“Scratch one flattop!” came through over the loudspeakers in the U.S.S. Lexington’s Combat Information Center late in the morning of May 7, 1942, announcing the first major U.S. Navy success over a large Imperial Japanese Navy ship. So began the Battle of the Coral Sea, the first major naval battle in history in which the opposing combatants’ surface forces did not come within visual sight of each other, and therefore did not fire directly upon each other. Aircraft carried the day, setting an historic precedence for future naval engagements.
The Battle of the Coral Sea, which occurred one month before the pivotal Battle of Midway, has historically been viewed as a “draw” between the two opposing Navies. The Imperial Japanese Navy lost one light carrier, one destroyer and several smaller craft, as well as one heavy carrier badly damaged. The U.S. Navy, by comparison, lost one heavy carrier, a fleet oiler, a destroyer, with one heavy carrier suffering major damage. In recent years, however, it has been put forth that the battle, though perhaps a tactical victory for the Japanese on the basis of tonnage sunk, was actually a strategic victory for the United States. For, as a result of the battle, the Japanese were forced to cancel their invasion of Port Moresby, New Guinea. Had Port Moresby fallen, Australia would have been threatened, and the eventual re-taking of the Pacific by Allied forces would most likely also have been negatively impacted. Additionally, the Battle of Midway in early June, 1942, was directly impacted by the events of one month earlier. The two Japanese heavy carriers that were in the Port Moresby covering force, Zuikaku and Shokaku, were unable to take part in the Midway operation due to the damage inflicted at Coral Sea. Shokaku, hit by three bombs from U.S. Navy dive bombers, returned to Japan where she was out of action for months. Zuikaku, which escaped attack by taking shelter in a rain squall, nevertheless was effectively put out of action by the loss of the majority of her air group. Experienced naval aviators were not easily replaced by the Japanese, a scenario which was destined to be repeated many times over during the course of the War in the Pacific. Viewed in this light, the Battle of the Coral Sea was an important engagement, one which set the scene for the eventual outcome of the war, Victory in the Pacific.
“The Battle of the Coral Sea” is a limited edition art print by Robert Taylor. Alerted to Japanese intentions to invade Port Moresby by intelligence intercepts, the United States Navy dispatched the carriers Yorktown and Lexington to the Coral Sea. Stopping the Japanese advance was left up to these two carriers, as the other three U.S. carriers assigned to the Pacific were unable to take part. The Hornet and Enterprise were returning from the Doolittle Raid, and were not able to reach the scene in time to take part. Saratoga was on the West Coast, receiving repair for a Japanese torpedo hit. It was up to the Yorktown and “Lady Lex.”
U.S. Navy aircraft launched on the morning of May 7th, and soon found the Japanese invasion fleet, which was being covered by the light carrier Shoho. The SBD Dauntless and TBD Devastators from the Lexington arrived on the scene first, and focused their attack on the carrier. They were joined by the Yorktown’s attack group, and the Shoho quickly was hit by twelve bombs from the Dauntless and seven torpedoes from the Devastators. Shoho went down within 30 minutes of being sighted by the American aviators.
The art print depicts the Lexington’s Douglas Dauntless dive bombers forming up after their dives on the Shoho, as the carrier’s Devastators finish their attack runs on the carrier. The Shoho has been heavily hit, and will soon sink.
The print is signed by the artist and ten SBD pilots, nine of who flew in the Battle of the Coral Sea: Commander Harold L. Buell, Captain Ben Preston, Commander Joe Riley, Captain Arthur Schultz (attacked the Shoho), Captain Lawrence "Link" Traynor, Lt. Commander Dick Best, Captain Bill Christie, Captain Robert Elder, Commander Harry Fredrickson (credited with a hit on the Shoho), and Captain Stanley "Swede" Vejtasa.
Below the print are two photographs.
On the left, a SBD gets the take-off flag from the flight deck crew. An aerial bomb is suspended underneath the Dauntless. The photograph on the right shows the Shoho under attack, at the time depicted in the painting (picture credits: U.S. Navy and National Archives). Between the photographs are two reproduction wing pins, a Naval Aviator wing on the left, and a Navy Combat Aircrew wing (for the radioman-gunner) on the right. The print is matted in gray-blue, with a steel grey inner mat. This is a large, impressive piece. It measures 28" x 38 ½ ". A Certificate Of Authenticity issued by the publisher is included. The optional frame is solid wood, with a cherry finish (other colors are available. Contact us for info). Please see the "Frame Info" tab for complete information on how we frame our artwork.
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