The invasion convoy, Got, and Kajioka steered towards a rendezvous point 40nmi (46mi; 74km) east of Woodlark Island to await the outcome of the carrier battle. The Japanese suffered much higher losses to their carrier aircrews, losing ninety aircrew killed in the battle compared with thirty-five for the U.S. side. Two of the dive bombers were shot down by a CAP Wildcat during the attack. Without a hold in New Guinea, the subsequent Allied advance, arduous as it was, would have been even more difficult. [22] Inoue directed the MO operation from the cruiser Kashima, with which he arrived at Rabaul from Truk on 4 May. In the meantime, Halsey's TF16 reached the South Pacific near Efate and, on 13 May, headed north to contest the Japanese approach to Nauru and Ocean Island. At the same time, Vice Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue, commander of the IJN's Fourth Fleet (also called the South Seas Force) which consisted of most of the naval units in the South Pacific area, advocated the occupation of Tulagi in the southeastern Solomon Islands and Port Moresby in New Guinea, which would put Northern Australia within range of Japanese land-based aircraft. Nimitz's staff also concluded that the Japanese operation might include carrier raids on Allied bases in Samoa and at Suva. At 15:00, Takagi notified Inoue his fliers had sunk two U.S. carriers Yorktown and a "Saratoga-class" but heavy losses in aircraft meant he could not continue to provide air cover for the invasion. At this time, Fletcher sent Crace's cruiser force, now designated Task Group 17.3 (TG17.3), to block the Jomard Passage. Neither submarine engaged any ships during the battle. At the same time, Kamikawa Maru packed up and departed Deboyne. To strengthen their defensive position in the South Pacific, the Japanese decided to invade and occupy Port Moresby (in New Guinea) and Tulagi (in the southeastern Solomon Islands). In 1942 submarine commander Jeff Conway secretly photographs Japanese aircraft carriers in the Coral Sea but his submarine is damaged and he's forced to surrender. [13], Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, the new commander of U.S. forces in the Central Pacific, and his staff discussed the deciphered messages and agreed that the Japanese were likely initiating a major operation in the Southwest Pacific in early May with Port Moresby as the probable target. "[66] Hara later told Yamamoto's chief of staff, Admiral Matome Ugaki, he was so frustrated with the "poor luck" the Japanese experienced on 7 May that he felt like quitting the navy. Nimitz ordered Fletcher to return Yorktown to Pearl Harbor as soon as possible after refueling at Tongatabu. [12], In March 1942, the U.S. first noticed mention of the MO operation in intercepted messages. At 07:00, the carrier striking force turned to the southwest and was joined by two of Got's cruisers, Kinugasa and Furutaka, for additional screening support. Lasted 4 days The battle Marked the first air-sea battle in history Japanese seeked Control of the coral see with an invasion of Port Moresby in New Guinea Admiral Frank J Fletcher [20], Leading the invasion of Tulagi was the Tulagi Invasion Force, commanded by Rear Admiral Kiyohide Shima, consisting of two minelayers, two older Mutsuki-class destroyers, five minesweepers, two subchasers and a transport ship carrying about 400 troops from the 3rd Kure SNLF. [86], On 9 May, TF17 altered course to the east and proceeded out of the Coral Sea via a route south of New Caledonia. What was destroyed during the Battle of Coral Sea? [95], The battle marked the first time that a Japanese invasion force was turned back without achieving its objective, which greatly lifted the morale of the Allies after a series of defeats by the Japanese during the initial six months of the Pacific Theatre. In 1972, U.S. Vice Admiral H. S. Duckworth, after reading Japanese records of the battle, commented, "Without a doubt, May7, 1942, vicinity of Coral Sea, was the most confused battle area in world history. At 07:45, the scout confirmed that it had located "one carrier, one cruiser, and three destroyers". By the end of April, the U.S. was reading up to 85% of the signals broadcast in the Ro code. Because of a damaging air attack by Allied land- and carrier-based aircraft on Japanese naval forces invading the Lae-Salamaua area in New Guinea in March, Inoue requested Japan's Combined Fleet send carriers to provide air cover for Mo. As the invasion convoy reversed course, it was bombed by eight U.S. Army B-17s, but was not damaged. [11], Unknown to the Japanese, the U.S. Navy, led by the Communication Security Section of the Office of Naval Communications, had