Who was involved?
- There was a Japanese Port Moresby Invasion Group, with a Support Force (Marushige) and a Covering Group (Goto), that included the small aircraft carrier, Shoho and several cruisers.
- The Allied Task Force 44 consisted of a group of Allied warships, including the two Australian ships, the heavy cruiser HMAS Australia and the light cruiser HMAS Hobart. ...
Full Answer
What was special about the Battle of the Coral Sea?
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. Learn about American and Australian ...
What were the casualties of the Battle of Coral Sea?
The total personnel casualties totaled at 543. The Japanese lost one carrier to sinking, another carrier with most of their planes, and another carrier which was put out of action. The Battle of Coral Sea was a draw between the US and the Japanese.
Who won the Battle of Coral Sea?
The Battle of the Coral Sea, from 4 to 8 May 1942, was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy ... In terms of ships lost, the Japanese won a tactical victory by sinking the U.S. fleet carrier Lexington, an oiler, and a destroyer – 41,826 long tons (42,497 t) – versus a light carrier, a destroyer, ...
What happened at the Battle of the Coral Sea?
The Battle of the Coral Sea was fought from 4 May – 8 May 1942. It was a major naval battle fought, about 500 miles northeast of Australia, between the Imperial Japanese Navy and the United States and Australia. After Pearl Harbour, the Japanese took more and more islands in the Western Pacific Ocean.
What ships were involved in the Battle of Coral Sea?
The Allied Task Force 44 consisted of a group of Allied warships, including the two Australian ships, the heavy cruiser HMAS Australia and the light cruiser HMAS Hobart. They were sent to find and attack the Port Moresby Invasion Group. This force was commanded by the Australian Rear-Admiral Crace.
What 3 carriers are sent to the Coral Sea?
On 8 May, both sides finally located and attacked the other's fleet carriers, with the Japanese fleet carrier Shōkaku damaged, the U.S. fleet carrier Lexington critically damaged and later scuttled, and the fleet carrier Yorktown lightly damaged.
How many ships were in the Battle of the Coral Sea?
Clash of the Carriers: The Battle of the Coral Sea Three navies, four aircraft carriers, 255 aircraft and 76 ships in a four-day battle that changed naval warfare forever. Eight ships sunk, 161 aircraft destroyed and 1622 men killed in a battle that should never be forgotten. Death of the Shoho, Robert Benney, 1942.
What kind of ship was the Coral Sea?
Midway-class aircraft carriersThe USS Coral Sea was one of the three Midway-class aircraft carriers from the United States Navy introduced in the latter part of World War II. It had a home in the Bay Area for nearly 15 years. ALAMEDA, Calif. (KGO) -- The USS Coral Sea was one of the three Midway-class aircraft carriers from the United States Navy.
Which battleship saw most action in ww2?
The New Jersey's history spanned over half the 20th century, from her design in 1938 until 1991. She was launched on the first anniversary of Pearl Harbor, and went on to steam more miles, fight in more battles, and fire more shells than any other battleship in history.
What if Japan won the Battle of the Coral Sea?
If the Japanese had won the Battle of the Coral Sea (7-8 May 1942), they would have been able to capture Port Moresby on the southern coast of what was then the Australian Territory of Papua and the island of Guadalcanal in the British Solomons.
Did the US win the Battle of the Coral Sea?
The four-day engagement was a strategic victory for the Allies. The battle, which U.S. Adm. Ernest J. King described as “the first major engagement in naval history in which surface ships did not exchange a single shot,” foreshadowed the kind of carrier warfare that marked later fighting in the Pacific War.
Did the Battle of the Coral Sea save Australia?
The Battle of the Coral Sea ended Japanese attempts to launch a seaborne invasion of Port Moresby and has long been regarded as 'the battle that saved Australia'.
How many died in the Battle of Coral Sea?
Answer and Explanation: Approximately 1,617 people died in the Battle of the Coral Sea. The Allied forces lost 543 and the Imperial Japanese Navy lost around 1,074 sailors and airmen.
What is the Coral Sea known for?
The sea contains numerous islands and reefs, as well as the world's largest reef system, the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1981.
