[keltos01]

The midway and aleutians operations :
The japanese navy lacked plans after the southern important territories
were occupied in April 1942. Yamamoto advocated more offensive operations
such as the invasion and occupation of the hawaiian islands.
The navy advocated expansion to the southeast, the occupation of Fiji
and the Samoan islands would cut off Australia from the US.
The initial goals of these operations were the occupation of Midway,
Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, and the ALeutians. The purpose was
to establish a defensive line far from the heart of the empire.

MI
Ten submarines of the third and first submarine groups were assigned to
picket lines A and B, to the north and to the south of the French Frigate Shoals,
for interception of US naval forces en route to Midway.
They should have been there May 30th, but were late, thus arriving after the
US forces had gone through the area.

The loss of 4 aircraft carriers on 4 june was devastating to the japanese
navy but Yamamoto still hoped that the submarines could deliver a fatal
blow to the US forces around Midway. Their picket line was east of midway
along meridian 168-40 w. they were then moved west of midway then back east but
not in time to catch the US carriers en route to Hawaii.