Midway: A World War II Movie that Hollywood Should Remake

Since Hollywood has a fascination with remaking movies, Midway should be considered on the list of potential movies to redo. The Battle of Midway was a historic naval battle that took place in 1942 against the Japanese in the Pacific. The United States was victorious after sinking four of Japan's front line carriers. From that point on, the Battle of Midway is often considered the turning point of the War as it placed the Japanese on the defensive until their ultimate surrender.

I've seen the original movie at least a dozen times. The story could be told around two great quotes if Midway was remade. Admiral Halsey, Commander of the Pacific Carriers, came down with an untimely skin infection and would be unable to lead the fleet. For his replacement, he selected Admiral Raymond Spruance, who was commander of the cruisers in Admiral Halsey's fleet and well-versed in naval tactics. While debating his replacement with Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander of the Pacific Fleet, Halsey stated, "when you're in command, command." That's really what Spruance did, as he led the carrier, Enterprise, into one of the most important battles of the War. After receiving radio contact of the Japanese position in the early morning of June 4, Spruance ordered the launch of fighters from both carriers, Enterprise and Hornet, to begin the historic invasion.

When the battle was won, Admiral Nimitz looked up at one of the carriers and stated, "were we better than the Japanese or just luckier." Several fortunate events made this naval battle fascinating. At the outset, the American invasion was supposed to be without the Yorktown, which was badly damaged at the Battle of Coral Sea. Meeting Nimitz's order that the carrier be repaired in three days, the Yorktown was able to join the invasion. The Japanese were stunned to learn the Yorktown was operational, which gave the American task force additional air power. There was also supposed to be a coordinated air attack on the Japanese fleet. However, the American torpedo planes arrived first without air support. Rather than pausing, the squadron went ahead with the attack but not without incurring significant losses. But, the American dive bombers came just in time to quickly inflict fatal damage on three of the Japanese's front line carriers, Akagi, Soryu, and Kaga, all in less than five minutes. From the Japanese side, in addition to losing their carriers, they lost numerous planes during the attack while sitting on deck as the fighters were reloading to bombs but then received an order to reverse armament from bombs to torpedoes. This proved to be a major blunder because the Japanese carriers were left exposed during the change of armament. The remaining carrier was Hiryu, but it would not survive as it was attacked shortly thereafter and eventually sank.

A fresh, updated version of Midway would be a great remake to the original, which was released in 1976. The story has many intricate and strategic angles. The events above are only a fraction of what occurred. From a historical perspective, it was a crucial win that could be very educational for those who don't know the full story or haven't seen the original. With today's special effects, the battle sequences would be impressive. So, what's Hollywood waiting for? Let's see Midway back on the big screen.

Sources:

Battle of Midway, Website: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk

Kramm, G. (2007). The Battle of Midway, from University of Alaska Fairbanks, Website: http://www.gi.alaska.edu

Stopping the Tide: The Battle of Midway 4-6 June 1942, Website: http://www.microworks.net