the battle of the coral sea in 1942 quizlet

The battle's strategic background was set by the Japanese plan formulated in early 1942 that saw the country's forces advance south and southeastward from the Bismarcks and Solomons, with the. The Battle of Coral Sea occurred on May 4-8, 1942 in the Pacific Theater of World War 2. Battle of France | History, Summary, Maps, & Combatants Neosho's 17:18 report gave wrong coordinates, which hampered subsequent U.S. rescue efforts to locate the oiler. Battle of Coral Sea | World War 2 Facts [16], Based on un-encrypted intercepted radio traffic from TF16 as it returned to Pearl Harbor, the Japanese assumed that all but one of the U.S. Navy's carriers were in the central Pacific. In early May 1942, the Japanese despatched an invasion fleet from Rabaul to take Port Moresby, Papua. He concluded, based on the sighting report, TF17 was heading south and increasing the range. [50], At 09:15, Takahashi's strike force reached its target area, sighted Neosho and Sims, and searched in vain for the U.S. carriers for a couple of hours. Two dive bombers attacked Shkaku, hitting the carrier with one 1,000lb (450kg) bomb, causing further damage. At about the same time, four Grumman F4F Wildcat fighters from Yorktown intercepted a Kawanishi H6K reconnaissance flying boat from the Yokohama Air Group of the 25th Air Flotilla based at the Shortland Islands and shot it down 11nmi (13mi; 20km) from TF11. Escorting Zeros shielded Takahashi's aircraft from four Lexington CAP Wildcats which attempted to intervene, but two Wildcats circling above Yorktown were able to disrupt Ema's formation. Battle of the Coral Sea, 4-8 May 1942 Japanese intentions By April 1942 the Japanese had formed a defensive perimeter which stretched from the Kuriles southward through the Marshall Islands to New Britain, then westwards to Java, Sumatra, the Andaman Islands and Burma. TF17 then turned to head northwest towards Rossel Island in the Louisiades. It then give an extremely short summary of the Battle of Coral Sea and then explains the U.S. victory at Midway, six months after Pearl Harbor. Lieutenant Commander Shigekazu Shimazaki, commanding the Japanese torpedo planes, sent 14 to attack Lexington and four to attack Yorktown. Special Exhibit at The National WWII Museum, on view from April 18 - July 8, 2012. Forty-six of the original 69 aircraft from the Japanese strike force returned from the mission and landed on Zuikaku. Research has examined how commanders choices affected the battles outcome. (Bibliography of Japanese-language sources), South West Pacific theatre of World War II, Pacific Theater aircraft carrier operations during World War II, U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey (Pacific) 1946, "A Stochastic Salvo Model Analysis of the Battle of the Coral Sea", "Chapter 16: To the Central Pacific and Tarawa, August 1943Background to Galvanic", History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, The Campaigns of MacArthur in the Pacific, Japanese Operations in the Southwest Pacific Area, United States Strategic Bombing Survey (Pacific), "Alternative Endings to the First Aircraft Carrier Battle", "HIJMS Furutaka: Tabular Record of Movement", "HIJMS Submarine I-28: Tabular Record of Movement", "HIJMS Submarine RO-33: Tabular Record of Movement", "HIJMS Submarine RO-34: Tabular Record of Movement", "IJN Seaplane Tender Kiyokawa Maru: Tabular Record of Movement", "IJN Kikuzuki: Tabular Record of Movement", U.S.S. On the evening of 6 May, the two carrier fleets closed to within 70nmi (81mi; 130km) but did not detect each other in the darkness. DE US History - Ch. 26 Flashcards | Quizlet [24], The Carrier Strike Force, with the carriers Zuikaku and Shkaku, two heavy cruisers, and six destroyers, sortied from Truk on 1 May. Battle of the Coral Sea In the Coral Sea Courtesy of the Naval History and Heritage Command The USS Yorktown is shown operating in the vicinity of the Coral Sea, April 1942. [20], Leading the invasion of Tulagi was the Tulagi Invasion Force, commanded by Rear Admiral Kiyohide Shima, consisting of two minelayers, two older Mutsuki-class destroyers, five minesweepers, two subchasers and a transport ship carrying about 400 troops from the 3rd Kure SNLF. The ship could still make 24kn (28mph; 44km/h) with her remaining boilers. Believing the