for several years enjoyed increasing success with penetrating Japanese communication ciphers and codes. [111], The battle was the first naval engagement in history in which the participating ships never sighted or fired directly at each other. The navy's general staff and the IJA accepted Inoue's proposal and promoted further operations, using these locations as supporting bases, to seize New Caledonia, Fiji, and Samoa and thereby cut the supply and communication lines between Australia and the United States. Nimitz placed Fletcher in command of Allied naval forces in the South Pacific area until Halsey arrived with TF16. This may be the explosion reported to have taken place at 1727 hrs, which was followed by a "great explosion" aft as stowed torpedo warheads detonated on the hangar deck. The battle would prove significant as the first aircraft carrier . By March 1942, the U.S. was able to decipher up to 15% of the IJN's Ro or Naval Codebook D code (called "JN-25B" by the U.S.), which was used by the IJN for approximately half of its communications. After the operation's flagship, minelayer Okinoshima, was sunk by the U.S. submarine S-42 on 12 May (0506S 15348E / 5.100S 153.800E / -5.100; 153.800), the landings were postponed until 17 May. Task Force 17 (TF17), commanded by Rear Admiral Fletcher and consisting of the carrier Yorktown, escorted by three cruisers and four destroyers and supported by a replenishment group of two oilers and two destroyers, was already in the South Pacific, having departed Tongatabu on 27 April en route to the Coral Sea. answer choices 8 May 1942. The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) rejected the recommendation, stating that it did not have the forces or shipping capacity available to conduct such an operation. The goal was to isolate Australia and New Zealand from the Allied United States . [116], The U.S. did not perform as expected, but it learned from its mistakes in the battle and made improvements to its carrier tactics and equipment, including fighter tactics, strike coordination, torpedo bombers and defensive strategies, such as anti-aircraft artillery, which contributed to better results in later battles. When was the battle of the coral sea? Although the withdrawal of Yorktown from the Coral Sea conceded the field, the Japanese were forced to abandon the operation that had initiated the Battle of the Coral Sea in the first place. It was the first pure carrier-versus-carrier battle in history as neither surface fleet sighted the other. The Japanese did not know the location of the remaining carrier, but did not expect a U.S. carrier response to MO until the operation was well under way. The next day, both fleets launched airstrikes against what they thought was the enemy fleet carriers, but both sides actually attacked other targets. The atolls of Tuvalu acted as a staging post during the preparation for the Battle of Tarawa and the Battle of Makin that commenced on 20 November 1943, which was the implementation of Operation Galvanic. Signed Bob. Seaplanes from Deboyne assisted Takagi in searching for TF17 on the morning of 10 May. On 13 April, the British deciphered an IJN message informing Inoue that the Fifth Carrier Division, consisting of the fleet carriers Shkaku and Zuikaku, was en route to his command from Formosa via the main IJN base at Truk. One of the dive bombers, hit by anti-aircraft fire, crashed into the oiler. [92], Both sides publicly claimed victory after the battle. Forty-six of the original 69 aircraft from the Japanese strike force returned from the mission and landed on Zuikaku. To make up aircraft losses from the Coral Sea, three of the four Yorktown squadrons were sent ashore and replaced by squadrons from Saratoga, which had been sent to the West Coast for repairs after being torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. Two dive bombers attacked Shkaku, hitting the carrier with one 1,000lb (450kg) bomb, causing further damage. What was the Japanese plan. Four of the Japanese torpedo planes were shot down by anti-aircraft fire. quizlet praxis ii test study guide exam info teacher certification wwii study guide flashcards quizlet . 