by spencer drew
DESCRIPTION
Battle of The Coral Sea. By Spencer Drew. Introduction. Battle of the Coral Sea. May 4–8, 1942. First time in WW2 that Japanese experience failure in a major operation The battle stopped the sea-borne invasion of Port Moresby - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
By Spencer Drew
Battle of The Coral Sea
IntroductionBattle of the Coral Sea
May 4–8, 1942
Coral Sea, The Pacific Theatre
First time in WW2 that Japanese experience failure in a major operation
The battle stopped the sea-borne invasion of Port Moresby
This battle saved Australia as the Japanese would have conquered the sea ports of Australia, and the supply line and base from the U.S. would be cut.
Japan wanted to continue expansion & control of the Pacific Ocean by invading Australia’s sea ports and islands.
The Japanese expand into the south eastern Solomon Islands wanting to take over other various sea-ports.
The Japanese won a tactical victory by sinking more ships while the Americans won a strategic by preventing sea port invasion of Port Moresby
The Japanese Attack Plan
The plan was to ascend around the already taken Solomon Islands and then come around to take over various port cities on Australia. The Japanese didn’t have it so easy as the US were there to surprise them.
Event: Battle of The Coral Sea
• The battle of the coral sea was a major naval battle
• It was also the first naval battle in which neither side fired or sighted upon each other and so it was an all air battle
• It consisted of the Japanese Empire against the Allied forces; United States and Australia
• Basic attack for both sides was that the enemy’s ships were to be destroyed by planes launching torpedo’s or dropping bombs.
Japanese planes getting ready for takeoff from the aircraft carrier Shokaku
Japanese Carrier Shokaku
The Leaders of the Two Sides
The Allies’ Leaders
-U.S. Admiral Frank
Fletcher -Admiral and
operationalcommander of
the U.S. fleet or task forces
during thebattle
-Australian Rear Admiral
John Grace -Rear
Admiral or commissioned
officer next in rank below the
Vice Admiral
The Japanese Leaders
- Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue
- Was a admiral and
vice minister in the
Imperial Japanese Navy
during WWII
- Vice Admiral Takeo
Takagi -Senior
Japanese
Commander of the carrier task force
Shokaku & Zuikaku
Aircraft Used• Both sides used few types of air units, basically sticking to a
version of a heavy bomber and fighter plane.-Main Aircraft used: U.S. Consolidated B-32 Dominator (heavy bomber), Japanese Nakajima Ki-44 (fighter aircraft), U.S. P-51 Mustang (fighter aircraft) and the Japanese Kawasaki Ki-48 (heavy bomber)
Planes getting ready for takeoff on U.S.S. Yorktown
Vessels Used• Main Warships used: Aircraft carriers, battleships, cruisers (heavy or
light) and destroyers.• There were three major groups of ships involved
-The Japanese Port Moresby Invasion Group, example : Shoho
-The Allied Task Force 44; consisted of allied warships, heavy and light cruisers sent to find and eliminate the P.M.I.G.. This force was commanded by Read Admiral Grace.
-There was a second Allied force of two aircraft carriers, the U.S.S. Lexington (commanded by Fitch), and the U.S.S. Yorktown (commanded by Fletcher), together with protective cruisers and destroyers. They were sent as well to eliminate the P.M.I.G..
-The fourth group & main target of the Allied carriers was the Japanese Carrier Striking Force which consisted of aircraft carriers Zuikaku and Shokaku and protecting cruisers and destroyers, all commanded by Takagi.
U.S.S. YorktownU.S.S. Lexington bombed and destroyed
U.S.S. Yorktown U.S.S. Yorktown drydocked at Pearl Harbor, May 1942
Weapons • The main weapons
were those either dropped from a plane, or fired from a vessel.
-The main weapons used were torpedoes, 1 kg bombs, machine guns, or gunships on a heavy carrier.
Sailors clear away debris on the Yorktown after
the ship receives a direct hit from a Japanese torpedo
A crew member aboard the U.S.S.
Yorktown readies bombs for
loading on to aircraft
A large carrier with mounted guns
Tactics and Strategies
• Each carrier had a “screen” of other warships around it to protect it from air attack.
-The job of these surrounding ships was to shoot down attacking aircraft before they reached the carrier.
• The basic plan of attack by both sides was for the enemy’s ships to be destroyed by planes launching torpedoes or dropping bombs.
• To defeat the enemy, one had to first destroy the runways whichallowed the attacking aircraft to operate from. • If planes could not belaunched, they became useless• Carriers could be sunk by aircraft zooming in low to droptorpedoes which would hole the ship at or under the waterline, or bydropping bombs which seriously damaged the ship or could igniteammunition or fuel on it.• Fighter planes would also defend planes that were getting readyTo launch.
Example of a “screen”
SourcesBibliography
http://www.google.ca/images?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&q=battle%20of%20the%20coral%20sea&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1099&bih=760
http://www.google.ca/images?um=1&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-us&biw=1099&bih=760&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=battle+of+the+coral+sea+ships&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=
Video Clips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQaMzKwrX-Q&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/results?
search_query=battle+of+the+coral+sea&aq=f