Japanese carriers were still well to the north near Bougainville, Fletcher continued to refuel. The U.S. destroyer Henley responded and rescued 109 Neosho and 14 Sims survivors later that day, then scuttled the tanker with gunfire. Takagi detached his two carriers with two destroyers under Hara's command to head towards TF17 at 20kn (23mph; 37km/h) in order to be in position to attack at first light the next day while the rest of his ships completed refueling. Without a hold in New Guinea, the subsequent Allied advance, arduous as it was, would have been even more difficult. In the meantime Yamamoto detached some of his large warships, including two fleet carriers, a light carrier, a cruiser division, and two destroyer divisions, to support Mo, and placed Inoue in charge of the naval portion of the operation. Escorting the transports was the Port Moresby Attack Force with one light cruiser and six relatively old Kamikaze and Mutsuki-class destroyers under the command of Rear Admiral Sadamichi Kajioka. The rest of Lexington's dive bombers were unable to find the Japanese carriers in the heavy clouds. Fearing more air attacks, Got withdrew his warships to the north, but sent the destroyer Sazanami back at 14:00 to rescue survivors. Inoue, whose reconnaissance aircraft sighted Crace's ships earlier that day, recalled the invasion convoy to Rabaul, postponed MO to 3 July, and ordered his forces to assemble northeast of the Solomons to begin the RY operation. Critically low on fuel, Takagi's warships spent most of 9 May refueling from the fleet oiler Th Maru. [109] Thus began the Guadalcanal and Solomon Islands campaigns that resulted in a series of attritional, combined-arms battles between Allied and Japanese forces over the next year which, in tandem with the New Guinea campaign, eventually neutralized Japanese defenses in the South Pacific, inflicted irreparable losses on the Japanese militaryespecially its navyand contributed significantly to the Allies' eventual victory over Japan. [88] At noon on 11 May, a U.S. Navy PBY on patrol from Nouma sighted the drifting Neosho (1535S 15536E / 15.583S 155.600E / -15.583; 155.600). Operation Mo - Wikipedia Fletcher noted that both his carriers were hurt and that his air groups had suffered high fighter losses. The destroyer was hit by three bombs, broke in half, and sank immediately, killing all but 14 of her 192-man crew. Lexington represented, at that time, 25% of U.S. carrier strength in the Pacific. Neosho with Japanese Aircraft on May 7, 1942; Subsequent Loss of U.S.S. Battle of Coral Sea Study/ Battle of Midway Study - quizlet.com The first group included 12 torpedo-armed G4M bombers and the second group comprised 19 Mitsubishi G3M land attack aircraft armed with bombs. At 10:15 on 15 May, a Kawanishi reconnaissance aircraft from Tulagi sighted TF16 445nmi (512mi; 824km) east of the Solomons. The Japanese forces immediately began construction of a seaplane and communications base. [116], The U.S. did not perform as expected, but it learned from its mistakes in the battle and made improvements to its carrier tactics and equipment, including fighter tactics, strike coordination, torpedo bombers and defensive strategies, such as anti-aircraft artillery, which contributed to better results in later battles. After the carrier's survivors were rescued, including Admiral Fitch and the ship's captain, Frederick C. Sherman, at 19:15 the destroyer Phelps fired five torpedoes into the burning ship, which sank in 2,400fathoms at 19:52 (1515S 15535E / 15.250S 155.583E / -15.250; 155.583). At 12:10, Shkaku, accompanied by two destroyers, retired to the northeast. At the same time, their invasion fleet, protected by . The Battle of the Coral Sea begins - HISTORY [51], Four dive bombers attacked Sims and the rest dived on Neosho. [110], The delay in the advance of Japanese forces also allowed the Marine Corps to land on Funafuti on 2 October 1942, with a Naval Construction Battalion (Seabees) building airfields on three of the atolls of Tuvalu from which USAAF B-24 Liberator bombers of the Seventh Air Force operated. The modeling suggested striking first would have provided a decisive advantage, even more beneficial than having an extra carrier. The plan called for Port Moresby to be invaded from the sea and secured by 10 May. Battle of the Coral Sea | Facts, History, & Significance Beginning in December 1941, the Japanese had devastated the U.S. Fleet at Pearl Harbor, seized Hong Kong, conquered Southeast Asia, the Dutch East Indies and much of the Philippines, and terrorized the Indian Ocean with a naval sweep. Fuel was also a concern due to the loss of Neosho. Before losing power, Neosho was able to notify Fletcher by radio that she was under attack and in trouble, but garbled any further details as to just who or what was attacking her and gave wrong coordinates (1625S 15731E / 16.417S 157.517E / -16.417; 157.517) for its position. [47] Takagi and Hara considered that the conflicting reports might mean that the U.S. carrier forces were operating in two separate groups. The atolls of Tuvalu acted as a staging post during the preparation for the Battle of Tarawa and the Battle of Makin that commenced on 20 November 1943, which was the implementation of Operation Galvanic. In order to try to keep to the MO timetable, Takagi was forced to abandon the delivery mission after the second attempt and direct his force towards the Solomon Islands to refuel. Although Got's force included the light carrier Shh, Nielsen thought that he saw two cruisers and four destroyers and thus the main fleet. Nevertheless, Fletcher decided the risk was necessary to ensure the Japanese invasion forces could not slip through to Port Moresby while he engaged the carriers. by . [70], At 09:15, the Japanese carriers launched a combined strike of 18 fighters, 33 dive bombers, and 18 torpedo planes, commanded by Takahashi, with Shimazaki again leading the torpedo bombers. TF 11, commanded by Rear Admiral Aubrey Fitch and consisting of the carrier Lexington with two cruisers and five destroyers, was between Fiji and New Caledonia. The Allies regarded Port Moresby as a key base for a planned counteroffensive, under General Douglas MacArthur, against Japanese forces in the South West Pacific area. Got and Kajioka were told to assemble their ships south of Rossel Island for a night surface battle if the U.S. ships came within range. Why did the Japanese want to take Port Morseby. [114] Two studies used mathematical models to estimate the impact of various alternatives. 79 Years Ago, Japan Suffers First WWII Defeat at Battle of Coral Sea Nimitz's staff also concluded that the Japanese operation might include carrier raids on Allied bases in Samoa and at Suva. Since no Allied ships were in that area, the search planes found nothing. The models indicated the Americans would have suffered slightly less total damage, with one ship sunk but the other unharmed. Takagi and Hara, confused by the conflicting sighting reports they were receiving, decided to continue with the strike on the ships to their south, but turned their carriers towards the northwest to close the distance with Furutaka's reported contact. answer choices 8 May 1942. By then, the Allies had reinforced New Guinea with additional troops (primarily Australian) starting with the Australian 14th Brigade which embarked at Townsville on 15 May. Capable of carrying up to 6,000 passengers and 1,500 tons of cargo, her typical route saw her travel between Cleveland . Reconnaissance patrols conducted from the U.S. carriers throughout the day failed to locate any of the Japanese naval forces, because they were located just beyond scouting range. Both the U.S. and Japanese carrier warship forces turned to head directly for each other's location at high speed in order to shorten the distance their aircraft would have to fly on their return legs. [64], As nightfall ended aircraft operations for the day, Fletcher ordered TF17 to head west and prepared to launch a 360 search at first light. When was the battle of the coral sea? The goal was to isolate Australia and New Zealand from the Allied United States . Fearing a carrier air attack on his exposed invasion forces, Inoue immediately canceled RY and ordered his ships back to Rabaul and Truk. MacArthur's headquarters radioed Fletcher with reports of the attacks and the locations of the Japanese invasion forces. Aircraft from Shh covered the landings until early afternoon, when Got's force turned towards Bougainville to refuel in preparation to support the landings at Port Moresby. Battle of the Coral Sea, 3-8 May 1942 - HistoryOfWar.org Takagi elected to take his carriers 