46: Coral Sea Battle, 78 May 1942, Battle of Eastern Solomons (Interrogations of: Commander Sekino, H., and Commander Okumiya, Masatake, IJN), Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany, Rape during the Soviet occupation of Poland, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_the_Coral_Sea&oldid=1137296243, Naval battles of World War II involving Japan, Naval battles of World War II involving the United States, Naval battles of World War II involving Australia, World War II aerial operations and battles of the Pacific theatre, Military history of Japan during World War II, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. They did not sight any Allied ships in the area and returned to Rabaul on 23 and 24 April respectively. At that time, Takagi's force was about 300nmi (350mi; 560km) north of Fletcher, near the maximum range for his carrier aircraft. It is the first battle in which enemy fleets never came within sight of one another. [59], Shortly after 15:00, Zuikaku monitored a message from a Deboyne-based reconnaissance aircraft reporting (incorrectly) Crace's force altered course to 120 true (southeast). How did the Americans find out. [10], Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander of the Combined Fleet, was concurrently planning an operation for June that he hoped would lure the U.S. Navy's carriers, none of which had been damaged in the Pearl Harbor attack, into a decisive showdown in the central Pacific near Midway Atoll. TF16 immediately departed but would not reach the South Pacific in time to participate in the battle. [18], The Japanese Port Moresby Invasion Force, commanded by Rear Admiral Ks 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). Fletcher understood that Crace would be operating without air cover since TF17's carriers would be busy trying to locate and attack the Japanese carriers. The sun set at 18:30. [107], Three months later, on 7 August 1942, 11,000 United States Marines landed on Guadalcanal, and 3,000 U.S. Marines landed on Tulagi and nearby islands. The rest of Marumo's Cover Force then took station near the D'Entrecasteaux Islands to help screen Abe's oncoming convoy. Neosho was hit by seven bombs. Takagi terminated refueling, headed southeast, and sent scout planes to search east of the Solomons, believing that the U.S. carriers were in that area. The Battle of the Coral Sea, which lasted from May 4 to May 8, 1942, came at an unsettling time for the United States, Australia and their allies. [38], U.S. B-17 bombers based in Australia[39] and staging through Port Moresby attacked the approaching Port Moresby invasion forces, including Got's warships, several times during the day on 6 May without success. Takagi turned on his warships' searchlights to help guide the 18 surviving aircraft back and all were recovered by 22:00. Once it completed refueling TF11, Tippecanoe departed the Coral Sea to deliver its remaining fuel to Allied ships at Efate. Hara in turn believed Fletcher was south of him and advised Takagi to send the aircraft to search that area. [40], At 18:00, TF17 completed fueling and Fletcher detached Neosho with a destroyer, Sims, to take station further south at a prearranged rendezvous (16S 158E / 16S 158E / -16; 158). 4-5 June 1942; Japanese plan to capture Midway and Aleutians, last 2 locations US could operate against Japan from and gain sea control by luring US carriers out to sea and destroying them; tactically, US victory, US lost 1/3 carriers, Japan lost 4/4; operationally, Japanese failed to achieve sea control in decisive sea battle; strategically, Japanese lost all large carriers, US industry . [28] Fletcher immediately detached TF11 to refuel from the oiler Tippecanoe, while TF17 refueled from Neosho. [35], In the meantime, Takagi's carrier force steamed down the east side of the Solomons throughout the day on 5 May, turned west to pass south of San Cristobal (Makira), and entered the Coral Sea after transiting between Guadalcanal and Rennell Island in the early morning hours of 6 May. By 27 April, further signals intelligence confirmed most of the details and targets of the MO and RY plans. US . [52], The U.S. strike aircraft sighted Shh a short distance northeast of Misima Island at 10:40 and deployed to attack. "[7], 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. By contrast, suppose one side had located its opponent early enough to launch a first strike, so that only the opponents survivors could have struck back. Thus, the respective commanders were participating in a new type of warfare, carrier-versus-carrier, with which neither had any experience. [80], As the Japanese aircraft completed their attacks and began to withdraw, believing that they inflicted fatal damage to both carriers, they ran a gauntlet of CAP Wildcats and SBDs. In a meeting held in late May, the Australian Advisory War Council described the battle's result as "rather disappointing" given that the Allies had advance notice of Japanese intentions. SIMS (DD-409) by Japanese Bombers in the Coral Sea on May 7, 1942, U.S.S. [58], Crace at 15:26 radioed Fletcher he could not complete his mission without air support. Later that evening, MacArthur informed Fletcher that eight of his B-17s had attacked the invasion convoy and that it was retiring to the northwest. 