What aircraft carrier was sunk in the Coral Sea?
of USS LexingtonCoral Sea, Sinking of USS Lexington In keeping with the rules of the sea, he was the last man off. Thereafter, the great carrier burned furiously, shrouded in smoke almost from stem to stern. She was finally scuttled by destroyer torpedoes and sank at about 8PM.
Where is the Coral Sea now?
Coral Sea, sea of the southwestern Pacific Ocean, extending east of Australia and New Guinea, west of New Caledonia and the New Hebrides, and south of the Solomon Islands. It is about 1,400 miles (2,250 km) north-south and 1,500 miles east-west and covers an area of 1,849,800 square miles (4,791,000 square km).
What Navy ships qualify for Agent Orange?
Which Blue Water Navy ships were exposed to Agent Orange?AGP (Assault Group Patrol/Patrol Craft Tender)LCM (Landing Craft, Mechanized)LCU (Landing Craft, Utility)LCVP (Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel)LST (Landing Ship, Tank)PBR (Patrol Boat, River)PCF (Patrol Craft, Fast or Swift Boat)PG (Patrol Gunboat)More items...
What happened in the naval battle at Coral Sea in May 1942 quizlet?
The first check to Japanese expansion came on May 7 8, 1942, in the Battle of the Coral Sea, where U.S. aircraft carriers halted a Japanese thrust toward Australia and confirmed that the U.S. Navy could fight effectively.
What happened in the naval battle at Coral Sea in May 1942?
Battle of the Coral Sea, (May 4–8, 1942) World War II naval and air engagement in which a U.S. fleet turned back a Japanese invasion force that had been heading for strategic Port Moresby in New Guinea.
How long was the USS Coral Sea?
968′USS Coral Sea / Length
What was the Battle of the Coral Sea?
Battle of the Coral Sea. Part of Operation Mo of South West Pacific theatre of World War II. The American aircraft carrier USS Lexington explodes on 8 May 1942, several hours after being damaged by a Japanese carrier air attack. Date.
How many aircraft were destroyed in the Battle of the Coral Sea?
69 aircraft destroyed. 69–97 aircraft destroyed. The Battle of the Coral Sea, from 4 to 8 May 1942, was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and naval and air forces of the United States and Australia.
How many Japanese troops were in Port Moresby?
The Japanese Port Moresby Invasion Force, commanded by Rear Admiral Kōsō Abe, included 11 transport ships carrying about 5,000 soldiers from the IJA's South Seas Detachment plus approximately 500 troops from the 3rd Kure Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF). Escorting the transports was the Port Moresby Attack Force with one light cruiser and six destroyers under the command of Rear Admiral Sadamichi Kajioka. Abe's ships departed Rabaul for the 840 nmi (970 mi; 1,560 km) trip to Port Moresby on 4 May and were joined by Kajioka's force the next day. The ships, proceeding at 8 kn (9.2 mph; 15 km/h), planned to transit the Jomard Channel in the Louisiades to pass around the southern tip of New Guinea to arrive at Port Moresby by 10 May. The Allied garrison at Port Moresby numbered around 5,333 men, but only half of these were infantry and all were badly equipped and undertrained.
Where did TF 17 leave Pearl Harbor?
Nimitz ordered Fletcher to return Yorktown to Pearl Harbor as soon as possible after refueling at Tongatabu. During the day, U.S. Army bombers attacked Deboyne and Kamikawa Maru, inflicting unknown damage. In the meantime, having heard nothing from Fletcher, Crace deduced that TF17 had departed the area. At 01:00 on 10 May, hearing no further reports of Japanese ships advancing towards Port Moresby, Crace turned towards Australia and arrived at Cid Harbor, 130 nmi (150 mi; 240 km) south of Townsville, on 11 May.
What territories did Japan conquer in 1942?
To support these goals, during the first few months of 1942, besides Malaya, Japanese forces attacked and successfully took control of the Philippines, Singapore, the Dutch East Indies, Wake Island, New Britain, the Gilbert Islands and Guam, inflicting heavy losses on opposing Allied land, naval and air forces. Japan planned to use these conquered territories to establish a perimeter defense for its empire from which it expected to employ attritional tactics to defeat or exhaust any Allied counterattacks.
How far did the Japanese advance in the Coral Sea?
On the evening of 6 May, the two carrier forces came within 70 nmi (81 mi; 130 km) of each other, unbeknownst to anyone.