120nmi (140mi; 220km) north during the night so he could concentrate his morning search to the west and south and ensure that his carriers could provide better protection for the invasion convoy. Bad weather during two attempts to make the delivery on 23 May compelled the aircraft to return to the carriers, stationed 240nmi (280mi; 440km) from Rabaul, and one of the Zeros was forced to ditch in the sea. The submarines investigated Rossel Island and the Deboyne Group anchorage in the Louisiade Archipelago, Jomard Channel, and the route to Port Moresby from the east. 80-G-16655: Battle of the Coral Sea, May 1942 He was informed that Allied intelligence sources believed that up to four Japanese carriers might be supporting the MO operation. The U.S. sank the Japanese light carrier Shh, and the Japanese sank a U.S. destroyer and damaged the fleet oiler Neosho. In spite of damage, Yorktown and Lexington were both able to recover aircraft from their returning air groups. What was destroyed during the Battle of Coral Sea? Pictures: Life and Death of the USS Yorktown - warhistoryonline Battle of the Coral Sea Courtesy of the Naval History and Heritage Command MacArthur's fliers' reports of seeing a carrier (Shh) about 425nmi (489mi; 787km) northwest of TF17 further convinced Fletcher fleet carriers were accompanying the invasion force. The Battle of the Coral Sea, from 4 to 8 May 1942, was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and naval and air forces of the United States and Australia. Supporting the Tulagi force was the Covering Group with the light carrier Shh, the IJN's four Furutaka /Aoba-class heavy cruisers, and one destroyer, commanded by Rear Admiral Aritomo Got. have adopted this kitten, June 19, 1942, born on a cruiser during the height of the Coral Sea battle. Battle of the Coral Sea (1959) - IMDb [42], At 06:25 on 7 May, TF17 was 115nmi (132mi; 213km) south of Rossel Island (1320S 15421E / 13.333S 154.350E / -13.333; 154.350). Coral Sea started a trend which resulted in the irreparable attrition of Japan's veteran carrier aircrews by the end of October 1942. The battle of the Coral Sea took place in May 1942 and was the first battle in history where aircraft carriers engaged each other directly with fighters.Loading Screen Tip Coral Sea is a map featured in Battlefield 1943 and is exclusive to the Air Superiority mode. [9], In April 1942, the army and navy developed a plan that was titled Operation Mo. This may be the explosion reported to have taken place at 1727 hrs, which was followed by a "great explosion" aft as stowed torpedo warheads detonated on the hangar deck. Further operations against Fiji, Samoa and New Caledonia (Operation FS) were to be planned once Mo and RY were completed. Fletcher's forces had entered the Coral Sea area before the submarines took station, and the Japanese were therefore unaware of their presence. Up to 12 near misses damaged Yorktown's hull below the waterline. [13], Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, the new commander of U.S. forces in the Central Pacific, and his staff discussed the deciphered messages and agreed that the Japanese were likely initiating a major operation in the Southwest Pacific in early May with Port Moresby as the probable target. What did the Japanese want, in order to install a blockade. [71], Yorktown's dive bombers, led by William O. Burch, reached the Japanese carriers at 10:32, and paused to allow the slower torpedo squadron to arrive so that they could conduct a simultaneous attack. [67], At 06:15 on 8 May, from a position 100nmi (120mi; 190km) east of Rossel Island (1025S 1545E / 10.417S 154.083E / -10.417; 154.083), Hara launched seven torpedo bombers to search the area bearing 140230, out to 250nmi (290mi; 460km) from the Japanese carriers. Crace overheard radio reports saying the enemy invasion convoy had turned back, but, unaware Fletcher had withdrawn, he remained on patrol with the rest of TG17.3 in the Coral Sea in case the Japanese invasion force resumed its advance towards Port Moresby. Inoue did not cancel the recall of the invasion convoy, but ordered Takagi and Got to pursue the remaining Allied warship forces in the Coral Sea. The battle of the Coral Sea (3-8 May 1942) ended as the first major Japanese setback of the Second World War, and marked the end of the period of rapid Japanese expansion across the Pacific that began after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Following the loss of Lexington, improved methods for containing aviation fuel and better damage control procedures were implemented by the U.S.