Battle Of Coral Sea Essay

841 Words4 Pages
Battle of Coral Sea Courtney Williams U.S. History Since 1877 Dr. Mickey Crews October 9, 2011 Courtney Williams Dr. Mickey Crews October 9, 2011 U.S. History Since 1877 Battle of Coral Sea The Battle of the Coral Sea was fought in May of 1942. It was between the Japanese and the Allied Navies. It began May 4th and ended on May 8th. The Battle of the Coral Sea took place in the Coral Sea, which is about five hundred miles northeast of Australia. This battle was one of the first ever battles that was fought in the Pacific during World War II. It took place only six months after Pearl Harbor was attacked. Also, it was the first naval battle in which both side’s ships fired directly on each other. By the spring of 1942 the Japanese had already gained a great amount in the East. The Japanese gained the Philippines,…show more content…
That day became a carrier versus carrier only battle. The Americans attacked the Shokaku, which was the Japanese carrier. The Japanese were not the only ones being attacked. The American planes Yorktown and USS Lexington were attacked. Both sent air attacks on one another at almost the same time only two hundred miles apart from one another. Both sides only suffered little losses. The Japanese eventually called the invasion of Port Moresby off because they feared Americans could demolish an excruciating amount of their landing craft. The Japanese came out of the Battle of Coral Sea on top in terms of numbers. However, the Battle of Coral Sea is an American victory because Americans stopped the Japanese from doing what they had planned to do, which was to isolate Australia and to attack and take capture of Port Moresby. The most significant loss during the Battle of Coral Sea was the sinking of the USS Lexington, the American carrier, after being hit by thirteen bombs and seven torpedoes. The Japanese lost forty three planes to only thirty three of the American
Open Document