What was the name of the battle that took place in 1942?
Sansapor. Morotai. Aitape–Wewak. The Battle of the Coral Sea, from 4 to 8 May 1942, was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and naval and air forces of the United States and Australia.
Which ship flew the flag of Admiral Crace during the Battle of the Coral Sea?
HMAS Australia (II) flew the flag of Rear Admiral Crace during the battle of the Coral Sea.
How many aircraft did the Japanese lose in the Battle of the Coral Sea?
This resulted in a small number of casualties. During this brief attack the Japanese lost five aircraft, while others may have ditched on the return flight. HMAS Hobart (I) under attack in the Coral Sea. Captain Harold Farncomb, RAN, was captain of HMAS Australia during the Battle of the Coral Sea.
How many aircraft carriers did Admiral Inouye have?
The aircraft carrier Kaga (72 combat planes) was originally allocated to take part in the operation but with the advancement of the timetable she had to be omitted as she was in dockyard hands till late April 1942. As it was, Admiral Inouye still had the aircraft carriers Shoho, Shokaku and Zuikaku.
What was the Japanese plan for the invasion of Midway Island?
In early April 1942 the staff of the Combined Fleet had presented the Naval General Staff with a proposal for the invasion and capture of Midway Island. By this action it was hoped that the American Fleet would be enticed “into an ambush where they [the American Fleet] could be annihilated by overwhelming numbers”. In essence Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was hoping to repeat Admiral Togo Heihachiro’s victory over the Russians at the Straits of Tsushima in 1905. After much haggling the two staffs agreed to go ahead with the Midway operation after the capture of Port Moresby. However, planning progressed slowly until 18 April when American B25 bombers, led by Lieutenant Colonel James H Doolittle, attacked targets in the Japanese Home Islands.
What ports did the Japanese capture in 1942?
Almost as if aware of these fears, the Japanese were, by April 1942, examining the possibility of capturing Port Moresby, Tulagi, New Caledonia, Fiji and Samoa.
Which direction did the Moresby occupation force enter the Coral Sea?
As the Moresby occupation force entered the Coral Sea from the north it would be covered by the Carrier Striking Force which would enter the Coral Sea from the direction of the Solomon Islands.
Who is the commander of the Tulagi invasion group?
The Tulagi Invasion Group commanded by Rear Admiral Kiyohide Shima, consisting of the minelayers Okinoshima and Koie Maru, the destroyers Kikuzuki and Yuzuki, the transport Azumasan Maru, the submarine chasers Toshi Maru No 3 and Tama Maru No 8, and the mine-sweepers No 1, No 2, Hagoromo Maru, Noshiro Maru No 2 and Tama Maru.
What was the Battle of the Coral Sea?
Battle of the Coral Sea, (May 4–8, 1942) World War II naval and air engagement in which a U.S.
What was the name of the battle that the Japanese fought in the Coral Sea?
Battle of Leyte Gulf. October 23, 1944 - October 26, 1944. Battle of Okinawa. April 1, 1945 - June 21, 1945. keyboard_arrow_right. By the end of April 1942 the Japanese were ready to seize control of the Coral Sea (between Australia and New Caledonia) by establishing air bases at Port Moresby in southeastern New Guinea and at Tulagi in ...
What carrier did Fletcher's planes sank?
Fletcher’s planes sank the light carrier Shoho and a cruiser. The next day Japanese aircraft sank the U.S. carrier Lexington and damaged the carrier Yorktown, while U.S. planes so crippled the large Japanese carrier Shokaku that it had to retire from action.
What happened in 1942?
On May 5 and 6, 1942, opposing carrier groups sought each other, and in the morning of May 7 Japanese carrier-based planes sank a U.S. destroyer and an oiler. Fletcher’s planes sank the light carrier Shoho and a cruiser. The next day Japanese aircraft sank the U.S. carrier Lexington and damaged the carrier Yorktown, while U.S. planes so crippled the large Japanese carrier Shokaku that it had to retire from action. So many Japanese planes were lost that the Port Moresby invasion force, without adequate air cover and harassed by Allied land-based bombers, turned back to Rabaul. The four-day engagement was a strategic victory for the Allies. The battle, which U.S. Adm. Ernest J. King described as “the first major engagement in naval history in which surface ships did not exchange a single shot,” foreshadowed the kind of carrier warfare that marked later fighting in the Pacific War.
