Warring Thursday: Battle of the Coral Sea

USS Lexington seen burning from a cruiser, Minneapolis

Battle of the Coral Sea. There was a movie made to that name. And that name means the first naval engagement where neither side saw the other's naval assets directly. This was also the first battle where aircraft carriers engaged each other. Lessons learned here after the battle with no winners or losers sets the stage for a bigger naval air power battle, Battle of Midway. It also had a movie made after it.

The Battle of the Coral Sea was fought this day, May 4th, 1942 and lasted until May 8th, 1942. A battle which was engaged with the Japanese fleet trying to invade Port Moresby, thus denying the US forces their toehold in a Pacific that has grown dangerous for military espansion. After the battle, the Japanese was denied Port Moresby, and was forced to take Moresby by land. That is another story.

USS Lexington

The players in the Battle of the Coral Sea are aircraft carriers USS Lexington and USS Yorktown and 3 cruisers on the side of the United States. On the Japanese side, they have aircraft carriers Zuikaku, Shokaku and Shoho, one large cruiser and 4 cruisers. The final tally of loss are one carrier, one oiler, one destroyer and 543 American personnels against one carrier, one destroyer and 1074 Japanese personnels. This counts as a Japanse tactical victory, but strategically, with the averted invasion of Port Moresby, American forces were able espand their war effort in the Pacific, relieving troops in battles after this of harsher times. And the rest, are history.

Finally, wars come and go, but stupidity stays eternal. Let us hope that World War Three never starts. Good day people.