121-649: The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument ( PMNM ) (roughly / p ɑː p ɑː ˈ h ɑː n aʊ m oʊ k u ˌ ɑː k eɪ . ə / ) is a World Heritage listed U.S. National Monument encompassing 583,000 square miles (1,510,000 km) of ocean waters, including ten islands and atolls of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands . It was created in June 2006 with 140,000 square miles (360,000 km) and expanded in August 2016 by moving its border to
242-419: A " ' glass jaw ': it could throw a punch but couldn't take one." Japanese carrier anti-aircraft guns and associated fire control systems had several design and configuration change deficiencies which limited their effectiveness. The IJN's fleet combat air patrol (CAP) had too few fighter aircraft and was hampered by an inadequate early warning system, including a lack of radar . Poor radio communications with
363-573: A PBY reported sighting two Japanese carriers; another spotted the inbound airstrike 10 minutes later. Midway's radar picked up the enemy at a distance of several miles, and interceptors were scrambled. Unescorted bombers headed off to attack the Japanese carriers, their fighter escorts remaining behind to defend Midway. At 06:20, Japanese carrier aircraft bombed and heavily damaged the U.S. base. Midway-based Marine fighters led by Major Floyd B. Parks , which included six F4Fs and twenty F2As, intercepted
484-417: A UNESCO report titled "World Heritage and Tourism in a Changing Climate". The Australian government's actions, involving considerable expense for lobbying and visits for diplomats , were in response to their concern about the negative impact that an "at risk" label could have on tourism revenue at a previously designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2021, international scientists recommended UNESCO to put
605-489: A complete IJN order of battle . Japan had a new codebook, but its introduction had been delayed, enabling HYPO to read messages for several crucial days; the new code, which took several days to be cracked, came into use on 24 May, but the important breaks had already been made. As a result, the Americans entered the battle with a good picture of where, when, and in what strength the Japanese would appear. Nimitz knew that
726-457: A decision today to, actually, take a bold step and create something which is going to be immediate, that the law applies immediately to this place now. The NWHI once accounted for approximately half of the locally landed bottomfish in Hawaii. The NWHI bottomfish fishery was a limited entry fishery, with eight vessels, which were restricted to 60 feet (18 m) in length. Frank McCoy, then chair of
847-739: A follow-up strategy was not formed until April 1942. Yamamoto finally won the bureaucratic struggle with a thinly veiled threat to resign, after which his plan was adopted. Yamamoto's primary strategic goal was the elimination of America's carrier forces, which he regarded as the principal threat to the overall Pacific campaign . This concern was acutely heightened by the Doolittle Raid on 18 April 1942, in which 16 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) B-25 Mitchell bombers launched from USS Hornet bombed targets in Tokyo and several other Japanese cities. The raid, while militarily insignificant,
968-488: A minor boundary change, one that does not have a significant impact on the extent of the property or affect its "outstanding universal value", is also evaluated by the advisory bodies before being sent to the committee. Such proposals can be rejected by either the advisory bodies or the Committee if they judge it to be a significant change instead of a minor one. Proposals to change a site's official name are sent directly to
1089-527: A process to designate the waters of the NWHI as a National Marine Sanctuary . A public comment period began in 2002. In 2005, Governor of Hawaii Linda Lingle declared parts of the monument a state marine refuge. In April 2006, President George W. Bush and his wife viewed a screening of the documentary film Voyage to Kure at the White House along with its director, Jean-Michel Cousteau . Compelled by
1210-756: A remarkable accomplishment of humankind and serve as evidence of our intellectual history on the planet, or it might be a place of great natural beauty. As of July 2024, a total of 1,223 World Heritage Sites (952 cultural, 231 natural and 40 mixed cultural and natural properties) exist across 168 countries . With 60 selected areas, Italy is the country with the most sites, followed by China with 59, and Germany with 54. The sites are intended for practical conservation for posterity, which otherwise would be subject to risk from human or animal trespassing, unmonitored, uncontrolled or unrestricted access, or threat from local administrative negligence. Sites are demarcated by UNESCO as protected zones. The World Heritage Sites list
1331-495: A seaplane base, Midway's airstrips were a forward staging point for bomber attacks on Wake Island . Typical of Japanese naval planning during World War II, Yamamoto's battle plan for taking Midway (named Operation MI) was exceedingly complex. It required the careful coordination of multiple battle groups over hundreds of miles of open sea. His design was also predicated on optimistic intelligence suggesting that USS Enterprise and USS Hornet , forming Task Force 16 , were
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#17327805621191452-1000: A single text was eventually agreed upon by all parties, and the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on 16 November 1972. The convention came into force on 17 December 1975. As of November 2024, it has been ratified by 196 states: 192 UN member states , two UN observer states (the Holy See and the State of Palestine ), and two states in free association with New Zealand (the Cook Islands and Niue ). Only one UN member state, Liechtenstein , has not ratified
1573-473: A single unit. (In contrast, American air squadrons were considered interchangeable between carriers allowing for more flexibility.) The Japanese apparently made no serious attempt to get Zuikaku ready for the forthcoming battle. Thus, Carrier Division 5 , consisting of the two most advanced aircraft carriers of the Kido Butai , was not available which meant that Vice-Admiral Nagumo had only two-thirds of
1694-707: A squadron of 17 B-17 Flying Fortresses and four Martin B-26 Marauders equipped with torpedoes: in total 122 aircraft. Although the F2As and SB2Us were already obsolete, they were the only aircraft available to the Marine Corps at the time. During the Battle of the Coral Sea one month earlier, the Japanese light carrier Shōhō had been sunk, while the fleet carrier Shōkaku had been severely damaged and
1815-523: A suicide ramming or out of control, the plane narrowly missed striking the bridge, which could have killed Nagumo and his staff, crashing into the ocean. This experience may well have contributed to Nagumo's determination to launch another attack on Midway in direct violation of Yamamoto's order to keep the reserve strike force armed for anti-ship operations. While the air strikes from Midway were happening, American submarine USS Nautilus , commanded by Lieutenant Commander William Brockman , approached
