The Battle of Midway - Documentary

Starring:Donald Crisp, Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, Irving Pichel, James Roosevelt
Director: John Ford
Studio: Delta
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

The man who found the Titanic, Dr. Robert Ballard, took on the greatest technical challenge of his career when he traveled to the Pacific waters off Midway Island, site of a critical turning point of World War II, in search of the sunken aircraft carrier U.S.S. Yorktown. This documentary not only details Ballard's challenge in finding the Yorktown, which rests three miles below the surface, a mile deeper than the Titanic, but also provides an intelligent and gripping narrative of the Battle of Midway, in which four Japanese carriers were also sent to the bottom in a furious day of fighting that turned the tide of the war in the Pacific. On the expedition with Ballard are four veterans, two Japanese and two Americans, who had been involved in the decisive 1942 battle, and who are at times overwhelmed by emotion as Ballard looks for their old ships. The dogged search for a Japanese carrier is fruitless, but finally Ballard finds a debris field that leads him to the Yorktown. Ballard's remarkable underwater cameras scan the great carrier, which rests upright on the ocean floor, its antiaircraft guns still pointed skyward as if to ward off yet another furious Japanese attack. As one might expect from a National Geographic production, this documentary is both intelligently conceived and beautifully photographed. --Robert J. McNamara

Description

One thousand miles from anywhere lies a lonely outpost of coral and sea called Midway. It was here in 1942 where the U.S. and Japan fought one of the greatest naval battles of World War II that changed the course of history. And it is here again where Titanic discoverer Dr. Robert Ballard now leads a team of experts and four World War II veterans on the voyage of their lives. They're on a race against time to do the impossible: find at least one of the five downed aircraft carriers, including U.S.S. Yorktown, more than three miles underwater. Hear the heart-wrenching stories of four remarkable men and how each survived the war despite incredible odds. And join them as they pay their final respects to their fallen comrades in THE BATTLE FOR MIDWAY.

Customer Reviews:

mother of all naval battles.......2006-02-28

Unlike the guy below who said the US would have won the war 3 years later if Japanese had won Midway - based on historical reference and insights, had the Japanese Navy not made blunder after blunder in their attack plan at midway - they would have altered history in a way that would change our history and way of life.

5 minutes changed the course of the battle! Jpn Admiral Nagumo had his planes on the decks of the carriers warming up and getting ready to launch on all carriers for an attack on the US carriers....they were turned into the wind and would no doubt have destroyed the american carriers if launched...they needed 5 minutes - that's all to change history. fortunately for the americans the dive bombers hit the japn carriers with all these planes on the decks loaded with fuel and bombs and it was a shooting fish in a barrel at that moment in time....

Japan made 5 major mistakes that led to the defeat:
1. Did not anticipate the US Carriers by scouting for fleet prior to mission
2. Did not communicate effectively the dangers ahead and instead maintained radio silence not knonwing the americans knew exactly what was coming
3. Did not levy entire naval force together in one massive force - thereby increasing anti aircraft strength.
4. Did not have scout planes do their jobs in locating enemy dangers
5. Did not react quickly enough when american carriers were discovered - hesitated and wasted time switching from torpedos to bombs

Despite all these major mistakes, they were 5 minutes away from changing the world!

Had the Japn launched their some 150 aircraft to attack the carriers they would undoubtedly destroyed at least 2 of the carriers (only 8 planes destroyed one carrier in reality)...even if americans still sunk the 3 japn carriers...us would be left with practically nothing to defend hawaii and the pacific ocean....

Hence japan would push for negotiations to peace with the USA and keep all the territory they captured including all the natural resources oil and rubber..., the USA would not have been able to assist in the D Day landings thereby Germany would win there and we would have 3 super powers in the world as germany and japan probably would have destroyed russia in WWII....hitler would have taken over all of europe and gained enormous power and industrial might not to mention murding millions and implementing his racist and hatred philosophies...Japan would be ruled by military dictatorship and would have eventually taken over all of asia, including china, korea, and the entire southeast asia....meanwhile there would probably have been a world war III within 25 years between the 3 nations and their allies with thermo nuclear exchanges....imagine 5 minutes!

