By Spencer Drew

Battle of The Coral Sea

IntroductionBattle of the Coral Sea

May 4–8, 1942

Coral Sea, The Pacific Theatre

First time in WW2 that Japanese experience failure in a major operation

The battle stopped the sea-borne invasion of Port Moresby

This battle saved Australia as the Japanese would have conquered the sea ports of Australia, and the supply line and base from the U.S. would be cut.

Japan wanted to continue expansion & control of the Pacific Ocean by invading Australia’s sea ports and islands.

The Japanese expand into the south eastern Solomon Islands wanting to take over other various sea-ports.

The Japanese won a tactical victory by sinking more ships while the Americans won a strategic by preventing sea port invasion of Port Moresby

The Japanese Attack Plan

The plan was to ascend around the already taken Solomon Islands and then come around to take over various port cities on Australia. The Japanese didn’t have it so easy as the US were there to surprise them.

Event: Battle of The Coral Sea

• The battle of the coral sea was a major naval battle

• It was also the first naval battle in which neither side fired or sighted upon each other and so it was an all air battle

• It consisted of the Japanese Empire against the Allied forces; United States and Australia

• Basic attack for both sides was that the enemy’s ships were to be destroyed by planes launching torpedo’s or dropping bombs.

Japanese planes getting ready for takeoff from the aircraft carrier Shokaku

Japanese Carrier Shokaku

The Leaders of the Two Sides

The Allies’ Leaders

-U.S. Admiral Frank

Fletcher -Admiral and

operationalcommander of

the U.S. fleet or task forces

during thebattle

-Australian Rear Admiral

John Grace -Rear

Admiral or commissioned

officer next in rank below the

Vice Admiral

The Japanese Leaders

- Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue

- Was a admiral and

vice minister in the

Imperial Japanese Navy

during WWII

- Vice Admiral Takeo

Takagi -Senior

Japanese

Commander of the carrier task force

Shokaku & Zuikaku

Aircraft Used• Both sides used few types of air units, basically sticking to a

version of a heavy bomber and fighter plane.-Main Aircraft used: U.S. Consolidated B-32 Dominator (heavy bomber), Japanese Nakajima Ki-44 (fighter aircraft), U.S. P-51 Mustang (fighter aircraft) and the Japanese Kawasaki Ki-48 (heavy bomber)

Planes getting ready for takeoff on U.S.S. Yorktown

Vessels Used• Main Warships used: Aircraft carriers, battleships, cruisers (heavy or

light) and destroyers.• There were three major groups of ships involved

-The Japanese Port Moresby Invasion Group, example : Shoho

-The Allied Task Force 44; consisted of allied warships, heavy and light cruisers sent to find and eliminate the P.M.I.G.. This force was commanded by Read Admiral Grace.

-There was a second Allied force of two aircraft carriers, the U.S.S. Lexington (commanded by Fitch), and the U.S.S. Yorktown (commanded by Fletcher), together with protective cruisers and destroyers. They were sent as well to eliminate the P.M.I.G..

-The fourth group & main target of the Allied carriers was the Japanese Carrier Striking Force which consisted of aircraft carriers Zuikaku and Shokaku and protecting cruisers and destroyers, all commanded by Takagi.

U.S.S. YorktownU.S.S. Lexington bombed and destroyed

U.S.S. Yorktown U.S.S. Yorktown drydocked at Pearl Harbor, May 1942

Weapons • The main weapons

were those either dropped from a plane, or fired from a vessel.

-The main weapons used were torpedoes, 1 kg bombs, machine guns, or gunships on a heavy carrier.

Sailors clear away debris on the Yorktown after

the ship receives a direct hit from a Japanese torpedo

A crew member aboard the U.S.S.

Yorktown readies bombs for

loading on to aircraft

A large carrier with mounted guns

Tactics and Strategies

• Each carrier had a “screen” of other warships around it to protect it from air attack.

-The job of these surrounding ships was to shoot down attacking aircraft before they reached the carrier.

• The basic plan of attack by both sides was for the enemy’s ships to be destroyed by planes launching torpedoes or dropping bombs.

• To defeat the enemy, one had to first destroy the runways whichallowed the attacking aircraft to operate from. • If planes could not belaunched, they became useless• Carriers could be sunk by aircraft zooming in low to droptorpedoes which would hole the ship at or under the waterline, or bydropping bombs which seriously damaged the ship or could igniteammunition or fuel on it.• Fighter planes would also defend planes that were getting readyTo launch.

Example of a “screen”

SourcesBibliography

http://www.google.ca/images?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&q=battle%20of%20the%20coral%20sea&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1099&bih=760

http://www.google.ca/images?um=1&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-us&biw=1099&bih=760&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=battle+of+the+coral+sea+ships&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

Video Clips

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQaMzKwrX-Q&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/results?

search_query=battle+of+the+coral+sea&aq=f