[tabs]

Midway DID NOT end Japanese Offensive operations..they were continuing on down the Solomons Islands building an airstrip at Guadalcanal and were moving troops over the Owen Stanley mountains in New Guinea.

As previously stated the Japanese air crews were being depleted and were not at full strength anymore by the time of Midway. That was how shallow the Japanese well of trained manpower and material was in conducting their Pacific war of aggression.

Science and Technology comes from having a mfg base. All things considered The USA MASS PRODUCED its way to victory in WW2. Plain and Simple.

The USA was basically one step behind Germany in technology ( the Germans were the first to put Jets and rockets into military operation). Before the war American scientists all looked to Germany for technical expertise. Germany by excluding and persecuting the Jews shot itself in the foot with regards to science and technology. As many of their top scientists left Germany before the war with the USA as their destination. The Germans had a nuclear program but suspended it in 1942. Hitler even ordered the suspension of the development of new fighter aircraft in 1941, his thinking was that the war was already won. This all slowed the German armaments industry from putting new models at the front. Germany did NOT go to a complete war time economy until 1945....they were still making Steinway Pianos in 1945.

The German armaments industry was basically very inefficient working at cross purposes with each other, that even extended to the German military. AS the Luftwaffe did not cooperate with the Kriegsmarine in the war in the Atlantic. The Luftwaffe had its own infantry and mechanised divisions. The Waffen SS was an independent command, but for practical purposes was subordinated to the German Army. Each member of Hitlers entourage basically had their own fiefdom which they jealously guarded, as was Hitlers style of leaderhsip...It was only Albert Speers organizational skills that coordinated the German armaments industry after he took over in 1942. Even with the Heavy bombing by the US and Brits of Germany, Germany produced more war material in 1944 then at any time before.

Keitle in a conversation with Guderian in 1943 stated that Germany was losing 150,000 men a month without fighting any major battles. But could only replace 75.000 of them a month...This statement indicates that Hitler and the German High Command knew the war was lost, due to attrition of manpower and material.

Had the US lost at Midway, it would have put the Hawaiian islands into play....possibly neutralizing them as a jumping off place for military operations. It would also have made Australia's existence more tenous.

The Japanese wouldn't have had the reach to seriously threaten the West Coast on a continuing basis. However the West Coast of the US as a base of operations instead of Hawaii would have made it much more difficult to win.