The Battle of the Coral Sea Essay examples - 2143 Words

Introduction In the spring of 1942 the U.S. Navy and Japanese Imperial Fleet engaged in battle at sea on more than one occasion. The Battle of Coral Sea, however, was the first time that these too forces would engage one another at sea using only aircraft. This will be the first battle in history where ships from both sides would never see the other like most conventional naval battles; this one will be fought entirely by aircraft. History In the morning hours of December 7, 1941 the Japanese attacked the Hawaiian islands at Pearl Harbor. The Japanese had been feeling the pressures of World War II (WWII) as did many others. With the resources of the Japanese dwindling, the Japanese decided to attack the U.S. while†¦show more content†¦Assisting its European allies in the war against the Nazi’s, the U.S. was focusing much of its attention on the Atlantic and European theatre. During this time most of the United States was focusing on the war planes and sending soldiers to help fight. With the focus being almost entirely on the Atlantic the U.S. Navy was slowly cannibalizing the Pacific fleet to help block shipping lanes and fight the German U-Boats that were ravaging the Atlantic coastlines and shipping lanes. With the war raging on so far to our east and at the time, no viable threat laid to our west. During this year diplomatic peace talks had begun with the Japanese in the attempt to strengthen our relationships with non allied countries in the western pacific. The Japanese on the other hand had a different idea of things to come. Prior to 1941, the Japanese thought that if a war were to begin that the United States would be their only enemy, however, Japans entry into the Tripartite Alliance and the United States aid commitments to Britain had created a new international line-up which made previous Japanese naval planning obsolete. [1] With previous planning now obsolete a new concept to include war against the United States, Great Britain, and the Netherlands was now a necessity. In January of 1941 Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the commander-in-chief of the Japanese combined fleet conceived a plan of a surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at PearlShow MoreRelatedThe Battle of Coral Sea1033 Words   |  5 Pages Battle of Coral Sea War has always been a negative social issue among the citizens of America. Some believe we should be involved in everything so we can to show our dominance around the world and others see it as a big problem. War World Two is a different story. After we realized that Hitler was close to succeeding in his plan of imperialism most people were on board to going to war. The Battle of the Coral Sea was fought in May 1942. This was a major naval battle that took place in the CoralRead MoreThe Battle of Coral Sea1251 Words   |  6 Pages May 7-8, 1942, an important battle happen, that is the Battle of Coral Sea. The Battle was fought by air planes on both sides, There was no ship involved at all. The Japanese wanted to capture New Guinea and leave Australia out. The Coral Sea actions happen from a Japanese operation, they wanted to capture Port Moresby, on New Guineas southern-eastern coast. Japanese air base threaten Australia and supported plans for future expansion, trying to help Australia get out of the war and exchange theRead MoreThe Battle Of The Coral Sea1555 Words   |  7 PagesThe Battle of the Coral Sea has been addressed by several interviews from people who have participated in the Battle of the Coral Sea. This battle included aircraft carriers that engaged each other with the advantage of aviation assets. These aircraft carriers did not have the technology to see each other, so they relied significantly on the use of aviation assets. These aviation assets acted as artillery reconnaissance for the ships to engage the Japanese. This four day battle starting on fourRead MoreThe Battle of Coral Sea Essay1035 Words   |  5 Pages The Battle of Coral Sea was the first major sea battle between allied fleet forces, including those of the United States and Australian Navies, and the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. Pivotal in terms of allied naval fleet operations during the war, the Battle of Coral Sea was also the first naval battle that featured opposing air craft carriers in close proximity to each other, resulting in air battles initiated by sea, rather than from traditional land bases. The following providesRead MoreTheu.s. Navy And Naval Aviation1507 Words   |  7 Pagesaviation, the U.S. was able to turn the tide of the War in the Pacific in major battles like the Battle of Coral Sea and t he Battle of Midway. U.S. Naval Aviation played a vital role in moving the Americans to the offensive and changed the way navies around the world would fight, placing aircraft carriers as their capital ships than battleships. Naval Aviation was seen as important from this point on because after the Battle of Midway Naval Aviation was used as the Navy’s main offshore aerial strikeRead MoreThe Battle Of The World War1455 Words   |  6 Pagesauthor and military historian Antony Beevor, â€Å"The Second World War was such a huge combination of different conflicts that it’s almost impossible to point to a single battle as a turning point† During the war some turning points for the Allies were; The Fall of Singapore, The Bombing of Darwin, The Battle of the Coral Sea, The Battle of Midway and The Kokoda Campaign. The United States Forces also played a big role in the war in The Pacific Theatre and the turning points for The Australian ForcesRead MoreThe Attack Of Pe arl Harbor1154 Words   |  5 Pages soil. This date sealed our level of commitment to World War II. The U.S. involvement in the Pacific Theater of World War II took place in East Asia and South Asia. It also included the Western part of the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the Coral Sea. Several islands were included such as Okinawa, Iwo Jima, and Wake Island. On April 18, 1942, aboard the deck of the aircraft carriers USS Hornet, sixteen B-25 bombers took flight to travel 2,400 nautical miles to their destination, knowingRead MoreMarine Amphibious Warfare During World War II1184 Words   |  5 Pagestowards the human race. Guadalcanal is a perfect example of the fortitude American forces will endure to the end. Guadalcanal was America’s class room in realizing the Japanese tenacity to win a losing war. It was the preparation of the bloodiest battle ever fought for ground forces for a piece of real-estate, Okinawa Japan. However, before Okinawa, even before the Guadalcanal invasion by American Marines, a full rehearsal conducted by the Navy and Marine Corps was conducted on the islands of KoroRead MoreThe Battle of Midway956 Words   |  4 Pages The Battle of Midway The United States faced the Japanese in the Pacific Ocean during World War II in what was later known as some of the most gruesome battles in either country’s history. The Pacific theatre of World War II consisted of a series of bloody conflicts in which the United States responded to early Japanese victories with an offensive campaign that won a decisive victory for the Allies. Although many significant battles were fought in the Pacific, the most important battle was theRead MoreBattle Of Midway During World War II1168 Words   |  5 PagesBattle of Midway The Battle of Midway was a very important battle in the Second World War because it basically shaped out the war for the Allied Powers, as well as for the Axis Powers. This battle also happens to be one of the most important naval battle of the time. The Battle of Midway was a very important battle in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. The battle was between The United States of America and the Empire of Japan. This would be the second battle that would feature of the United