Battle of Midway 中途岛海战.ppt

Battle of Coral SeaBattle of Midway The Battle of Coral Sea Took Place on May 7th and 8th, 1942 Was SW of the Solomon Islands and E of New Guinea It was the first Pacific War battle of 6 battles between opposing forces. The Battle of Coral Sea resulted from Japanese forces trying to capture Fort Moresby on New Guinea’s E coast, which would threaten Australia’s safety also. Japanese Operations at the Battle of Coral Sea The operation had 2 seaborne invasion forces The main force was aimed at Fort Moresby The smaller was aimed at Tulagi The battle was fought entirely by planes Reason why: Neither ship saw each other to fire upon the other The Battle Consisted of: U.S.: Flight carriers: U.S.S Yorktown and U.S.S Lexington led by Admiral Fletcher 122 planes Radar Japan: Flight carriers: Shokaku and Zuikaku led by Admiral Takagi 121 planes NO Radar Questions? Why did Japan go for a Pacific War? They wanted to retrieve resources to be able to invade China Why was this bad for the U.S.? If Japan captured the Philippines for their resources, they wouldn’t need the western nations anymore. This would hurt the American economy. Who did Japan attack and what did they do? They attacked the major power centers: Peral Harbor, Guam, Wake outposts, Philippines and Malaya, knocked Britain away, and invaded SE Asia to end China’s resource supply More Info on the Battle of Coral Sea Why was the U.S.S Yorktown and the U.S.S Lexington not at Pearl Harbor? They were ordered out to sea to protect Port Moresby. The U.S.S Yorktown was first to attack in the battle and seriously damaged one of Japan’s destroyers and 3 of their minesweepers. Why was the Battle of Coral Sea considered a turning point? It was the first aircraft carrier war. There was no clear winner in the Battle of Coral Sea, but it was considered a tactical victory for Japan because the U.S.S Lexington had been lost. Damage was suffered and experience was gained by both opposing sides. This battle set the stage for th