It took place from June 4 , 1942 to June 7 , 1942 , more or less one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea , and about six months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that had made war break between the United States and Japan . During the battle , the United States Navy defeated a Japanese attack against Midway Atoll ( located northwest of Hawaii ) and destroyed four Japanese aircraft carriers and a heavy cruiser , and losing a carrier and a destroyer . Between 4 and 7 June 1942 , approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan 's attack on Pearl Harbor , the United States Navy decisively defeated an Imperial Japanese Navy ( IJN ) attack against Midway Atoll , inflicting irreparable damage on the Japanese fleet .