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. During the day, U.S. Army bombers attacked Deboyne and Kamikawa Maru, inflicting unknown damage. [50], At 09:15, Takahashi's strike force reached its target area, sighted Neosho and Sims, and searched in vain for the U.S. carriers for a couple of hours. [46], At 08:20, one of the Furutaka aircraft found Fletcher's carriers and immediately reported it to Inoue's headquarters at Rabaul, which passed the report on to Takagi. Got and Kajioka were unable to position and coordinate their ships in time to attempt a night attack on the Allied warships. Midway Island is a fairly isolated atoll, so named because it is midway between North America and Asia in the North . The sailors say the kitten has to. [62], Having taken heavy losses in the attack, which also scattered their formations, the Japanese strike leaders canceled the mission after conferring by radio. To prevent this from occurring, the U.S. chose Tulagi and nearby Guadalcanal as the target of their first offensive. US Navy Japanese was on the offensive in spring 1942, sweeping across the Pacific after attacking. In return, escorting Zeros shot down four Yorktown SBDs. Believing that the B-17's sighting was the main Japanese carrier force (which was in fact well to the east), Fletcher directed the airborne strike force towards this target. The Japanese admirals involved were often slow to communicate important information to one another.[113]. Six of the weary dive bomber pilots were told they would be immediately departing on another mission. [91], Shkaku reached Kure, Japan, on 17 May, almost capsizing en route during a storm due to her battle damage. Two other dive bombers dove on Zuikaku, missing with their bombs. Yorktown left Pearl Harbor with three of her boilers inoperative and a maximum speed of 27 knots. Fletcher radioed MacArthur the approximate position of the Japanese carriers and suggested that he attack with his land-based bombers. MacArthur's headquarters radioed Fletcher with reports of the attacks and the locations of the Japanese invasion forces. [41], Late on 6 May or early on 7 May, Kamikawa Maru set up a seaplane base in the Deboyne Islands in order to help provide air support for the invasion forces as they approached Port Moresby. Battle of the Coral Sea In the Coral Sea Courtesy of the Naval History and Heritage Command The USS Yorktown is shown operating in the vicinity of the Coral Sea, April 1942. The plan, Operation Mo, involved several major units of Japan's Combined Fleet. (Bibliography of Japanese-language sources), South West Pacific theatre of World War II, Pacific Theater aircraft carrier operations during World War II, U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey (Pacific) 1946, "A Stochastic Salvo Model Analysis of the Battle of the Coral Sea", "Chapter 16: To the Central Pacific and Tarawa, August 1943Background to Galvanic", History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, The Campaigns of MacArthur in the Pacific, Japanese Operations in the Southwest Pacific Area, United States Strategic Bombing Survey (Pacific), "Alternative Endings to the First Aircraft Carrier Battle", "HIJMS Furutaka: Tabular Record of Movement", "HIJMS Submarine I-28: Tabular Record of Movement", "HIJMS Submarine RO-33: Tabular Record of Movement", "HIJMS Submarine RO-34: Tabular Record of Movement", "IJN Seaplane Tender Kiyokawa Maru: Tabular Record of Movement", "IJN Kikuzuki: Tabular Record of Movement", U.S.S. Yamamoto concurred with Takagi's decision and ordered Zuikaku to return to Japan to replenish her air groups. In just over six weeks, German armed forces overran Belgium and the Netherlands, drove the British Expeditionary Force from the Continent, captured Paris, and forced the surrender of the French government. The Japanese aircraft all jettisoned their ordnance and reversed course to return to their carriers. The plan also included the seizure of Tulagi on 23 May, where the navy would establish a seaplane base for potential air operations against Allied territories and forces in the South Pacific and to provide a base for reconnaissance aircraft. Thus, Fletcher decided to hold off on another strike this day and remain concealed under the thick overcast with fighters ready in defense. A third explosion occurred at 15:25 and at 15:38 the ship's crew reported the fires as uncontrollable. Each side readied the rest of its carrier attack aircraft to launch immediately once the enemy was located. Aircraft from Shh covered the landings until early