Coral Sea
May 7-8, 1942
On Friday 8 May 1942, reconnaissance aircraft from each side discovered the other's task forces, more or less equal in strength. The Japanese had 121 aircraft, four heavy cruisers and six destroyers; the Americans had 122 aircraft, five heavy cruisers and seven destroyers. The Japanese possessed one advantage in that they had more battle experience and better torpedoes; the American force, however, had more bombers. The Japanese were able to remain under the cover of a band of mist, whereas the Americans had to fight under clear skies. Because of the mist, the small carrier Zuikaku was not sighted by the American aircraft. The carrier Shokaku received three direct hits by bombs and had to withdraw. After hits by two torpedoes and by a number of bombs that resulted in several explosions, the Lexington had to be abandoned and scuttled with torpedoes fired by an American destroyer. The Yorktown, a smaller and more maneuverable carrier, was hit only once by a bomb.
The afternoon of 8 May 1942, Adm. Nimitz pulled his carrier formation from the Coral Sea, as '.he danger to Port Moresby had been staved off in the meantime. The Japanese, convinced that the Yorktown had been sunk, also withdrew. Badly damaged, the large Japanese carrier Shokaku was nonoperational for the next two months. The carrier Zuikaku had lost so many aircraft that it too was temporarily out of commission.
Tactically, the Battle of the Coral Sea was a victory for the Japanese: American losses were considerably higher than the Japanese. The loss of the large aircraft carrier Lexington was a bitter blow for the US Navy. But the Americans could certainly chalk up a strategic victory: Adm. Yamamoto's plan to occupy Port Moresby had been thwarted. For the first time in this war, a Japanese invasion attempt had been foiled. The Battle of the Coral Sea was the first engagement in history between two fleets in which surface units did not exchange fire, and the first to be decided by only carrier-borne aircraft of the combatants.
Order of Battle and Ships of Interest
| Battle of the Coral Sea | Japan | Allied |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Forces | 
x2(Shokaku, Zuikaku) x1(Shoho) x6 x3 x12(Includes all task forces in the area.) |
x2 x5,  x2 x13
(Includes all task forces in the area.) |
| Losses |
x1sunk (Shoho) x1badly damaged (Shokaku) |
x1 sunk (Lexington) x1 badly damaged (Yorktown) x1 sunk (Sims)
|