1936-534: Is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) were first protected on February 3, 1909, when U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt created the Hawaiian Islands Bird Reservation through Executive Order 1019 , as a response to the over-harvesting of seabirds, and in recognition of the importance of the NWHI as seabird nesting sites. President Franklin D. Roosevelt converted it into
2057-585: Is maintained by the international World Heritage Program administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee , composed of 21 "states parties" that are elected by the United Nations General Assembly , and advised by reviews of international panels of experts in natural or cultural history, and education. The Program catalogues, names, and conserves sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to
2178-549: Is nominated by its host country and determined by the UNESCO's World Heritage Committee to be a unique landmark which is geographically and historically identifiable, having a special cultural or physical significance, and to be under a sufficient system of legal protection. For example, World Heritage Sites might be ancient ruins or historical structures, buildings, cities, deserts, forests, islands, lakes, monuments, mountains or wilderness areas. A World Heritage Site may signify
2299-514: The 31st , 72nd , and 431st Bomb Squadrons. The Japanese repelled these attacks, losing only three Zero fighters while destroying five Avengers, two SB2Us, eight SBDs, and two B-26s. Among the dead was Major Lofton R. Henderson of VMSB-241, killed while leading his inexperienced SBD squadron into action. The main airfield at Guadalcanal was named after him in August 1942. One B-26, piloted by Lieutenant James Muri , after dropping his torpedo and searching for an escape route, flew directly down
2420-558: The Aichi D3A 1 "Val" dive bomber and the Nakajima B5N 2 "Kate", which was used either as a torpedo bomber or as a level bomber. The main carrier fighter was the fast and highly maneuverable Mitsubishi A6M Zero . For a variety of reasons, production of the "Val" had been drastically reduced, while that of the "Kate" had been stopped completely and, as a consequence, there were none available to replace losses. In addition, many of
2541-602: The Dutch East Indies , the latter of which's oil resources were particularly important to Japan. Because of this, preliminary planning for the second phase of operations commenced as early as January 1942. Because of strategic disagreements between the Imperial Army (IJA) and Imperial Navy (IJN), and infighting between the Navy's Imperial General Headquarters and Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's Combined Fleet ,
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#17327805621192662-581: The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) assessed its cultural aspects. The monument's ocean area is administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It contains U.S. and Hawaiian designated refuges , sanctuaries, reserves and memorials with separate administration. The Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge, with an area of 254,418.1 acres (397.53 sq mi; 1,029.6 km)
2783-763: The Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (590,991.50 acres (2,391.7 km)) and Battle of Midway National Memorial, the Hawaii State Seabird Sanctuary at Kure Atoll , and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands State Marine Refuge. As a mixed site with natural and cultural resources, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) commented on the natural features of the monument, and
2904-480: The U.S. West Coast . The Japanese operations in the Aleutians (Operation AL) removed yet more ships that could otherwise have augmented the force striking Midway. Whereas many earlier historical accounts considered the Aleutians operation as a feint to draw American forces away, according to the original Japanese battle plan, AL was intended to be launched simultaneously with the attack on Midway. A one-day delay in
3025-796: The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm. Under the World Heritage Committee, signatory countries are required to produce and submit periodic data reporting providing the committee with an overview of each participating nation's implementation of the World Heritage Convention and a "snapshot" of current conditions at World Heritage properties. Based on the draft convention that UNESCO had initiated,
3146-506: The Yokosuka Air Corps were relieved of their duties to plug the gap. Historians Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully believe that by combining the surviving aircraft and pilots from Shōkaku and Zuikaku , Zuikaku likely could have been equipped with almost a full composite air group. They note, however, that doing so would have violated Japanese carrier doctrine, which stressed that carriers and their air groups must train as
3267-496: The heavy cruiser Tone and Chikuma; and 1 short-range Nakajima E8N "Dave" from the battleship Haruna ; an eighth aircraft from Tone launched 30 minutes late). Japanese reconnaissance arrangements were flimsy, with too few aircraft to adequately cover the assigned search areas, laboring under poor weather conditions to the northeast and east of the task force. As Nagumo's bombers and fighters were taking off, 11 PBYs were leaving Midway to run their search patterns. At 05:34,
3388-464: The research vessel Petrel . In 2020 a species of seaweed was discovered that has been killing large patches of coral. In 2022, a study reported that the MPA acted as a tuna nursery. Near the reserve the yellowfin tuna ( Thunnus albacares ) catch increased by 54% between 2016 and 2019 and the bigeye tuna ( Thunnus obesus ) take increased by 12%. The catch increased the most at 115 to 230 miles from
3509-826: The 1980s and 1990s, which is now banned; the remaining fisheries are overfished, although commercial fishing is banned. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) reported in 2008 that many species’ populations have not fully recovered from a large-scale shift in the oceanic ecosystem that affected the North Pacific during the late 1980s and early 1990s. This shift reduced populations of important species, such as spiny lobster , seabirds and Hawaiian monk seals. The monument receives strict conservation protection, with exceptions for traditional Native Hawaiian uses and limited tourism. The monument covers roughly 583,000 square miles (1,510,000 km) of reefs, atolls and shallow and deep sea (out to 200 miles (320 km) offshore) in
3630-469: The American carriers reach their assembly point northeast of Midway (known as "Point Luck") without being detected. A second attempt at reconnaissance, using four-engine H8K "Emily" flying boats to scout Pearl Harbor prior to the battle and detect whether the American carriers were present, part of Operation K , was thwarted when Japanese submarines assigned to refuel the search aircraft discovered that
