Importance of the Battle of Coral Sea and Midway
In the early stages of World War II, the Japanese Empire was quickly expanding in the Pacific with no resistance. When the United States started its offensive in the Pacific, they were beat down by the Japanese. With fear of losing the Pacific the United States need a strategic victory that could turn the tide of the war. Soon two battles would come over the horizon and would distinguish themselves as the battles that marked the turn of the tide in the war. These two battles are The Battle of Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway. With out victories in these battles the Pacific might have been losing, and the course and outcome of the war changed forever. In the beginning in the war in the Pacific that Japanese Navy had many gains in the Far East. They had managed to take the Philippines, Burma, Malaya, and the Dutch East. The conquest of these Islands cost the Japanese very little in the loss of ships. After the quick expansion of the Japanese Empire, the Japanese Officers were unsure of what they should do next. Admiral Yamamoto wanted to attack America’s Aircraft Carriers in the Pacific. He felt that the destruction of these ships would ensure the security of Japan, for the Americans would not be able to send their planes to attack Japan. Admiral Yamamoto also felt that an attack on Midway Island would draw out the American Navy into a battle that the Japanese could win.
Higher up in the command of the Japanese Navy, they wanted to attack and gain control of Australia. An Attack on Australia would also include an attack on New Guinea. But on April 18th 1942, two American bombers took off from carriers in the Pacific and bombed the Japanese city Tokyo. This attack leads the Japanese to believe that Admiral Yamamoto was right and that the American Aircraft Carriers must be destroyed in order for the Japanese to win in the Pacific. The American’s have put a hand in their own fate which was an attack on Midway Island and other key islands. The
Higher up in the command of the Japanese Navy, they wanted to attack and gain control of Australia. An Attack on Australia would also include an attack on New Guinea. But on April 18th 1942, two American bombers took off from carriers in the Pacific and bombed the Japanese city Tokyo. This attack leads the Japanese to believe that Admiral Yamamoto was right and that the American Aircraft Carriers must be destroyed in order for the Japanese to win in the Pacific. The American’s have put a hand in their own fate which was an attack on Midway Island and other key islands. The
Cited: Bennett, Geoffrey. Naval Battles of World War II. South Yorkshire: Pen and Sword Books, 2003 Hagan, Kenneth J. This People 's Navy. New York: The Free P, 1991. Potter, E B., ed. Sea Power. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute P, 1981. 19 Apr. 2008 <http://www.history.navy.mil>. 19 Apr. 2008 <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk>. 19 Apr. 2008 <http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com>. 19 Apr. 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org>.