The Coral Sea, 1942

[Jim Craik]

Today is the 71st anaversery of the Battle of the Coral Sea. This was the first naval battle in history where the fighting ships were never in contact with each other. Only their aircraft were engaged.

This battle was important as it semmed the Japanese advance towards Australia and New Zeland.

Although in ships sunk this could be considered a Japanese victory, we lost: The large Fleet Carrier USS Lexington, the fast Fleet Oiler USS Neoso and the Destroyer USS Sims

The Japanese lost: The light Fleet carrier IJN Shoho and one Destroyer.

But when you look past the numbers, this was an Alied Victory. The Japanese set out to capture Port Morsby and New Guinea, they did not expect much resistance.

But for the first time in the war, the IJN ran into "first string", US Fleet Carriers, the USS Lexington and USS Yorktown.

In the end, the Japanese called off their New Guinea invasion and more importantly their two large, new (Pearl Harbor vets), Fleet Carriers IJN Shokaku and Zuikaku were either damaged or lost enough aircraft that they both missed the Battle of Midway a few weeks later.

But conversly, the bombed and torpedoed USS Yorktown was patched up and loaded for bear off Midway, 25 days later (that was very big!).

The lasting legacy from this battle: Before The Coral Sea the Japanese had only been advancing, after the Coral Sea they only lost and retreated.

Many thanks to the brave men of the US and Australian Navy for their selfless sacrafice.

 

[Larry L.]

EXCELLENT post, sir...and 'amen' to your last.

 

[Robert S.]

Jim,

A very well stated summary of the important aerial engagement that preceded the key battle for Midway, which marked the turning of the tide of war in favor of the allied forces.

Thank you for reminding us of this anniversary, and elucidating the key events and their importance.

God Bless them all from the greatest generation who served and sacrificed for the allied powers to protect and ensure our continued freedom and liberty.

God Bless America too. Robert :thumbsup:

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

Jim I agree with your sentiments but you are re-writing history a bit, the Japanese didnt call off the invasion of New Guinea, in fact fighting continued in New Guinea untill the Japanese surrender in 1945.
Although the battle of the Coral Sea played a major roll in their defeat.
I'm proud to say my father was part of the New Guinea campaign and fought at Kokoda.

New Guinea campaign - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Bob Fechter]

Uh-oh, here come the charts.

 

[Jim Craik]

No Pete, I am not re-writing history.

The Japanese had landed troops unopposed March 8-13 1942 on northern New Guinea, in the Lae-Salamaua area. This was well before the Coral Sea Battle, the small Australian garrison in the area withdrew as the Japanese landed and did not contest the landing. They took the airport a Lae (The same airport where a few years earlier Amelia Earhart took off and was never heard from again).

On May 8th, 1942 the Japanese Carriers were escorting 11 Troop Transports carring 5,000+ troops who intended to finish off the Allies by taking the southern city of Port Morsby, the last "large" Allied base left on the Island. This invasion never happened and they never took more than the northern part of New Guinea.

In the aftermath of the Coral Sea Battle, on the afternoon of the 8th, the Japanese turned their transports around and "posponed" their Port Morsby invasion, after Midway, it was cancelled.

Port Morsby was the key to New Guinea, without PM, they could not and did not control the island.

10 months later, they sent another large fleet of transports to reinforce Lae, but the Battle of the Bismark Sea, put an end to that fleet!

Objectives of the South Seas Detachment

On May 4, 1942, troopships bearing the South Seas Detachment set sail southward from Rabaul for Port Moresby. Three days later, however, a naval engagement appeared to be brewing in the Coral Sea; whereupon the transports immediately veered back to the north, in order to avoid combat. The Battle of the Coral Sea caused no small loss to the Fourth Fleet. Plans for the South Seas Detachment to invade Port Moresby from the sea had to be abandoned.

*****************

You should be proud, that Kokoda Trail thing was a nightmare, how far up did your father go?

 

[Jeff Young]

Jim, Pete is right. The invasion that was called off was of Port Moresby. In fact, the whole battle had its genesis in that plan. The Japanese carriers were covering the invasion force and ran into the Yorktown and Lexington in the Coral Sea (after they had just finished air attacks on Tulagi).

Pete is right that the battle for New Guinea was just beginning and in fact the Japanese on the Kokoda Track reached within 20-30 miles of Port Moresby later in 1942 before being pushed back.

The fighting on the track - a narrow mountain trail over mountains ranging up to and over 5,000 meters was some of the fiercest in the war, and if you were wounded or got sick up there, your chances of surviving were slim.

Hats off to the Aussies who held the line in New Guinea without much support from the US until later in 1942. If Port Moresby had fallen, the next step for the Japanese was an invasion of the Northwest coast of Australia.

 

[Jim Craik]

In post #1, I said this:

"In the end, the Japanese called off their New Guinea invasion".


