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Great video on Coral Sea battle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB5hH3ksvKE

I just saw this in my feed and also watched in earlier this morning. Also thought it was good!

If the Japanese had been able to win the carrier battle decisively, would they have been successful with their landing and taken Port Moresby?

ORIGINAL: Mikawa

If the Japanese had been able to win the carrier battle decisively, would they have been successful with their landing and taken Port Moresby?

At that stage of the war, quite likely yes. The Allies had little in the way of fighter aircraft in all of Australia and their Heavy Bombers were not good at hitting shipping so the landings should have proceeded without much interference and cut off the Australian units from their supply. The experienced Japanese units with high morale would likely have made short work of the Aussies who would be demoralized by the situation.

The only thing that might have saved the situation is if the American carrier squadrons were in the air when their ships got hit, they might have made it to friendly bases and then on to Portland Roads in Australia to attack the Japanese shipping to Port Moresby.

Ref Milne Bay and the japanese supermen.

ORIGINAL: JeffroK

Ref Milne Bay and the japanese supermen.

Milne Bay and the japanese supermen

http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-bat ... ne_bay.htm


Air power had a lot to do with winning the battle. Something the allies didn't really have at Port Moresby.

ORIGINAL: JeffroK

Ref Milne Bay and the japanese supermen.

Not saying the Japanese man was intrinsically better than anyone else, but they had years of experience in China and a culture that demanded they fight to the death for their Emperor. So give them superior firepower and supply and pit them against green, hastily trained Allied troops who are cut off and the outcome should not be in doubt. Essentially, for a short time the Japanese had all the advantages that the Allies had later on.

Don't forget at that time the Aussies at PM were also woefully underequipped, had no fortifications built, and wracked by disease. They would have been sorely pressed to stand up to the initial charge of invading Japanese.