3751-590: The American fleet to sail out to fight, including the carriers. However, considering the increased strength of American land-based airpower on the Hawaiian Islands since the 7 December 1941 attack, he judged that it was too risky to attack Pearl Harbor directly. Instead, Yamamoto selected Midway , a tiny atoll at the extreme northwest end of the Hawaiian Island chain, approximately 1,300 mi (1,100 nmi; 2,100 km) from Oahu . Midway
Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument - Misplaced Pages Continue
3872-428: The American ships was now limited by the imminent return of his Midway strike force. The returning strike force needed to land promptly or it would have to ditch into the sea. Because of the constant flight deck activity associated with combat air patrol operations during the preceding hour, the Japanese never had an opportunity to position ("spot") their reserve planes on the flight deck for launch. The few aircraft on
3993-413: The Americans prior to battle. Critically, Yamamoto's supporting battleships and cruisers trailed Vice Admiral Chūichi Nagumo 's carrier force by several hundred miles. They were intended to come up and destroy whatever elements of the American fleet might come to Midway's defense once Nagumo's carriers had weakened them sufficiently for a daylight gun battle. This tactic was doctrine in most major navies of
4114-707: The Great Barrier Reef on the endangered list, as global climate change had caused a further negative state of the corals and water quality. Again, the Australian government campaigned against this, and in July 2021, the World Heritage Committee , made up of diplomatic representatives of 21 countries, ignored UNESCO's assessment, based on studies of scientists, "that the reef was clearly in danger from climate change and so should be placed on
4235-786: The Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge in 1940. A series of incremental protection expansions followed, leading to the establishment of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in 1988, Kure Atoll State Wildlife Sanctuary in 1993, and the NWHI Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve in 2000. President Bill Clinton established the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve on December 4, 2000, with Executive Order 13178 . Clinton's executive order initiated
4356-848: The IJA for the Midway operation, the IJN agreed to support their invasion of the United States through the Aleutian Islands of Attu and Kiska , part of the Alaska Territory . The IJA occupied these islands to place the Japanese home islands out of range of U.S. land-based bombers in Alaska. Most Americans feared that the occupied islands would be used as bases for Japanese bombers to attack strategic targets and population centers along
4477-668: The Japanese Navy's JN-25b code. Since early 1942, the U.S. had been decoding messages stating that there would soon be an operation at objective "AF." It was initially not known where "AF" was, but Commander Joseph Rochefort and his team at Station HYPO were able to confirm that it was Midway: Captain Wilfred Holmes devised a ruse of telling the base at Midway (by secure undersea communications cable ) to broadcast an uncoded radio message stating that Midway's water purification system had broken down. Within 24 hours,
4598-560: The Japanese and suffered heavy losses, though they destroyed four B5Ns and one Zero. Within the first few minutes, two F4Fs and thirteen F2As were destroyed, while most of the surviving U.S. planes were damaged, with only two remaining airworthy. American anti-aircraft fire was intense and accurate, destroying three Japanese aircraft and damaging many more. Of the 108 Japanese aircraft that participated in this attack, 11 were destroyed (including 3 that ditched), 14 were heavily damaged, and 29 were damaged to some degree. 140 more were available to
4719-504: The Japanese attack, American bombers based on Midway made several attacks on the Japanese carrier force. These included six Grumman Avengers, detached to Midway from Hornet ' s VT-8 (Midway was the combat debut of both VT-8 and the Avenger); Marine Scout-Bombing Squadron 241 ( VMSB-241 ), consisting of 11 SB2U-3s and 16 SBDs, plus four USAAF B-26s of the 18th Reconnaissance and 69th Bomb Squadrons armed with torpedoes, and 15 B-17s of
4840-530: The Japanese fleet, attracting attention from the escorts. Around 08:20, she made an unsuccessful torpedo attack on a battleship and then dived to evade escorts. At 09:10, she launched a torpedo at a cruiser and again dived to evade escorts, with destroyer Arashi spending considerable time chasing Nautilus . In accordance with Yamamoto's orders for Operation MI, Nagumo had kept half of his aircraft in reserve, comprising two squadrons each of dive bombers and torpedo bombers. The dive bombers were as yet unarmed (this
4961-487: The Japanese fleet. Military historian John Keegan called it "the most stunning and decisive blow in the history of naval warfare ", while naval historian Craig Symonds called it "one of the most consequential naval engagements in world history, ranking alongside Salamis , Trafalgar , and Tsushima Strait , as both tactically decisive and strategically influential." In response to the Doolittle air raid on Tokyo ,
Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument - Misplaced Pages Continue
5082-472: The Japanese flight decks at the time of the attack were either defensive fighters or, in the case of Sōryū , fighters being spotted to augment the combat air patrol. Spotting his flight decks and launching aircraft would have required at least 30 minutes. Furthermore, by spotting and launching immediately, Nagumo would be committing some of his reserves to battle without proper anti-ship armament, and likely without fighter escort; he had just witnessed how easily
5203-522: The Japanese had negated their numerical advantage by dividing their ships into four separate task groups, so widely separated that they were essentially unable to support each other. This dispersal resulted in few fast ships being available to escort the Carrier Striking Force, thus reducing the number of anti-aircraft guns protecting the carriers. Nimitz calculated that the aircraft on his three carriers, plus those on Midway Island, gave
5324-406: The Japanese leadership planned a "barrier" strategy to extend Japan's defensive perimeter. They hoped to lure the American aircraft carriers into a trap, clearing the seas for Japanese attacks on Midway, Fiji , Samoa , and Hawaii . The plan was undermined by faulty Japanese anticipations of the American reaction and poor initial dispositions. Crucially, U.S. cryptographers were able to determine
5445-455: The Japanese, but never launched, and were destroyed when their carriers sunk. The initial Japanese attack did not succeed in neutralizing Midway: American bombers could still use the airbase to refuel and attack the Japanese, and most of Midway's land-based defenses remained intact. Japanese pilots reported to Nagumo that a second aerial attack on Midway's defenses would be necessary if troops were to go ashore by 7 June. Having taken off prior to