[117] Coordination between the Allied land-based air forces and the U.S. Navy was poor during this battle, but this too would improve over time. At 14:22, Fitch notified Fletcher that he had reports of two undamaged Japanese carriers and that this was supported by radio intercepts. An explosion amidships on USS Lexington (CV-2), while she was being abandoned during the afternoon of 8 May 1942. Based on these reports, Takagi, who was still awaiting the return of all of his aircraft from attacking Neosho, turned his carriers due west at 13:30 and advised Inoue at 15:00 that the U.S. carriers were at least 430nmi (490mi; 800km) west of his location and that he would therefore be unable to attack them that day. At 07:00, the carrier striking force turned to the southwest and was joined by two of Got's cruisers, Kinugasa and Furutaka, for additional screening support. [74], At 10:55, Lexington's CXAM-1 radar detected the inbound Japanese aircraft at a range of 68nmi (78mi; 126km) and vectored nine Wildcats to intercept. In 1942 submarine commander Jeff Conway secretly photographs Japanese aircraft carriers in the Coral Sea but his submarine is damaged and he's forced to surr. [95], The battle marked the first time that a Japanese invasion force was turned back without achieving its objective, which greatly lifted the morale of the Allies after a series of defeats by the Japanese during the initial six months of the Pacific Theatre. The U.S. lost one torpedo bomber and two fighters in the strikes, but all of the aircrew were eventually rescued. [105] The added forces slowed, then eventually halted the Japanese advance towards Port Moresby in September 1942, and defeated an attempt by the Japanese to overpower an Allied base at Milne Bay. It marked the first. The Japanese attack on the U.S. carriers on 8 May was better coordinated than the U.S. attack on the Japanese carriers. These would be repeated at Midway, for the same reason, and as a result, Japan lost four fleet carriers, the core of her naval offensive forces, and thereby lost the strategic initiative in the Pacific War. The aircraft carrier Yorktown's Bombing Squadron Five (SBD-3 Dauntless scout bombers) spotted forward on the flight deck during operations in the Coral Sea, April 1942. Turning Point: The Doolittle Raid, Battle of the Coral Sea, and Battle of Midway focuses on the pivotal Battle of Midway and the events that led up to it, told through oral histories, artifacts and archival photographs and footage. Finally, at 10:51 Shkaku scout aircrews realized they were mistaken in their identification of the oiler and destroyer as aircraft carriers. Neosho Detail: Engagement of U.S.S. . Fletcher was concerned that the locations of the rest of the Japanese fleet carriers were still unknown. [45] The Shkaku aircraft actually sighted and misidentified the oiler Neosho and destroyer Sims, which had earlier been detailed away from the fleet to a southern rendezvous point. In H. P. Willmot's words, the commanders "had to contend with uncertain and poor communications in situations in which the area of battle had grown far beyond that prescribed by past experience but in which speeds had increased to an even greater extent, thereby compressing decision-making time. Takagi and Hara were determined to attack immediately with a select group of aircraft, minus fighter escort, even though it meant the strike would return after dark. Caption: Battle of the Coral Sea, May 1942. The Japanese found the American fleet at 1118. WWII carrier-versus-carrier engagements between American and Japanese naval forces: This page was last edited on 3 February 2023, at 22:09. Seaplanes from Deboyne assisted Takagi in searching for TF17 on the morning of 10 May. Taking the Japanese formation by surprise, the Wildcats shot down seven torpedo bombers and one dive bomber, and heavily damaged another torpedo bomber (which later crashed), at a cost of three Wildcats lost. Fletcher elected to take TF17 northwest towards the Louisiades and ordered TF11 to meet TF 44, which was en route from Sydney and Nouma, on 