Prior to the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Imperial Navy of Japan had eliminated of its enemies from the Pacific Ocean. At the Battle of the Coral Sea, Japanese won their first victory, but they also suffered from defeat. It did not invade Port Moresby in New Guinea and set up a base from which land-based planes could dominate the skies over northern Australia. However, the military overall initiative was still in the hands of the Japanese. Their carrier striking force was still the strongest mobile air unit in the Pacific. Japanese fleet commander, hoped to use it to destroy what remained of the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet. Why was Midway such a critical victory? First, the fact that the U.S. Navy lost one carrier at Midway, the U.S. Navy went on the offensive side. During the Guadalcanal campaign that began in the first week of August 1942. Second, the march of the Imperial Japanese Navy across the Pacific was halted at Midway and never had restarted. After Midway, Japanese had react to the Americans, and not the other way around. In the language of the Naval War, the “operational initiative” had passed from the Japanese to the Americans. Third, the victory at Midway aided allied the strategy from all
Prior to the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Imperial Navy of Japan had eliminated of its enemies from the Pacific Ocean. At the Battle of the Coral Sea, Japanese won their first victory, but they also suffered from defeat. It did not invade Port Moresby in New Guinea and set up a base from which land-based planes could dominate the skies over northern Australia. However, the military overall initiative was still in the hands of the Japanese. Their carrier striking force was still the strongest mobile air unit in the Pacific. Japanese fleet commander, hoped to use it to destroy what remained of the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet. Why was Midway such a critical victory? First, the fact that the U.S. Navy lost one carrier at Midway, the U.S. Navy went on the offensive side. During the Guadalcanal campaign that began in the first week of August 1942. Second, the march of the Imperial Japanese Navy across the Pacific was halted at Midway and never had restarted. After Midway, Japanese had react to the Americans, and not the other way around. In the language of the Naval War, the “operational initiative” had passed from the Japanese to the Americans. Third, the victory at Midway aided allied the strategy from all