Had the USA lost their carriers and not accepted peace with Japan, then japan would have invaded Hawaii and California without any resistance and just shelled those areas with their battleships and aircraft carriers until the USA would have to surrender or risk having the entire west coast population decimated with casualties.....

Japan would have taken Hawaii by August of that year and invaded california by Oct.....the USA would not have been able to rebuild their aircraft carriers or fleets by then while Japan still had the armada of carriers (6 remaining even if they americans destroyed 3 in midway) they would just keep launching val's bombers over hawaii and california while the battleships just unloaded from miles away.....

scary thought - 5 minutes

Relive the pivotal battle in the pacific in WWII.......2006-01-18

Given that Japan had neither the population or industrial base to wage a successful war against the United States in the Pacific ocean, a determined United States would have eventually defeated the Japanese. Therefore, it is incorrect to say that the battle for Midway decided the war. However, there is no question that the American victory hastened the Japanese defeat. The best of the Japanese aerial forces were on their aircraft carriers that fought at Midway and most of them perished with the carriers. What is astonishing is that nearly all of the damage was inflicted by a few American planes and it took only 5 minutes for three Japanese carriers to be destroyed. Had the circumstances been reversed and the Japanese been successful, then it would have been years before the American forces would have been strong enough to make a comeback.
In this video, Dr. Robert Ballard, famous for seeking and finding the remains of famous sunken ships goes to the battle site in a search for the wrecks of the aircraft carriers sunk in the battle for Midway. Four veterans of that battle are on board his ship, two Japanese and two Americans. The video bounces back and forth between archival footage and an explanation of the battle and descriptions of how the search is going. The veterans are very moved by the experience as they relive the day when the advantage in the war shifted from the Japanese to the American side.
The search team experiences some difficulties with their robot probe, as it must descend to over three miles down. Eventually, they locate the remains of the American carrier U. S. S. Yorktown, although no other ship is found. This tape is an accurate recapitulation of how important that battle was and how brave all the pilots were. Most of them took off and did their duty even though they knew that the mission was very close to a suicide mission. I have even heard one historian refer to the American pilots as the first kamikaze pilots of the war. I thoroughly enjoyed the history lesson.

A Nice Piece of Work.......2005-07-02

The Battle of Midway was a turning point in the war in the Pacific. As such, the results of that battle affect us still today. Though most people would seldom ever even think of it that way, some of us do and a program like this one helps us to better identify with the events and their aftermath.

The actual subject of this program is an expedition by Dr. Robert Ballard of TITANIC fame. He leads an expedition to find the carriers that were sunk in the battle of Midway. He is particularly interested in the YORKTOWN of the US Navy and the KAGA of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The search for these ships is interesting enough in its own right but this program adds another level of interest. Four survivors from the battle, 2 American and 2 Japanese, are along for the ride. Throughout the program, these men offer their memories and reflections. This is interspersed with period footage. The effect is a quite good documentary about the battle of Midway with a marine archeological expedition thrown in for good measure.

The search for the ships is not without is own difficulties. The locations of the wrecks were not certain. The depth, over three miles, caused problems with the search equipment. This program helps to demonstrate how difficult finding a marine wreck can be. The results are not a foregone conclusion.

the quest for the U.S.S. Yorktown.......2004-04-18

Searching for the watery grave of the U.S.S. Yorktown, Robert Ballard, who discovered the Titanic as well as the Bismark, went deeper into the ocean than ever before to find the sunken aircraft carrier. Five U.S. (and four Japanese) carriers were destroyed near the outpost of Midway, and the recent footage for this expedition is contrasted with film from May and June of 1942; some of it is by director John Ford, who made two documentaries, one for the public called "The Battle of Midway", and for the families of the brave servicemen who never returned, "Torpedo Squadron", and this film includes several clips from them; they are in color, and of good quality, making it unusual WWII footage.

