BATTLE OF THE CORAL SEA
4 May 2011, to 8 May, 2011, 69 years after the original Battle.
ACTUAL RUNNING DATE 6 MAY 2011 TO 12 MAY 2011The Japanese Port Moresby Invasion Force, commanded by Rear Admiral Kōsō Abe, included 11 transport ships carrying about 5,000 soldiers from the IJA's South Seas Detachment plus approximately 500 troops from the 3rd Kure Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF). Escorting the transports was the Port Moresby Attack Force with one light cruiser and six destroyers under the command of Rear Admiral Sadamichi Kajioka. Abe's ships departed Rabaul for the 840-nautical-mile (1,556 km) trip to Port Moresby on May 4 and were joined by Kajioka's force the next day. The ships, proceeding at 8 knots (9 mph; 15 km/h), planned to transit the Jomard Channel in the Louisiades to pass around the southern tip of New Guinea to arrive at Port Moresby by May 10.[19] The Allied garrison at Port Moresby numbered around 5,333 men, but only half of these were infantry and all were badly equipped and undertrained.
Leading the invasion of Tulagi was the Tulagi Invasion Force, commanded by Rear Admiral Kiyohide Shima, consisting of two minelayers, two destroyers, six minesweepers, two subchasers, and a transport ship carrying about 400 troops from the 3rd Kure SNLF. Supporting the Tulagi force was the Covering Group with the light carrier Shōhō, four heavy cruisers, and one destroyer, commanded by Rear Admiral Aritomo Gotō. A separate Cover Force (sometimes referred to as the Support Group), commanded by Rear Admiral Kuninori Marumo and consisting of two light cruisers, the seaplane tender Kamikawa Maru, and three gunboats, joined the Covering Group in providing distant protection for the Tulagi invasion. Once Tulagi was secured on May 3 or 4, the Covering Group and Cover Force were to reposition to help screen the Port Moresby invasion.Inoue directed the MO operation from the cruiser Kashima, with which he arrived at Rabaul from Truk on May 4.
Gotō's force left Truk on April 28, cut through the Solomons between Bougainville and Choiseul and took station near New Georgia Island. Marumo's support group sortied from New Ireland on April 29 headed for Thousand Ships Bay, Santa Isabel Island, to establish a seaplane base on May 2 to support the Tulagi assault. Shima's invasion force departed Rabaul on April 30.[24]
The Carrier Strike Force with carriers Zuikaku and Shōkaku, two heavy cruisers, and six destroyers sortied from Truk on May 1. The strike force was commanded by Vice Admiral Takeo Takagi (flag on cruiser Myōkō) with Rear Admiral Chūichi Hara, on Zuikaku, in tactical command of the carrier air forces. The Carrier Strike Force was to proceed down the eastern side of the Solomon Islands and enter the Coral Sea south of Guadalcanal. Once in the Coral Sea, the carriers were to provide air cover for the invasion forces, eliminate Allied air power at Port Moresby, and intercept and destroy any Allied naval forces which entered the Coral Sea in response.
AXIS---comms 123-----knights
c-59= light cv Shoho. a6m2, i-16(sub for a5m)no cannons, no rockets, d3a(with level and dive
bomb sights), b5n, LVT(for landing troops)
c-60=cv Shokaku a6m2, d3a, b5n
c-61= cv Zuikaku a6m2, d3a, b5n
Axis Historical Skins for this battle
A6M2
Default= Tainan Air Group
Tainan NFG by busa01
Tainan CAG by Busa01
Zuikaku FG by busa01
Zuikaku FG/1AF busa01
ALLIES---comms 123-----bishops
c-35=USS Lexington f4f, sbd, and tbm(torpedo and defensive guns only sub for tbd)
c-36=USS Yorktown f4f, sbd, tbm(see notes above)
A-63= port moresbey. no aircraft at all here. m3 only for defense, along with anti tank guns
and auto ack.
Allied Historical Skins For This Battle
F4F
VF-41 is correct USN paint scheme for this battle.
restrictions.....
A-63 is port moresbey...no aircraft. m3.
i-16=machine guns only.
tbm=torpedo only and defensive guns only
