Asia Pacific 1942: Battle of the Coral Sea
8 May 1942
8 May 1942
WWII: The Greater East Asia War
1894–1911 The Rise of Japan
1911–1927 Warlords and Revolutionaries
1927–1937 China's Nanjing Decade
1937–1941 Second Sino-Japanese War
1941–1943 WWII: The Greater East Asia War
1943–1945 WWII: Victory Over Japan
1945–1950 End of the Old Order
1950–1989 The Cold War in Asia
1989–pres Asian Economic Powers
Battle of the Coral Sea
After conquering Southeast Asia, Japan moved to cut Australia's supply line to the US by completing the occupation of New Guinea and its neighboring islands. However, the Japanese invasion fleet had to be turned back when it ran into an American carrier force in the Coral Sea. The ensuing battle was dominated by aircraft carriers, with neither side's ships sighting each other.
