Battle of the Coral Sea
1942: May 4-8: Battle of the Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea was the first naval battle in history to be fought with major surface units out of sight of one another. The U.S. Navy turned back a Japanese invasion fleet headed for Port Moresby, New Guinea. The sections below pertain to the days of battle and personnel involved.
Image: 80-G-16638: Battle of the Coral Sea, May 1942. Japanese Type 97 Shipboad Attack Plane ("Kate" torpedo bomber) is hit by anti-aircraft fire. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.