afternoon, when Got's force turned towards Bougainville to refuel in preparation to support the landings at Port Moresby. During their return, aircraft from the two adversaries passed each other in the air, resulting in more air-to-air altercations. Two hundred and sixteen of the carrier's 2,951-man crew went down with the ship, along with 36 aircraft. The Battle of Coral Sea occurred on May 4-8, 1942 in the Pacific Theater of World War 2. [74], At 10:55, Lexington's CXAM-1 radar detected the inbound Japanese aircraft at a range of 68nmi (78mi; 126km) and vectored nine Wildcats to intercept. Shkaku herself was unable to conduct further aircraft operations, with her flight deck heavily damaged, and she required almost three months of repair in Japan.[99]. Coral Sea started a trend which resulted in the irreparable attrition of Japan's veteran carrier aircrews by the end of October 1942. The Japanese forces immediately began construction of a seaplane and communications base. Although the damage was estimated to take 90 days to repair, Nimitz gave the shipyard only three days, and only the most critical repairs were made to make the ship seaworthy. Each of these battles was strategically significant, to varying degrees, in deciding the course and ultimate outcome of the Pacific War.[119]. [26], To give advance warning of the approach of any Allied naval forces, the Japanese sent submarines I-22, I-24, I-28 and I-29 to form a scouting line in the ocean about 450nmi (520mi; 830km) southwest of Guadalcanal. 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. Furthermore, Fletcher's ships were under a large, low-hanging overcast which Takagi and Hara felt would make it difficult for their aircraft to find the U.S. carriers. TF17 changed course and proceeded at 27kn (31mph; 50km/h) towards Guadalcanal to launch airstrikes against the Japanese forces at Tulagi the next morning. Around 14:42, another large explosion occurred, starting a second severe fire. Neosho with Japanese Aircraft on May 7, 1942; Subsequent Loss of U.S.S. Fletcher's forces had entered the Coral Sea area before the submarines took station, and the Japanese were therefore unaware of their presence. by . In early May 1942, the Japanese despatched an invasion fleet from Rabaul to take Port Moresby, Papua. Unknown to Fletcher, TF11 completed refueling that morning ahead of schedule and was only 60nmi (69mi; 110km) east of TF17, but was unable to communicate its status because of Fletcher's orders to maintain radio silence. The U.S. carriers each launched a separate strike. Similarly, Why was the US victory at the Battle of Guadalcanal so important? In reality, Crace's ships were undamaged and shot down four G4Ms. Allied forces had been experiencing. "[103], The Australians and U.S. forces in Australia were initially disappointed with the outcome of the Battle of the Coral Sea, fearing the MO operation was the precursor to an invasion of the Australian mainland and the setback to Japan was only temporary. 10, USSBS No. Yorktown reached Pearl the following day. Believing that he faced overwhelming Japanese carrier superiority, Fletcher elected to withdraw TF17 from the battle. The Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942 was no exception. Fletcher concluded that by the time his scout aircraft found the remaining carriers it would be too late in the day to mount a strike. At the same time, their invasion fleet, protected by . [34], A message from Pearl Harbor notified Fletcher that radio intelligence deduced the Japanese planned to land their troops at Port Moresby on 10 May and their fleet carriers would likely be operating close to the invasion convoy. The battle marked the first time since the start of the war that a major Japanese advance had been turned back. [33], At 08:16 on 5 May, TF17 rendezvoused with TF11 and TF44 at a predetermined point 320nmi (370mi; 590km) south of Guadalcanal (15S 160E / 15S 160E / -15; 160). [61], At 17:47, TF17 operating under thick overcast 200nmi (230mi; 370km) west of Takagi detected the Japanese strike on radar heading in their direction, turned southeast into the wind, and vectored 11 CAP Wildcats, led by Lieutenant Commanders Paul H. Ramsey and James H. Flatley, to intercept. The resulting explosion killed 25 men and started a large fire. [110], The delay in the advance of Japanese forces also allowed the Marine Corps to land on Funafuti on 2 October 1942, with a Naval Construction Battalion (Seabees) building airfields on three of the atolls of Tuvalu from which USAAF B-24 Liberator bombers of the Seventh Air Force operated. [108] The Japanese troops on Tulagi and nearby islands were outnumbered and killed almost