5566-1038: The List of World Heritage in Danger and the World Heritage List. Only three sites have ever been delisted : the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary in Oman, the Dresden Elbe Valley in Germany, and the Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City in the United Kingdom. The Arabian Oryx Sanctuary was directly delisted in 2007, instead of first being put on the danger list, after the Omani government decided to reduce
5687-735: The Marine Environmental Protection Committee of the International Maritime Organization designated the monument as a PSSA. Commercial fishing ended in 2010. The Federal Interagency Panel for World Heritage officially designated the monument as a World Heritage site in November 2008. The national monument was inscribed on the World Heritage List in July 2010 as "Papahānaumokuākea". at the 34th Session of
5808-497: The Pacific Ocean ;– larger than all of America's national parks combined. It contains approximately 10 percent of the tropical shallow water coral reef habitat (i.e., down to 100 fathoms (180 m)) in U.S. territory. It is slightly larger than Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park , approximately the size of the country of Germany, and just slightly smaller than Alaska . The islands included in
5929-667: The South Atlantic, is part of the Europe and North America region because the British government nominated the site. The table below includes a breakdown of the sites according to these regions and their classification as of July 2024 : This overview lists the 23 countries with 15 or more World Heritage Sites: Battle of Midway [REDACTED] Pacific Fleet [REDACTED] Combined Fleet 1941 1942 Second Sino-Japanese War The Battle of Midway
6050-522: The U.S. rough parity with Yamamoto's four carriers, mainly because American carrier air groups were larger than Japanese ones. The Japanese, by contrast, remained largely unaware of their opponent's true strength and dispositions even after the battle began. At about 09:00 on 3 June, Ensign Jack Reid, piloting a PBY from U.S. Navy patrol squadron VP-44 , spotted the Japanese Occupation Force 500 nmi (580 mi; 930 km) to
6171-733: The United States' massive industrial and training capabilities made its losses far easier to replace. The Battle of Midway, along with the Guadalcanal campaign , is widely considered a turning point in the Pacific War . After expanding the war in the Pacific to include western colonies, the Japanese Empire quickly attained its initial strategic goals of British Hong Kong , the Philippines , British Malaya , Singapore , and
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#17327805621196292-725: The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, claimed: We are pleased the President recognizes the near pristine condition of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands waters. We believe the abundance and biodiversity of the area attests to the successful management of the NWHI fisheries by the Council the past 30 years and indicates that properly regulated fisheries can operate in the NWHI without impacting
6413-609: The World Heritage Committee for new designations. The Committee meets once a year to determine which nominated properties to add to the World Heritage List; sometimes it defers its decision or requests more information from the country that nominated the site. There are ten selection criteria – a site must meet at least one to be included on the list. Until 2004, there were six sets of criteria for cultural heritage and four for natural heritage. In 2005, UNESCO modified these and now has one set of ten criteria. Nominated sites must be of "outstanding universal value" and must meet at least one of
6534-672: The World Heritage Committee in Brasília . A 2010 expedition to the Kure atoll sent divers to a depth of 250 feet (76 m), revealing new species of coral and other animals. Waikiki Aquarium cultured the new coral species. On August 3, 2015, divers found the wreck of the USNS Mission San Miguel (T-AO-129) within the monument. She had sunk there on October 8, 1957, when she ran aground on Maro Reef while running at full speed and in ballast. Researchers will map and study
6655-499: The World Heritage Fund to facilitate its conservation under certain conditions. UNESCO reckons the restorations of the following four sites among its success stories: Angkor in Cambodia, the Old City of Dubrovnik in Croatia, the Wieliczka Salt Mine near Kraków in Poland, and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania. Additionally, the local population around a site may benefit from significantly increased tourism revenue. When there are significant interactions between people and
6776-567: The abrupt establishment of the NWHI as a National Monument, rather than a Sanctuary, provided immediate and more resilient protection. The protection is revocable only by legislation. Joshua Reichert proclaimed the importance of the timely designation, saying: Monument status is quicker; it's more comprehensive; and it's more permanent. Only an act of Congress can undo a monument designation. The sanctuary process, it takes longer; it involves more congressional input, more public debate, more hearings and meetings. And he [George W. Bush] obviously made
6897-496: The aircraft being used during the June 1942 operations had been operational since late November 1941 and, although they were well-maintained, many were almost worn out and had become increasingly unreliable. These factors meant all carriers of the Kidō Butai had fewer aircraft than their normal complement, with few spare aircraft or parts in the carriers' hangars. In addition, Nagumo's carrier force suffered from several defensive deficiencies which gave it, in Mark Peattie 's words,
7018-416: The area boundaries. World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity". To be selected, a World Heritage Site
7139-405: The awards, because World Heritage listing can significantly increase tourism returns. Site listing bids are often lengthy and costly, putting poorer countries at a disadvantage. Eritrea 's efforts to promote Asmara are one example. In 2016, the Australian government was reported to have successfully lobbied for the World Heritage Site Great Barrier Reef conservation efforts to be removed from
7260-454: The carrier Yorktown and the destroyer Hammann , while the carriers USS Enterprise and USS Hornet survived the battle fully intact. After Midway and the exhausting attrition of the Solomon Islands campaign , Japan's capacity to replace its losses in materiel (particularly aircraft carriers) and men (especially well-trained pilots and maintenance crewmen) rapidly became insufficient to cope with mounting casualties, while
7381-417: The carriers in an event of attack, and keeping them on the decks was much more dangerous than getting them airborne. Whatever the case, at that point there was no way to stop the American strike against him, since Fletcher's carriers had launched their planes beginning at 07:00 (with Enterprise and Hornet having completed launching by 07:55, but Yorktown not until 09:08), so the aircraft that would deliver
