While neither found the other's main body, they did locate secondary units. Minor damage was inflicted on a minelayer and supplies on the beach. On May 8, scout planes from each fleet found the enemy around 8:20 AM. Two days later, land-based B-17s from Australia spotted and attacked the Port Moresby invasion fleet. Australia was involved in the Coral Sea battle from the very first when locally-based signals intelligence units made a significant contribution to the early detection of the Japanese thrust. Battle of the Coral Sea (May 4–8, 1942), World War II naval and air engagement in which a U.S. fleet thwarted the Japanese invasion of Port Moresby in New Guinea. Task force 17.3 remained on patrol until 1.00 am on 10 May then proceeded to Australia, arriving at Cid Harbour on the 11th. 5 May was spent refuelling and on the 6th the entire force was amalgamated as Task Force 17. At 7.00 am the Support Group, reinforced by the destroyer USS Farragut, was detached to the north-west to block any Japanese force debouching from the Jomard Passage. This plan was vetoed by the Imperial Japanese Army which lacked the manpower and shipping capability to sustain such an operation. Although the enemy believes her to have been sunk, Yorktown was made seaworthy and given an air group to enable her to joinEnterprise (CV-6) and Hornet (CV-8), deployed to surprise a Japanese carrier task force (VADM Nagumo Chuichi) at Midway. After refuelling from HMAS Kurumba in Hervey Bay the two cruisers proceeded east, joining the US force on 4 May. She was then scuttled by the destroyer Phelps (DD-360). 52, [USS] Joseph Hewes APA22 War Damage Report No. Although Hall is badly wounded, he brings his damagedDauntless, and his radioman, back to Lexington having participated in the destruction of at least three torpedo planes, bravery and skill recognized later with the Medal of Honor. The Australia was narrowly missed, again being skilfully conned by Captain Farncomb. I (part II), Building the Navy's Bases, vol. He began planning for a move against the island of Midway. This is the number of Days of clean healthy, USS Midway Museum 75th Pearl Harbor Wall of Honor. When the main forces traded air strikes, the Americans lost the carrier Lexington (Yorktown was also damaged), and the Japanese suffered damage to the carrier Shokaku. In addition, Yorktown's aircraft sank a destroyer and five merchant ships. 30 (1913) Movement of the Rudder, General Order No. While Yorktown was damaged, it was quickly repaired at Pearl Harbor and raced back to sea to aid defeating the Japanese. Admiral William B. Caperton of the 1918 Influenza on Armored Cruiser No. With the crew unable to extinguish the flames, Captain Frederick C. Sherman ordered Lexington abandoned. Returning to the carrier forces: at 6.00 am on the morning of 8 May, the Japanese, who had steamed southwards during the night, launched searches to cover a south-east to south-west arc. Meanwhile, the Japanese attacked the US carriers which they caught at a time when their combat air patrol had too little fuel to intercept and the relief patrol with insufficient time to scramble and intercept the attackers. This would eliminate the last Allied base between Japan and Australia as well as would provide a security perimeter around Japan's recent conquests in the Dutch East Indies. 292 (1882) Establishment of the Office of Intelligence, General Order No. Willmott, The barrier and the javelin: Japanese and Allied Pacific strategies, February to June 1942 (Annapolis, Md. This attack is believed to have cost the Japanese 20 aircraft. 38, USS North Carolina BB55 War Damage Report No. Its covering force, the Shoho and her accompanying cruisers, had refuelled after covering the Tulagi landing. Lexington, further damaged when gasoline vapors are ignited, triggering massive explosions, was later abandoned when fires blazed out of control. Task Group 17.3 had also been in action that day. At 2.47 pm, when the force was 70 miles south of Deboyne Island, aircraft were engaged ineffectively at long range. Researched by the Honor States Group. Over the next several weeks, ferocious Japanese resistance inflicted heavy casualties on U.S. troops before the Americans were finally able ...read more, The Battle of Okinawa (April 1, 1945-June 22, 1945) was the last major battle of World War II, and one of the bloodiest. By doing so he hoped to gain the time needed to consolidate the Empire's defences. The Sims was sunk and the Neosho heavily damaged but remained afloat until discovered and sunk by friendly forces on 11 May. The Japanese sought to converge three naval forces on Leyte Gulf, and successfully diverted the U.S. Third Fleet with a decoy. The Battle of the Coral Sea, fought from May 4–8 , 1942, was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II between the Japanese Navy and U.S. and Australian naval and air forces. The attempt to save Okinoshima (damaged the previous day by S-42), by transport Kinryu Maru and destroyer Mochizuki, failed, and the doomed minelayer sank, essentially the last ship casualty of the Battle of the Coral Sea. “Jo Jo” Powers of VB 5 participated in all three strikes, receiving credit for one direct hit, two close-misses, and a persistent low-level strafing attack. In a short time, the resulting fires became uncontrollable.