to the last man in the Battle of Tulagi and GavutuTanambogo and the U.S. Marines on Guadalcanal captured an airfield under construction by the Japanese. ships. The sighting was confirmed by a Kinugasa floatplane at 08:30. July 4, 2022 the battle of the coral sea in 1942 quizletdispensary manager job descriptiondispensary manager job description [57], Inoue's staff directed two groups of attack aircraft from Rabaul, already airborne since that morning, towards Crace's reported position. Around the same time, Got's cruisers Kinugasa and Furutaka launched four Kawanishi E7K2 Type 94 floatplanes to search southeast of the Louisiades. [93] The Japanese public was informed of the victory with overstatement of the U.S. losses and understatement of their own. Lexington's crew began abandoning ship at 17:07. TF44 was a joint AustraliaU.S. On 14 May, Nimitz, having obtained intelligence concerning the Combined Fleet's upcoming operation against Midway, ordered Halsey to make sure that Japanese scout aircraft sighted his ships the next day, after which he was to return to Pearl Harbor immediately. On 8 May, both sides finally located and attacked the other's fleet carriers, with the Japanese fleet carrier Shkaku damaged, the U.S. fleet carrier Lexington critically damaged and later scuttled, and the fleet carrier Yorktown lightly damaged. Takagi commenced refueling his ships 180nmi (210mi; 330km) west of Tulagi in preparation for the carrier battle he expected would take place the next day. At 11:00, Yorktown's air group attacked the burning and now almost stationary carrier, scoring with up to 11 more 1,000lb (450kg) bombs and at least two torpedoes. General MacArthur provided Australian Prime Minister John Curtin with his assessment of the battle, stating that "all the elements that have produced disaster in the Western Pacific since the beginning of the war" were still present as Japanese forces could strike anywhere if supported by major elements of the IJN. Escorting the transports was the Port Moresby Attack Force with one light cruiser and six relatively old Kamikaze and Mutsuki-class destroyers under the command of Rear Admiral Sadamichi Kajioka. Neosho's 17:18 report gave wrong coordinates, which hampered subsequent U.S. rescue efforts to locate the oiler. Zuikaku and her escorts turned towards Rabaul while Shkaku headed for Japan. Ro-33 and Ro-34 were also deployed in an attempt to blockade Port Moresby, arriving off the town on 5 May. Another submarine, I-21, which was sent to scout around Nouma, was attacked by Yorktown aircraft on 2 May. Japan moves southerly hoping to take control of Southern nations 2. He was informed that Allied intelligence sources believed that up to four Japanese carriers might be supporting the MO operation. By committing crucial assets to MO, Yamamoto made the more important Midway operation dependent on the secondary operation's success. Takagi now realized the U.S. carriers were between him and the invasion convoy, placing the invasion forces in extreme danger. Takagi was worried about his ships' fuel levels; his cruisers were at 50% and some of his destroyers were as low as 20%. 1. The battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942 was the first naval battle in history fought? For the film, see. Takagi, approximately 300nmi (350mi; 560km) east of Fletcher (1312S 15805E / 13.200S 158.083E / -13.200; 158.083), launched 12 Nakajima B5Ns at 06:00 to scout for TF17. [45] The Shkaku aircraft actually sighted and misidentified the oiler Neosho and destroyer Sims, which had earlier been detailed away from the fleet to a southern rendezvous point. 60 Million Historians estimate that the number of people killed in World War II including civilians may be as high as? During the Battle of Coral Sea, what happened on May 7th, 1942? An explosion amidships on USS Lexington (CV-2), while she was being abandoned during the afternoon of 8 May 1942. [88] At noon on 11 May, a U.S. Navy PBY on patrol from Nouma sighted the drifting Neosho (1535S 15536E / 15.583S 155.600E / -15.583; 155.600). [94], From a strategic perspective, however, the battle was an Allied victory as it averted the seaborne invasion of Port Moresby, lessening the threat to the supply lines between the U.S. and Australia. The Battle of Midway WWII Nimitz Yamamoto (Text, Maps & Questions)Thank you for considering this product. In May 1942, the United States Navy thwarted a Japanese attack against Australia in the Battle of the Coral Sea. Got's cruisers surrounded the carrier in a diamond formation, 3,0005,000yd (2,7004,600m) off each of Shh's corners. Torn apart, Shh sank at 11:35 (1029S 15255E / 10.483S 152.917E / -10.483; 152.917).