In fact, it was not so easy for U.S. Army Commander Fletcher to decide on such a full-scale war. However, in the previous two days of the battle, the U.S. Navy had lost two heavy cruisers in succession, and the Japanese army had suffered even more losses. Originally, he wanted the little devil to be the leader of the United States.
The two Japs, but if they continue like this, all the two Japs may die in the end. Rather than sit back and wait for death, it is better to take the initiative. Even if they lose, it can be said to be justified. After all, they have destroyed the Pacific strength of the Far East Army.
Therefore, in this air attack, it can be said that the Japanese and American coalition forces were deployed in full force. All the fighters of the Japanese First Air Force were responsible for the main attack, and the US Fifth Air Force was responsible for assisting in the operation.
However, in this aerial battle, not all the US and Japanese military aircraft that left the ship flew towards the expected target. The entire Japanese-US coalition aircraft group was divided into seven formations, and more than 300 fighter planes headed towards the Far East under the scorching sun.
The Navy's East China aircraft carrier battle group left, but after the air battle broke out, only five aircraft groups participated in the battle. Because of the scorching sun, some aircraft actually ended up flying over the East China formation. Due to various reasons such as light, they were not discovered in the end.
Target, they did not discover the East China formation until the large group of aircraft started fighting, but the advantage of the soldiers pressing the border was no longer there. When these Japanese and American fighters dropped their bombs, they had already begun to be intercepted by Far East carrier-based fighter jets.
In this aerial battle, the two sides fought for a whole day, until dusk fell, and the planes in the sky began to lose their way, so the two sides had to stop temporarily. During the battle, the aircraft carriers of both sides were sailing on the sea, and finally there was an aircraft carrier.
A Japanese military aircraft prepares to land on the Far East Navy aircraft carrier Fujian.
In the end, if it weren't for the different recognition signals of the navy, the Japanese fighter planes were finally discovered by the aircraft carrier gunners and shot down one of them into the sea. The other Japanese fighters hurriedly fled into the night. This made the commanders of both sides realize that the other side's navy aircraft carrier must be
It's nearby, but at this time, the outcome of this naval battle has been basically finalized. The duel between the aircraft carriers will definitely take place during the day, but the battleships of both sides can continue to fight until tomorrow.
The only reason why the outcome of this naval battle has been determined is because when the Far East Z-2 monoplane torpedo bombers attacked the US medium-sized aircraft carrier Lexington, they successfully used aerial pincer tactics to directly attack the US medium-sized aircraft carrier Lexington.
On both sides of the bow of the USS Don, at an ultra-low altitude of 15 to 55 meters, it can project deadly torpedoes from a distance of 1,000 to 1,500 meters. However, the Lexington has a larger tonnage and a larger circle radius in the sea. The warship is a bit inflexible in turning. Finally, the Far East
Of the 15 torpedoes launched by the Z-2 monoplane torpedo bombers, 7 hit the ship, five on the port side and two on the starboard side. Finally, five places in the power boiler room of the US medium-sized aircraft carrier USS Lexington were flooded.
In fact, during the battle, the Lexington really tried its best to avoid the Far East torpedoes. However, after the first wave of bombing torpedo planes left, the second wave of fleets began to attack it again, and then 12 more bombs hit the target. This time
The aircraft carrier encounter ended with the US medium-sized aircraft carrier Lexington lasting only forty-three minutes. However, after the Far East carrier-based aircraft flew away, the burning Lexington aircraft carrier was sinking, and just as the pilots happily reported the results of the battle at the Hawaii base
At that time, the carrier-based aircraft of the Japanese and American coalition seemed to be preparing to avenge the US medium-sized aircraft carrier USS Lexington. In the end, they also severely damaged the flight deck of the Far East Navy aircraft carrier USS Shandong.
Compared to a "medium aircraft carrier", the damage to the deck of a "light aircraft carrier" is nothing.
But no one expected that in fact, the US Navy's medium-sized aircraft carrier Lexington began to list at 7 degrees after being hit by multiple torpedoes and bombs. However, the ship recovered after adjusting the fuel it carried.
balance, and can continue to accept returning American aircraft to land on the ship, while at the same time dispatching carrier-based fighter jets to strengthen air superiority near the aircraft carrier.
However, due to a large amount of fuel leakage, a sudden big explosion occurred inside the US Navy's medium-sized aircraft carrier USS Lexington, which eventually caused a fire. The fire spread rapidly and became uncontrollable. Finally, at around 17:00, the US captain ordered all crew members to leave.
At about 17:30, the USS Phelps destroyer was ordered to launch 5 torpedoes against the US medium-sized aircraft carrier USS Lexington. The USS Lexington sank in the Coral Sea area at 17:56 and had already landed on the ship.
The 36 American aircraft on board also sank into the sea. From then on, the US Fifth Task Force was left with only the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier, 127 bombers and 32 fighter jets. It was already night, US Commander Fletcher
Having no intention of fighting anymore, he led his troops to withdraw from the main battlefield.
After this day-long sea and air battle, both sides can be said to be exhausted. According to incomplete statistics, the Far East Navy lost seven Huaxia-class destroyers, three Baichuan-class cruisers, and two old French battleships captured in the South China Sea War. Shandong
Because the damage to the deck of the USS aircraft carrier was so severe, it had to withdraw from the battle with more than ten carrier-based aircraft and go to Alaska Shipping Company for repairs.
The U.S. Navy simultaneously lost two heavy cruisers, the USS Minneapolis and the USS New Orleans, and four destroyers, the USS Phelps, the USS Dewey, the USS Farragut, and the USS Aylwin. The Japanese army suffered the worst, losing almost all of them.
Of the surface warships, only the last aircraft carrier, the Shokaku, was left, but it was not a desperate attack by the little devils. The Far East Navy did not know that it had lost twelve warships. Such a number directly became the most important naval battle in the history of the Far East Navy.
The biggest loss ever.
At the same time, the number of fighters lost was not small. The Far East Navy lost 7 Z-2 monoplane torpedo bombers and a total of 35 J-11 and J-13 aircraft. The US Navy lost 61 P-5 and P-6 fighter jets in air combat.
, 3 B-92 bombers, the Japanese lost 27 fighter planes, and both sides lost a total of 133 fighter planes of various types.
After such statistics were compiled, the fate of the Battle of the Coral Sea was naturally determined. Although before the war, the Far East Navy aircraft carrier battle group, plus the fighter planes at the Hawaii base, only had more than 250 aircraft at most, and the total number of Japanese and American coalition forces
There were more than 550 fighter planes, but after several days of hard fighting, the United States only had 200 Yorktown fighters and 50 Japanese Shokaku fighter planes left.
The Far East Army still has 200 fighters. Such data may have been placed before. The Japanese and American coalition forces still had the idea of fighting, but after a few days of fighting, they already knew the strength of the Far East Navy aircraft carrier battle group, plus this battle
, accurately exposed a problem, that is, the Far East Navy can attack wherever it wants, while the Japanese-US coalition forces sometimes feel that the command system is in chaos.
Regarding the fact that the Japanese and American coalition forces discovered that their communications had been cracked by the Far East Army, the Far East Commander Li Donghua didn't care at all at this time, because on the third day of the battle, he had successfully broken the balance, and even if there was no
With accurate enemy information, he can also defeat the Japanese and American coalition forces in the Coral Sea.