Happened in the Coral Sea
pp. 47-49 · Read in the full issue
Ten Years Ago: What Really Happened in the Coral Sea
TEN years ago, during March, April, May and June, there occurred in the Southwest Pacific a series of confused battles, of the significance and result of which we then had only a vague idea.
To-day, seen against the back ground of the Pacific section of World War II (1942-45) we know that that series of battles saved Aus tralia and the South Pacific Islands from Japanese invasion, and set in train a chain of events which ended in the overwhelming defeat of Japan.
This month, Americans and Aus tralians are celebrating the victory of the Battle of the Coral Sea (May 3-8, 1942). By itself, that battle, while very important, did not mean very much; but now as we see it in con junction with several other battles, we realise what it meant.
The speed of the Japanese thrust southwards across the Pacific was amazing. Pearl Harbour, in early December, 1941, marked the opening of the war. Within three months, the Japs were in posesssion of all Southeast Asia, Malaya, Netherlands Indies, Philippines, New Guinea
( T ePt H aP e U V Bismarck Archi pelago, and Solomons They had created a huge base at Rabaul. It was to be the spring board for their attack on Australia and New Zealand. If they held the latter, they bestrode the world — they controlled the Pacific and the United States could not reach India, or Africa, or the Middle East, except through the Atlantic. They planned to seize Australia before the Americans could recover from the shock of Pearl Harbour, and get around south by west to the help of the British Pacific countries.
The only thing that equalled the speed of the Japanese was the speed of the Americans. They anticipated Jap strategy. Their forces were pouring into the Southwest Pacific in March, before the Japs were properly set for their deadly spring from the Rabaul base. first Jap thrust from Rabaul A came early in March, 1942.
Our reconnaissance planes dis covered that important Jap naval forces, with many transports, had
arrived at Lae and Salamaua—the first big move against Port Moresby and Torres Strait.
An American-Australian fleet, headed by two big carriers (Lexing ton and York) was off the Queens land coast. The two carriers went into the Gulf of Papua, and 100 of their planes flew straight across the
Owen Stanley Range and fell like hawks upon the surprised Japs.
The execution was terrific. The Japs occupied both Lae and Salamaua, but their transports, equipment and warships were so badly
smashed that they had no sting left for the advance on Moresby.
The Japs re-grouped. During April, they massed troop-carrying and naval forces in the vicinity of Truk and Rabaul. At the end of
April they moved southwards, in a two-pronged thrust—one prong through the Solomons and the other towards the archipelagoes directly eastward of Papua.
Three or four American-Aus tralian fleets were cruising in the Coral Sea, generally between Southern Solomons and the Queens land coast.
The first of the Jap naval forces of the eastern prong arrived in Tulagi harbour (Solomons) on May 3.
They were observed and reported by scout planes from the carrier York town, at the head of a fleet led by Rear Admiral Fletcher. Fletcher consulted with Rear Admiral Fitch who, with carrier Lexington and another American fleet, was not far away.
Before dawn on the 4th, the two fleets were 100 miles west of Guadal canal. Their planes arrived with the daylight over Tulagi. Not one Jap
ship escaped damage—l 4 warships
and transports were sunk by dive bombers and torpedoers there in the harbour. That blunted the eastern prong of the enemy thrust. The Americans lost three planes.
BY now, we knew that powerful Jap forces were moving into the Coral Sea. Two Jap fleets of war ships and transports, with two
carriers, direct from Rabaul, were located in the Papuan archipelagoes.
Another Jap force, headed by the Shoho, newest and largest Jap carrier, came southwest into the Coral Sea, around the southern Solomons.
The American-Australian fleets in the Coral Sea, with the carriers Yorktown and Lexington , moved into positions suitable for air attack.
During May 5,6, 7 and 8 the two huge forces searched for and fought each other with their planes. The Americans were aided by shore based American and Australian planes, from the North Queensland coast.
Our forces sank the Jap carriers Shoho and Shokaku and severely damaged Zuikaku, sank three or four heavy and one light cruiser, and sank and wrecked numerous trans ports, many of which they found near the Louisiades—they seemed to have had a base at Deboyne Lagoon.
The Japs got in some heavy blows —they sank the valuable carrier Lexington, damaged the carrier Yorktown, and sank some small ships and we lost 66 planes.
But the western prong of the attack, which clearly was directed at Port Moresby, was completely smashed—the remnants of the enemy fleets limped back to Rabaul and the Caroline bases. fpHAT was the Battle of the Coral J- Sea, fought entirely with planes —the warships were never nearer each other than 180 miles. Com bined with the Battle of Huon Gulf (early March) and the First Battle of Tulagi (May 4) it spelled the first great defeat suffered by modern Japan. It was the actual turning point of the Pacific War.
It was confirmed, a month later, in the Battle of Midway Island, when powerful Jap naval formations, trying to intercept American forces with an eastwards thrust, lost all their carriers (four) and a large number of valuable warships.
For a year after that, the enemy fought strongly and savagely in the Solomons and in New Guinea, and gained minor successes; but hence forth he was fighting a losing war.
American air and sea-power was built up irresistibly. By the end of 1943, General MacArthur was ready with his islands leap-frog strategy.
The enemy’s islands fortresses, built at such incredible cost, became his prisons and his tomb. Eighteen months later, he surrendered un conditionally.
The Huon Gulf-Tulagi-Coral Sea- Midway Island phase was the turn ing-ppint of the Pacific War.—RWR.