kokubokan25
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BATTLE DIARY-FIRST MOVEMENTS
12 March 1943
-The Carrier and bombardement forces exit from Noumea.
13 March 1943
-In the morning, the japanese submarine I-174 discovers the carrier group and reach a launch position. The DD Fanning get one torpedo and must return to Noumea with heavy flooding. However, the DD Wilson sinks the attacker.
-The surprise is anyway almost impossible with the H8K based at Lunga and Port Moresby and the japanese know the allied position this afternoon.
16 March 1943
-RADM Nishimura exits from Truk with the following forces:
CV Shokaku and Unryu, CVLs Ryujo and Zuiho, CVE Taiyo and Unyo, BBs Yamato and Kongo, CAs Chokai and Myoko, CLs Naka and Abukuma, DDs Wakazuki, Unanami, Mutsuki, Uzuki, Minazuki, Fumizuki, Kikuzuki, Nagatsuki, Mikazuki, Mochizuki, Yuzuki and Asakaze.
-This afternoon, the position of allied amphibious forces was 480 miles southwest Koumac.
17 March 1943
-In the morning, the H8K from P.Moresby discover the allied forces (Task Force 31.2) 360 miles southeast Louisiade Arch. In spite of Wildcats oposition, the japanese launch an air attack against this force in the afternoon with some success. 18 Bettys and 20 Ki-49 with a escort of 30 zeros cause damage to AGP Oyster Bay and three transports.
18 March 1943
-Morning, the japanese carrier force was 120 miles north Green Island and going to Lunga. The allied position was 300 miles southeast Gili Gili. By the moment, the allies not know the japanese position.
-In the afternoon, the japanese launch three attacks against the allied shipping from P.Moresby.
-In the first attack, 10 Ki-49 with bombs misses the targets.
-The second attack was more dramatic. 8 Kates and 6 Bettys with a escort of 13 zeros sinks the APG Oyster Bay and torpedoed the AK Neleus and AP Chamont. Only a B5N and a Betty are shot down.
-The last attack, with 3 Ki-49, 2 Bettys and 3 B5N only hit a bomb over the AP Harris with minor damage.
In those attacks, the oposition of CAP from Essex and Yorktown was minimal and ineffective but the AA from ships shot down or damage the most planes from P.Moresby.
19 March 1943
-The japanese carrier group was 200 miles north Lunga and receive the air groups planed to CV Unryu, the aircraft in this ship increases to 71 planes; 27 zeros, 26 D3A and 12 B5N.
-The allied position was 120 miles south Gili Gili. Then, again, the japanese submarines get an success against warships. The I-23 launches a salvo against the CA Portland and one torpedo hit the starboard side. The damage was only moderate and the captain Pearlman reports the speed was 21 knots. However, the RADM Spruance orders the ship return to Townsville.
-The japanese attacks from Port Moresby catch the Portland separated from allied force and fate your destiny with two more torpedoes. Another attack from PM, with 4 B5N and 3 Bettys with 36 zeros in escort, hit with one torpedo the AP President Fillmore.
20 March 1943
-In the first hours, the allied bombardment group transform the Port Moresby airstrip and surroundings in a true hell. The attack destroy 36 planes on land and damage another 100. The Japanese casualties mount 1.731 and the base receive a hard punishment. However, the Japanese achieve repair the airstrip only four days after, with only, of course, limited planes available.
-The morning of 20th, the Japanese carrier force, enters the Coral Sea between Munda and Russell Islands to closed the trap.
-Spruance, hard to believe, yet unknown the japanese position and continue to Port Moresby, your position was around 100 miles from target but with the carriers separated 60/120 miles from the amphibious forces.
-The first and only day attack was launched from Rabaul base with 20 Bettys. The Wildcats on CAP made a massacre against the nippons and ten planes was shot down with no hits.
BATTLE DIARY-THE BATTLE OF CORAL SEA
21 March 1943
-The morning, the allied amphibious forces was very near P.Moresby but finally, the Catalinas from Noumea find the japanese carriers few miles south Louisiade Arch., course NW. The allied command was shocked by news and search planes confirmed no less four carriers.
-Spruance decide order the three amphibious forces continue to Port Moresby anyway. The bombardement group, is send to Cooktown to replenish ammo and the carriers, set course east to intercept the enemy.
-The proximity of allied forces to south coast of New Guinea allow the japanese attack the ships from Lae base. The first attack, with 27 Kates and 9 Bettys cost four planes (B5N) to japanese but four transports are torpedoed. The Port Moresby base was out of action yet and the second and last attack was again from Lae this afternoon with 16 B5N and 2 G4M1. This attack cause heavy damage to AK Neleus.
