Where was the Battle of Coral located?
The battle took place in the Coral Sea, an area separating the Solomon Islands, the eastern tip of New Guinea, and the north-eastern coast of Australia from Townsville to Horn Island. It was an area of thousands of square kilometers and this made the opposing forces hard to find and see so forces did not know where the enemy was. The Japanese were seeking to control the Coral Sea with an invasion of Port Moresby in southeast New Guinea.
Significance
The battle was significant for two main reasons
- it was the first time in World War 2 that the Japanese experienced failure in a major mission
- the battle stopped the Japanese sea-borne invasion of Port Moresby
- damages made on Japanese carriers caused the battle to pass to the Americans
- American forces knew what Japanese were planning and figured out their secret codes