With Midway deemed second only to Pearl Harbor, Oahu in importance to protecting the West Coast, airstrips, gun emplacements and a seaplane base quickly materialized on the tiny atoll.
Bustling with activity, the main seaplane hangar provided shelter to the Patrol Bomber Consolidated - PBY Catalinas, which received maintenance patches and engine repairs.
The Japanese wanted naval/air superiority in the Western Pacific. Above all, they needed to ensure the safety of their homeland and protection of the Emperor.
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During the breeding season, adult tropicbirds (see one pictured above over Midway lagoon) fly in a group around one another, swinging their tail streamers from side to side for several minutes to attract the female bird. Their courtship displays are complex and consist of flying backwards, vertically, and in large, vertical circles.