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Battle of the Coral Sea Timeline

(May 4 - 8, 1942)

The Battle of the Coral Sea was a major World War II naval engagement fought between May 4 and 8, 1942, between Allied forces (primarily American and Australian) and the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Coral Sea near New Guinea. It was historically significant as the first battle in which opposing fleets never sighted each other, with all attacks carried out by carrier-based aircraft, halting Japan's advance toward Port Moresby. Less

Go to: Timeline | Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Prelude to Battle

Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor

Dec 7, 1941

On December 7, 1941 (December 8 in Japan), Japanese forces launched a surprise attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, devastating the American Pacific Fleet and setting off the chain of events that would lead to the Battle of the Coral Sea.

Image source: Attack on Pearl Harbor

Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor

Japan declares war on US and British Empire

Dec 8, 1941

On December 8, 1941 (December 7 US time), Japan declared war on the United States and the British Empire, following its attacks on Malaya, Singapore and Hong Kong as well as Pearl Harbor.

Image source: Battle of the Coral Sea

Japan declares war on US and British Empire

Japanese invasion of Malaya

Dec 8, 1941

As part of its opening offensives of the war, Japan attacked Malaya on December 8, 1941, beginning a campaign that would contribute to the fall of British positions in Southeast Asia.

Battle of Hong Kong

Dec 8, 1941

Japanese forces attacked the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong on December 8, 1941, one of several simultaneous strikes that opened the Pacific War alongside the assault on Pearl Harbor.

Japanese capture of Guam

Dec 10, 1941

During the first months of 1942, Japanese forces overran Allied territories across the Pacific including the American island of Guam, inflicting heavy losses on opposing land, naval and air forces.

Japanese capture of Wake Island

Dec 23, 1941

In the early months of the war Japan seized Wake Island, part of a rapid string of conquests that included the Philippines, Singapore, the Dutch East Indies, New Britain and the Gilbert Islands.

Japanese invasion of the Philippines

Jan 2, 1942

Early in 1942 Japanese forces invaded and took control of the Philippines, overwhelming Allied defenses and inflicting heavy losses on American and Filipino forces during the first months of the Pacific War.

Japanese landing at Rabaul, New Britain

Jan 23, 1942

Japan captured New Britain in the South Pacific in early 1942, establishing Rabaul as a major forward base that would later support its push toward Port Moresby and the Coral Sea operation.

Japanese occupation of the Gilbert Islands

Feb 8, 1942

Among its rapid early conquests, Japan seized control of the Gilbert Islands in the central Pacific, extending its defensive perimeter eastward during the opening months of 1942.

Fall of Singapore

Feb 15, 1942

Singapore fell to Japanese forces in February 1942 after attacks that had begun in December 1941, marking a major strategic victory for Japan and a heavy blow to the Allies in Southeast Asia.

US deciphers portions of JN-25B naval code

Mar 1, 1942

By March 1942, the US was able to decipher up to 15% of the IJN's Ro or Naval Codebook D code (called JN-25B by the Americans), which was used by the Imperial Japanese Navy for about half of its communications.

US detects mention of Operation MO in intercepts

Mar 1, 1942

In March 1942, US signals intelligence first noticed mention of the MO operation in intercepted Japanese messages, giving the Allies crucial advance warning of Japan's planned move against Port Moresby.

Image source: Operation Mo

US detects mention of Operation MO in intercepts

Japanese conquest of the Dutch East Indies

Mar 9, 1942

By early 1942 Japanese forces had conquered the resource-rich Dutch East Indies, completing one of their key objectives in the region and securing vital oil supplies for their war effort.

Japan develops plan for Operation MO

Apr 1, 1942

In April 1942, the Japanese army and navy developed a plan titled Operation MO, which called for the seizure of Tulagi in the Solomon Islands and the capture of Port Moresby in New Guinea, setting the stage for confrontation in the Coral Sea.

Media and Commemoration

'War in the Pacific' newsreel episode released

Jan 1, 1942

War in the Pacific, Part I: The Pacific in Eruption, an episode made from the same Movietone News newsreels of 1942, documented the eruption of war in the Pacific theater including the period of the Coral Sea battle.

'Crusade in the Pacific' documentary episode airs

Jan 1, 1951

Crusade in the Pacific, Episode 5: The Navy Holds: 1942, a segment aired originally in 1951, was made from theatrical releases of Movietone News from 1942 and covered the naval stand-off of the Coral Sea era.

Battle of the Coral Sea

Battle of the Coral Sea begins

May 4, 1942 - May 8, 1942

From May 4 to 8, 1942, the Battle of the Coral Sea was fought between the Imperial Japanese Navy and naval and air forces of the United States and Australia. It was the first major naval engagement in which aircraft carriers never sighted or fired directly upon one another, and it checked Japan's southward advance toward Port Moresby.