-The carrier antagonist was out of range to plane operations in the morning but in the afternoon, the situation was very different. Once more, both forces launch your forces and the drama starts again.
-The fist american attack was with 31 F4F-4, 33 SBD and 27 TBF from CV Essex. The japanese CAP was 44 zeros and in the following dogfight the Wildcats lost 28 planes! The japanese lost only six zeros. In this attack, the CVE Unyo was torpedoed in port side, the damage was considerable. The CV Unryu was the worst of attack. Two bombs of 1.000 lbrs penetrate your deck and initiate heavy fires. The BB Yamato was also torpedoed. This heavy protected ship was hit on port side, near turret A and the damage caused by the war heat put out of order the three fore 18in guns and a moderate flooding. The speed was reduced to 19 knots. (with only a torpedo!)
-After the CV Essex planes arrive the CV Yorktown and CV Independence planes. 19 Wildcats escort 33 SBD and 18 TBF. Many zeros are awaiting and again the dogfight was favourable to defenders. 16 Wildcats and 12 bombers was shot down. The CVE Unyo was torpedoed again and the fires cause the flight deck was closed and the speed reduced to 5 knots. The CV Unryu was hit by another 1.000 lbrs bomb and the damage was so heavy that the FD was also closed and the speed reduced to 9 knots. Some hours after the ship was shocked by the explosion of their forward fuel and ammo depot and the fires spread fast to the stern but finally, with great effort by crew, the ship can be saved.
-The japanese attack was far better coordination and all planes arrive to american carrier force in one huge wave, 42 Vals, 112 Kates and 55 zeros in escort. 34 Wildcats are on CAP and the dogfight was, once more, a massacre to allies. 18 Wildcats are destroyed. The japanese lost 8 zeros, 13 Vals and 38 Kates. This attack, however, sealed the battle.
The CVL Independence was hit by four torpedoes and a bomb that devastated the ship from fore to aft. The damage was very heavy and a huge explosion of ammo storage send the ship to bottom of Coral Sea.
The CV Essex was hit by six torpedoes and two bombs. The carrier was dead in the water and your captain give the order of abandon ship. The destroyers Ellet and Lang escort the ship and try to tow but the flooding increases the following hours and finally capsizes the morning after.
The CV Yorktown only was hit by two bombs that cause some fires but the ship continue without problems. The BB South Dakota was torpedoed six times, four artifacts hit the ships by port and the rest in starboard side. The flooding was severe and the speed was reduced to three knots. The CLs Phoenix and St.Louis was also torpedoed. The CLAA Atlanta was hit by three bombs and the fires cause the speed was reduced to 12 knots. The BB Washington and the CA Indianapolis was bombed but the damage was minor.
22 March 1943
-Just before dawn, the 2nd Marines division assault the beaches south Port Moresby. The Japanese reaction is very smooth, only a few guns start a intermittent fire and the DD Mustin was hit with minor damage. The amphibious assault continue all day with only light attacks from Rabaul and Lae. The airstrip in P.Moresby was yet unavailable. In those attacks the PG Niagara was sunk and the AP Wharton and Barnett was heavy damaged.
-In Coral Sea, the carrier battle was almost finished but the CV Yorktown was capable to launch a new attack over the japanese with 21 SBD and 6 Wildcats. The CAP, with 20 zeros shot down three SBDs and the americans no achieve hits.
-The situation in the japanese carriers was only lightly better, the CV Shokaku and the CVLs are without damage but the air losses, mainly torpedo pilots, was huge. In the afternoon, the japanese launch the only attack of the day, 17 zeros escort 29 torpedo Kates. The Yorktown pilots and the DCA shot down 17 attackers but one torpedo hit the starboard side of the BB Washington. The damage was only minor.
23 March 1943
-The battle was over, the japanese decide preserve your valuable naval pilots and Nishimura order the return to Truk. The group with the crippled ships, CV Unryu and CVE Unyo, try to reach Rabaul at only 4 knots.
-The American naval group was in this moment separated in many minor forces. The amphibious forces, all of them, stay near Port Moresby, Spruance give the order of disembark the troops anyway and the 1st Marines division do it with great success and lost only 2.000 casualties. The bombardment group and the Yorktown group going to Cairns try to save some severe crippled ships. So late to BB South Dakota, the flooding was impossible to contain and the ship sinks just before dusk.
-But the amphibious assault over Port Moresby take a little more time that planned and the japanese attack the beaches with continuous air raids from Rabaul and Lae. The LST-20 was sunk and the LST-18 heavly damaged. Between the escorts, the DDs Farenholt and Anderson was also damaged with bombs. The transports damaged was President Fillmore, W.A.Holbrook, Meigs, Barnett (finally sunk), Wharton and Harris.
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