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The Battle of Midway is considered the major turning point of the war in the Pacific. Prior to this battle Japan had been expanding its empire throughout Asia and the Pacific. By attacking the central Pacific island of Midway, the Japanese planned to capture the island for a military base and entrap and destroy the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Due to U.S. intelligence, however, the United States was able to surprise the Japanese forces and win a key victory. After Midway the Americans and their Allies took the offensive in the Pacific.
Since the 1930's Japan had been building its Pacific empire and by 1942 it controlled Manchuria, Korea, parts of China, French Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, etc.), Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and more. Certain that Japan intended further expansion, U.S. intelligence was closely monitoring radio communication in the region. Successful decoding of intercepted messages allowed the U.S. Pacific Fleet to be fully prepared for the battle, which lasted from June 4 to June 7 of 1942, and to inflict a smashing defeat.
In this decisive American victory the Japanese lost four large aircraft carriers while the U.S. lost only one. More importantly, the Japanese lost over one hundred trained pilots who could not be replaced. The Japanese offensive in the Pacific was derailed and the balance of power in the Pacific shifted. Soon after the Midway victory the U.S. and its Allies took the offensive in the Pacific, eventually winning the war.
Which sentence BEST states the main idea of the passage?
the Philippines : Japan :: Midway :
The United States was ___ at Midway because of its ____.