There are four veterans on Ballard's expedition, two from the U.S., and two from Japan, to witness the search, help pinpoint the location, and re-live their past. Over coffee and memorabilia, they "explore their own landscape of memory, and loss".
Produced and directed by Brian Breger and Peter Schnall, with music by Michael Whalen and narrated by Peter Coyote, total running time is 82 minutes.
Those who have watched the 1976 epic film "Midway", and are interested in the Pacific Theater of WWII, where some of the most tragic and dramatic events in world history took place, will find this film fascinating; it is an eerie, emotional testament to heroism, courage, and the agony of war.

Beautifully Done.......2002-04-09

National Geographic has always been known for the quality of its work in all fields, but in this particular show I believe they have gone beyond the expectations. I cannot begin to describe how happy I was to see this documentary the first time. It is divided into two sections that are intercut, one being on a ship with Dr. Ballard (Found the Titanic) looking for the Yorktown and the Japanese carriers sunk at Midway, and the other is a recreation of the actual Battle of Midway through historical footage. What is best about this particular work is it fairness to both sides. Within the historical sections of the video, it portrays both the Japanese and American sides in what I would call a fair and accurate light. No side is made up of monsters and no side is completely innocent. On the modern side of the story, it is wonderful to see the interactions between the Japanese and American veterans that are on the ship with Ballard during the search. It is an important reminder to us all that on both sides the people fighting on the ground were just that, people. They were young men fighting for their country. A particularly touching part of the episode is when the Americans join the Japanese veterans in asking the soul's of their fallen comrades to rest peacefully and offering them flowers brought from Japan. There are too many excellent points about this video to list here. I think anyone interested in World War II will love this episode.

Average customer rating:

Bueno
Not what I thought it was
Not John Ford's documentary
Outstanding Film about Midway From The "Battlefield" Series
John Ford's short documentary on the Battle of Midway

The Battle of Midway - Documentary

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Description

June 1942 - By any ordinary standard, the United States Navy was hopelessly outclassed. They had no battleships; the enemy eleven. Their torpedoes were slow and unreliable; the torpedo planes even worse. They were up against the finest fighting plane in the world: the Japanese Zero.…Yet, they prevailed! See how in this fascinating program.

Customer Reviews:

Bueno.......2007-03-14

Es un documental interesante. Sobre todo para mi padre, que vivió sus años de gloria en la marina.

Not what I thought it was.......2005-09-25

I bought this dvd because I believed it to be the original documentary directed by John Ford. Instead it was a program I had seen earlier, I think on the History Channel that used footage from Ford's movie. The interviews and additional footage was interesting and helpful I suppose but it was not what I thought I ordered. Still trying to find a copy of Torpedo Squadron 8 also directed by Ford for my collection.

Not John Ford's documentary.......2005-06-19

This is not John Ford's documentary. It is a "Discovery Channel" produced documentary that uses some of Ford's footage. But if you're look for John Ford's own work, you'll have to find another source.

Outstanding Film about Midway From The "Battlefield" Series.......2004-06-16

Unfortunately, there seems to be some confusion about this video tape. This is not the classic film made during the war about the Battle of Midway, but rather this is one of the films
about famous battles of World War II from the "Battlefield" series. This series gives a comprehensive view of the battle from the point of view of the upper echelons conducting the war. The battle is explained within its context as part the wider stragtegic issues of the war. A considerable part of the film deals with the lead-up to the battle including discussion of the political and military leadership of the opposing sides, the weapons involved and the military action preceding the battle. In this film, the Battle of the Coral Sea is discussed in detail as a prelude to Midway. The Battle of Midway was an extremely complex engagement that is hard to follow even when reading detailed descriptions of the battle in books. This film makes the battle and its various components clear to the viewer. This film certainly made me appreciate the genius of naval air power commanders such as Halsey, Spruance, and Fletcher who had to move around large numbers of ships and aircraft in both attack and defense at the same time. This series is highly recommended for someone who has more than just a passing interest in the Second World War.

