The Battle of Midway in early 1942 was one of the most dramatic sea battles of all time. Only a few months after the attack on Pearl Harbour, it marked the turning point in the war for the Pacific. Neither the American nor the Japanese ships involved had any direct visual contact during the battle. The entire battle was fought using carrier-based aircraft from the two warring parties. Thanks to its success in decoding Japanese marine codes, the U.S. Navy knew about the forthcoming attack in advance, and dispatched the U.S.S. Yorktown, Enterprise and Hornet to Midway Island. Following detection of the Japanese carriers by the aircraft based on the Enterprise and the Hornet, extensive attacks were launched against them. The Japanese aircraft carriers immediately caught fire and sank. Aircraft from the fourth Japanese carrier, which was also sunk later, succeeded in damaging the Yorktown severely. The American victory meant that Japan was no longer capable of continuing its expansion course and the allied armed forces managed to consolidate their position in the Pacific and start an offensive.