Battle in the Coral Sea

Map of the battle

date	May 7th and 8th, 1942
place	Coral sea
output	tactical tie, American strategic success
consequences	The Japanese Port Moresby operation is canceled

Parties to the conflict
United States United States Australia Australia	Japan Japan
Commander
United States Frank Jack Fletcher	Japan Takeo Takagi Tadaichi Hara Japan
Troop strength
2 aircraft carriers 3 cruisers 13 destroyers 2 tankers	3 aircraft carriers 4 cruisers 15 destroyers 1 tanker 12 transporters
losses
1 aircraft carrier 1 destroyer 1 tanker sunk 1 aircraft carrier damaged approx. 540 dead	1 light aircraft carrier 1 destroyer sunk 1 aircraft carrier damaged approx. 800 dead

Overview - Pacific War

USS Yorktown

USS Lexington

The Battle of the Coral Sea took place southwest of the Solomon Islands and east of New Guinea on May 7 and 8, 1942 , during the Pacific War in World War II . It was the first of a series of so-called carrier battles , in which Japanese and Allied sea units faced each other, but the decisive fighting was carried out exclusively with aircraft. For the first time in military history, aircraft carriers played a key role in this naval battle .

background

Since the beginning of the Pacific conflict with the USA and its allies Great Britain , the Netherlands , Australia and New Zealand , the advance of the Japanese into the Southeast Asian region has been almost unhindered. The Allied ABDA fleet was defeated in late February 1942, and the capture of Rabaul created an important forward base for further expansion eastwards. After the capture of the Philippines and the fall of the last American bastion there on Corregidor , Japan controlled all of Southeast Asia. Although the Americans succeeded in stabbing their opponents with a pinprick by carrying out the Doolittle Raid , they recorded no more than one propaganda victory. The fighting strength of the Japanese armed forces remained unbroken.

To expand their air superiority, the Japanese army planned to build an air base in Port Moresby on the southeast coast of New Guinea . This outpost would have allowed them to threaten Australia and advance further into the Southeast Pacific ( Operation MO ). For this purpose a landing force, consisting of a smaller fleet, was sent to attack the island of Tulagi in the southern Solomon Islands . The main blow, however, was aimed at Port Moresby, where a larger fleet set off. The Japanese naval forces were supported on the one hand from Rabaul with aircraft that flew from the north into the Coral Sea, and on the other hand from the large aircraft carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku . This in turn accompanied a fleet of destroyers and cruisers .

Start of battle

The US Navy got hold of the Japanese invasion plans through intelligence . Three aircraft carriers, two to three battleships, three heavy cruisers and two light cruisers , 16 destroyers , a submarine tender, six submarines and several smaller units were identified in the deployment area near Rabaul . A large-scale operation by the Japanese was emerging.

After the US air strikes on the Japanese bases on Lae and Salamaua on March 10, 1942, the Task Force FOX involved , consisting of the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown and three heavy cruisers and six destroyers, remained in the Coral Sea's operational area while the task force was in charge BAKER returned to Pearl Harbor with the carrier USS Lexington . On April 16, she received an order from the high command to sail towards Christmas Island. During the journey there, however, the mission order was revised and a course to the Coral Sea was ordered.

The two task forces met on May 1, and Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher , Task Force FOX commander , assumed command. The task force now consisted of the two carriers and eight cruisers, including two from the Australian Navy . A little later, a reconnaissance plane from Yorktown spotted a Japanese submarine about 60 kilometers away from the fleet. It could of well depth charges sunk three requested warplanes, but intercepted radio messages indicated that the position of the US units had yet been given by the Japanese.

The next day, intelligence reports were sent to Fletcher, suggesting that an enemy advance towards Port Moresby was imminent. Fletcher responded by heading north to get to the area of operations in time. The BAKER group had not yet completed the fuel pickup and was instructed to follow up on the night of May 4th.

