Battle of the Coral Sea

Battle of the Coral Sea
Part of World War II,
Date May 4 - 8, 1942 Location Coral Sea, between Australia, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands Result - Japanese tactical victory - Allied Forces strategic victory
Belligerents
United States Australia	Empire of Japan
Commanders and leaders
Frank J. Fletcher John Crace Thomas C. Kinkaid Aubrey Fitch George Brett	Shigeyoshi Inoue Takeo Takagi Kiyohide Shima Aritomo Gotō Chūichi Hara

The Battle of the Coral Sea, fought from 4–8 May 1942, was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval and air forces from the United States and Australia. The battle was the first fleet action in which aircraft carriers engaged each other. It was also the first naval battle in history in which neither side's ships sighted or fired directly upon the other.

Although a tactical victory for the Japanese in terms of ships sunk, the battle would prove to be a strategic victory for the Allies for several reasons. The battle marked the first time since the start of the war that a major Japanese advance had been checked by the Allies. More importantly, the Japanese fleet carriers Shōkaku and Zuikaku, the former damaged and the latter with a depleted aircraft complement, were unable to participate in the Battle of Midway the following month, but Yorktown participated, which ensured a rough parity in aircraft between the adversaries and contributing significantly to the US victory. The severe losses in carriers at Midway prevented the Japanese from reattempting to invade Port Moresby by sea and helped prompt their ill-fated land offensive over the Kokoda Track. Two months later, the Allies took advantage of Japan's resulting strategic vulnerability in the South Pacific and launched the Guadalcanal Campaign.

Battle of the Coral Sea in "News From the Front"

Although the Battle of the Coral Sea saved Port Moresby from invasion by the Japanese, the USS Lexington was sunk, the USS Yorktown severely damaged, and 543 men were reported dead, along with the loss of a destroyer, a fleet oilier and 66 US planes, all of which was embarrassing for US President Franklin Roosevelt. Despite the US Navy insisting that the Japanese had taken higher casualties, many were no longer willing to accept anything the Roosevelt administration said as true.