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. With four carriers sunk versus one, Midway's strategic devastation set Japan's recovery at zero, effectively ending its Pacific expansion.