Friday, May 8, 1942. Strategic victory at Coral Sea, Mutiny in the Cocos, World War One hero commissioned for the Second World War.

On this day in 1942 the Japanese were turned around for the first time since December 7, and gave up their attempt to land at Port Morseby. The Battle of Coral Sea resulted, therefore, in a strategic victory for the United States.

It was a victory that cost the US the USS Lexington, which was badly hit in the battle and had to be scuttled.

Explosion on board the Lexington.

The Lexington was a major loss for the US, which was still trying to recover from Pearl Harbor at the time, but as was often the case, the Japanese came out of the battle believing they'd done better than they had.  During the battle the US lost, in addition to the Lexington, one destroyer, one oiler and 69 aircraft. The USS Yorktown had been badly damaged, but not sunk. The Japanese lost a light carrier, a destroyer, and three minesweepers, and well as having a fleet carrier damaged, a destoyer damaged, a small warship damaged, a transport ship damaged and between 69 to 97 aircraft lost.  In terms of men killed, the US lost 656 while the Japanese lost 966.

The Japanse believed, however, that they'd sunk the Yorktown

Japanese cartoon in an English language newspaper reflecting the ships that they thought they'd sunk to date. The English ships are accurate, but the Japanese had not sunk the fleet carriers Saratoga and Yorktown during the Battle of the Coral Sea and the battleship California had been sunk at Pearl Harbor but had been raised in March 1942 and was under reconstruction.

This event and others that occurred on this day in 1942 are detailed on Sarah Sundin's blog here:

Today in World War II History—May 8, 1942: Battle of the Coral Sea concludes: US deters Japanese landing at Port Moresby, New Guinea.

Failing to land at Port Morseby, it should be noted, did not cause the Japanese to give up on the objective of Port Morseby. They committed instead to a much more difficult ground offensive.

As Sundin also notes on her blog, the Japanese took Myitkyina in Burma, severing the air route to China temporarily.

Sri Lankan soldiers mutinied in the Cocos Islands with the intent to hand the islands over to the Japanese.  The mutineers were artillerymen and proved to be poor fighters with small arms, resulting in their being overcome.  The leaders of the mutiny were ultimately executed.  While an isolated event, it demonstrated that the loyalty of Central Asian troops under British command was questionable.

World War One hero Alvin York is commissioned in the U.S. Army as a Major.  He desired an active role in the war, but he was actually quite ill and at age 54 he was suffering from chronic illnesses in an era in which they were much more difficult to treat.  He was out of shape and approaching having diabetes and had chronic arthritis.  He was used essentially as a war bonds and recruiting personality.  In spite of ill health, he lived until 1964.

Thursday, May 7, 1942. Things that fly.

82nd Infantry Division standing "Retreat" following Sgt. Alvin C. York's address to the Division at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana on this day in 1942. The event was the first assembly of the Division since reactivation.

 

The 82nd had been Sgt. Alvin York's division in World War One, at which time it acquired the nickname the "All American" division, as its members were conscripts from around the United States.  It was, at that time, simply the 82nd Division.

At the time of this photograph, it was the 82nd Infantry Division, but that was about to change.  In August, it would become the 82nd Airborne Division. The change came about due to a variety of factors, including that it was once again made up of conscripts, and many Regular Army officers did not trust the airborne concept.

In the Battle of the Coral Sea the Japanese aircraft carrier Shoho was sunk.

The British took Diego Suarez in Madagascar.

Monday, May 4, 1942. The Battle of Coral Sea commences.

Today in World War II History—May 4, 1942: Battle of the Coral Sea begins: US Navy intercepts Japanese fleet set to invade Port Moresby, New Guinea: first carrier vs. carrier battle in history.

It was, as noted, the first carrier task force v. carrier task force naval engagement in history, and the first engagement between two fleets in which the opposing forces never had visible surface engagement with each other.  It would run until May 8, and result in more US losses than Japanese ones, but it would frustrate Japanese attempts to take Port Morseby and therefore was an American strategic victory.  Indeed, it was the first time in the war that the Japanese had to withdraw without achieving their objective.