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#17327805621197502-407: The carriers of the Kidō Butai (機動部隊, "Mobile Strike Force") and so could not sail in company with them. The Kidō Butai would sail into range at best speed so as to increase the chance of surprise and would not have ships spread out across the ocean guiding the enemy toward it. If the other parts of the invasion force needed more defense, the Kidō Butai would make best speed to defend them. Hence
7623-470: The clock, and in 72 hours she was restored to a battle-ready state, judged good enough for two or three weeks of operations, as Nimitz required. Her flight deck was patched, and whole sections of internal frames were cut out and replaced. Repairs continued even as she sortied, with work crews from the repair ship USS Vestal , herself damaged in the attack on Pearl Harbor six months earlier, still aboard. Yorktown ' s partially depleted air group
7744-447: The code breakers picked up a Japanese message that "AF was short on water." No Japanese radio operators who intercepted the message seemed concerned that the Americans were broadcasting uncoded that a major naval installation close to the Japanese was having a water shortage, which Japanese intelligence might have suspected as deception. HYPO was also able to determine the date of the attack as either 4 or 5 June, and to provide Nimitz with
7865-504: The commitment of countries and local population to World Heritage conservation in various ways, providing emergency assistance for sites in danger, offering technical assistance and professional training, and supporting States Parties' public awareness-building activities. Being listed as a World Heritage Site can positively affect the site, its environment, and interactions between them. A listed site gains international recognition and legal protection, and can obtain funds from, among others,
7986-404: The committee. A site may be added to the List of World Heritage in Danger if conditions threaten the characteristics for which the landmark or area was inscribed on the World Heritage List. Such problems may involve armed conflict and war, natural disasters, pollution, poaching, or uncontrolled urbanisation or human development. This danger list is intended to increase international awareness of
8107-417: The common culture and heritage of humankind. The programme began with the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage , which was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on 16 November 1972. Since then, 196 states have ratified the convention, making it one of the most widely recognised international agreements and the world's most popular cultural programme. In 1954,
8228-412: The convention. By assigning places as World Heritage Sites, UNESCO wants to help preserve them for future generations. Its motivation is that "heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today" and that both cultural and natural heritage are "irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration". UNESCO's mission with respect to World Heritage consists of eight sub targets. These include encouraging
8349-421: The crushing blow were already on their way. Even if Nagumo had not strictly followed carrier doctrine, he could not have prevented the launch of the American attack. The Americans had already launched their carrier aircraft against the Japanese. Fletcher, in overall command aboard Yorktown , and benefiting from PBY sighting reports from the early morning, ordered Spruance to launch against the Japanese as soon as
8470-409: The date and location of the planned attack, enabling the forewarned U.S. Navy to prepare its own ambush. Four Japanese and three American aircraft carriers participated in the battle. The Japanese fleet carriers — Akagi , Kaga , Sōryū , and Hiryū , part of the six-carrier force that had attacked Pearl Harbor six months earlier—were sunk, as was the heavy cruiser Mikuma . The U.S. lost
8591-446: The delayed scout plane from Tone signaled that it had sighted a sizable American naval force to the east, but neglected to specify its composition. Later evidence suggests Nagumo did not receive the sighting report until 08:00. Nagumo quickly reversed his order to re-arm the bombers and demanded that the scout plane ascertain the composition of the American force. Another 20–40 minutes elapsed before Tone ' s scout finally radioed
8712-493: The ecosystem. The small NWHI bottomfish fishery has not and would not jeopardize the protection of the NWHI that President Bush is pursuing by designating the area a national monument. The National Marine Fisheries Service published reports attesting to the health of bottomfish stocks. Commercial and recreational bottomfish and pelagic fishing were recommended to be continued under a 2004 NOAA draft of protections. On February 27, 2007, President Bush amended Proclamation 8031, naming
8833-612: The endangered hawksbill sea turtle , the threatened green sea turtle and the endangered Hawaiian monk seal , the Laysan and Nihoa finches , the Nihoa millerbird , Laysan duck , seabirds such as the Laysan albatross , numerous species of plants including Pritchardia palms , and many species of arthropods . According to the Pew Charitable Trusts , populations of lobster have not recovered from extensive harvesting in
8954-650: The endangered monuments and sites. In 1960, the Director-General of UNESCO launched the International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia . This resulted in the excavation and recording of hundreds of sites, the recovery of thousands of objects, as well as the salvage and relocation to higher ground of several important temples. The most famous of these are the temple complexes of Abu Simbel and Philae . The campaign ended in 1980 and
9075-461: The fighter aircraft inhibited effective command and control. The carriers' escorting warships were deployed as visual scouts in a ring at long range, not as close anti-aircraft escorts, as they lacked training, doctrine, and sufficient anti-aircraft guns. Japanese strategic scouting arrangements prior to the battle were also in disarray. A picket line of Japanese submarines was late getting into position (partly because of Yamamoto's haste), which let
9196-491: The film's portrayal of the flora and fauna, Bush moved quickly to expand protections. On June 15, 2006, Bush signed Proclamation 8031 , designating the waters of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands a national monument under the 1906 Antiquities Act . Using the Antiquities Act bypassed the normal year of consultations and halted the public input process and came just before the draft environmental impact statement for
9317-623: The fleet carriers at his disposal: Kaga and Akagi forming Carrier Division 1 and Hiryū and Sōryū making up Carrier Division 2 . This was partly due to fatigue; Japanese carriers had been constantly on operations since 7 December 1941 including raids on Darwin and Colombo . Nonetheless, the First Carrier Strike Force sailed with 248 available aircraft on the four carriers (60 on Akagi , 74 on Kaga (B5N2 squadron oversized), 57 on Hiryū and 57 on Sōryū ). The main Japanese carrier-borne strike aircraft were
