Battle of Coral Sea

E7458

The Battle of the Coral Sea was a major 1942 naval engagement between the United States and Japan, notable as the first carrier-versus-carrier battle fought entirely by aircraft without opposing ships directly sighting or firing upon each other.

All labels observed (5)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf World War II battle
naval battle
aircraftCarrierInvolved Shokaku
surface form: Shōkaku

USS Lexington (CV-2)
USS Yorktown (CV-5)
Zuikaku
aircraftLostByAllies approximately 69 aircraft
aircraftLostByJapan over 80 aircraft
alliedCommander Aubrey Fitch
Frank Jack Fletcher
alsoKnownAs Battle of Coral Sea
surface form: Coral Sea battle
belligerent Australia
Japan
United States of America
surface form: United States
campaign New Guinea campaign
casualtiesEstimate over 600 killed
conflictIn Pacific War
countryOnAlliedSide Australia
surface form: Commonwealth of Australia

United States of America
countryOnAxisSide Japan
surface form: Empire of Japan
dateEnd 1942-05-08
dateStart 1942-05-04
followedBy Battle of Midway
japaneseCommander Chūichi Hara
Shigeyoshi Inoue
Takeo Takagi
lightCarrierInvolved Shōhō
locatedOffCoastOf northeastern Australia
location Coral Sea
notableFor first carrier-versus-carrier battle in history
first naval battle in which opposing ships did not sight or fire directly on each other
operationOf Imperial Japanese Navy
United States Navy
partOf World War II
precededBy Battle of the Java Sea
prevented Japanese seaborne invasion of Port Moresby
primaryCombatantsType aircraft carriers
result strategic Allied victory
tactical Japanese victory
shipDamaged Shokaku
surface form: Shōkaku
shipSunk Shōhō
USS Lexington (CV-2)
significance halted Japanese advance toward Australia
reduced Japanese carrier strength before the Battle of Midway
strategicObjective Japanese seizure of Port Moresby
protection of Australia by Allies
theater South West Pacific Area
surface form: South West Pacific
year 1942

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (102)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Imperial Japanese Navy cruiser force engagedInBattle Battle of Coral Sea
this entity surface form: Battle of the Coral Sea
D3A notableOperation Battle of Coral Sea
subject surface form: Aichi D3A
this entity surface form: Battle of the Coral Sea