While it was a naval battle in the sense that the opposing forces were on ships, the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942 was unique in that the ships did not fire on each other, relying instead on carrier aircraft. The Battle of the Coral Sea was important, too, in that it was the first Japanese setback of World War II.

The Coral Sea is located between Queensland, Australia, on the southwest, the New Hebrides and New Caledonia on the east, and Papua and the Solomon Islands on the north. The battle there resulted from the Japanese plan to take Port Moresby and then threaten the Australian mainland. Capture of Port Moresby would also end Allied attacks against Japanese bases at Rabaul and in the Solomon Islands.

Map 6-1 The U.S. offensive in the Solomon Islands.

Map courtesy of the National Archives (Solomon Islands, RG 160, Vol. 1, No. 17)

For the invasion of New Guinea, the Japanese amassed seventy ships, including two large aircraft carriers, two smaller carriers, and a number of cruisers, destroyers, and supply ships. Thanks to luck in breaking the Japanese code, the U.S. Navy was well aware of the deployment, and plans were made to counter the invasion with a naval task force under the command of Rear Admiral Frank Fletcher that included the carriers Lexington and Yorktown and a handful of destroyers and cruisers. It was a force smaller than that of the Japanese, but it was all that was available at the time.

Cat and Mouse

On May 3, 1942, Japanese troops landed on Tulagi in the Solomons, off Guadalcanal. Planes from the Yorktown scouted the area in search of the Japanese fleet but found only a few isolated ships, including three minesweepers and a destroyer, all of which were quickly sunk.

Figure 6-1 A Japanese torpedo bomber explodes after being hit by antiaircraft fire.

Photo courtesy of the National Archives (80-G-415001)

For the invasion of New Guinea, the Japanese amassed seventy ships, including two large aircraft carriers, two smaller carriers, and a number of cruisers, destroyers, and supply ships. Thanks to luck in breaking the Japanese code, the U.S. Navy was well aware of the deployment, and plans were made to counter the invasion with a naval task force under the command of Rear Admiral Frank Fletcher that included the carriers Lexington and Yorktown and a handful of destroyers and cruisers. It was a force smaller than that of the Japanese, but it was all that was available at the time.

At the same time, the Japanese force was searching for the American task force. Japanese planes came across an oiler and a destroyer, sinking both. On May 7, the U.S. force received a garbled message noting the presence of two Japanese carriers and four heavy cruisers. But the message was incorrect — the convoy actually contained two heavy cruisers and two destroyers. A total of ninety-three American aircraft went hunting for the misidentified Japanese carriers, while Japanese reconnaissance planes continued their search for the U.S. fleet.

American planes eventually came across the Japanese light carrier Shoho and its destroyer escorts. The carrier was hit with seven torpedoes and numerous bombs and sank within minutes.

Meanwhile, poor weather prevented the Japanese planes from finding the U.S. carriers, so they dumped their bombs and torpedoes in the ocean and headed back toward their fleet. U.S. fighters on reconnaissance saw the Japanese planes and attacked, shooting down ten while losing two of their own. The air battle raged past sunset, and some of the surviving Japanese planes accidentally stumbled across the Yorktown, which, in the dark, they mistook for their own carrier. Several Japanese planes prepared to land on the Yorktown when the pilot of the lead plane suddenly realized his mistake and immediately throttled up in a desperate attempt to escape blistering antiaircraft fire. Shortly afterward, the surviving planes found their own carriers, which used searchlights to guide the pilots in.

Massive Aerial Recon on Both Sides

More than eighty U.S. bombers and torpedo planes went in search of the Japanese carriers the next day, while the Japanese fleet sent sixty-nine planes after the Lexington and the Yorktown. Astoundingly, the two aerial armadas didn't see each other as they headed for their respective targets. Torpedo planes attacked the Lexington, sending two torpedoes into its port side. Five bombs also struck the ship, but they did little damage. The Yorktown was also hit by a bomb, which plunged through the flight deck before exploding.

Figure 6-2 Troops and supplies heading into the invasion of Cape Gloucester, New Britain, December 24, 1943.

Photo courtesy of the National Archives (26-G-3056)

Numerous internal explosions rocked the Lexington as a result of the Japanese attack, which took 216 lives, and five hours later orders were given to abandon ship. After the crew of more than 2,700 was evacuated, the carrier was torpedoed by a U.S. destroyer to hasten its death.

As Japanese planes attacked the American carriers, bombers and torpedo planes from the Yorktown launched a massive attack against two Japanese carriers. But several torpedoes launched against the carrier Shokaku missed or failed to detonate. In addition, only two bombs found their target. Planes from the Lexington followed with a second attack but also inflicted minimal damage.

Map 6-2 The height of the Japanese power in the Pacific, China, and Southeast Asia.

Map courtesy of the National Archives (Japanese Empire August 1942, RG 160, Vol. 4, No. 19F)

Map 6-3 The range of Japanese power as the war ended.

Map courtesy of the National Archives (Japanese Holdings as War Ended, RG 160, Vol. 4, No. 19F)

It appeared that the Japanese were the victors in the Battle of the Coral Sea, but the Allies were the tactical winners because the assault damaged a sufficient number of Japanese ships and planes to delay the Japanese expedition against Port Moresby and thus prevented planned air attacks against Australia.