Tulagi

Kikuzuki , destroyed in Halavo Bay

When Japanese troops attempted to land on Tulagi on May 3rd to set up a small air force base there, Task Force FOX launched an air strike on the Japanese landing company with Yorktown on the morning of May 4th from the north . The destroyer Kikuzuki was badly damaged and sank in Halavo Bay (Florida Island). A second destroyer, a cargo ship, four gunboats and some smaller units were also lost. A seaplane tender and a cargo ship were badly damaged. The US forces lost two fighter planes and one torpedo plane.

The Yorktown and her escort ships turned back immediately after this attack and joined forces with the other ships on May 5 to take fuel from the remaining tankers. Shortly afterwards, Yorktown planes shot down a Japanese flying boat. A Japanese submarine, which was spotted a little later and which was probably led by this flying boat to the US fleet, turned off again.

The US units took up a position about 1,100 kilometers south of Rabaul and waited for the advance of the Japanese main fleet. When the reports of a concentration of ships on the way towards Port Moresby increased, Fletcher ordered a north course in order to attack the Japanese on the morning of May 7th. The tanker Neosho and the destroyer USS Sims were ordered to operate south of the fleet. Another group, Task Force 44, under the command of Rear Admiral John Crace , was supposed to intercept Japanese transporters and their escort ships on their way to Port Moresby . The association consisted of the heavy cruisers HMAS Australia and USS Chicago , the light cruiser HMAS Hobart and the destroyers USS Perkins , USS Walke and USS Farragut . When the ships reached a position 180 km off the southern tip of New Guinea, they were attacked by 27 Japanese aircraft. Just minutes after the end of the Japanese attack, US B-17 bombers launched from Australian air bases mistakenly bombed the formation. However, there was hardly any damage worth mentioning in either of the attacks.

The battle

May 7, 1942

On the morning of May 7th, the enemy fleets were just 110 kilometers apart. Both sides knew they were within immediate attack range, so they were keen to launch the first strike in order to surprise the enemy if possible. On the Japanese side, Vice Admiral Takeo Takagi and Rear Admiral Tadaichi Hara commanded the convoy. A lack of reconnaissance led to air strikes against smaller parts of the fleet, while the main fleets initially remained unaffected. This affected both adversaries, whereby the Japanese aircraft carriers, favored by a bad weather area, could not be identified by the US reconnaissance aircraft.

USS Sims

Torpedo hit on the Japanese aircraft carrier Shōhō

Japanese reconnaissance pilots sighted around 8:00 am in a southerly position the remaining US supply tanker USS Neosho and destroyer USS Sims . These were, however, far from the US carriers. They were reported by the pilots as "aircraft carriers and cruisers". Two subsequent violent strikes of fire caused almost no damage, but when a wave of dive bombers attacked the ships around noon , the USS Sims sank and the USS Neosho was left as an unmaneuverable wreck. The crew of the USS Neosho could not be saved for days because their position was inadvertently transmitted incorrectly.

Meanwhile, at 8:45 a.m., an American scout reported two Japanese aircraft carriers north of Misima . The USS Yorktown and USS Lexington immediately launched a joint major attack on the ships some 260 kilometers away. When the fighter planes were in the air, the scout landed shortly afterwards, and it turned out that the reported message was incorrect. The pilot had only wanted to report two heavy cruisers and two light cruisers, but his reporting console had been incorrectly adjusted. The fighter planes were on their way to the wrong target, but they were not recalled. In retrospect, this decision turned out to be the right one, as Australian scouts had found a Japanese group consisting of a light aircraft carrier, the Shōhō , along with four heavy cruisers a little later . Since their position deviated only slightly from the old report, the fighter planes were redirected accordingly. They attacked the ships with 53 bombers, 22 torpedo planes and 18 fighters. The Shōhō was hit so often and so badly before noon that it sank within minutes.

At the same time, the flight controller of the USS Lexington directed the planned patrol flights of both US carriers. The first group had started from the USS Lexington and reported the first enemy sighting at 9:03 a.m. However, there was no interception because the aircraft was no longer seen. At around 10:50 a.m., patrol planes also took off from the USS Yorktown , spotted a Japanese flying boat around 11:15 a.m. and shot it down shortly afterwards, at a distance of 65 kilometers from its own fleet. The two large Japanese aircraft carriers suspected in the area could not be detected by any of the machines. The flights ceased shortly afterwards, but enemy echoes kept appearing on the radar screens. When a Japanese machine came very close to the US fleet in the afternoon, some interceptors took off from the USS Yorktown to shoot them down. As a result of the bad weather, however, the machine was missed and only rediscovered at a distance of only 15 kilometers from the US fleet. It could be identified as a reconnaissance flying boat, but escaped.

