U.S. submarines aren't usually talked about when the Battle Of Midway is being discussed. It was about Carrier and airplanes, and subs had a very little role to play, most would tell you.
Actually, one American submarine played an important and pivotal role in the epic history changing battle. Admittedly, they didn't know it at the time.
The Nautilus was one of two huge, 370 foot 3900 ton boats built by the U.S. in the 1920's. Her sister was the U.S.S. Narwhal. They carried two big six inch guns and a crew of ninety men and where amongst the biggest submarines in the world at the time.
On the morning of June 4th, 1942, the Nautilus (SS-168) was part of a scouting force looking for the Japanese fleet near Midway Island.
At 0825 her skipper, Bill Brockman, raised the scope and found himself in the middle of a gigantic enemy fleet. "Ships all over the place," as he said later.
He attempted to torpedo a battleship and missed. They were immmediately set upon by a Japanese destroyer. This was the first time that Brockman and his boat had ever fired a torpedo at an enemy ship, and also the first time they had been depth charged.
After the tin can left he went back to periscope depth and took three torpedo shots at a carrier that he mistakenly reported to be the Soryu. He reported that all three fish hit their targets. After the war it was learned that he had actually fired at the Kaga, and that two of the torps had missed and one had struck the ship and not exploded. All of the exlosions and fire that Brockman had seen were from Navy SBD dive bombers hitting her with thousand pound bombs.
Again The Nautilus was attacked by a destroyer, the Arashi. He dived and fled the scene.
The Arashi stayed and continued dropping depth charges. She became seperated from the rest of the fleet during this action, and her captain decided to give up and rejoin the other ships.
And that is when Cammander McClusky and his Dauntless dive bombers arrived on the scene.
McClusky was lost and couldn't find the Japanese carriers. He looks down and sees a Japanese destroyer heading off, someplace, in a hurry. Maybe, he thought, he's rejoining the carrier task force. And so, he leads his squadron in the destroyers direction.
The Arashi takes the American planes right to the carrier Hiryu. The big ship was soon a burning wreck and had to be abandoned. She was the last Japanese carrier sunk during the battle.
Had it not been for the Nautilus, she might very well have escaped.
The U.S. Tambor made another inadvertent contribution to the battle when she was spotted in the early morning hours of June 5th.
The skipper ordered his boat to dive, and the Japanese commander, having spotted an enemy sub, ordered his ships to make a hard turn to port. During the turn, two cruisers, the Mikuma and the Mogami collided. The next day planes from the Hornet and Enterprise found the two damaged warships and sunk the Mikuma and severely damaged the Mogami.
And while most would tell you that Japanese planes sunk the Yortown, the truth is, it was a Japanese submarine.
While it's true that she was badly damaged, damage control parties manged to stop the fires, and she was slowly making her way back to Pearl with an escort.
Unfortunately, she was found by the I-168. The big I-Boat got into position and fired four torpedoes at the Yorktown. Two hit the carrier and one hit the destroyer Hammann which broke in two and sank. The Yorktown later rolled over and joined her.
Just an interesting little piece of submarine history I thought I'd share with all you other skippers.
"Find 'em, Chase 'em, Sink 'em!!"

Excellent story!