WI-USS Saratoga at Coral Sea

Suppose USS Saratoga doesn't get torpedoed in January 1942 and is available for the Battle of the Coral Sea in May. Does an extra American carrier have any effect on the battle?
 
It would add another 20 odd Wildcats and given the damage the OTL 40 odd fighters inflicted on the Japanese airfleet it just might be enough to save Lady Lex and or the additional 50 odd strike planes might do more damage in return.

5 Carriers at Midway would be interesting!

Although it might not be fought as OTL (unless the IJN Believed the USN lost decks at Coral sea?)
 
Although it might not be fought as OTL (unless the IJN Believed the USN lost decks at Coral sea?)

This is the IJN We're talking about, even if they lost every single ship in the Coral sea fleet without even spotting the Americans in return, they'll stick to making some overly complex, insanely intricate plan that relies on the Americans doing EXACTLY what the Japanese "Know" they will do, so they can be drawn into a "Decisive" battle and defeated by the Superior Japanese fighting spirit, thus allowing Japan to win the war against a industrial power that's more then ten times stronger then them.

So basically I imagine you'd see something like Midway in mid 1942 anyways, regardless of the outcome of Coral Sea. Maybe at a different location then OTL, but you'd still see something similar.
 
The Japanese believed that the Yorktown CV-5 was either sunk or would require extensive shipyard work of perhaps six months. Therefore, the US could not have more than two carriers that would be operational for Midway.
 
Sara not torpedoed in Jan 42 makes for endless butterfly wing beats across the Pacific war. More raids by the USN are possible, which can only goad the IJN into higher risks. The Dolittle Raid is the famous one, but the previous 8th March raid on the 17th Armies reinforcement convoy to New Guinea had already badly aggravated Army/Navy tensions. With the extra carrier Nimitz can execute at least another such raid.
 
Midway had already pretty much reached the go-no go point by Coral Sea. Remember that the Sara was as vulnerable to shock damage as the Lex, so you'd basically need a USN clean sweep in the Coral Sea to materially affect Midway.

And IF-Big if-this happens, Midway isn't so advanced yet that the IJN couldn't do Midway Island as a combined operation. I.E., no Aleutians Campaign, combine Yamamoto's and Kondo's forces with Nagumo)Uncharacteristic as that would be for them, getting their hands burned THAT much MIGHT do the trick of making them see reason.

Oh wait. Leyte Gulf. Never mind:rolleyes::eek:
 
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