While the game uses "1943" in its title, the real Battle of Midway occurred in 1942 and is widely considered the most important naval engagement of World War II's Pacific Theater.

Yamamoto divided his fleet into multiple task forces:

The ferocious six-month battle for Guadalcanal began in August 1942 (two months after Midway) and lasted until February 1943. Many people mistakenly lump "Midway" into the same time frame as the intense jungle fighting of early 1943.