I figure I try to get more of my Article and Essays put up. Here is another one I wrote way before I got started writing the stories I write now. I have a few more to upload as I continue writing more stories for my Tales of Heroes series. So enjoy. :)
Battles of the Pacific: The Battle of Coral Sea
The Battle of Coral Sea is often remembered in the history books as a famous battle between the Allies against the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was however easily overshadowed by the Battle of Midway. What is considered to be the first battle where surface ships where both sides never saw each other was inevitable in an age where aircraft was becoming more and more accepted by navies around the world. While historically there had been some aerial attacks from sea such as the famous "Doolittle Raid", the concept was still brand new for the United States Navy. Where the Battle of Midway is a major victory for the allies, the Battle of Coral Sea was a draw. That being said there is much to be considered when learning about the Battle of Coral Sea.
As the Japanese Empire was expanding it had to consider what direction to go. It was at the time of World War 2 expanding westward through China but it was also expanding southward into the Philippines, Burma, Malaysia, and the Dutch East Indies (Vietnam). Port Moresby was a crucial port in Papua New Guinea. Like so many ports in the Island Hopping Campaign, Port Moresby was a critical area that led to Australia, Fiji, Samoa, and New Caledonia. For the Japanese, Australia at the time represented a major area to conquer in sealing off the British Empire from the Pacific, but they had to get to their first obviously.
Chester Nimitz and Douglas MacArthur had placed high priorities to defending Port Moresby. All available Aircraft Carriers in the Pacific were to be sent but with the recent Doolittle Raid in April 18th 1942 there were some serious holdbacks. While The Doolittle Raid was a success, the price of holding oversized B-25 Bombers on the deck consumed the aircraft capacities of the USS Hornet and USS Enterprise. They had to return back to home port to resupply, refuel, and rearm. Another Carrier the USS Saratoga would have been available but it had been damaged from a torpedo attack and was undergoing repairs. Only the USS Yorktown and USS Lexington were available for the battle.
Vice Admiral Frank Fletcher was given command of the battle. It was almost a complete even sided battle. The Japanese had three Aircraft Carriers, the United States had two but at the same time both had about 150 Aircraft available. Fletcher formed two taskforces, Taskforce 11 led by the USS Lexington and Taskforce 17 led by the USS Yorktown. The Japanese on the other hand had two brand new Aircraft Carriers of their own the Shokaku and the Zuikaku, both sister ships completed near the same time. It was becoming apparent that even before the battle that this was going to become an aerial battle, as both sides were not using Battleships for the upcoming fight. The concept was that aircraft were becoming so dangerous that in enough numbers it could overwhelm the ship or bases defenses and inflict substantial damage. Battleships and Cruisers with large guns can inflict major damage as well but aircraft had a much superior range that the concept of Aircraft Carriers could not be ignored.
While the United States did play a crucial role in the Battle, another nation was involved in the Battle. The Australians perhaps the first time ever in US Naval History did joint naval operations sending two of their own warships the HMAS Australia and the HMAS Hobart to join up with the taskforces. Australia was also responsible for providing reconnaissance and bases for US Ships to restock and refuel. Their livelihood was just as much at stake if this battle was lost.
The Japanese were nothing to be laughed at when it came to the War in the Pacific. The Reisen or "Zero" their carrier fighter aircraft, were exceptionally well made and considered better than any US fighter carrier aircraft at the time. Their aerial dropped torpedoes had a high successful kill rate and are probably considered the best design in the War entirely. Japanese pilots were even considered better than most US pilots as well.
The first attack from the United States was done on May 3rd 1942 by torpedo bombers and dive bombers from the USS Yorktown. That day they managed to damage a destroyer, sink three minesweepers and four landing barges. It was not what they hoped to sink, but it was at least something. May 6th, the Japanese began to bomb Port Moresby in anticipation of capturing it. They launched an attack of their own sinking the USS Sims with the loss of 379 men. The Japanese would lose the Neosho, a tanker with some of their crew being saved.
The USS Lexington later that day did manage to find the Shoho, a small Japanese Aircraft Carrier. The Lexington launched an attack and managed to sink her using torpedoes and bombs, it was not any major success in the Battle of Coral Sea as the Japanese Navy had several Aircraft Carriers in their inventory at the time, but the US Navy took whatever victories it could.
Also that day the Japanese probably made their first real mistake of the Battle. In attempt to attack the US Aircraft Carriers, Takagi ordered 27 pilots to launch from the Carriers and destroy the US Carriers. Unfortunately, the attack was to be done during the night and in the roughest of the weather. The Japanese lost 21 aircraft with 11 of them going over the side trying to land. Most of the Japanese aircraft lost during the Battle of Coral Sea was because of this incident.
