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    Battle of the Coral Sea
    Battle of the Coral Sea
    Battle of the Coral Sea
    Ebook177 pages2 hours

    Battle of the Coral Sea

    By Peter Dunn OAM

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    About this ebook

    The Battle of the Coral Sea was the first major naval engagement in history, which was decided without the opposing ships firing a shot at each other. The battle was brought to the opposing ships by the naval air support of the opposing enemy force. It was a tactical victory for the Japanese but a strategic victory for the Allies. The Prime Minister of Australia, John Curtin was so concerned at the time of the Battle of the Coral Sea that he warned Australians "invasion is a menace capable of becoming an actuality at any hour."

    This book contains fulls details of Allied Aircraft lost and the names of US Navy, USMC and RAAF Personnel who died as a result of the Battle of the Coral Sea.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAustralia War
    Release dateMay 24, 2017
    ISBN9781386402329
    Battle of the Coral Sea
    Author

    Peter Dunn OAM

    I am a retired electrical engineer who has a passion for the history of people, places, units, and events in Australia during WWII. My research covers military and civilian activities on the Australian Home Front during WWII. I am also the owner of a very large web site called "Australia @ War".

    Read more from Peter Dunn Oam

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      Book preview

      Battle of the Coral Sea - Peter Dunn OAM

      Chapter 1

      Introduction

      The Battle of the Coral Sea was the first major naval engagement in history, which was decided without the opposing ships firing a shot at each other. The battle was brought to the opposing ships by the naval air support of the opposing enemy force. It was a tactical victory for the Japanese but a strategic victory for the Allies. The Prime Minister of Australia, John Curtin was so concerned at the time of the Battle of the Coral Sea that he warned Australians invasion is a menace capable of becoming an actuality at any hour.

      Air attacks on the enemy at Lae and Salamaua on 10 March 1942 did not halt the Japanese move southward. By mid April 1942, the Japanese were moving their forces through the Mandates in readiness for a renewal of their offensive. Their strongholds in New Guinea, New Britain and the Solomon Islands gave them an opportunity to threaten all of Melanesia and Australia if they wished.

      The Japanese had bases at the following locations:-

      • Rabaul, New Britain

      • Gasmata, New Britain

      • Kavieng, New Ireland

      • Salamaua, New Guinea

      • Lae, New Guinea

      • Watom Island

      • Ulu Island

      • Dyaul Island

      • Kieta, Bougainville Island

      • Buin, Bougainville Island

      • Buka Island, Solomons

      • Faisi Island, Solomons

      Japanese air reinforcements were believed to be enroute through the Marianas and the Marshall Island groups.

      Simpson Harbour at Rabaul, was the main Japanese port for convoys, with lesser activity at Kavieng, Watom, Ulu, Dyaul, Lae and Salamaua.

      A few Japanese combatant units, operated almost exclusively in the Rabaul area. Typically an occasional aircraft carrier transporting aircraft, a submarine tender, 3 or more submarines, a seaplane tender and several light cruiser, destroyers and gunboats would be present at Rabaul.

      An estimated 3 Japanese aircraft carriers, 2 or 3 battleships, 3 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, 16 destroyers, a submarine tender, 6 submarines, 2 converted seaplane tenders, 2 mine layers, 8 gunboats, 9 transports or cargo ships and 8 merchantmen were positioned at Palau and Truk in the Mandates in preparation for a possible move southwards.

      During April 1942, there was evidence that the Japanese were planning to invade Port Moresby. The Allies believed that the Japanese would start major operations in the Rabaul area on about 28 April 1942 as part of a seaborne invasion of Port Moresby, or the Lower Solomons or both.

      The Japanese operational plans called for six large aircraft carriers of the Japanese combined fleet to sail from Truk and head south of the Solomons and then west into the Coral Sea. Their role was to support and protect the invasion fleet headed for Port Moresby. This was all part of Japan's Operation MO which had three objectives:-

      With the co-operation of the South Seas Army detachment and the Navy, Japanese forces would occupy Port Moresby and important positions on Tulagi and in south eastern New Guinea

      They would establish air bases and strengthen their air operations in the Australian area

      Successively an element would carry out a sudden attack against Nauru and Ocean Island and secure the phosphorous resources located there. 

      The invasion fleet was to consist of 5,000 marines of the Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces in 12 transports escorted by destroyers and cruisers with one light aircraft carrier to provide air cover. They were scheduled to attack Port Moresby in the first week in May 1942. They were to assemble at Rabaul and sail down through the Louisiade Archipelago around the eastern end of New Guinea and attack Port Moresby.

      The role of the six aircraft carriers was to attack any Allied Naval forces trying to intercept the Japanese Invasion Fleet. Following the invasion of Port Moresby, the six aircraft carriers were due to head southwards to mount a massive 300 aircraft air-raid on Townsville.

      On 18 April 1942, Colonel Doolittle launched his daring bombing raid on Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe and Kyoto using B-25 Mitchell bombers launched from the decks of US aircraft carriers. In fact General Tojo was flying back to Tokyo at the time of Doolitle's daring raid and his aircraft had to take evasive action to avoid an unfamiliar brown twin-engined aircraft, which the crew told a worried Tojo was a land-based American Mitchell bomber.

