[Jacquerie]

Good idea. I hope to read your Midway post next year.

The Japs had every reason to expect victory.

[Retain Mike]

It sure seems the Japanese were overconfident. Both the Yorktown and Shokaku were damaged at the Battle of the Coral Sea. After the Shokaku arrived in Japan, she didn’t enter dry-dock for a month. In contrast the Yorktown entered dry-dock immediately. When the yard said it would take two weeks for the repairs Nimitz said do what you can in 48 hours to make it ready for operating. And they did. You almost feel the Japanese didn’t really believe there was a war on. Japanese aircraft carrier Shōkaku http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aircraft_carrier_Sh%C5%8Dkaku