# What was the Japanese code word for ''Midway Island?''

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-japanese-code-word-for-midway-island/172310>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 1, 2003, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-japanese-code-word-for-midway-island/172310 "2003-05-01T04:04:51Z")\
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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-japanese-code-word-for-midway-island/172310/1 "2003-05-01T04:04:51Z")

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Typically it’s reported that the Japanese referred to it as “Island AF.” But is “AF” an anglicized version of what was probably in Japanese something like “Ah fu,” or did they obligingly give it a code name using English letters?

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**Author:** ![bradministrator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a698b9/32.png) [@bradministrator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bradministrator)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-japanese-code-word-for-midway-island/172310/2 "2003-05-01T04:51:24Z")

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The AF referred to the Japanese Navy map grid which contained Midway Island, IIRC.