Jeff, Pete,

Did the Japanese plan to invade New Guinea on May 8th, 1942...........Yes

Did the Japanese invade New Guinea as planned on May 8th, 1942........No

I am fully aware of the history of WWII in New Guinea, but I was not talking about the history of New Guinea was I?

I was talking about May 8, 1942, the Battle of the Coral Sea. I was talking about the important effects this battle had.

On that day, one of the immediate effects of the battle...........

The Japanese turned their invasion fleet around, calling off the invasion of Port Moresby, which as you know is in New Guinea.

Pete, if you want to say I did not tell the full story of the Battle for New Guinea, this fine, I was not trying to, but when you say I'm re-writing history that's total bullshit!

 

[Jeff Young]

I believe the Port Moresby Operation was called Operation Mo: The Invasion of Port Moresby or somesuch.

The Japanese had been on New Guinea for a month prior to the Coral Sea, and remained there nearly to the end of the war.

Word games though, and always good to remember Coral Sea, which set the stage for Midway by ensuring that Shokaku and Zuikaku would not be there.

Also interesting that Coral Sea was the last effective use of the TBD Devastator, with the majority of the Navy's remaining inventory lost at Midway and the type retired in favor of the Avenger, which served as the Navy's primary torpedo bomber at Eastern Solomons and Santa Cruz, through the end of the war.

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

Craik, I bow to you sir,it must be a wonderful world you live in to be always right and the rest of the world including the historians wrong.

Jeff thanks for your support and kind words about the Aussies.

 

[Jeff Young]

An amazing "sub theater" and one in which the Australians bore the brunt of some of the fiercest fighting of the war. Strange, or maybe not I guess, that Guadalcanal and the island hopping campaign gets most of the buzz in the media here in the US, while New Guinea, where the fighting was perhaps the fiercest, is ignored.

 

[Jim Craik]

Craik, I bow to you sir,it must be a wonderful world you live in to be always right and the rest of the world including the historians wrong.

Pete, You sir are full of shit!

OK Big talker, Tell me what I said that was not true!

Tell me where I disagreed with "Historians".

Are you saying that the Japanese did invaded New Guinea on May 8th 1942?

You will need some proof!

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

And you sir are beyond contempt.

 

[clive]

I would be very interested if any forum members, or their fathers, had any experience of serving in the Trobriand Islands. These are situated in the middle of Milne Bay, to the east of the mainland of New Guinea and cradled by New Britain and New Ireland, Bougainville.

Apparently a US base, this island is so flat that the highest point is in the order of 12 ft above sea level. An airstrip was built using coral, rolled flat and kept moist to ensure the bonding of the coral. Hard as nails. Flew a large number of aerial survey missions from this strip.

Depending on responses, I will reserve further comment on this astonishing island and it's inhabitants. :happy:

 

[John]

Clive i for one have visited the Trobian Is while working up in New Guinea , based in Lae i got around a bit, spent some time out on Missima Is, great spot, but the Trobes bring back special memories even if it was only 5 days there. and as such i think i no what you mean and agree.:thumbsup:
cheers John one talk

 

[Jeff Young]

Pete, You sir are full of shit!

OK Big talker, Tell me what I said that was not true!

Tell me where I disagreed with "Historians".

Are you saying that the Japanese did invaded New Guinea on May 8th 1942?

You will need some proof!

Jim, there is no need for this.

 

[Jim Craik]

Yes Jeff, there is no need for this!

As you know, I have a degree in History and I deeply care about "History". To commemorate the critical Battle of the Coral Sea I posted a little "History", every thing I posted was true.

Pete, as an Austrailian should know the facts of May 8th, 1942, a battle fought at their doorstep, but his reaction was to say that I was re-writing history and that:

"the the Japanese didnt call off the invasion of New Guinea"

My discription of the Coral Sea Battle was correct, the Carrier fighting did cause the cancellation of that days planned invasion of New Guinea. Now, as we know, the fighting in New Guinea started before the Coral Sea Battle and continued long after, but that does not change what happened May 8th, 1942!

Pete then added this:

"Craik, I bow to you sir,it must be a wonderful world you live in to be always right and the rest of the world including the historians wrong".

Implying once again that what I stated was wrong and did not agree with "Historians".

I again asked him to tell me what I said that was not true, what I said that "Historians" do not agree with. He has no answer, because there is no answer.

Yes Jeff there is no need for this........

In the end, to Petes rude comment

Craik, I bow to you sir,it must be a wonderful world you live in to be always right and the rest of the world including the historians wrong./QUOTE]

I can only add, "McCluskey" what is it like to live in a world where you are always wrong?

 

[Mark]

Not wishing to go all Chav on this, but,

OH! MY! GOD!

WOT-EVER!!

 

[Steve]

Never ends does it.....

An obvious case of Congenital Absence of Self-Awareness

 

[Bob Fechter]

"As we know," since 2008!