What was the name of the battle that turned back the Japanese?
See Article History. Battle of the Coral Sea, (May 4–8, 1942) World War II naval and air engagement in which a U.S. fleet turned back a Japanese invasion force that had been heading for strategic Port Moresby in New Guinea. Battle of the Coral Sea. Smoke billowing from the carrier USS Lexington following a hit by Japanese bombers in the Battle ...
What was the first major engagement in naval history in which surface ships did not exchange a single shot?
Ernest J. King described as “the first major engagement in naval history in which surface ships did not exchange a single shot,” foreshadowed the kind of carrier warfare that marked later fighting in the Pacific War. Battle of the Coral Sea.
What was the first naval battle in history?
In between, the Battle of the Coral Sea, in May 1942, was the first naval battle in history in which opposing fleets fought without ever coming in sight of each other. A month later off Midway atoll, carriers again played the decisive role. The Battle of Midway reinforced…
What ships did the Japanese sink?
The Japanese Imperial Navy sank USS Lexington (CV-2 ), USS Sims (DD-409 ), and USS Neosho (AO-23 ), and damaged Yorktown. The Japanese only lost one small carrier ( Shoho) and suffered damage to a fleet carrier ( Shokaku ). Allied forces were forced to withdraw from the operational area.
How many medals of honor were awarded at the Coral Sea?
Four Medals of Honor were awarded at Coral Sea:
What was the name of the aircraft carrier that was attacked by Yorktown?
Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives. Japanese aircraft carrier Shokaku under attack by Yorktown aircraft during the morning of 8 May. Flames are visible from a bomb hit on her forecastle. The end of Lexington on 8 May 1942. View on the flight deck at about 1500 hrs.
What was the Japanese plan for the Battle of Tulagi?
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 .
What was the first naval battle in history?
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.
What was the purpose of the Japanese carrier strike force?
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.
How many people were rescued from the Lexington?
Note crewmen sliding down lines on Lexington 's starboard quarter. Of her crew, 216 were lost and 2,735 rescued.
What was the order of battle for the Battle of the Coral Sea?
Battle of the Coral Sea order of battle. An explosion on the US Navy aircraft carrier Lexington, damaged by a Japanese carrier air attack on 8 May, blows an aircraft off the deck into the sea. This is an order of battle for the Battle of the Coral Sea. The battle, fought during 4–8 May 1942, was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater ...
What was the result of the Battle of Port Moresby?
The result was a strategic defeat for the Japanese, since their principal goal of landing troops at Port Moresby was thwarted, but a tactical defeat for the Allies, who suffered more significant ship losses.
When did Kamikawa Maru leave Santa Isabel?
When Kamikawa Maru departed Santa Isabel on 4 May to support the Port Moresby invasion from Deboyne, the Kiyokawa Maru aircraft remained at Santa Isabel and Tulgai and/or were attached to Kamikawa's airgroup for the Deboyne deployment. Hackett, Tenryu and Kiyokawa Maru.
What islands did the Japanese invade?
In an attempt to strengthen their defensive positioning for their empire in the South Pacific, Imperial Japanese forces decided to invade and occupy Port Moresby in New Guinea and Tulagi in the southeastern Solomon Islands.
When was the Battle of the Pacific?
The battle, fought during 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 (U.S.) and Australia.
Who was the commander of Operation MO?
The plan to accomplish this, called Operation MO, involved several major units of Japan's Combined Fleet, including two fleet carriers and a light carrier to provide air cover for the invasion fleets, under the overall command of Shigeyoshi Inoue.
What was the significance of the Battle of the Coral Sea?
Not only did it mark the first time the Allies turned the Japanese back during World War II, it was the first time ships fought without sighting each other. That means the primary weapons weren’t guns, as they had been for centuries — they were planes.
Which machine gun was used in the Coral Sea?
By the time the war started, however, the Wildcat won out. The F4F-3 that fought at the Coral Sea packed four .50-caliber machine guns. 20 F4F -3 s were on USS Yorktown (CV 5), and 22 were on USS Lexington (CV 2). A Mitsubishi A6M Zero takes off from the Zuikaku.