Hara frustrated by Japanese 'poor luck' on May 7

May 7, 1942

Japanese carrier commander Rear Admiral Tadaichi Hara was so frustrated with the poor luck the Japanese experienced on May 7, 1942 that he later told Yamamoto's chief of staff, Admiral Matome Ugaki, he felt like quitting the navy.

Aftermath and Legacy

Carrier fleets clash again at Midway

Jun 4, 1942 - Jun 7, 1942

A month after Coral Sea, Japanese and US carriers faced off again at Midway, where a decisive American victory inflicted crippling losses on the Imperial Japanese Navy's carrier force.

Image source: Battle of Midway

Carrier fleets clash again at Midway

US Marines land on Guadalcanal and Tulagi

Aug 7, 1942

Three months after the Coral Sea, on August 7, 1942, 11,000 United States Marines landed on Guadalcanal while 3,000 Marines landed on Tulagi and nearby islands, launching the Allied counteroffensive in the Solomon Islands.

Image source: Guadalcanal campaign

US Marines land on Guadalcanal and Tulagi

Battle of the Eastern Solomons

Aug 24, 1942 - Aug 25, 1942

Japanese and US carriers clashed once more at the Eastern Solomons in August 1942, another carrier-versus-carrier battle in the continuing contest for control of the Solomon Islands following Coral Sea.

Image source: Battle of the Eastern Solomons

Battle of the Eastern Solomons

Allies defeat Japanese attempt at Milne Bay

Aug 25, 1942 - Sep 7, 1942

The added Allied forces slowed, then eventually halted the Japanese advance toward Port Moresby in September 1942, and defeated an attempt by the Japanese to overpower an Allied base at Milne Bay.

Image source: Battle of Milne Bay

Allies defeat Japanese attempt at Milne Bay

Japanese advance toward Port Moresby halted

Sep 1, 1942

The added Allied forces slowed and eventually halted the Japanese advance towards Port Moresby in September 1942, fulfilling the strategic purpose of the Coral Sea engagement in blunting Japan's southward push.

Image source: Kokoda Track campaign

Japanese advance toward Port Moresby halted

US Marines land on Funafuti, Tuvalu

Oct 2, 1942

The delay in the advance of Japanese forces allowed the Marine Corps to land on Funafuti on October 2, 1942, where Naval Construction Battalions built airfields on three atolls of Tuvalu from which USAAF B-24 Liberator bombers operated.

Image source: Funafuti

US Marines land on Funafuti, Tuvalu

Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands

Oct 26, 1942 - Oct 27, 1942

In October 1942 the carrier fleets met again at the Santa Cruz Islands, a costly tactical Japanese victory that nevertheless continued the attrition of Japan's irreplaceable veteran aircrews begun at Coral Sea.

Image source: Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands

Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands

Attrition of Japan's veteran carrier aircrews

Oct 31, 1942

Coral Sea started a trend which resulted in the irreparable attrition of Japan's veteran carrier aircrews by the end of October 1942, a loss of experienced pilots Japan could never fully recover from.

Operations Galvanic begins at Tarawa and Makin

Nov 20, 1943

The atolls of Tuvalu acted as a staging post during preparations for the Battle of Tarawa and the Battle of Makin that commenced on November 20, 1943, implementing Operation Galvanic in the Gilbert Islands.

Image source: Battle of Tarawa

Operations Galvanic begins at Tarawa and Makin

Battle of the Philippine Sea

Jun 19, 1944 - Jun 20, 1944

Japanese and US carriers faced off for the last major time at the Philippine Sea in June 1944, where the devastated remnants of Japan's carrier air arm were effectively destroyed, sealing the fate foreshadowed at Coral Sea.

Image source: Battle of the Philippine Sea

Battle of the Philippine Sea

Duckworth calls Coral Sea most confused battle area

Jan 1, 1972

In 1972, US Vice Admiral H. Duckworth, after reading Japanese records of the battle, commented, "Without a doubt, May 7, 1942, vicinity of Coral Sea, was the most confused battle area in world history."

Key Facts

  1. It was the first naval battle in history where opposing ships never came within sight or firing range of each other; all combat was conducted by aircraft launched from carriers.
  2. The battle stopped a Japanese seaborne invasion force from capturing Port Moresby in New Guinea, protecting Australia from direct attack.
  3. The American carrier USS Lexington was sunk and the USS Yorktown heavily damaged, while Japan lost the light carrier Shoho and suffered damage to the Shokaku.
  4. Tactically it was a Japanese victory by tonnage sunk, but strategically it was an Allied success because Japan's advance was turned back for the first time in the Pacific War.
  5. The damage sustained by Japanese carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku kept them out of the Battle of Midway a month later, contributing to the decisive American victory there.

Source

This Battle of the Coral Sea timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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