American dive bomber SBD "Dauntless"

Japanese dive bomber Aichi D3A1

Since the Japanese side was also looking for the Americans, they started a few squadrons of hunters in the early evening and sent them towards the suspected porters. After this squadron appeared on the American radar screens at a distance of 29 kilometers at 5:47 p.m., interception formations were immediately ordered into the air from both aircraft carriers. Again the weather didn't cooperate. On the way to the approaching Japanese, the pilots saw enemy aircraft on the opposite course below them again and again, but they quickly disappeared in the clouds. Two US planes then turned off course to pursue some of the Japanese bombers. One of these hunters never returned. The remaining squadron soon fought an air battle with Aichi 99 dive bombers, of which at least five were shot down. After sunset, the Americans landed on their carriers again. Three Japanese fighters suddenly appeared over the starboard side of the USS Yorktown during the landing process. When they flew over the bow of the ship, a landing US aircraft opened fire on them for a short time, but was unable to cause any visible damage. About an hour later, Japanese planes circled again over the USS Yorktown , which immediately opened fire on them and forced them to turn back. The commander of the USS Lexington later reported similar incidents on his ship.

All of this resulted in the Japanese leadership abandoning the invasion of Port Moresby to await further instructions. Both fleets were now preparing for battle the following morning.

The Japanese lost a light aircraft carrier and a light cruiser on May 7th. They lost 13 fighters, three torpedo bombers, two dive bombers and a reconnaissance aircraft in aircraft. The Americans, however, lost a supply tanker and a destroyer, as well as three dive bombers and three fighters. The crew of a Dauntless SBD was later rescued.

May 8, 1942

The battle in the Coral Sea reached its climax that day. The US task force had continued northwest during the night because the reconnaissance saw the Japanese ships heading north. However, the exact position of the aircraft carriers was still not known. It was suspected, however, that they were still in the Coral Sea in order to regain control of the air for the intended landing on Port Moresby.

The American attack

Even before dawn on May 8, 1942, the decision was made to begin an all-round search on board the US ships. The search planes took off from the USS Lexington at 6:25 a.m. At 8:20 a.m., a machine reported the sighting of two carriers, together with four heavy cruisers and a few destroyers, which were heading south at high speed, 275 kilometers northeast of their own fleet. Shortly afterwards, the Japanese combat units discovered the US formation, which is evidenced by an intercepted radio message.

The weather favored the Japanese. While the US group was in a fair weather area, the enemy porters had limited visibility to three to 25 kilometers. Heavy clouds covered the entire area.

The Shokaku hit hard in the Coral Sea

At 9:07 a.m., Admiral Fletcher transferred tactical command to Admiral Aubrey W. Fitch , who was responsible for the air operations. Meanwhile, the first fighter planes took off from the deck of the USS Yorktown . They were all armed with 1,000 pound bombs. A total of six fighters, 24 dive bombers and nine torpedo machines flew in the direction of the Japanese carriers, which could be made out at 10:32 a.m. The Japanese porters drove at a distance of about nine kilometers. Her escort group consisted of a battleship or a very large cruiser, three heavy cruisers and four destroyers.

When the bombers reached their attack position at 10:49 a.m., they still had to wait for the slower torpedo bombers and began to fly in circles. One Japanese porter, the Zuikaku , set course for heavy rain, while the other, the Shokaku, was easy to spot. Ten minutes later, the torpedo bombers reached their position and the group launched the attack on the Shokaku. Despite wild evasive maneuvers, the Shokaku was hit by two bombs in the bow area and amidships, and strong fires broke out. All US torpedo bombers escaped enemy fire. The four fighters who had escorted the bombers were meanwhile attacked by six Japanese Zeros , two of which could be shot down. All warplanes fired up to two dive bomber returned to 13:00 again aboard the USS Yorktown back. A machine rammed the command tower on landing and had to be tipped overboard, the two crew members were rescued.