4 May once refueling was complete. . [92], Both sides publicly claimed victory after the battle. [68], At 06:35, TF17 operating under Fitch's tactical control and positioned 180nmi (210mi; 330km) southeast of the Louisiades, launched 18 SBDs to conduct a 360 search out to 200nmi (230mi; 370km). Radar gave the U.S. a limited advantage in this battle, but its value to the U.S. Navy increased over time as the technology improved and the Allies learned how to employ it more effectively. Lexington's TBDs missed Shkaku with all 11 of their torpedoes. What was the significance of the Battle in the Coral Sea in May 1942 Lasted 4 days The battle Marked the first air-sea battle in history Japanese seeked Control of the coral see with an invasion of Port Moresby in New Guinea Admiral Frank J Fletcher The 19 Shkaku dive bombers, under Takahashi, lined up on Lexington while the remaining 14, directed by Tamotsu Ema, targeted Yorktown. What was the Japanese plan. 10 Facts on the Coral Sea | Getaway USA At 11:27, Yorktown was hit in the centre of her flight deck by a single 250kg (550lb), semi-armour-piercing bomb which penetrated four decks before exploding, causing severe structural damage to an aviation storage room and killing or seriously wounding 66 men, as well as damaging the superheater boilers which rendered them inoperable. The Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942 was no exception. Battle of the coral sea Flashcards | Quizlet USS Wolverine (IX-64) USS Wolverine (IX-64), August 1943. Armed with this information, Fletcher directed TF17 to refuel from Neosho. Yorktown skillfully evaded eight . The sailors say the kitten has to. WWII War Movie: Battle of the Coral Sea, 1959 - YouTube [14], On 29 April, Nimitz issued orders that sent his four carriers and their supporting warships towards the Coral Sea. In 1972, U.S. Vice Admiral H. S. Duckworth, after reading Japanese records of the battle, commented, "Without a doubt, May7, 1942, vicinity of Coral Sea, was the most confused battle area in world history. Inoue believed the capture and control of these locations would provide greater security and defensive depth for the major Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain. On 5 April, the U.S. intercepted an IJN message directing a carrier and other large warships to proceed to Inoue's area of operations. [19] The Allied garrison at Port Moresby numbered around 5,333 men, but only half of these were infantry and all were badly equipped and undertrained. At 07:45, the scout confirmed that it had located "one carrier, one cruiser, and three destroyers". Midway Island is a fairly isolated atoll, so named because it is midway between North America and Asia in the North . US . The U.S. Navy also exaggerated the damage it inflicted, which later caused the press to treat its reports of Midway with more caution. After recovering its aircraft late in the evening of 4 May, TF17 retired towards the south. World War II warship USS Lexington was recovered from the Coral Sea [91], Shkaku reached Kure, Japan, on 17 May, almost capsizing en route during a storm due to her battle damage. Inoue directed Takagi to make sure he destroyed the U.S. carriers the next day, and postponed the Port Moresby landings to 12May. The Japanese did not know the location of the remaining carrier, but did not expect a U.S. carrier response to MO until the operation was well under way. In May of 1942, the Japanese fleet moved on Port Moresby, the last . Late in the evening of 9 May, Takagi and Got headed southeast, then southwest into the Coral Sea. The Battle of the Coral Sea | World History Quiz - Quizizz Who was the Battle between? Yorktown reached Pearl the following day. By 14:20, the aircraft were rearmed and ready to launch against the Port Moresby Invasion Force or Got's cruisers. Takagi, approximately 300nmi (350mi; 560km) east of Fletcher (1312S 15805E / 13.200S 158.083E / -13.200; 158.083), launched 12 Nakajima B5Ns at 06:00 to scout for TF17. They also sent a carrier force to patrol into the Coral Sea to intercept any American carriers sent to thwart their planned attack. Choosing his most experienced crews, including Takahashi, Shimazaki and Lieutenant Tamotsu Ema, at 16:15 Hara launched 12 dive bombers and 15 torpedo planes with orders to fly on a heading of 277 to 280nmi (320mi; 520km).