Battle of the Coral Sea: May 8
1942: May 8: Battle of the Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea concluded on May 8 with the Japanese retiring from the area and calling off the Port Moresby amphibious operation. During battle, SBD's from USS Lexington (CV-2) and USS Yorktown (CV-5) damaged the Japanese carrier Shokaku and forced her to retire. Before the battle was over, Japanese planes damaged both Lexington and Yorktown, causing subsquent explosions on board each carrier. Lexington suffered massive explosions that led her to be abandoned and later scuttled by USS Phelps (DD-218).
Image: 80-G-7411: USS Lexington (CV-2), abandoning, May 8, 1942. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.
