May 5, 1942: Battle Of The Coral Sea

At 08:16 on May 5, TF 17 (Yorktown) rendezvoused with TF 11 (Lexington) and TF 44 (cruisers and destroyers) 320 mi south of Guadalcanal. At about the same time, four F4F Wildcat fighter aircraft from Yorktown intercepted a large Japanese reconnaissance seaplane from the Shortland Islands and shot it down. The aircraft was unable to send a report, but when it failed to return to base the Japanese assumed that it was shot down by carrier aircraft.


Pearl Harbor notified VADM Fletcher that based on radio intelligence the Japanese planned to land troops at Port Moresby May 10 and their fleet carriers would likely be operating close to the invasion convoy. Armed with this information, Fletcher directed TF 17 to refuel from Neosho. On 6 May, he planned to take his forces north towards the Louisiades and do battle on 7 May.

In the meantime, Takagi's carrier force steamed down the east side of the Solomons throughout the day on 5 May, turned west to pass south of San Cristobal (Makira), and enter the Coral Sea. Takagi also expected to do battle on May 7.