When did it happen?
The Battle of Coral Sea occurred on May 4th-8th, in 1942. It was a naval and air engagement in which a U.S. fleet turned back a Japanese invasion force that was heading for Port Moresby and New Guinea.
4 May
The sequence of events started on 4 May. A report was said seeing a fleet heading for Tulagi. The Yorktown launched its planes to attack. They did some damage, but the main part of the invasion fleet was actually sailing from Rabaul towards Port Moresby. The American Commander assumed the Japanese carriers would be protecting these transports, and started to steam towards New Guinea. The main Japanese carrier fleet, however, had in fact hoped to catch the Americans from the back, and were about to enter the Coral Sea near the Solomon Islands. The opposing forces now tried to find each other in the vast area.
5–6 May
The opposing forces continued to search for each other by sending out reconnaissance flights. They re-fueled to keep their tanks topped up, so that they had sufficient fuel to last through a long engagement involving high speed and long distances if required.
7 May
There were no sightings of the Japanese invasion fleet until 7 May. Part of the Allied fleet and two Australian ships were sent towards Papua to wait and attack the expected Port Moresby invasion fleet. Unknown to the Allies the main Japanese invasion fleet had turned back. This left the Australian ships waiting for an invasion fleet that would never come. Suddenly, HMAS Australia was attacked by Japanese torpedo planes and bombers from Rabaul. The Japanese worked on finding the US force first, and sent out their planes late in the afternoon. If they found the enemy and attacked it, they might cause great damage and be able to come back the next day and finish off easily.
8 May
On 8 May flights from both sets of carriers finally found each other. They launched their planes to attack. The flights of warplanes passed each other. Hundreds of men died that day.
4 May
The sequence of events started on 4 May. A report was said seeing a fleet heading for Tulagi. The Yorktown launched its planes to attack. They did some damage, but the main part of the invasion fleet was actually sailing from Rabaul towards Port Moresby. The American Commander assumed the Japanese carriers would be protecting these transports, and started to steam towards New Guinea. The main Japanese carrier fleet, however, had in fact hoped to catch the Americans from the back, and were about to enter the Coral Sea near the Solomon Islands. The opposing forces now tried to find each other in the vast area.
5–6 May
The opposing forces continued to search for each other by sending out reconnaissance flights. They re-fueled to keep their tanks topped up, so that they had sufficient fuel to last through a long engagement involving high speed and long distances if required.
7 May
There were no sightings of the Japanese invasion fleet until 7 May. Part of the Allied fleet and two Australian ships were sent towards Papua to wait and attack the expected Port Moresby invasion fleet. Unknown to the Allies the main Japanese invasion fleet had turned back. This left the Australian ships waiting for an invasion fleet that would never come. Suddenly, HMAS Australia was attacked by Japanese torpedo planes and bombers from Rabaul. The Japanese worked on finding the US force first, and sent out their planes late in the afternoon. If they found the enemy and attacked it, they might cause great damage and be able to come back the next day and finish off easily.
8 May
On 8 May flights from both sets of carriers finally found each other. They launched their planes to attack. The flights of warplanes passed each other. Hundreds of men died that day.