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Posted on 05/07/2025 2:00:41 PM PDT by Jacquerie
The Battle of the Coral Sea was the first time since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that the enemy’s seemingly relentless advance into the Pacific was checked.
It was also the first major U.S. Navy fleet action against Japan and the first naval engagement in history in which the participating ships never sighted or fired directly at each other.
The battle’s strategic background was set by the Japanese plan formulated in early 1942 that saw the country’s forces advance south and southeastward from the Bismarcks and Solomons, with the capture of Tulagi in the Solomons and Port Moresby, New Guinea, as immediate objectives. Secondary objectives were the central Pacific island of Nauru and Ocean (Banaba), in the Gilberts chain northeast of the Solomons, for their phosphate resources, essential for Japanese agriculture.
Over 29 April–4 May, Japanese forces successfully attacked, invaded, and occupied Tulagi, although several of their warships were surprised and sunk or damaged by aircraft from USS Yorktown (CV-5). Alerted to the presence of U.S. carriers, the Japanese Carrier Strike Force advanced toward the Coral Sea with the intention of finding and destroying the Allied naval forces. Beginning on 7 May, the two sides exchanged air strikes over two consecutive days.
The resulting maneuvers and clashes between two U.S. Navy task forces and a combined U.S.Australian cruiser force with the Japanese Carrier Strike Force and supporting units resulted in a Japanese tactical victory.
However, with their air groups too battered to support a further advance, the Japanese were brought to a standstill.
Coral Sea reduced Japanese carriers available for Midway by a third.
(Excerpt) Read more at history.navy.mil ...
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The Japs had earlier driven the Royal Navy from the Indian Ocean, taken Singapore and defeated USN and Royal Australian naval forces in the Battle of the Java Sea.
Oh, and the USSR was still on the brink of annihilation by the Nazis
The US Navy was still dominated by officers that were promoted more for their alcohol capacity than any actual competence. A bunch of them were killed off in the crucible of Guadalcanal. The Japanese constantly failed to press their advantage during 1942. By 1943 so many ships were coming off into the US Fleet that Japan had absolutely no chance to gain a conditional peace treaty. Of course they were to stiff necked too surrender and save their people the devastations that 1944 brought.
You’re an asshole. Bugger off.
They call this a tactical win for japan, but didn’t also make the Japanese stop an invasion they had planned?
Also, it knocked 2 main carriers out of the Midway raid which could have turned the tide for them if they had been there. Without Coral Sea, Midway may have been a disaster for us.
Good point about the two Japanese carriers.
They were irreplaceable.
Shokaku and Zuikaku, one damaged and the other lost most of her air crew. Both had to pull out for repair and replenishment, and it cost the Japanese the Midway and the war...
Yamamoto regarded the planned landings on Port Moresby as a sideshow and was not on-board with the Coral Sea operation. “Victory disease” played a part, so he acquiesced.
Despite the absence of two of the six carriers of the Kido Butai that attacked Pearl Harbor, Yamamoto pressed ahead with his plans for Midway.
Yeah, Coral Sea and other Jap blunders leading up to Midway offered an inviting opportunity for Admirals King and Nimitz.
The Dutch had a few ships in the mix there too.
Quite right.
I am writing a WW2 novel set aboard an aircraft carrier. My research has made me utterly fascinated and awed by the Pacific battles.
<>I am writing a WW2 novel set aboard an aircraft carrier.<>
Fascinating.
Which one?
Even if we'd lost Midway and all three carriers Japan wasn't going to win.
Why?
We produced 24 Essex carriers, 9 Independence class carriers and 122 escort carriers.
Not to mention the planes, cruisers, destroyers, support ships, etc.
Plus two atomic bombs.
The question was how many lives would it take and did we have the will to fight it out to the end.
We did.
Maybe....maybe not.
It would have given them additional planes for sure.
But we could have caught all six like we did the four.
In the Battle of the Coral Sea, TBD Devastator Torpedo planes helped sink the Japanese aircraft carrier Shōhō on 7 May, but failed to hit another carrier, the Shōkaku, the next day. At the Battle of Midway, 41 Devastators took off to sink the Japanese carriers. They were all shot down except for only 5 that made it back . Torpedo Squadron 8 from Carrier Hornet was completely wiped out except for one survivor, Ensign George Gay.
Who the hell are you?
No thanks.
Fictional. New Yorker.
Animated map of the battle.
The Battle of the Coral Sea 1942: The First Aircraft Carrier Battle in History
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB5hH3ksvKE
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