Aircrafts

At least 67 naval aircraft are recorded as being lost in the vicinity of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. World War II played a large role in these losses. The Navy built a Naval Air Facility at Midway Atoll beginning in 1940; Eastern Island had the main airfield in the early days of the war and the submarine and seaplane support operations were concentrated on Sand Island. This was a vital center for submarine, surface and aviation operations. Initially, the Hawaiian Sea Frontier forces stationed patrol vessels at most of the islands and atolls. Midway was also the focus of one of the most important naval battles in the Pacific. The Battle of Midway took place from June 4 to 7, 1942 and is considered the turning point of the war in the Pacific. The majority of the sea battle took place beyond the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands between 100 to 200 miles to the north, but an intense air fight was waged directly over and around the atoll itself. Numerous Japanese and American planes splashed down into Midway waters. Many of these sites are war graves. Training exercises before and after the battle also took their toll.

Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo at Midway Atoll

Learn how archaeologists identified a sunken Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo in Midway Atoll lagoon, one of the aircraft that defended the atoll in 1942.

F4U-1 Corsair at Kure Atoll

The remains of a World War II-era Corsair at remote Kure Atoll reveal both the hazards of naval aviation and the ongoing work to identify lost aircraft.

F4U-1 Corsair at Midway Atoll

An unidentified Corsair off Midway Atoll tells a story of wartime aviation, archaeological investigation, and a wreck site now teeming with marine life.

P-40K Warhawk at Midway

Find out how archaeologists identified a sunken P-40K Warhawk off Eastern Island at Midway Atoll and linked it to a 1943 wartime crash.