John Ford's short documentary on the Battle of Midway.......2002-04-28

The story is that President Franklin Roosevelt insisted that this documentary about the pivotal World War II battle in the Pacific be made for the mothers of America. In this battle the torpedo squadrons from three American aircraft carriers were all shot down by the Japanese, without ever having one torpedo hit anything and only one man surviving. In an incredibly lucky twist of fate, the torpedo planes had forced the Zeroes providing air cover for the Japanese carriers down on the deck, giving the American dive bombers a clear shot at their targets. John Ford directed this 20 minute documentary, which is narrated by Donald Crisp with Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell providing dialogue voices. Ford happened to be on hand with a crew of naval photographers and was wounded during the battle. The film covers the attack on Midway, including some aerial footage, the search for survivors, and aftermath of the battle. Edited in secret, the film was released just days after its completion. Certainly, this documentary is of more than passing historical interest, although the details of the battle are rather sketchy.

The Ultimate National Geographic World War II Collection (Untold Stories/The Battle for Midway/Pearl Harbor - Legacy of Attack)

Average customer rating:

Out of their Element?

The Ultimate National Geographic World War II Collection (Untold Stories/The Battle for Midway/Pearl Harbor - Legacy of Attack)
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Binding: DVD

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Description

Three best-selling World War II titles in a DVD collector?s set for the first time ever. Experience compelling stories of America?s most extraordinary generation of heroes! Titles are: Untold Stories of WWII, The Battle for Midway, and Pearl Harbor: Legacy of Attack.

Customer Reviews:

Out of their Element?.......2005-03-14

I was looking for some of those old National Geographic nature specials when I came upon this selection of WWII DVD's. I had a lot of respect for the quality of the National Geographic specials based on what I'd seen on TV over the years. I expected the same when I ordered this set of DVD's. I have to admit that the quality of the production is very good. It's the overall content that disappointed me.

The first DVD I watched was titled "Untold Stories of WWII". It had several sideline stories about supposedly little known developments during the war. The main subject was the Nazi Germany early-stage development towards an atomic bomb. The events primarily take place in Norway and you probably would enjoy watching the movie "Heroes of Telemark" more than this segment. There's another on the development of the other super weapons that Germany developed towards the end of the war. There's is also a segment on the Japanese mini-sub which segues into the next DVD I watched.

The second DVD of this set that I watched was "Pearl Harbor-Legacy of Attack". This and the final DVD of the series apparently grew out of the funding that the National Geographic Society provided for a couple of undersea explorations. One was the search for a Japanese mini-sub supoosedly lost during 12/7/41 and the other was for the USS Yorktown lost after the Battle for Midway. The modern day underwater searches were a questionable aspect of the Pearl Harbor and Midway DVD's. I enoy the views of sunken ships that have become technologically possible in the last decade or so. However, they did seem to detract from the recounting of the history of the two battles. There is a lot of good original films of the two battles, good narration and outstanding reminiscences by surviving veterans.

The Pearl Harbor DVD, I felt, was the most worthwhile of the three in the set. Frankly, I'd recommend that you save money and just buy that one. It gives a better overview of the battle than does the Midway DVD. The one on Midway seemed rather sporatic in its' narrative.

I'm still looking for those great National Geographic nature specials that I saw when I was growing up. I'm not sure what to make of the National Geographic's journey into the realm of history. Maybe if the underwater discoveries are put on the center stage and the rest was just used as background, I might have appreciated these videos more. As it was, the two battle DVD's seemed to be trying to tell two seperate stories simultaneously and I didn't think that worked too well.

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Average customer rating:

Bueno
Not what I thought it was
Not John Ford's documentary
Outstanding Film about Midway From The "Battlefield" Series
John Ford's short documentary on the Battle of Midway

World War II - Greatest Battles: The Battle of Midway/Global War
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Customer Reviews:

Bueno.......2007-03-14

Es un documental interesante. Sobre todo para mi padre, que vivió sus años de gloria en la marina.

Not what I thought it was.......2005-09-25

Not John Ford's documentary.......2005-06-19

Outstanding Film about Midway From The "Battlefield" Series.......2004-06-16

John Ford's short documentary on the Battle of Midway.......2002-04-28

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