At Midway, the US used an intelligence coup to shatter a Japanese fleet. The US had cracked the Japanese naval codes and were able to use a ruse to determine the target of the next Japanese attack--Midway. The US staged their aircraft carriers within striking range and waited for the Japanese attack. When the Japanese arrived, they intended to set a trap for the American carriers. Instead, the Japanese lost four carriers and the Americans lost only one. These carriers and their naval aviators were some of the best that Japan had to offer. Further, American industrial potential was massive while the Japanese could not easily replace their losses. After Midway, the US was able to first gain parity with the Japanese in the Pacific (via Guadalcanal and the Solomon Island campaigns) and later take the offensive.

Midway was a massive US victory that broke a Japanese streak of conquests. It also heavily degraded the Japanese fleet's ability to go on the offensive. Midway was the point where the initiative began to shift to the Americans. Before Midway there were losses and draws for the Americans, after Midway there were victories.