9438-441: The general feeling among the Japanese leadership at the time, was based on a gross misjudgment of American morale which was believed to be debilitated from the string of Japanese victories in the preceding months. Yamamoto felt deception would be required to lure the U.S. fleet into a fatally compromised situation. To this end, he dispersed his forces so that their full extent (particularly his battleships ) would be concealed from
9559-538: The government of Egypt decided to build the new Aswan High Dam , whose resulting future reservoir would eventually inundate a large stretch of the Nile valley containing cultural treasures of ancient Egypt and ancient Nubia . In 1959, the governments of Egypt and Sudan requested the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to assist them to protect and rescue
9680-478: The intended refueling point—a hitherto deserted bay off French Frigate Shoals —was occupied by American warships because the Japanese had carried out an identical mission in March. Thus, Japan was deprived of any knowledge concerning the movements of the American carriers immediately before the battle. Japanese radio intercepts did notice an increase in American submarine activity and message traffic. This information
9801-992: The last two decades. These activities endanger Natural World Heritage Sites and could compromise their unique values. Of the Natural World Heritage Sites that contain forest, 91% experienced some loss since 2000. Many of them are more threatened than previously thought and require immediate conservation action. The destruction of cultural assets and identity-establishing sites is one of the primary goals of modern asymmetrical warfare. Terrorists, rebels, and mercenary armies deliberately smash archaeological sites, sacred and secular monuments and loot libraries, archives and museums. The UN, United Nations peacekeeping and UNESCO in cooperation with Blue Shield International are active in preventing such acts. "No strike lists" are also created to protect cultural assets from air strikes. The founding president of Blue Shield International Karl von Habsburg summed it up with
9922-450: The length of Akagi while being fired upon by fighters and anti-aircraft fire, which had to hold their fire to avoid hitting their own flagship; the B-26 strafed Akagi , killing two men. Another B-26, piloted by Lieutenant Herbert Mayes, did not pull out of its run after being seriously damaged by anti-aircraft fire, and instead flew directly at Akagi ' s bridge . Either attempting
10043-458: The limit of the exclusive economic zone , making it one of the world's largest protected areas . It is internationally known for its cultural and natural values as follows: The area has deep cosmological and traditional significance for living Native Hawaiian culture, as an ancestral environment, as an embodiment of the Hawaiian concept of kinship between people and the natural world, and as
10164-517: The list." According to environmental protection groups, this "decision was a victory for cynical lobbying and [...] Australia, as custodians of the world's biggest coral reef, was now on probation." Several listed locations, such as Casco Viejo in Panama and Hội An in Vietnam , have struggled to strike a balance between the economic benefits of catering to greatly increased visitor numbers after
10285-836: The local level which can result in the site being damaged. Rock art under world heritage protection at the Tadrart Acacus in Libya have occasionally been intentionally destroyed. Chalcraft links this destruction to Libyan national authorities prioritizing World Heritage status over local sensibilities by limiting access to the sites without consulting with the local population. UNESCO has also been criticized for alleged geographic bias, racism , and colourism in world heritage inscription. A major chunk of all world heritage inscriptions are located in regions whose populations generally have lighter skin, including Europe, East Asia, and North America. The World Heritage Committee has divided
10406-465: The monument "Papahānaumokuākea", inspired by the names of the Hawaiian creator goddess Papahānaumoku and her husband Wākea . On May 15, 2007, President Bush announced his intention to submit the monument for Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) status, which would "alert mariners to exercise caution in the ecologically important, sensitive, and hazardous area they are entering." In October 2007,
10527-500: The monument are all part of the state of Hawaii , except Midway Atoll, which is part of the United States Minor Outlying Islands insular area. Henderson Field , on Midway Atoll, provides aerial access to the monument. About 132,000 square miles (340,000 km) of the monument are part of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, designated in 2000. The monument also includes
10648-658: The natural environment, these can be recognised as "cultural landscapes". A country must first identify its significant cultural and natural sites in a document known as the Tentative List. Next, it can place sites selected from that list into a Nomination File, which is evaluated by the International Council on Monuments and Sites and the World Conservation Union . A country may not nominate sites that have not been first included on its Tentative List. The two international bodies make recommendations to
10769-604: The only carriers available to the Pacific Fleet . During the Battle of the Coral Sea one month earlier, USS Lexington had been sunk and USS Yorktown suffered so much damage that the Japanese believed she too had been lost. However, following hasty repairs at Pearl Harbor, Yorktown sortied and ultimately played a critical role in the discovery and eventual destruction of the Japanese fleet carriers at Midway. Finally, much of Yamamoto's planning, coinciding with
10890-447: The only warships in his fleet larger than the screening force of twelve destroyers were two Kongō -class fast battleships , two heavy cruisers, and one light cruiser. By contrast, Yamamoto and Kondo had between them two light carriers, five battleships, four heavy cruisers, and two light cruisers, none of which saw action at Midway. The light carriers of the trailing forces and Yamamoto's three battleships were unable to keep pace with
11011-495: The place where it is believed that life originates and to where the spirits return after death. On two of the islands, Nihoa and Mokumanamana , there are archaeological remains relating to pre-European settlement and use. Much of the monument is made up of pelagic and deepwater habitats, with notable features such as seamounts and submerged banks, extensive coral reefs and lagoons. The monument supports 7,000 species, one quarter of which are endemic . Prominent species include
