Layton was Nimitz's intelligence chief and played a key role in assessing Japanese intentions before Midway. The film accurately portrays his importance and relationship with Nimitz.

Nimitz commanded the US Pacific Fleet during Midway. The film accurately depicts his measured leadership and crucial decision to trust intelligence reports.

Best was a real dive bomber squadron leader who flew at Midway. The film highlights his skill and bravery, though his reported hits on two carriers (Akagi, Hiryu) are debated by some historians but plausible.

McClusky led the decisive dive bomber attack at Midway. His determination in searching for the Japanese fleet, despite low fuel, was historically accurate and critical.

Doolittle planned and led the famous raid on Japan. The film accurately portrays his leadership in this risky mission launched from the USS Hornet.

Halsey was a key US carrier commander early in the war. The film accurately shows him leading raids and overseeing the Doolittle mission, though he missed Midway due to illness.

The film visually recreates the surprise attack on December 7, 1941, generally aligning with the historical events and scale of destruction.

The launch from USS Hornet, bombing of Tokyo, and subsequent ditching/bailouts over China are depicted accurately based on historical accounts.

The film accurately portrays the assistance Doolittle's crews received from Chinese civilians and the brutal Japanese reprisals against those who helped.

Layton and Rochefort's teams correctly deduced "AF" meant Midway and convinced Nimitz, a crucial intelligence victory accurately shown as central to the US strategy.

Nimitz's calculated risk to ambush the Japanese fleet near Midway, despite being outnumbered, was based entirely on the intelligence breakthrough depicted.

The devastating losses suffered by the slow, low-flying TBD Devastator torpedo bombers (especially VT-8 from Hornet) without scoring hits are accurately portrayed.

McClusky's crucial decision to continue searching and follow a lone Japanese destroyer led the Enterprise dive bombers directly to the unsuspecting Japanese carriers.

The near-simultaneous attacks by US dive bombers caught the Japanese carriers refueling/re-arming, leading to catastrophic fires that doomed three carriers within minutes.

Best is credited with a hit on Akagi and later a fatal hit on Hiryu. While he was a decorated pilot who claimed hits, definitively attributing specific bombs is difficult historically.

Aircraft from the sole surviving Japanese carrier, Hiryu, launched counterattacks that severely damaged the Yorktown.

US dive bombers, including Best's squadron, located and attacked Hiryu later in the day, inflicting fatal damage.

Despite salvage efforts, the heavily damaged Yorktown was sunk by a Japanese submarine (I-168) a few days after the main battle.

While visually spectacular with CGI, the physics and intensity of WWII aerial combat are dramatized. However, the types of maneuvers and chaos are generally represented.

The film accurately reflects the critical role and immense bravery of individual pilots and aircrew in determining the battle's outcome.

The film portrays Nagumo's dilemmas regarding re-arming planes and the impact of conflicting scout reports, reflecting historical analysis of Japanese command issues.

The recreation of Ford Island, Battleship Row, and surrounding facilities provides an accurate backdrop for the attack sequence.

Details like bridges, ready rooms, hangars, and flight decks are visually represented based on historical ship designs of the era.

The film accurately portrays the small, isolated nature of Midway Atoll with its airfield, crucial to the battle's strategic context.

CGI models of key aircraft like the SBD Dauntless, TBD Devastator, F4F Wildcat, B-25, Zero, Val, and Kate appear visually accurate in design, though movements are dramatized.

Carriers (Yorktown, Enterprise, Hornet, Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, Hiryu), cruisers, and destroyers are accurately modeled using CGI.

The uniforms worn by American and Japanese personnel generally appear authentic for the 1941-1942 period depicted.

Launching and recovering aircraft, refueling, re-arming, and the general controlled chaos of carrier flight deck operations are realistically portrayed.

While visually impressive, the film sometimes compresses distances for dramatic effect. Naval battles often occurred over vast distances with fleets not in visual range.

Aspects like radio communication, radar (though primitive), codebreaking machines, and aircraft instrumentation reflect the technology level of the time.