Rough Draft #1
Battle of the Coral Sea was an air and naval engagement between the U.S. fleet and Japanese invasion force. “It was the world’s first all-carrier battle, and the first sea battle which neither side could see each other” (Pacific Aviation). The Battle of the Coral Sea helped the Battle of Midway (occurred on the following month)by destroying 2 Japanese carrier ships (Shokaku and Zuikaku.) The battle thwarted the invasion of Port Moresby to July 3 1942 (until the Battle of Midway settle the invasion).
Japanese forces had been planning to invade Port Moresby in New Guinea. The Japanese plan was to initially seize the island of Tulagi in the Solomons, and the part of New Guinea. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander of the Japanese
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There were some damages caused by Yorktown. The U.S. Commander assumed that the Japanese fleet were heading towards New Guinea. However, the main Japanese carrier fleet planned to catch the Americans from behind by entering the Coral Sea near the Solomon Islands. This results the opposing forces searching for one another in an extensive distance. The opposing forces continued to search for each other by sending out reconnaissance flights.
By the Morning of May 7 1942, the Japanese invasion fleet was found. Japanese air forces from carriers Shokaku and Zukaiku attacked and disabled USS Neosho and its escort, USS Sims. Japanese carrier-based planes sank a U.S destroyer and oiler. Planes from Lexington and Yorktown destroyed the Japanese aircraft carrier Shoho.( Lewis “The Battle of the Coral Sea”)
The Japanese spotter who located the American fleet on 8 May flew back and radioed in the details. Japanese fighters and bombers took off, but the spotter pilot was so anxious to make sure that they found their targets that he guided them back, despite knowing that he would not have enough fuel to return to his carrier and land. We can only presume that he crashed and died at sea.
By May 8, both sides have used up all their weapons against each