11132-446: The presence of a single carrier in the American force. This was one of the carriers from Task Force 16 . The other carrier was not sighted. Nagumo was now in a quandary. Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi , leading Carrier Division 2 ( Hiryū and Sōryū ), recommended that Nagumo strike immediately with the forces at hand: 16 D3A1 dive bombers on Sōryū and 18 on Hiryū , and half the ready cover patrol aircraft. Nagumo's opportunity to hit
11253-566: The proposed Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Marine Sanctuary was to be published. This was the second use by Bush of the Antiquities Act, following the declaration of the African Burial Ground National Monument on Manhattan in February 2006. The legislated process for stakeholder involvement in the planning and management of a marine protected area (MPA) had already taken five years of effort, but
11374-562: The protected area's size by 90%. The Dresden Elbe Valley was first placed on the danger list in 2006 when the World Heritage Committee decided that plans to construct the Waldschlösschen Bridge would significantly alter the valley's landscape. In response, the Dresden City Council attempted to stop the bridge's construction. However, after several court decisions allowed the building of the bridge to proceed,
11495-467: The recognition and preserving the original culture and local communities. Another criticism is that there is a homogeneity to these sites, which contain similar styles, visitor centres , etc., meaning that a lot of the individuality of these sites has been removed to become more attractive to tourists. Anthropologist Jasper Chalcraft said that World Heritage recognition often ignores contemporary local usage of certain sites. This leads to conflicts on
11616-402: The reserve, which would by then be properly armed with torpedoes. Had Nagumo instead launched the available aircraft around 07:45 and risked the ditching of Tomonaga's aircraft, they would have formed a powerful and well-balanced force with the potential to sink two American carriers. Furthermore, fueled and armed aircraft inside the ships presented a significant additional hazard for damage to
11737-517: The sailing of Nagumo's task force resulted in Operation AL beginning a day before the Midway attack. To do battle with an enemy expected to muster four or five carriers, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz , Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas , needed every available flight deck. He already had Vice Admiral William Halsey 's two-carrier ( Enterprise and Hornet ) task force at hand, though Halsey
11858-562: The slower ships could not be with the Kidō Butai . The distance between Yamamoto and Kondo's forces and Nagumo's carriers had grave implications during the battle. The invaluable reconnaissance capability of the scout planes carried by the cruisers and carriers, and the additional anti-aircraft capability of the cruisers and the other two battleships of the Kongō -class in the trailing forces, were unavailable to help Nagumo. To obtain support from
11979-481: The ten criteria. A country may request to extend or reduce the boundaries, modify the official name, or change the selection criteria of one of its already listed sites. Any proposal for a significant boundary change or to modify the site's selection criteria must be submitted as if it were a new nomination, including first placing it on the Tentative List and then onto the Nomination File. A request for
12100-405: The threats and to encourage counteractive measures. Threats to a site can be either proven imminent threats or potential dangers that could have adverse effects on a site. The state of conservation for each site on the danger list is reviewed yearly; after this, the Committee may request additional measures, delete the property from the list if the threats have ceased or consider deletion from both
12221-475: The time. What Yamamoto did not know was that the U.S. had broken parts of the main Japanese naval code (dubbed JN-25 by the Americans), divulging many details of his plan. His emphasis on dispersal also meant none of his formations were in a position to support the others. For instance, although Nagumo's carriers were expected to carry out strikes against Midway and bear the brunt of American counterattacks,
12342-489: The unescorted American bombers had been shot down. Japanese naval doctrine preferred the launching of fully constituted strikes rather than piecemeal attacks. Without confirmation of whether the American force included carriers (not received until 08:20), Nagumo's reaction was doctrinaire. The arrival of another land-based American air strike at 07:53 gave weight to the need to attack the island again. Nagumo decided to wait for his first strike force to land, and then launch
12463-622: The valley was removed from the World Heritage List in 2009. Liverpool 's World Heritage status was revoked in July 2021, following developments ( Liverpool Waters and Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium ) on the northern docks of the World Heritage site leading to the "irreversible loss of attributes" on the site. The first global assessment to quantitatively measure threats to Natural World Heritage Sites found that 63% of sites have been damaged by increasing human pressures including encroaching roads, agriculture infrastructure and settlements over
12584-486: The west-southwest of Midway. He mistakenly reported this group as the Main Force. Nine B-17s took off from Midway at 12:30 for the first air attack. Three hours later, they found Tanaka's transport group 570 nmi (660 mi; 1,060 km) to the west. Harassed by heavy anti-aircraft fire, they dropped their bombs. Although their crews reported hitting four ships, none were actually hit and no significant damage
12705-436: The words: "Without the local community and without the local participants, that would be completely impossible". The UNESCO-administered project has attracted criticism. This was caused by perceived under-representation of heritage sites outside Europe, disputed decisions on site selection and adverse impact of mass tourism on sites unable to manage rapid growth in visitor numbers. A large lobbying industry has grown around
12826-526: The work of the World Heritage Committee was developed over a seven-year period (1965–1972). The United States initiated the idea of safeguarding places of high cultural or natural importance. A White House conference in 1965 called for a "World Heritage Trust" to preserve "the world's superb natural and scenic areas and historic sites for the present and the future of the entire world citizenry". The International Union for Conservation of Nature developed similar proposals in 1968, which were presented in 1972 at
12947-689: The world into five geographic regions: Africa, Arab states, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Russia and the Caucasus states are classified as European, while Mexico and the Caribbean are classified as belonging to the Latin America and the Caribbean region. The UNESCO geographic regions also give greater emphasis on administrative, rather than geographic associations. Hence, Gough Island , located in
