Both sides made mistakes. What separated the Americans and the Japanese between Pearl Harbor and Midway was the ability to notice an error in time, absorb the unexpected and decide with the information available. Below, eight process factors compared, with the events in which each one appears.
The decision cycle on June 4
Nagumo makes three major decisions in about 90 minutes, each reversing the one before, and waits for the full picture before acting. Spruance decides once, early, and lets the commanders in the air adapt.
NagumoSpruance and Fletcher
Approximate positions, for strategic reading. June 4 times are Midway local time. Narration generated with synthetic voices. About and sources · Suggest a correction.