If Japanese forces suceeded in taking Papa New Ginuea and the Solomon Islands during the Second World War Australia would be cut off from allied help and be comlpetely succeptible to invaision from Japan.
Lasting 2 days the Battle of the Coral Sea was the first naval battle where niether side's ships sighted or fired directly upon each other, all offensive attacks were fought by manned aircraft.
On the 7th Japanese scouting planes spotted the U.S. oiler Neosho and the destroyer USS Sims. These two ships received two high-level bombing attacks during the morning, Sims sank with very heavy casualties and Neosho was reduced to a drifting wreck whose survivors were not rescued for days.
Meanwhile, a scout plane from USS Yorktown found the Japanese Covering Group, the light carrier Shoho and four heavy cruisers. Yorktown and USS Lexington sent out a huge strike that simply overwhelmed the Shoho, which received so many bomb and torpedo hits that she sank in minutes.
On the 8th Allied forces hit the Shokaku. These attacks left Shokaku unable to launch planes, and she left the area soon after to return to Japan for repairs.
Japanese forces then attcked the USS Lexington which was abandoned and scuttled due to thelevel of damage inflicted.
By the end of the day, both sides had retired from the immediate battle area. The Japanese called off their amphibious operation to take Port Moresby in New Guinea.
There a many battles during World War 2 which America and Australia played a big part, you can a tour of experience America's involvement in battle on a D-Day Battlefield Tour visiting Dunkirk, Normandy Landing Beaches and many more influential sites from World War 2.
