The Japs lost at Midway because, like at most of their other naval battles, they fled before finishing the job. I’m not sure cowardice is the right word to describe the senior Japanese naval commanders, the problem appeared to have been institutional in nature.
But from Pearl Harbor until Kurita fled from Sprague at Samar, the Japanese fled from inferior forces instead of pressing forward to victory.
Taffy 3, and the Battle off Samar...
“The Japs lost at Midway because, like at most of their other naval battles, they fled before finishing the job. I’m not sure cowardice is the right word to describe the senior Japanese naval commanders,”
There were seven aircraft carriers involved in the battle and all four of Japan’s large aircraft carriers—Akagi, Kaga, Soryu and Hiryu, part of the six-carrier force that had attacked Pearl Harbor six months earlier—and a heavy cruiser were sunk, while the U.S. lost only the carrier Yorktown and a destroyer.
As `armchair admiral’ what would you have done? Stuck around with the Yamato swatting at American dive bombers, losing it and other ships?
I agree that the Japanese broke off their attack on Pearl Harbor too soon. But at Midway they got their clocks cleaned and lost their air cover, so withdrawal was prudent.
There was nothing tentative about it. Their casualties were isolated and the Japanese people didn’t learn of this terrible ass-kicking for a long time.