The Zuikaku

The flight combat group of the USS Lexington had meanwhile also left its carrier and was on the way to the Japanese carriers. It consisted of 12 torpedo bombers, 15 dive bombers and nine fighters, three of which accompanied the dive bombers. Due to the adverse weather conditions, these three machines lost their group and had to return to the USS Lexington . The rest of them flew on the given course, but missed the enemy ships. With very limited visibility, the machines began to search a square area. After a while a gap in the cloud opened up in which they located the Japanese ships. Quick were Japanese fighter planes of the type A6M Zero on the spot, which involved the Americans in aerial combat and shot down three Wildcats. Some of the bombers were able to get through to the carrier passing below them. On the Shokaku they hit a bomb in the area that had already been hit and this caused great damage. The US war machines landed around 14:00 o'clock on the USS Lexington . One plane did not return due to lack of fuel and went missing.

At first there was confusion among Admirals Fitch and Fletcher about the Japanese carriers hit: had both squadrons attacked and even sunk the same carrier, or had they been two different targets? It was only when the pilots were questioned that the second squadron had come into contact with the Zuikaku and consequently none of the Japanese carriers had been sunk.

The Japanese counterstrike

After the intercepted radio messages, the US side assumed that it had been discovered by the Japanese and that an enemy attack would follow. Admiral Fitch, who held tactical command, ordered the formation of patrol squadrons to repel the torpedo planes. The ships picked up speed of up to 25 knots and increased it to 30 knots during the attack. The Americans drove in a circular cover formation with the two aircraft carriers in the middle, with the USS Yorktown sailing north of the USS Lexington . During a high-speed maneuver, the carriers turned away from each other to avoid the torpedoes and bombs. The escort ships followed them.

When, at around 10:14 a.m., a Japanese flying boat, which was observing the US fleet at a distance of 35 kilometers, was discovered by the hunters and shot down, the attack appeared to be imminent. At 10:55 a.m. Japanese fighter planes appeared on the radar of the USS Yorktown at a distance of 110 kilometers. Four minutes later, Fitch called the airplanes back to the carriers and let four more fighters ascend, so that eight fighters from the USS Yorktown and nine from the USS Lexington were ready for defense in the air.

Shortly after 11:00 a.m., the fighters, who were cruising some 450 meters below the Japanese, reported that there were 50 to 60 planes in question, spread out at an altitude of between 3.5 and 4.5 kilometers. The torpedo machines flew on the lowest level, above them fighters, then the dive bombers and at the top other fighters. Three American fighters attacked this large formation when it was approximately 20 kilometers from the carriers. Two more attacked the torpedo planes flying below, which had advanced within 7 kilometers of the fleet. Two fighters targeted the end of the formation. When the Japanese began their carrier attack and released the torpedoes, they were taken under fire from above by two American interceptors. A dive bomber and a Zero fighter could be shot down. Shortly afterwards, two more machines crashed under US fire.

The USS Lexington is on fire

The eight SBDs launched from the USS Yorktown were attacked by a large number of Japanese fighters who managed to shoot down four of the machines. In the frenzy that followed, the remaining US aircraft were able to shoot down four Japanese fighters and damage several others. USS Lexington fighters destroyed eight more combat machines. Nevertheless, at around 11:20 a.m., Japanese torpedo bombers managed to launch six torpedoes against the USS Yorktown . The USS Yorktown immediately turned and began moving away from the USS Lexington . She was now on a course parallel to the torpedoes in the water. Four Japanese machines fell victim to the defensive fire from the US ships. A little later a bomber launched a torpedo from the starboard side towards the carrier. After the USS Yorktown turned , he just missed the bow. With the sun behind them, dive bombers fell from a great height towards the carrier. Their destination seemed to be the bridge . A violent defensive fire hit them, so that they were forced several times to correct their course. All bombers made the breakthrough and brought a direct bomb hit against the US carrier. Six more close hits from the middle of the ship to the bow followed. The main hit hit the flight deck not far from the second elevator and the navigating bridge. The bomb penetrated to the third level and exploded in the aircraft's equipment room, killing 37 crew members and injuring several. The property damage, however, was not very high. However, the USS Yorktown's radar failed for about 50 minutes.

