Battle of the Coral Sea
Northern Coral Sea
What happened
U.S. Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher, with an Australian-American cruiser group under Admiral John Crace, fought a Japanese force directed by Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue, with carriers under Admiral Takeo Takagi. Japan planned to capture Port Moresby in New Guinea and Tulagi in the Solomon Islands, which would threaten supply routes between the United States and Australia. American codebreakers learned of the plan, and U.S. and Australian ships sailed to stop it. In the battle that followed, aircraft from carriers attacked ships far over the horizon: the U.S. lost the carrier Lexington and Japan lost the small carrier Shōhō, with another carrier badly damaged.
Why it matters
Result: See Significance. Leaders: Frank Jack Fletcher / Aubrey Fitch against Shigeyoshi Inoue / Takeo Takagi. Why it matters: It was the first naval battle in which the opposing ships never saw or fired at each other directly. Japan sank more ships, but it called off the invasion of Port Moresby, so the Allies won the larger goal.
What came next
Two Japanese carriers, Shōkaku and Zuikaku, missed the Battle of Midway a month later.
Did you know?
The wreck of the USS Lexington was found in 2018, about 3,000 metres deep in the Coral Sea.
Timeline
- 4 May 1942The Battle of the Coral Sea begins.
- 8 May 1942The USS Lexington is badly damaged and later scuttled.
- May 1942Japan calls off the invasion of Port Moresby.
- 4 March 2018The wreck of the Lexington is discovered.