13068-486: The wreck in situ . In August 2016, President Barack Obama expanded the monument's area by roughly four times, to the limits of the exclusive economic zone . It was at that time the world's largest MPA. On October 21, 2019, the wreck of the Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier Akagi , which sank during World War II in the Battle of Midway on June 4, 1942, was found within the monument by
13189-557: Was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II that took place 4–7 June 1942, six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea . The U.S. Navy under Admirals Chester W. Nimitz , Frank J. Fletcher , and Raymond A. Spruance defeated an attacking fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy under Admirals Isoroku Yamamoto , Chūichi Nagumo , and Nobutake Kondō north of Midway Atoll , inflicting devastating damage on
13310-578: Was a shock to the Japanese and highlighted a gap in the defenses around the Japanese home islands as well as the vulnerability of Japanese territory to American bombers. This, and other successful hit-and-run raids by American carriers in the South Pacific, showed that they were still a threat, although seemingly reluctant to be drawn into all-out battle. Yamamoto reasoned that another air attack on Naval Station Pearl Harbor would induce all of
13431-693: Was collected from 50 countries. The project's success led to other safeguarding campaigns, such as saving Venice and its lagoon in Italy, the ruins of Mohenjo-daro in Pakistan, and the Borobodur Temple Compounds in Indonesia. Together with the International Council on Monuments and Sites , UNESCO then initiated a draft convention to protect cultural heritage. The convention (the signed document of international agreement ) guiding
13552-973: Was considered a success. To thank countries which especially contributed to the campaign's success, Egypt donated four temples; the Temple of Dendur was moved to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City , the Temple of Debod to the Parque del Oeste in Madrid , the Temple of Taffeh to the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden , and the Temple of Ellesyia to Museo Egizio in Turin . The project cost US$ 80 million (equivalent to $ 295.83 million in 2023), about $ 40 million of which
13673-470: Was doctrinal: dive bombers were to be armed on the flight deck). The torpedo bombers were armed with torpedoes should any American warships be located. At 07:15, Nagumo ordered his reserve planes to be re-armed with contact-fused general-purpose bombs for use against land targets. This was a result of the attacks from Midway, as well as the morning flight leader's recommendation of a second strike. Re-arming had been underway for about 30 minutes when, at 07:40,
13794-567: Was in drydock for months of repair. Although the fleet carrier Zuikaku escaped the battle undamaged, she had lost almost half her air group and was in port at the Kure Naval District in Hiroshima, awaiting replacement planes and pilots. That there were none immediately available can be attributed to the growing inability of the IJN to properly train pilots faster than they were killed in action. In desperation, instructors from
13915-634: Was in Yamamoto's hands prior to the battle. Japanese plans were not changed; Yamamoto, at sea in Yamato , assumed Nagumo had received the same signal from Tokyo and did not communicate with him by radio, so as not to reveal his position. These messages were, contrary to earlier historical accounts, also received by Nagumo before the battle began. For reasons that remain unclear, Nagumo did not alter his plans or take additional precautions. Nimitz had one critical advantage: U.S. cryptanalysts had partially broken
14036-512: Was inflicted. Early the following morning, the Japanese oil tanker Akebono Maru sustained the first hit when a torpedo from an attacking PBY struck her around 01:00. This was the only successful air-launched torpedo attack by the U.S. during the battle. At 04:30 on 4 June, Nagumo launched his initial attack on Midway, consisting of 36 D3As and 36 B5Ns, escorted by 36 Zero fighters. At the same time, he launched his seven search aircraft (2 B5Ns from Akagi and Kaga; 4 Aichi E13A "Jakes" from
14157-672: Was killed. Despite efforts to get Saratoga (which had been undergoing repairs on the American West Coast) ready, the need to resupply and assemble sufficient escorts meant she was unable to reach Midway until after the battle. On Midway, the U.S. Navy had by 4 June stationed four squadrons of PBYs —31 aircraft in total—for long-range reconnaissance duties, and six brand-new Grumman TBF Avengers from Hornet ' s VT-8 . The Marine Corps stationed 19 Douglas SBD Dauntless , seven F4F-3 Wildcats , 17 Vought SB2U Vindicators , and 21 Brewster F2A Buffalos . The USAAF contributed
14278-700: Was outside the effective range of almost all the American aircraft stationed on the main Hawaiian Islands. It was not especially important in the larger scheme of Japan's intentions, but the Japanese felt the Americans would consider Midway a vital outpost of Pearl Harbor and would be compelled to defend it vigorously. The U.S. did consider Midway vital: after the battle, the establishment of a U.S. submarine base on Naval Air Facility Midway Island allowed submarines operating from Pearl Harbor to refuel and re-provision, extending their radius of operations by 1,200 mi (1,900 km). In addition to serving as
14399-511: Was practical, while initially holding Yorktown in reserve in case any other Japanese carriers were found. Spruance judged that, though the range was extreme, a strike could succeed and gave the order to launch the attack. He left Halsey's Chief of Staff, Captain Miles Browning , to work out the details and oversee the launch. The carriers had to launch into the wind, so the light southeasterly breeze would require them to steam away from
14520-532: Was rebuilt using whatever planes and pilots could be found. Scouting Five (VS-5) was replaced with Bombing Three (VB-3) from USS Saratoga . Torpedo Five (VT-5) was replaced by Torpedo Three (VT-3) . Fighting Three (VF-3) was reconstituted to replace VF-42 with sixteen pilots from VF-42 and eleven pilots from VF-3, with Lieutenant Commander John Thach in command. Some of the aircrew were inexperienced, which may have contributed to an accident in which Thach's executive officer Lieutenant Commander Donald Lovelace
14641-601: Was stricken with shingles and had to be replaced by Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance , Halsey's escort commander. Nimitz also hurriedly recalled Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher 's task force, including the carrier Yorktown , from the South West Pacific Area . Despite estimates that Yorktown , damaged in the Battle of the Coral Sea, would require several months of repairs at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard , her elevators were intact and her flight deck largely so. The Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard worked around
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