The Battle of
Coral Sea was an important battle in
World War II in the
Pacific.
The Japanese momentum seemed unstoppable in the beginning of 1942; their planes bombed northern Australia and their fleet raided Ceylon. But in May of the same year, the US Navy thwarted the Japanese threat to Australia in this battle. From here the US went on to victories at Midway and Guadacanal.
This battle is historically significant because it is the first of several major turning points in the Battle for the Pacific. It helped stop the Japanese expansion into the Pacific, and began the US strategy of island hopping.