From May 4th-8th, 1942, US and allied warships fought the Japanese Navy in the Battle of the Coral Sea. Wikipedia reminds us that it was 'the first ever fleet action in which aircraft carriers engaged each other, as well as the first in which neither side's ships sighted or fired directly upon the other'.
The Coral Sea was a victory for Japan in tactical terms, as the Imperial Japanese Navy damaged and/or sank more ships than it lost. However, its planned invasion of Port Moresby was disrupted; and, perhaps most importantly, two Japanese aircraft carriers were so badly damaged that they were unable to participate in the Battle of Midway, one month later, which destroyed Japanese naval supremacy for the rest of the war. The Battle of the Coral Sea may therefore be legitimately regarded as a strategic victory for the USA, and a precursor to the US Navy's success at Midway.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the battle. Courtesy of Australian reader Snoggeramus, we have this news report about two US veterans who took part in it, and survived the sinking of the aircraft carrier USS Lexington.
May the souls of all who died in the battle rest in peace.
Peter
My uncle was in the Pacific during WWII. He never spoke of it. When he finally came home, he knocked on the front door of his parents' house and the family wouldn't let him in at first. He had lost so much weight and had physically changed so much that no one recognized him.
ReplyDeleteIn life, timing is everything. We are all here because of something special occurring in WWII and the War in the Pacific. Thank you for the vid. and the post.
ReplyDeleteGood one and a good tribute!
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