Sea battle a turning point
A look back at significant moments in the North’s history
AUSTRALIA is now waiting on Japan’s next move following victory in The Battle of the Coral Sea.
Naval and air forces from Australia and the United States engaged with the Imperial Japanese Navy south of the Bismarck Archipelago, and a heroic defence by allied forces prevented a Japanese invasion from landing at Port Moresby and Tulagi in the Solomon Islands.
But the general consensus is that the Japanese will make another attempt at invading Port Moresby, which would give the enemy a platform to launch land-based air attacks on Queensland ports including Townsville
The running sea and air battle took place over an area of hundreds of miles, and communiques have referred to a number of operations in the Louisiade Archipelago, which has not been occupied by the Japanese.
The US Navy said in a cable from Washington that allied forces had sunk one aircraft carrier, one heavy cruiser, one light cruiser, two destroyers, four gunboats and two transport vessels.
One aircraft carrier, one heavy cruiser, one light cruiser, a seaplane tender and two transport vessels were damaged.
“Details of losses or damage to our forces are not fully known at present, but no credence should be given to information sent out by Tokyo,” the cable said.
Prime Minister John Curtin is said to have told his inner circle that whether or not Japan is able to consolidate its forces and attack again depends on whether our attacks can be continued.
There has been widespread jubilation across the world following the outcome of the battle, which London and Washington said is the greatest sea battle since Jutland
Commander of the Southwest Pacific Theatre General Douglas MacArthur has urged news outlets not to show too much optimism over the result of the battle, but newspapers including those in London led with the headline ‘Japanese fleet smashed in great victory’.
A correspondent from the New York Sun said the Allies have dealt Japanese sea power the heaviest blow it has yet received, and an editorial in the London Daily Telegraph says that while the ‘issue’ has been far from decided, Japan had been taught that a move in the Pacific now will not give it another Battle of Java, where the IJN scored a one-sided victory.
The Japanese have reported inflicting significant damage on Allied forces but General Headquarters said in a an official statement that “the enemy version of the battle off the northeast coast of Australia is entirely fictional and has no semblance to a true communique,” it said.
“The only reason that they are not published at the present time is because they would reveal to him information of value.”
Mr Curtin has addressed the nation in the wake of the battle.
“This great battle, which has been temporarily ceased, had to be fought as part of the war to save this theatre from falling within Axis control,” he said.
“I have no doubt that other battles have yet to be fought as part of a struggle which must continue until the enemy is defeated or we are conquered.
“Australians have an important integral part in the composition of these forces.
“Americans and Australians, side by side, indeed knee to knee, have stood together in the cause in which their countries are pledged.”
*The Battle of the Coral Sea has gone down in history as the first naval battle to be decided entirely on air power, with neither fleet’s surface ships sighting each other during the confrontation, which ran from 4-8 May 1942.
Most estimates have the Japanese suffering 966 killed, three surface ships sunk and between 67-97 aircraft destroyed.
The allies lost 659 men and three surface ships — including the battleship USS Lexington — and 128 aircraft shot down.
The Japanese did not attempt another amphibious invasion of Port Moresby, leading to an unsuccessful land invasion of New Guinea along the Kokoda Trail, which was repelled by Allied land forces
The Battle of the Coral Sea is commemorated every year in Australia, including Cardwell and Townsville.