BATTLE OF THE CORAL SEA

The 'Battle of the Coral Sea', fought from May 4-May 8, 1942, with most of the action occurring on May 7 and May 8, was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and the United States and Allied fleet. It 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. The battle is considered a tactical victory for Japan since the United States carrier USS ''Lexington'' was lost, while Japan only lost the light carrier ''Shōhō'' in the battle. At the same time, the battle was a strategic victory for the Allies because the Japanese abandoned their attempt to land troops to take Port Moresby, New Guinea. The engagement ended with no clear victor, but the damage suffered and experience gained by both sides set the stage for the Battle of Midway one month later.

Contents

Background

Battle

Tulagi

May 6

May 7

May 8

Outcome

Tactical

Strategic

Carriers

Other considerations

See also

Notes

References

External links

Background

In early 1942, having conquered nearly all of Southeast Asia in just a few months, Imperial Japan was at the apex of its power. Still reeling from a long series of humiliating defeats, the Allies were just beginning to develop the skills and gather the resources needed to survive, stem the tide of Japanese successes and eventually roll back their territorial gains. Allied strategy at this time was focused on a defensive buildup of the United States Army and Marine strength on New Caledonia (well to the south of the Solomon Islands), and Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force units in the south and east of the Australian Territory of New Guinea, just north of Australia.
On March 12, the Prime Minister of Japan, General Hideki Tōjō, said:

Australia and New Zealand are now threatened by the might of the Imperial forces, and both them should know that any resistance is futile. If the Australian government does not modify her present attitude, their continent will suffer the same fate as the Dutch East Indies.[1]

In April 1942, Japanese forces left their new stronghold of Rabaul (on New Britain, just north of New Guinea), and launched a two-pronged strategy: an amphibious assault against Port Moresby (Operation “MO”), and another against Tulagi in the Solomon Islands. The intent was threefold: to establish control of the Solomons, initially with a seaplane base; to occupy Port Moresby (the last Allied base between Japan and Australia); and in so doing, bring the American aircraft carrier fleet to battle for the first time in the war.
Historians remain divided about Japanese longer-term intentions. There seems little doubt Japan planned to greatly strengthen its hold on the Solomon Islands as a bastion against any future U.S. counterattacks and may have intended to later occupy other island groups in the South Pacific in order to cut Australia off from the United States. However, an invasion of Australia was not planned at any time.^[2] In practice, Japanese military planning was a complex process, with ill-defined areas of responsibility and crippled by endless, bitter debates between the Imperial Army and Navy. Regarding longer-range Japanese aims in the South Pacific, there was only one certainty: whatever strategy the navy put forward would be challenged by an army counterplan.
Three Japanese fleets set sail: the invasion forces for the Solomons and Port Moresby, and a covering force of two large modern aircraft carriers, ''Shōkaku'' and ''Zuikaku'' (both veterans of the attack on Pearl Harbor), a smaller carrier, ''Shōhō'', two heavy cruisers, and supporting craft. Alerted by radio intercepts, the Allies knew that Japanese land-based aircraft were being moved south and that an operation was impending. To oppose it, there were three main groups: ''Yorktown'' already in the Coral Sea under the command of Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher, with ''Lexington'' en route, and a joint Allied surface force. The carriers ''Hornet'' and ''Enterprise'' were heading south after the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, but they arrived too late to take part in the battle.

Battle

Tulagi

''Lexington'' joined ''Yorktown'' on May 1. The Japanese occupied Tulagi without incident on May 3, and construction of a seaplane base began. After fueling, ''Yorktown'' closed on Tulagi and, on May 4, launched three successful strikes against Japanese shipping and aircraft there—revealing the presence of the carrier but sinking the destroyer ''Kikuzuki'' and five merchant ships, crippling the island's seaplane reconnaissance capability, and damaging other vessels, before retiring to the south to rendezvous with the ''Lexington'' and the newly-arrived cruisers.

May 6

Land-based B-17s attacked the approaching Port Moresby invasion fleet on May 6, with the usual lack of success. Almost another year would pass before the USAAF realized that high-level bombing raids against moving naval targets were pointless. Although both carrier fleets flew extensive searches on May 6, cloudy weather kept them hidden from each other, and the two fleets spent the night only 110 kilometres (70 mi) apart. Other Allied aircraft joined the battle, from airbases at Cooktown and Mareeba on Cape York Peninsula, Australia.

