Prof. Greg Jackson

Yamamoto wants to alert Kido Butai Commander Nagumo Chuichi immediately, since the Admiral is still operating under the assumption that the U.S.

knows nothing about Japanese plans.

But, as with Pearl Harbor, the fleet is traveling under radio silence.

A heavy fog ushers both navies toward Midway.

Nagumo and his trusted chief of staff, Kusaka Ryunosuke, are anxious.

How will they properly navigate the dual mission they've been assigned if they can't see the American fleet?

See, the Japanese plan is twofold.

Attack the atoll on June 4th to land on the 6th, but also secretly find and destroy the American fleet.

But how can one happen without tipping the U.S.

off to the other?

Well, it seems pretty clear that a land invasion will be a complete failure if the naval and air forces aren't neutralized.

So the air and sea part has to come first.

Meanwhile, Captain Oishi Tamosu makes what the rest of the Japanese forces think is a good point.

To quote him, Even if the Americans are already aware of our movements and have sortied to meet us, they can't be far out from base at this moment and certainly can't be near us."

But oh, is he wrong.

Out on air patrol in his PBY Catalina on the morning of June 3rd, Ensign Jack Reed is about 600 nautical miles west-southwest of Midway when he sees something that looks to him like, quote, miniature ships in a backyard pool, close quote.

The group is roughly 30 miles in front of him.

Jack asks his co-pilot, Do you see what I see?

Peering down at the Pacific below, Ensign Hardeman replies, You're damn right I do.

The two pilots think they've found the full Kido Butai.