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Ok, there is a thread active right now that asks what (if anything) was proved/learned from the battle of the coral sea. That thread inspired my related question.

In the spring summer of 1942, the IJN had three ops in the works, the original BotCS, the aleutians campaign, and the BoMW. this meant that they were committing 9 carriers to combat, and orignally were going to use the Shokaku & Zuikaku again at midway.

Now, here is the order of battle for these three ops:

Coral Sea
Japan = 2 CV's Shokaku & Zuikaku + 1 CVL Shoho
USA = 2 CV's Lexington & Yorktown

Midway
Japan = 4 CV's Akagi Hiryū Kaga Sōryū
USA = 3 CV's Yorktown Enterprise Hornet

Aleutians campaign (same time as midway basically).
Japan = 1 CV Junyō + 1 CVL Ryūjō.
USA = No carriers

So, the Japanese have 7 CV's and 2 CVL's ready to hit the USN with, and the USN has 4 CV's to fight back with.

My question is, what would have happened if (for whatever reason), the Japanes had been forced to delay the OTL Coral Sea battle, and in the meantime decide to put the midway/aleutian campaign on hold until after Australia is well and truely isolated by capture of the island groups east of the solomons, and sent these 9 carriers to enforce the advance?

Any ideas for how this campaign might have gone?
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