That night, Fletcher, mindful that his primary role was to protect Port Moresby, made the difficult decision to detach his main surface force, Task Force 44 under Australian Rear Admiral John Crace, to block the probable course of an invasion. Crace had the cruisers HMAS ''Australia'', HMAS ''Hobart'', and USS ''Chicago'', and the destroyers USS ''Perkins'', USS ''Walke'', and USS ''Farragut''. Fletcher and Crace knew exposing surface ships to attack by land-based aircraft, without air cover, risked a repeat of the loss of HMS ''Prince of Wales'' and HMS ''Repulse'' five months before. Their fears were nearly realized when the cruisers were spotted and came under an intense air attack from a squadron of torpedo bombers on the afternoon of May 7. The ships escaped with few casualties and little damage. Only minutes after the Japanese raid, Crace's force was inadvertently attacked by friendly B-17s; ''Farragut'' and ''Perkins'' once again had to endure near misses.

May 7

On May 7, both fleets launched all available aircraft, but neither found the main body of the other, mistakenly attacking subsidiary enemy forces instead. Japanese aircraft found and attacked the U.S. fleet oiler ''Neosho'' and her escorting destroyer ''Sims'', mistaking them for a carrier and a cruiser. ''Sims'' was sunk and ''Neosho'' crippled. Meanwhile, U.S. aircraft had missed ''Shōkaku'' and ''Zuikaku'', but found the invasion fleet, escorted by the small carrier ''Shōhō'', which was soon sunk with heavy casualties. In the previous five months, the Allies had lost numerous major warships and had been unable to sink a single major Japanese ship in return. ''Shōhō'' was small by carrier standards, but the laconic phrase “scratch one flattop,” radioed back to the ''Lexington'', announced the first Allied naval success of the Pacific War.

May 8

Finally, with dawn searches on May 8, the main carrier forces located one another and launched maximum effort raids, which passed each other in the air. Hidden by rain, ''Zuikaku'' escaped detection, but ''Shōkaku'' was hit three times by bombs. Listing and on fire, ''Shōkaku'' was unable to land her aircraft and was thus effectively put out of action.

Both American carriers were hit: ''Yorktown'' by a bomb; the larger, less maneuverable ''Lexington'', by both bombs and torpedoes. Although the latter survived the immediate damage and was thought to be repairable, leaking aviation fuel exploded a little over an hour later. ''Lexington'' had to be abandoned and scuttled to prevent her capture.
Crace continued to stand between the invasion force and Port Moresby. Inoue was misled by returning fliers’ reports as to the strength of the Allied cruiser and destroyer force, and he recalled the invasion fleet. With ''Shōkaku'' damaged and ''Zuikaku'' short of aircraft, neither was able to take part in the crucial Battle of Midway a month later. The damaged ''Yorktown'' returned to Pearl Harbor.

Outcome

Tactical

In tactical terms, the Japanese had achieved a narrow victory: one small carrier lost and a large carrier severely damaged against the Americans’ loss of a large carrier and significant damage to another. But from the Allied point of view, after five months of continuous defeat, a battle that came out almost even was close enough to a victory as not to matter.

Strategic

In strategic terms, the Allies had won because the seaborne invasion of Port Moresby was averted. Port Moresby was vital to Allied strategy and could not have been defended by the ground forces stationed there. This was the first time that a Japanese invasion force had been turned back without achieving its objective. It had a substantial effect on the morale and the strategic planning of both sides. Without a hold in New Guinea, the subsequent Allied advance, difficult though it was, would have been much harder still. As a result, the Japanese were forced to attack Moresby overland. The consequent delay was just long enough to permit the arrival of the veteran Second Australian Imperial Force to fight the Kokoda Track campaign and the Battle of Milne Bay, which in turn relieved pressure on U.S. forces at Guadalcanal.