      As a result of Doolittle's air raid, the Japanese changed their priorities in readiness for the invasion of Midway. The Japanese knew that the Americans only had four aircraft carriers in the Pacific Ocean. They knew that two of these carriers were used in Doolittle's raid on 18 April. Japanese intelligence knew that USS LEXINGTON CV-2 was in Pearl Harbor so that left only one aircraft carrier, the USS YORKTOWN CV-5 in the South Pacific.

      ––––––––

      NARA Photo # 19-N-17424.

      USS Yorktown CV-5 on 21 July 1937

      ––––––––

      NARA Photo # 80-G-416362

      USS Lexington CV-2 in October 1941

      ––––––––

      Based on this, the Japanese decided to downgrade the Combined Fleet support for the Port Moresby Invasion to just a Task Force support and at the same time the 300 aircraft air-raid on Townsville was removed from their plans. (Wheh!!!) The Japanese despatched only two aircraft carriers, Zuikaku and Shokaku, and the light carrier Shoho to support the invasion of Port Moresby. The rest of the Japanese fleet would make preparations for the invasion of Midway.

      The Japanese air strength at Rabaul was reaching a peak. Because the Allied codebreakers were able to read most of the Japanese Naval radio traffic, Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet CinCPac, was well aware of the Japanese plans.

      Task Force 17 under Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher was still located in the Coral Sea area and Task Force 11 had returned to Pearl Harbor. Task Force 11, then under Rear Admiral Aubrey W. Fitch, left Pearl Harbor on 16 April 1942 and whilst on its way to Christmas Island it was ordered to divert course to the Coral Sea area to join up with Task Force 17 to oppose the expected Japanese threat.

      On 25 April 1942, General MacArthur sent a signal from Melbourne stating Information indicates the assembly in the JAPANESE MANDATES of sea and air forces of at least three aircraft carriers and five 8-inch gun cruisers capable of striking in any direction.

      Australian military commanders were anticipating a possible strike by carrier-borne aircraft along the coast between Brisbane and Townsville somewhere between 28 April and 3 May 1942, co-incident with an invasion landing near Port Moresby.

      Task Force 11 and Task Force 17 met up at Latitude 16° 16’ S., Longitude 162° 20’ E, on 1 May 1942. Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher was placed in command of the combined forces.

      A scout plane from USS YORKTOWN sighted an enemy submarine on the surface 32 miles north of the Task Force's position before the two Task Forces separated on 2 May 1942. The submarine dived and resurfaced and was depth charged by three aircraft and was possibly sunk.

      Rear Admiral Fletcher directed Task Force 11 to join up with a reinforcing group comprising USS CHICAGO, USS PERKINS of Task Force 44 and USS TIPPECANOE at Latitude 16° 00’ S, Longitude 161° 45’ E. Task Force 11 fully refuelled its ships from USS TIPPECANOE, which then headed for Efate. Task Force 11 then re-joined Task Force 17 the following day.

      Task Force 17 had refuelled its ships from the USS NEOSHO and was topped up again on 2 May 1942. At this time Fletcher received intelligence that the Japanese might advance on Port Moresby very soon. Fletcher directed Task Force 11 which was closer, to respond, to continue fuelling its destroyers whilst pursuing a north westerly course at night and to re-join with Task Force 17 at daylight on 4 May 1942 at Latitude 15° 00’ S, Longitude 157° 00’ E. Task Force 44 (previously known as the Anzac Squadron) comprising HMAS AUSTRALIA and HMAS HOBART joined them as a reinforcing unit at this location.

      Task Force 17 refuelled its destroyers from USS NEOSHO on 3 May 1942 whilst heading northwest. At 1900 hours on 3 May 1942, Fletcher received intelligence from Commander Southwest Pacific Forces that the Japanese had begun to occupy Florida Island in the Solomons going ashore from transports in Tulagi Harbour.

      Ground forces along the Queensland coast and in the Port Moresby area were put on alert. The Australia Army's 42nd Battalion was responsible for patrolling the coastline near Townsville. They were part of a defence scheme for the Khyber Pass through which the northern rail line ran to Townsville. No one in the Battalion had yet been issued with ammunition. But, during the Battle of the Coral Sea, from 4th to 8th May 1942, they were each issued with 20 rounds of ammunition and sent to the coast near Alligator Creek, just south of Townsville, and told to fix bayonets and face out to sea.

      In some north Queensland towns, trains were parked at railways sidings with their boilers at the ready, to evacuate school children in the event of an invasion.

      Task Force 17 headed for Tulagi at full steam ahead without rendezvousing with the other ships as originally planned. Fletcher detached USS NEOSHO with USS RUSSELL as an escort and directed her to proceed to the original rendezvous for the 4 May 1942 and to inform all ships that a new rendezvous would be made at Latitude 15° 00’ S., Longitude 160° 00’ E., at daylight on 5 May 1942.

      Task Force 17 at that time comprised the following ships:-

      Aircraft Carrier

      USS YORKTOWN

      Heavy Cruisers

      USS ASTORIA

      USS CHESTER

      USS PORTLAND

      Destroyers

      USS HAMMANN

      USS ANDERSON

      USS PERKINS

      USS WALKE

      USS MORRIS

      USS SIMS

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