Battle of the Coral Sea

The Battle of the Coral Sea, fought in May 1942, was a pivotal naval engagement in World War II, marking the first time opposing fleets attacked each other solely with aircraft launched from carriers, without ever seeing or firing upon one another. Though a tactical victory for Japan in terms of ships sunk, it was a crucial strategic victory for the Allies, halting a major Japanese advance and weakening their carrier forces before the decisive Battle of Midway.