The World War II Multimedia Database Recommends Firefox |
Best Viewed at 1024x768 |
The Battle of the Coral Sea May 7-8, 1942
Coral Sea Forum
Coral Sea Image Gallery
Coral Sea Video Gallery
On May 7, 1942, Rear Admiral Raymond Spruance stood on the bridge of his carrier, and looked at the radiogram the combat information center had just handed him. Wainwright had surrendered, the Philippines were held by the Japanese.
Spruance had to think these were grim days. His task force consisted of just two carriers, the USS Lexington and the USS Yorktown. He could be facing many more, and certainly a larger number of escorting vessels. The superiority of the Japanese naval aircraft was becoming well known, and he knew his wildcat fighters were not up to dogfighting with the enemy’s Mitsubishi type 00.
But intelligence revealed a move towards Port Moresby on the southern coast of New Guinea, where MacArthur’s Australians were holding out against thrusts from Kokombona. If New Guinea, and by extension Australia itself, were to hold, then Port Moresby had to hold.
Against this force the Japanese had three carriers, battleships, cruisers and destroyers. The IJN Shokaku, IJN Zuikaku, and the IJN Shoho were detached from the First Air Fleet for the operation.
Scouts had found the two fleets well beyond gun range of the escorts. For the first time in Naval history, the combatants would not lay sight of each other in their main ships. The fighting would be done by air attack.
Both sides knew of the other and launched attacks. The fleets passed within sight in the air, and both did grievous damage to the other. The Americans sank Shoho, and damaged Shokaku. Zuikaku lost too many of her pilots for continued operations. USS Lexington and USS Yorktown were hit by bombs and headed for Pearl under their own power.
The Americans at first thought they had just two damaged carriers. The fires on the Lexington were out when a sudden explosion ripped through the ship. In the future the US Navy would be the finest navy in the world at fighting shipboard fires, but for now fire control could not save the carrier. The order was sounded and the crew left without further loss of life.
Yorktown had severe damage to her flight deck. She steamed for Pearl at top speed, all her officers acutely aware there were only two operational Allied carriers in the whole Pacific. She returned without incident.
She would sail three days later for the last time, her holes patched for the time being. She would be the third carrier in a sea battle that would change the course of the war.
USS Yorktown (CV-5)/(CVS-10)
Pictures and history of the USS Yorktown and the battles of Coral Sea and Midway.Battle of the Coral Sea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Battles of Coral Sea and Midway, 1942
USN Combat Narrative: The Battle of the Coral Sea
Battle of the Coral Sea, 4-8 May 1942 - Japanese intentions [Australian War Memorial]
Battle of the Coral Sea, 4-8 May 1942 [Australian War Memorial]
Battle of the Coral Sea - Fought off Townsville
Battle of the Coral Sea, 7-8 May 1942
May 4 - 8, 1942 Battle of Coral Sea
World War 2 Coral Sea battle, May 4-8, 1942 between naval air forces of the United States and JapanJapanese, Conquests, WW2, Pearl Harbor, Midway, Coral Sea, Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, Hiryu, Attu, Kiska, Crutchley, ABDA
Japanese Conquests 1939-42 - WW2 Campaign SummaryIN THE CORAL SEA -- Printout -- TIME
BATTLE OF THE PACIFIC (See Cover) On the desk in the breezy, rambling headquarters building in Pearl Harbor Navy Yard lay charts, reconnaissance reports, intelligence advices. These charts,...BATTLE OF THE CORAL SEA - General RAN History (Sea Power Centre - Australia)
Royal Australian Navy, Sea Power Centre - AustraliaThe Battle of the Coral Sea: The End of the Expansion of the Japanese Empire
The Battle of the Coral Sea, which took place on May 7-8, 1942, was critical because it ended Japanese expansion in the South Pacific. It was also the first battle in which the Americans sank a Japanese aircraft carrier.Royal Australian Navy Gun Plot Battle Of Coral Sea WW2
Saving Australia. Battle of the Coral Sea. The engagement of 5-8 May 1942, was the first sea battle in history where none of the opposing ships was within gunfire range.Battle of the Coral Sea
The story of the Battle for the Coral Sea, which, together with the Battle of Midway, marked an important turning point in the war in the Pacific.::The Battle of Coral Sea::
The Battle of Coral Sea took place in May 1942. If the Japanese had succeeded at Coral Sea, the way would have been open for the Japanese to have captured New Guinea and leave Australia isolated from Allied help and more open to a Japanese attack. The Battle of Coral Sea was fought entirely by planes – no ship on either side made any visual contact with any enemy ship.Coral Sea; naval battle that 'saved' Australia
Battle for Australia Council
The Battle for Australia was a struggle never before envisaged in this country but yet much of it still remains unknown. It was a struggle that stretched our national resources to the limit; which saw the bombing of mainland Australia; the attack by midget submarines on Sydney Harbour; and raised the spectre of the threat of a possible invasion through Papua New GuineaThe Battle for Australia - Battle of the Coral Sea
Shadow-Boxing In The Coral Sea Scouting Squadron 6 (VB-13) 1942 - 1943 - John D. Bridgers M.D.
Order of Battle - The Battle of Coral Sea - 4 - 8 May 1942
The World War II Multimedia Database
Copyright ©2000-2007 MFA Productions LLC
Send your comments and questions to our