The defense battery of the USS Lexington damaged after the hit

The USS Lexington was also heavily attacked at the same time. Only by constantly changing course was the carrier able to maneuver itself out of the tracks of the thrown torpedoes, which approached from both port and starboard. Nevertheless, at 11.20 a.m., the first torpedo struck under the forward weapon array on the port side. Only a minute later another followed a little further back across from the navigating bridge. Although the USS Lexington's anti-aircraft guns kept firing and four Japanese planes were shot down, a 1,000 pound bomb detonated at the rear of the forward weapon phalanx. It completely destroyed the battery, killing the crew at station 6 and injuring 13 soldiers from the other stations, some seriously. There were more casualties on the main deck in a passage where stored ammunition exploded due to the impact of a bomb. Fire broke out immediately. Two minor bomb hits killed other men. The ship leaned about 6 ° to the port side because the load distribution was no longer correct. By pumping over oil, however, it was able to be raised again. Some rooms were flooded and had to be pumped out. At 12:40 p.m. the ship was level again and the fires were under control.

The sinking of the USS Lexington

At 12:47 p.m. a large explosion occurred below deck on board the USS Lexington , which was very likely caused belatedly by a bomb that had not exploded before. However, fuel leaks may also have been responsible. Immediately a great fire broke out and it spread rapidly. Firefighting teams tried unsuccessfully to extinguish the fire. As the fire ate its way up, there were further small explosions. Gradually, the communications equipment on board the carrier failed.

After the return of the US aircraft, Admiral Fletcher had to decide whether to fly another attack on the Japanese carriers or to send an attack group towards Port Moresby. At 2:22 p.m. Admiral Fitch reported that a third aircraft carrier might have joined the Japanese fleet. The USS Yorktown was after the counter-attack, only with a maximum of 30 knots run, and the USS Lexington only 24 knots. The carriers had also lost a number of machines in the fighting and were so badly damaged that the remaining aircraft could no longer be properly maintained and equipped. Fletcher therefore decided against another attack. The landing plans of the group located at Port Moresby were also discarded, as another attack by the Japanese was to be expected before dark. That is why they took a southerly course while the ships were examined for damage and the aircraft were serviced. At 2:52 p.m. on the USS Lexington , the fire fighting officer informed the commanding officer that the fire could no longer be controlled. A few minutes later, the porter signaled that they needed help. The heat and smoke below deck had become so strong that only emergency responders with respiratory protection could take part in the fire fighting. But there were also a number of men who went back to the fire front with only simple gas masks. It was determined that it would be possible to save the USS Lexington if enough water could be brought in.

The ready-to-fly aircraft of the USS Lexington were flown to the USS Yorktown in the afternoon . The porter was to be repaired for the trip to Pearl Harbor . By the evening, reconnaissance planes rose from the USS Yorktown and scanned the area for Japanese planes.

The crew leaves the sinking aircraft carrier

USS Lexington survivors are taken aboard a cruiser

At 4:30 p.m. the engine room of the USS Lexington had to be evacuated for good. From this point on, the carrier was unable to maneuver and found no propulsion in the Coral Sea. Life jackets were handed out and the crew prepared to leave the ship. As a last resort, destroyers should go alongside the USS Lexington and throw water hoses over it, which the USS Morris managed with two hoses. In the meantime, however, the temperature at the source of the fire had risen to over 750 ° C and the command officers feared a large explosion that would tear the carrier apart. At 17:07, the order to leave the ship was given. The USS Hamman and the USS Anderson were meanwhile also steered alongside, while the USS Morris withdrew its fire hoses. Hundreds of crew members were on the carrier's flight deck, and many had already jumped into the water and swam towards the destroyers that had launched lifeboats. More destroyers approached the increasingly leaning carrier and began to orbit it. Some went with the rescued persons to the USS Yorktown and handed them over there. Then they drove back to the USS Lexington , which was shaken by more and more explosions. Fragments flying around also hit the destroyers orbiting the carrier and caused minor damage there.

