Takagi, whose ships were still refueling, was not yet ready to engage in battle. 12–13; Henry, p. 14; Morison, p. 6.Gill, p. 39, Hoyt, pp.
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At that time, Takagi's force was about 300 nmi (350 mi; 560 km) north of Fletcher, near the maximum range for his carrier aircraft.
139 & 144; Hashimoto (1954), p. 54; Morison, p. 22; Hackett and Kingsepp "RO-33" and "RO-34". By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica.Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Who won in the Battle of the Coral Sea?The Japanese won a tactical naval victory when they sank the American carrier Lexington and heavily damaged the Yorktown. With her flight deck heavily damaged and 223 of her crew killed or wounded, The Japanese attack began at 11:13 as the carriers, stationed 3,000 yd (2,700 m) apart, and their escorts opened fire with anti-aircraft guns.
The Jersey, p. 57, Willmott (2002), pp.
518–519. The Japanese attack on the U.S. carriers on 8 May was better coordinated than the U.S. attack on the Japanese carriers.
The sun set at 18:30.
Based on these reports, Takagi, who was still awaiting the return of all of his aircraft from attacking Inoue's staff directed two groups of attack aircraft from Rabaul, already airborne since that morning, towards Crace's reported position.
155–157; D'Albas, p. 97; Morison, pp. Critically low on fuel, Takagi's warships spent most of 9 May refueling from the fleet oiler On 10 May, Operation RY commenced.
By 14:20, the aircraft were rearmed and ready to launch against the Port Moresby Invasion Force or Gotō's cruisers. 46–47; Millot, pp. Instead, manned aircraft acted as the offensive artillery for the ships involved.
The Japanese aircraft all jettisoned their ordnance and reversed course to return to their carriers.
90–96.Frank, p. 428–92; Dull, p. 245–69; Willmott (2002), pp. Port Moresby was vital to Allied strategy and its garrison could well have been overwhelmed by the experienced Japanese invasion troops.
Hackett ("HIJMS Furutaka") states four B-17s attacked Gotō's cruisers as they refueled at the Salecker, pp. Fletcher noted that both his carriers were hurt and that his air groups had suffered high fighter losses.
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. 37–38; Millot, pp.
From a strategic perspective, however, the battle was an Allied victory as it averted the seaborne invasion of Port Moresby, lessening the threat to the supply lines between the U.S. and Australia.
25–26; Lundstrom (2006), p. 139; Spector, p. 157.Hashimoto (1954), p. 54; Hackett and Kingsepp "RO-33" and "RO-34".Bullard, p. 65, Hoyt, p. 8, Dull, pp. 57–59.
114 & 117–118; Dull, p. 135; Lundstrom (2006), p. 135; D'Albas, p. 101; Ito, p. 48; Morison, pp.
82, 112; Willmott (1983), p. 143.
74–76; Peattie, pp.
Fuel was also a concern due to the loss of Around 14:30, Hara informed Takagi that only 24 Zeros, eight dive bombers, and four torpedo planes from the carriers were currently operational.
The battle marked the first time since the start of the war that a major Japanese advance had been checked by the Allies. Lexington represented, at that time, 25% of U.S. carrier strength in the Pacific.
12–13 & 16–17; Hayashi, pp.
124–125; D'Albas, p. 110; Gill, p. 42; Jersey, p. 58; Hayashi, pp. 134–5; Lundstrom (2006), p. 203; D'Albas, p. 109; Stille, p. 72; Morison, p. 63. Japan began its In the meantime, the Allies learned in July that the Japanese had begun building an airfield on The delay in the advance of Japanese forces also allowed the Marine Corps to land on The battle was the first naval engagement in history in which the participating ships never sighted or fired directly at each other.
138–139; Frame, p. 56; Bullard, pp. Their intelligence was correct. He was informed that Allied intelligence sources believed that up to four Japanese carriers might be supporting the At 12:40, a Deboyne-based seaplane sighted and reported Crace's detached cruiser and destroyer force on a bearing of 175°, 78 nmi (90 mi; 144 km) from Deboyne.
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Then, after losing the Battle of Midway, Japan slowly went on the defensive and began losing island after island.