Bright Sword: Construction starts from southeastern Shanxi

I went out today and originally planned to make up for yesterday’s work, but now I’m working overtime tonight to make up for it all!!!

珊瑚海海战（1942年5月4日－1942年5月8日）是太平洋战争中1942年5月，美、日航空母舰编队在珊瑚海进行的海战。珊瑚海海战是战争史上航空母舰编队在远距离首次以舰载机实施交战，也是日本海军在太平洋第一次受挫。日本海军由于损失的飞机和飞行员无法立即得到补充，被迫中止对莫尔兹比港的进攻

In early 1942, the Japanese Combined Fleet was still basking in the glow of victory. The first phase of its mission had been overfulfilled, but the second phase had yet to be finalized. Japan viewed the United States, despite its vast economic potential, as a transition to wartime status quo, as a time-consuming process. They anticipated a US counteroffensive only in the summer of 1943, giving Japan ample time to further advance its front and expand its defensive perimeter. The plan to seize control of Australia reflected this strategy: the Japanese Army and Navy agreed that Australia would be the primary stronghold for a British and American counteroffensive. However, with the bulk of Japan's ground forces deeply encumbered in China, it was unable to launch a landing in Australia. The viable option was to sever its connection to Pearl Harbor.

In early February 1942, Japanese forces captured the Rabaul base in the Bismarck Archipelago northeast of Australia. By early March, they had captured Lae and Salamua, New Guinea. The plan was to subsequently launch landings at Tulagi and Port Moresby, in eastern New Guinea. However, this was delayed due to the activities of US aircraft carriers. It wasn't until late April that the 5th Air Fleet (Shokaku and Zuikaku) and the 5th Cruiser Squadron (Myoko and Haguro) returned from the Indian Ocean and returned to Truk. Plans for the attacks on Tulagi and Port Moresby were immediately underway.

American Background

Japanese fighter planes over the Coral Sea (oil painting)

1942年4月30日，第5航空战队、第5巡洋舰队和6艘驱逐舰作为机动部队从特鲁克出发南下，横于夏威夷和新几内亚群岛之间，伺机消灭盟军水面舰只。登陆掩护编队由祥凤号轻型航母、8艘巡洋舰、6艘驱逐舰组成。作为攻占莫尔比兹港的先头行动，4月28日从拉包尔出发的先遣登陆部队在祥凤号舰载机的掩护下于5月3日未遇到抵抗占领了小岛图拉吉。随后，5月4日，登陆部队主力从拉包尔乘14艘运兵船在6艘驱逐舰和1艘巡洋舰的掩护下浩浩荡荡驶向莫尔比兹港。完成图拉吉登陆掩护的祥凤号及掩护舰只向西航行准备与登陆部队汇合，同时机动部队第5航空战队进驻珊瑚海。但实际上，前来迎击的美第17和8特混舰队已先于日机动编队进入珊瑚海，于是就发生了海战史上有名的珊瑚海海战。

The Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942 marked the first long-range engagement between carrier-based aircraft in history. The battles of both sides, without their ships ever encountering each other, were virtually level-headed in the Pacific War, with both sides encountering each other unexpectedly, a stark reflection of their respective combat capabilities. Each side lost a carrier and a destroyer, but the United States lost the large carrier USS Lexington, while Japan lost only the light carrier Shoho. In terms of aircraft, Japan lost 77 aircraft, while the United States lost 66. This gave Japan a small tactical victory, but it failed to achieve its objectives.

War process

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US enters the Coral Sea

In early 1942, the Pacific Ocean presented a bleak picture for the Allied forces. On January 20, 1942, the Japanese submarine I-124 was sunk while laying mines in Darwin Harbor. A US submarine subsequently recovered the code book from I-124. In the following months, as intelligence accumulated, especially after the air raid on Tokyo, the Japanese Empire overreacted, deploying virtually the entire Combined Fleet. Intelligence at Pearl Harbor gradually began to decipher the Japanese codes and, using this scattered intelligence, gradually mapped the Combined Fleet's offensive trajectory. This insight was crucial for the US Navy's ability to engage the Combined Fleet in the early stages of the Pacific War.