Six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor the U.S. defeated Japan in one of the most important naval battles in World War II. Americans were able to break Japan's code and prepare for an ambush on U.S. aircraft carriers. Japan planned to lure American aircraft carriers out and then destroy them to gain complete control of the Pacific Empire, however the U.S. was able to break the Japanese codes and were ready for the attack. The U.S. were able to sink four of Japan's fleet carriers, killing 500 sailors, this left Japan with irreparable damage to their navy. "Some historians see Midway as the turning point in the Pacific theater of the war, after which Americans rode straight to Tokyo; others view it as a cusp in the war, after which initiative hung in the balance, to swing toward the Allies in the Guadalcanal campaign. Either way, Midway ranks as a truly decisive battle." according to http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-midway. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/battle_of_midway.htm