Carriers

Overall, both Japanese fleet carriers survived, but both were not ready in time to participate at the decisive Battle of Midway, leaving them with four carriers to face the Americans. The U.S. had permanently lost a carrier, but quick repairs to another meant that they had three carriers to take to battle. Essentially, Coral Sea helped to bring the Americans up to parity with the Japanese.
Although ''Zuikaku'' was only slightly damaged, with only 40 aircraft left, she was in no condition to fight and had to return to Japan to replenish her air wings. ''Shōkaku'' was severely damaged, unable to operate aircraft, and took six months to repair. Despite the likely availability of sufficient aircraft between the two ships to re-equip ''Zuikaku'' with a composite air group, the Japanese made no serious attempt to get her to Midway.^[3]
The loss of the ''Lexington'' was a severe blow, but in time, the U.S. was able to replace the ship, aircraft, and trained crew with others, superior in all respects. The damage to ''Yorktown'' was estimated to require months in port, but she could still operate aircraft, and she was made more-or-less battle-worthy in a miracle of improvisation after just two days in Pearl Harbor. Midway was her final battle; importantly, in that battle, she attracted torpedo assaults that might have otherwise gone to the undamaged ''Hornet'' and ''Enterprise''.

Other considerations

The U.S. Navy learned a great deal from the Battle of the Coral Sea. From the loss of the ''Lexington'', it realized that better ways were needed to contain aviation fuel and control defensive fighter aircraft. From the attacks on the Japanese carriers, coordination of dive-bombers and torpedo bombers had to be improved (though this hard-won knowledge came too late for the Battle of Midway). Most importantly of all, it was a significant morale boost because it showed that the Japanese could be beaten.
While Admiral Fletcher continued to command carrier forces and served as the senior USN officer at Midway, Admiral Takagi was relegated to less important assignments in the aftermath of Coral Sea.

See also

★ Coral Sea Order of Battle

★ Battle of Midway

★ Axis naval activity in Australian waters

★ Planned invasion of Australia during World War II

★ Christmas Island Invasion

★ USS ''Coral Sea''

Notes

1. Lundstrom, ''Guadalcanal Campaign'', p. 92. Breakdown of aircraft losses: 19 “Zero” fighters, 19 “Val” dive bombers, and 31 “Kate” torpedo bombers.
2. Dr. Peter Stanley (2002). ''He's (Not) Coming South: The Invasion That Wasn't''
3. Parshall & Tully, ''Shattered Sword'', pp. 65-67

References

★ Death of a Navy: Japanese Naval Action in World War II, , Andrieu, D'Albas, Devin-Adair Pub, 1965, ISBN 0-8159-5302-X

★ A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1941-1945, , Paul S., Dull, Naval Institute Press, 1978, ISBN 0-87021-097-1

★ Blue Skies and Blood: The Battle of the Coral Sea, , Edwin P., Hoyt, I Books, 2003, ISBN 0-7434-5835-4

★ The Battle of the Coral Sea, , Chris, Henry, Naval Institute Press, 2003, ISBN 1-59114-033-1

★ First Team And the Guadalcanal Campaign: Naval Fighter Combat from August to November 1942, , John B., Lundstrom, Naval Institute Press, 2005 (New edition), ISBN 1-59114-472-8

★ The First Team: Pacific Naval Air Combat from Pearl Harbor to Midway, , John B., Lundstrom, Naval Institute Press, 2005 (New edition), ISBN 159114471X

★ Coral Sea, Midway and Submarine Actions, May 1942-August 1942, ''vol. 4 of ''History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, , Samuel Eliot, Morison, University of Illinois Press, 1949 (reissue 2001), ISBN 0-252-06995-1

★ Blood on the Sea: American Destroyers Lost in World War II, , Robert Sinclair, Parkin, Da Capo Press, 1995, ISBN 0-306-81069-7

★ Sinclair, Don. ''Cooktown at War: A Record of Activities in Cooktown During World War II.'' Cooktown and District Historical Society. (1997).

External links

★ Battle of the Coral Sea

★ Volume II – Royal Australian Navy, 1942–1945

★ Volume V – South–West Pacific Area – First Year: Kokoda to Wau

★ Battle of the Coral Sea, 7-8 May 1942

★ The Battle of the Coral Sea

★ Part One: The Battle of the Coral Sea

★ Chapter 4: The Battle of the Coral Sea

★ Animated history of the Battle of the Coral Sea

★ A6M2 shot down at Coral Sea A message board with userid and password.