Shortly after 6:00 p.m., a dinghy from the USS Phelps circled the abandoned USS Lexington to make sure no one was on board. Again, several heavy explosions shook the aircraft carrier, which was now listing at 30 °. Only the commander , Captain Frederick C. Sherman and his first officer, Commander Morton T. Seligman , were on board. After a final inspection , they left the USS Lexington shortly after 6:00 p.m. and took a small lifeboat to the USS Minneapolis . Overall, 92 percent of the 2,951 crew members were rescued. Nobody was killed while the ship was abandoned. The victims were 26 officers and 190 seamen.

In order to prevent a rescue by the Japanese, it was decided to finally sink the aircraft carrier with torpedoes. Five torpedoes from the US destroyer USS Phelps struck the USS Lexington between 7:15 p.m. and 7:52 p.m., whereupon the aircraft carrier sank. Shortly thereafter, the submerged ship detonated so strongly underwater that the commander of the USS Phelps briefly assumed that his ship had been hit by an enemy torpedo.

In the evening, both sides left the battlefield. The Japanese returned with the Zuikaku a few days later. Since they had very few aircraft left, the capture of Port Moresby was not pursued any further. On May 11th, the Japanese high command commanded the aircraft carrier again.

The USS Yorktown set course for Pearl Harbor and, once repaired, played an important role in the Battle of Midway .

consequences

At first glance, the Imperial Japanese Navy got away with a manageable draw: it lost the light aircraft carrier Shōhō ; the fleet carrier Shokaku was badly damaged. In addition, many fighter planes were lost. In the following Battle for Midway , however, a wear and tear to the disadvantage of the Japanese armed forces became noticeable. The losses from the battle in the Coral Sea and the absence of the Shokaku due to repairs were clearly noticeable.

On the US side, however, the aircraft carrier Lexington was sunk and the carrier Yorktown was badly damaged.

The Pacific Forces Command commented the operation as a resounding success for the US Navy, not least because it was one of the Allies' first “non-defeats” after the Pearl Harbor and Wake fiascoes . The biggest technical problem would have been with fogged bomb visors when diving from 17,000 feet, which should prove the technical sophistication of the combat units. The optimistic assessment was a moral factor for the upcoming porter battles.

One was generally disappointed about the small effect the bombs, torpedoes and projectiles had overall. A list of points of criticism and requested improvements was drawn up internally:

The training of flight and artillery personnel must be intensified. Inadequate hunting protection prevented an effective defense of both the attack squadrons and the fleet.
Outdated torpedo planes hampered the pilots. Torpedo aircraft attacks are more effective when coordinated with dive bomber attacks.
Automatic weapons need better fire control systems that enable greater accuracy of hit at large lead angles .
All aircraft carriers should be equipped with two long-range radar systems.
More intensive joint training of land and sea-based air forces is intended to improve their interaction.
The destructive power of aerial bombs and torpedoes must be increased.
The dangers of carrying large amounts of fuel must be reduced.
Escort ships offer the best protection for aircraft carriers against torpedo aircraft when they patrol at a distance of between 1,500 and 2,500 meters.

The Yorktown was made operational again in record time through emergency repairs at Pearl Harbor, and she participated in the defense of Midway alongside the USS Enterprise and the USS Hornet . She was badly hit again in Japanese attacks and finally sunk by a Japanese submarine on the morning of June 7, 1942.

On March 4, 2018, the wreck of the USS Lexington was discovered during an expedition of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen . The "Lady Lex" rests 800 kilometers from the Australian coast at a depth of approx. 3000 meters in the Coral Sea.

literature

Chris Henry: The Battle of the Coral Sea . Naval Institute Press, Annapolis MD 2003, ISBN 1-59114-033-1 .

motion pictures

Video Battle Of The Coral Sea , 1959, directed by Paul Wendkos , actors: Cliff Robertson , Gia Scala , 1992

Web links

Commons : Battle of the Coral Sea - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Comprehensive battle description on ibiblio.org (English)
Battle Description of the US Navy (English)

This version was added to the list of articles worth reading on December 21, 2005 .