May 8th was the final day of the Battle of Coral Sea and ended with the most happening in the whole battle. It is interesting to note that the first battle in which both sides did not end up seeing each other was originally supposed to be a regular surface engagement. Both the United States and the Japanese considered engaging each other at night with surface ships to finish off one another but by then exhaustion discouraged both sides from doing it. This day would become the first Carrier vs Carrier engagement.
Both sides launched everything they had at one another to sink the opposing Aircraft Carriers. Fighters, Dive Bombers, and Torpedo Bombers were all used. Each type of aircraft had different missions at the time period. Fighter aircraft were responsible for downing enemy aircraft and stopping the bombers from reaching their targets. Dive Bombers as the name insisted would fly high in the air then do a high pitched dive and drop bombs on a target. Torpedo Bombers were responsible for dropping a torpedo at a low altitude that would zero in on an enemy ship. Torpedoes did far greater damage but dive bombers were more successful than Torpedo Bombers.
The Japanese Carriers spotted the US Aerial attack and began to make evasive maneuvers. Twenty one US Naval aircraft made their attack runs but only managed to damage the Shokaku with two bomb hits. These bomb hits killed 108 crewmembers and damaged the flight deck enough that it could not launch aircraft effectively taking it out of commission for the battle.
The USS Yorktown and Lexington on the other hand fought for their lives. The Yorktown was a purpose built Carrier meaning that it was built as it was originally designed to be an Aircraft Carrier. It was smaller and more maneuverable than the other. The Lexington on the other hand was originally intended to be a Battlecruiser but later rebuilt into a Carrier. It was bigger but harder to maneuver. The Japanese aircraft began their attack on the US Carriers. The Yorktown being more maneuverable managed to evade the Japanese Torpedoes and only took one bomb hit. The Lexington on the other hand was not so fortunate. Multiple Japanese torpedo bombers swarmed her dropping torpedoes from all sides. The torpedoes struck and began flooding the ship, the crew did everything they could but there was nothing that could be done to save her. The Captain issued an evacuation of the ship and to avoid capture the Captain ordered her escorts to finish off and sink the crippled Lexington.
The Japanese on the other hand had had enough. Fearing the loss of further landing barges and the loss of the Neosho tanker and the Shoho, the Japanese decided to turn their fleet and return back to home port. In the end Port Moresby was saved but at a cost. The United States at the time had too few Carriers available. By the time the Battle of Midway occurred a month later, it seemed that the War would sway very heavily to the Japanese as they had 6 Aircraft Carriers available and the United States had 3. At Midway 4 Japanese Carriers were sunk at the cost of 1 for the US Navy becoming an astounding victory that turned the tide of the war against the Imperial Japanese Navy.
While the victory at the Battle of Midway is important, some the Battle's success actually comes from the Battle of Coral Sea. The Japanese Codes have been broken even before the Battle of Midway and if anything, Coral Sea demonstrated that the United States enigma machines were reading everything the Japanese have been sending to each other.
Both sides did claim victory at the Battle of Coral Sea but in the long run it was more of a victory for the Allies. The United States on the other hand would lose its first Aircraft Carrier in the War in the Pacific. The Japanese was held back from conquering Port Moresby and spreading further southward. The Allies lost 69 aircraft of the 128 they had, 656 men were lost, and 3 ships were sunk. The Japanese lost 92 aircraft of the 127 they had, 966 men were lost, and 5 ships were sunk.
Coral Sea also accomplished other interesting results that affect the United States Navy today. The Battle helped serve an example of joint operations between the United States and Australian militaries. The United States and Australia are one of the few nations that have extremely close ties when it comes to military partnerships. The battle demonstrated that Aircraft Carriers were here to stay and proving to be an extremely effective weapon capable of outranging any Battleship at the time. Naval strength was now becoming measured by how many Aircraft Carriers you had instead of how many Battleships.
Sources
Trueman, (2016, August 16). The Battle of Coral Sea. Retrieved from http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/world-war-two/the-pacific-war-1941-to-1945/the-battle-of-coral-sea/
Pelvin, Ric. Battle of Coral Sea, 4-8 May 1942. Retrieved from https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/coral_sea/doc
Alexander, Joseph H. (2010, Jauary 21). Trial by Fire at Coral Sea. Retrieved from http://www.historynet.com/trial-by-fire-at-coral-sea.htm