BATTLE OF CORAL
AMERICA’S BIG WIN CHANGES COURSE OF WAR
A BRISK Townsville dawn greeted more than 100 people as they marked the 80th anniversary of the 1942 Battle of the Coral Sea, an encounter that changed the course of WW II.
Among those in attendance at Anzac Park was Edwin Mcglew III, with his wife Susan, who had flown in from Boston to honour his father, Edwin Mcglew Jr, who had proudly served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Lexington.
Severely damaged in the battle the carrier was later scuttled east of Cardwell.
The 1942 four-day sea battle from May 4 to May 8 is significant because it stopped the Japanese invasion plans of Port Moresby and it was the first time in the war that the Japanese navy failed in a major operation.
It was also the first aircraft battle ever fought and the first naval battle in which opposing ships neither sighted nor fired at each other but was fought with aircraft.
In the battle the US lost one carrier with another damaged, one oil tanker and a destroyer sunk, 66 aircraft destroyed with 543 killed or wounded.
The Japanese lost one carrier with another badly damaged, one destroyer and three smaller ships sunk, 77 aircraft destroyed with 1074 men killed or wounded.
Commander of HMAS Cairns Alfonso Santos delivered the keynote address and said the times leading up to the battle were dark days. “Eighty years ago the Japanese advance across the Pacific seemed unstoppable,” the commander said.
“Japan’s planned advance was to take Port Moresby in New Guinea from which they would isolate Australia, take us out of the war to be invaded at their convenience.
“In doing so, deprive the US of the forward operation base in which to launch a counter attack.”
He said the Allied strategic victory in the battle changed the course of history.
“Without this battle there would have been no Midway, no Guadalcanal, no victory in the Pacific.
“We won because of a sense of character, dedication and sacrifice of the Australian and American defence forces.”
Mr Mcglew said his father had been proud of his service and was serving aboard the USS Lexington as an aerial photographer.
“Unfortunately he was unable to make it to any of these commemorative trips but for his memory I wanted to come here to kind of share that for him,” Mr Mcglew said.
“He was an aerial photographer, he would go up in the belly of a plane and he would get strapped in. The bomb doors would open up and he would be hanging on these straps taking aerial photographs for reconnaissance after bombings to see what the effects had been.”
He said his father did not talk about his wartime experi
ence. “The men of that era really did not speak a lot about their service. It wasn’t until much later in his life that he started to talk about it somewhat.
“My father was adamant about the service of all his mates and very protective of their honour and service.”
Mr Mcglew said his father witnessed US aviator Butch O’hara becoming the first navy flying ace.
“O’hara took down five Japanese planes, he was the only one (US plane) in the air at the time and not only did he shoot down five enemy aircraft but all the remaining aircraft decided not to pursue the rest of the mission.
“That allowed the Lexington to survive another three to four months to come here to the Battle of the Coral Sea.”
He said his father was a kind and wonderful man.
“I remember him speaking in terms of future wars and he was very much against that.
“He would much rather see people work things out diplomatically.
“Even though he was proud of his service he would much prefer not to have to go to battle and future wars would not have to exist.”
It was the first time that the couple had come to Australia. “People over here in Australia have been wonderful and very welcoming, they would include us in whatever activities they had planned and we’ve felt very welcome.”
Apart from the Townsville
Dawn Service the couple attended a Battle of the Coral Sea service in Cardwell and will also go to services in Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
They then plan to see the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru before flying home.