁and ▁destroyed ▁three ▁carri ers ▁( A k agi , ▁K aga ▁and ▁S ō ry ū ). ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁attack ▁the ▁Japanese ▁carri ers ▁were ▁in ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁prepar ing ▁to ▁launch ▁an ▁air ▁strike ▁against ▁the ▁US ▁carri ers ▁and ▁their ▁hang ars ▁were ▁full ▁of ▁loaded ▁aircraft , ▁bomb s ▁and ▁av iation ▁fuel ▁which ▁decis ively ▁contributed ▁to ▁their ▁destruction . ▁Car rier ▁H iry ū ▁managed ▁to ▁surv ive ▁the ▁attack ▁and ▁R ear ▁Admir al ▁Tam on ▁Yam ag uch i ▁launched ▁a ▁strike ▁against ▁York town . ▁A ircraft ▁from ▁H iry ū ▁managed ▁to ▁cri pp le