How many vals did Shokaku have?
Shokaku had 20 Vals on board, Zuikaku had 21 at the start of the battle. A Douglas TBD Devastator drops a Mk 13 aerial torpedo just prior to World War II. The two American carriers at the Coral Sea had 25 of these planes.
How many planes did the USS Lexington have?
USS Lexington had 12 planes on board, USS Yorktown had 13. A Nakajima B5N “Kate” on Shokaku during the Battle of the Coral Sea.
What was the most successful naval fighter?
The Grumman F4F Wildcat walked a long road in becoming one of the most successful naval fighters of all time. At first, the US Navy didn’t even want the plane, opting instead to field the Brewster F2A Buffalo. By the time the war started, however, the Wildcat won out.
What was the most successful aircraft carrier in the history of the world?
The Essex-class aircraft carrier is arguably one of the most successful carrier designs in the history of the world. None of these vessels were lost in combat, and the United States built 24 of these ships. Eight more were cancelled at the end of World War II, including two, USS Reprisal (CV 35) and USS Iwo Jima (CV 47) that had been partially completed.
Which ships sank the Kate's mark?
Unlike the Devastator, the Kate’s mark in history can be listed in the ships it sank: USS Arizona (with a level bomb), USS Oklahoma (with torpedoes), and USS Lexington (torpedoes) were three of the most notable prior to the Battle of Midway.
Overview
The Battle of the Coral Sea, from 4 to 8 May 1942, was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and naval and air forces of the United States and Australia. Taking place in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, the battle is historically significant as the first action in which the opposing fleets neither sighted nor fired upon one another, attacking over the horizon with aircr…
Background
On 8 December 1941 (7 December U.S. time), Japan declared war on the U.S. and the British Empire, after Japanese forces attacked Malaya, Singapore and Hong Kong as well as the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor. In launching this war, Japanese leaders sought to neutralize the U.S. fleet, seize territory rich in natural resources, and obtain strategic military bases to defend their far-flung …
Battle
During late April, the Japanese submarines Ro-33 and Ro-34 reconnoitered the area where landings were planned. The submarines investigated Rossel Island and the Deboyne Group anchorage in the Louisiade Archipelago, Jomard Channel, and the route to Port Moresby from the east. They did not sight any Allied ships in the area and returned to Rabaul on 23 and 24 April respectively.
Aftermath
On 9 May, TF 17 altered course to the east and proceeded out of the Coral Sea via a route south of New Caledonia. Nimitz ordered Fletcher to return Yorktown to Pearl Harbor as soon as possible after refueling at Tongatabu. During the day, U.S. Army bombers attacked Deboyne and Kamikawa Maru, inflicting unknown damage. In the meantime, having heard nothing from Fletcher, Crace deduced …
Significance
Both sides publicly claimed victory after the battle. In terms of ships lost, the Japanese won a tactical victory by sinking the U.S. fleet carrier Lexington, an oiler, and a destroyer – 41,826 long tons (42,497 t) – versus a light carrier, a destroyer, and several smaller warships – 19,000 long tons (19,000 t) – sunk by the U.S. side. Lexington represented, at that time, 25% of U.S. carrier strength in the Pa…
Films
• Battle of the Coral Sea (1959)
Documentaries
• Crusade in the Pacific, Episode 5: The Navy Holds: 1942 (13m:30s – 19:37), a segment of an episode from a TV documentary series aired originally in 1951 and made from the theatrical releases of Movietone News in 1942.
• War in the Pacific, Part I: The Pacific in Eruption, an episode from another documentary but made from the same Movietone News newsreels of 1942. Also available in DVD format.
See also
• United States Navy in World War II
• Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II
• Pacific Theater aircraft carrier operations during World War II
• WWII carrier-versus-carrier engagements between American and Japanese naval forces:
The Japanese Plan
American Intelligence on Japanese Intentions
American Response
Opening Moves
Crace’s Cruisers
Coral Sea Battle
- At the same time as Crace had been spotted, the Japanese had commenced to launch, from the aircraft carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku, a 78 plane strike against a reported American carrier and cruiser sighted to the south. About an hour later a second report arrived advising the Japanese that an American carrier and about ten other ships were sighted 28...
The Aftermath