Battle of Midway (1942)

The Battle of Midway (June 4–7, 1942) stands as the most decisive naval engagement in history, as the US Navy ambushed and sank all four Japanese fleet carriers while losing only the Yorktown. Having broken Japanese radio codes, America destroyed Japan's offensive capability so completely that an East Asia under Japanese dominance became implausible. This defeat was far more crippling than the Battle of Salamis (#8), as Japan lost 75% of its experienced carrier aircrew, while Greece merely lost ships—a blow from which Japan's navy never rebounded. With four carriers sunk versus one, Midway's strategic devastation set Japan's recovery at zero, effectively ending its Pacific expansion.