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Hyperion
March 30th, 2009, 12:02 AM
Here's a question.

During the Battle of the Coral Sea in May of 1942, what would happen if the two US carriers caught the two big Japanese carriers in a similar manner to Nagumo's carriers at Midway in OTL.

The US strike planes arrive before the Japanese have launched their strike. The torpedo planes go in and draw off the CAP. They take heavy losses but draw off the Zeros. Meanwhile the Dauntless dive bombers go in from high above and score anywhere from 2 to 4 direct hits on each carrier, catching them with dozens of planes on their decks, loaded with gas and ammo.

How does this disaster effect future events. What will Yamamoto do when he realizes that he will not only be unable to use these two carriers for Midway, but that the Americans may actually be able to deploy as many as four carriers themselves.

Assuming that Midway goes ahead as in OTL, how would the addition of the Lexington and an undamaged Yorktown, and their cruiser and destroyer escorts, effect that epic battle

Grimm Reaper
March 30th, 2009, 01:07 AM
Four part article on the battle, with some rather amusing(alarming?) errors on the part of all participants: http://www.avalanchepress.com/coral_sea_1.php

Hyperion
April 2nd, 2009, 11:32 PM
What would happen if the Americans did better? That was my question.

Grimm Reaper
April 2nd, 2009, 11:51 PM
I was just pointing out that there were many ways either the US or Japan could have improved their performence and quite easily.