#14: Intercepted Communications

Although strategically sound, the Americans’ codebreaking efforts ultimately foiled the Japanese plan to capture the Midway Atoll during World War II. Several weeks before the operation, U.S. intelligence intercepted Japanese communications that cryptically referred to a planned attack on a location designated as “A.F.” Suspecting that “A.F.” was, in fact, a codename for Midway, American codebreakers devised a clever scheme to confirm their suspicions.

This invaluable intelligence allowed the U.S. to prepare in advance for the impending assault, ultimately giving American forces a critical advantage during the Battle of Midway. The ability to decipher and preemptively act on this vital information played a pivotal role in the battle’s outcome and, consequently, the broader Pacific theater of World War II.