Fleet Organization and Composition

Organization:


Tactical organization


Commander


Composition


Duties

Air Attack Force CinC 1st Air Fleet 1st Air Fleet (less 4Sf, 5Sf,10S)1 To attack and destroy enemy fleet; support Occupation Force.
Supporting Force   Comdr. CruDiv 8. CruDiv 8, 2nd section of BatDiv 3. To destroy enemy fleet; Cover Air Attack Force.
Screening Unit Comdr. DesRon 10. DesRon 10 (less DesDiv 7), DesDiv 4. Screen; to destroy enemy fleet.
Supply

Force

1st Supply Unit Group Comdr. Sp. Service Ship Kyokuta Maru. Kyokuta M2 (1), Shin Koku M (2), Toho M (3), Nippon M (4), Kokuyo M (5), Supply

Duty

2nd Supply Unit Group Under Direct Command. Nichiro M (9), #2 Kyoei M (10), Hoko M (11).
Reserve Unit Comdr. CarDiv 5. CarDiv 5. Maintenance; Training. Zuikaku to prepare for Third Phase Operation.
1. 4Sf is CarDiv 4. 5Sf is CarDiv 5. 10S is DesRon 10.
2. M is Maru.

Organization of Attack Units:

Attack on Midway

 
Composition


Command


Number of Aircraft1


Notes

Organization No. 5 First Wave Second Group Third Attack Unit Air Officer Hiryu Direct Command Air Officer Hiryu Div. Comdr. Soryu fo x 18 1 torpedo plane from Hiryu returned due to engine trouble.
Fourth Attack Unit   fo x 18
Second Wave Fifth Group 11th Attack Unit Div. Comdr. Kaga Div. Comdr. Kaga Div. Comdr. Akagi fb x 18
12th Attack Unit   fb x 18
Third Wave Eighth Group 1st Air Control Unit Div. Comdr. Soryu Div. Comdr. Akagi fc x 9
2nd Air Control Unit Div. Comdr. Kaga fc x 9
Ninth Group 3rd Air Control Unit Div. Comdr. Soryu fc x 9
4th Air Control Unit Div. Comdr. Hiryu fc x 9
1. fo is attack plane; fb is bomber; fc is fighter.

First Attack on Enemy Carriers


Organization


Commander


Number of Aircraft


Notes

14th Attack Unit Hiryu Division Comdr. fb x 18 2 planes of the Air Control Unit encountered and destroyed enemy torpedo planes en route, and did not join in the attack.
4th Air Control Unit   Hiryu Division Comdr. fc x 6

Second Attack on Enemy Carriers


Organization


Commander


Number of Planes


Notes

4th Attack Unit Air Officer Hiryu. fo x 9 Akagi's attack planes failed to use their torpedoes and brought them back.
Akagi Attack Planes Warrant Officer Nishimori fo x 1
4th Air Control Unit   Division Comdr. Hiryu fc x 4
Kaga Air Control Unit A Yamamoto fc x 21
1. fc is fighter.

Organization of Reconnaissance Units


Organization


Search Line No.


Ship


Plane Type


Number


Commander


Notes

Recco Unit1 1 Akagi Type 97, ship based attack 1 Commander of respective planes.
  1. Takeoffs from Tone and Chikuma were greatly delayed.
  2. Due to bad weather, Chikuma's #6 search line plane returned at 0335.
2 Kaga Type 97, ship based attack 1
3 Tone Type 0, Float Recco 1
4 1
5 Chikuma Type 0, Float Recco 1
6 1
7 Haruna Type 0, Float Recco 1
1. Other reccos were carried out by type 13 experimental ship based bombers from CruDiv 8 and 2nd Div. of BatDiv 3.

Last updated: April 13, 2003

Transcribed and formatted by Jerry Holden for the HyperWar Foundation