Battle of the Coral Sea

A May 1942 naval battle between Allied and Japanese forces in the southwestern Pacific, fought chiefly by carrier aircraft. It checked Japan’s advance toward Port Moresby and was the first battle in which opposing fleets fought without sighting one another.

Aircraft carrier: A warship that carries, launches, and recovers military aircraft at sea. Both sides relied on carriers to project air power across distances their ships could not bridge with guns.
Empire of Japan: The Japanese state and its overseas empire, which expanded across Asia and the Pacific from the late nineteenth century to 1945. Its 1942 offensives sought to extend a defensive perimeter and secure strategic territory.
Frank Jack Fletcher: A U.S. Navy admiral who commanded Allied carrier forces at the Battle of the Coral Sea. His decisions governed the Allied carrier response and the withdrawal after Lexington was lost.
Battle of Midway: A June 1942 naval battle in which U.S. forces defeated a Japanese carrier force near Midway Atoll. Coral Sea damage and aircraft losses reduced Japanese carrier strength before this next major battle.
Carrier-based aircraft: Aircraft designed or adapted to operate from aircraft carriers. Their strikes, reconnaissance, and losses shaped the battle more than surface-ship gunfire.
Allies of World War II: The coalition that fought the Axis powers during the Second World War. American and Australian forces joined to oppose Japan’s advance in the southwest Pacific.
Shigeyoshi Inoue: A Japanese Navy admiral who commanded the forces assigned to Operation Mo. His command oversaw the operation whose objective was to take Port Moresby.
USS Lexington (CV-2): A U.S. Navy aircraft carrier sunk after being damaged by Japanese attacks in the Battle of the Coral Sea. Its loss was the Allies’ most significant material defeat in the battle.
Codebreaking: The recovery of information from encrypted or encoded communications without authorized access. Allied intelligence helped identify Japan’s planned operation against Port Moresby.
Operation Mo: The Japanese operation in 1942 to capture Port Moresby and seize strategic positions in the southwest Pacific. Its forces and objectives set the immediate context for the battle.

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