Since it is close to the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea and we've had a few what ifs; Some high ranking officer's in the IJN did not want the Midway Operation to go forward; but instead secure the northern and southern flanks; What would the battle of the Coral Sea looked like under these conditions. Lets assume the Aleutian campaign and time table for the original Port Moresby/ Solomon attacks stayed as planed.
If you scrap Midway then you could split the Kido Butai however you want in those directions. Since the whole fleet pretty much was also present at Midway you could also split that up too. I wonder if Japan would have been as timid at Coral if all its eggs were in one basket.
Kaga wasn't ready for sailing until May 4 do to hull damage from a reef accident and i believe the Hornet and Enterprise were close [coming from pearl after Doolittle Raid] when the Battle occurred on May 8; Only guessing i believe Akagi would have stayed in port with Kaga; Hiryu and Soryu probably would have sailed with Shokaku and Zuikaku; but in separate 2 carrier divisions; a IJN fleet thing at that time. Don't think the IJN really believed they needed many carriers for that operation. So if the USN felt it could hold off on operations until all four USN carriers were in support of each other you might have had one big show. I think the Aleutian fleet plans would stay as is; some historians do believe it was no feint for the Midway operation; but one in its self. Who knows what might have happened but it makes for some interesting scenario's.
I think you might consider that no additional capital ships are dispatched but additional (that were positioning for midway) escorts, scouts and subs are.
A better defensively prepared japanese fleet or a allied air element that is streched thinner might change things considerably
An increased IJN Carrier presence is a game changer st Coral Sea, having more carriers means more hitting power, and Torktown was badly damaged by Shokaku and Zuikaku alone, with more strike aircraft from Soryu and Hiryu they might have finished her off. Of course, not only would it hurt Soryu and Hiryu's airgroups, but one of them could have been lost to US aircraft as well, however, the over all operation of invading Port Moresby may not have been cancelled .
I think you might consider that no additional capital ships are dispatched but additional (that were positioning for midway) escorts, scouts and subs are.
A better defensively prepared japanese fleet or a allied air element that is streched thinner might change things considerably
The thought is no Midway; but i agree with you i doubt much in capital ships have been added by the IJN; after the six months of steady campaigning rest and refit was in order. Its possible a second Carrier division would have been added, more to help with Tulagi and the Solomons and be an immediate reserve, staying out of Allied air land base attack.
I think you might consider that no additional capital ships are dispatched but additional (that were positioning for midway) escorts, scouts and subs are.
A better defensively prepared japanese fleet or a allied air element that is streched thinner might change things considerably
The thought is no Midway; but i agree with you i doubt much in capital ships have been added by the IJN; after the six months of steady campaigning rest and refit was in order. Its possible a second Carrier division would have been added, more to help with Tulagi and the Solomons and be an immediate reserve, staying out of Allied air land base attack.
Hard to say. They did need the refits, no question. Yet, they went ahead anyway with both operations. They had planned to do the Coral Sea battle (I think) and the Doolittle raid split their forces into Midway and the rest of the ocean. (They did not want a repeat, their pride had been hurt.) So, maybe they would have sent all their carriers down. (If no Midway, then I am assuming no Doolittle raid which changed Japanese plans.) So we would have had some more punch available as well.
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My personal feeling is no midway has a much larger effect on the Guadalcanal campaign than Coral Sea...
This is most likely true; but a bigger effort at Coral Sea by both the IJN and the USN; which under different circumstances was possible, history changes; A little delay in starting the operation does give the IJN a possible four to six carrier operation, but also allows 4 USN carriers to participate. Even if it was 4 on 4 the IJN sending Hiryu with Soryu [Doubtful after what Kaga and Akagi went thought in the previous six months they'd be reader or even if Japan thought they would be needed] with Shokaku and Zuikaku not think we have this one sided Midway type victory. Still think the USN would have chosen somewhere close to Guadlecanal to stop the IJN advance and the future, Santa Cruz, Eastern Solomons type Carrier battles would have happened with the same Attrition results;; we could they could't.
I am curious. How did the American torpedo bombers fare? I know they were outdated and did poorly at Midway, but i never heard about Coral Sea. Same result?
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They managed to attack at the same time as the rest of the airgroup and with only 2 fleet carriers the Japanese had fewer CAP aircraft so the squadrons weren't decimated like at Midway. Did they have any success? Not really, but the squadrons didn't cease to exist.
Midway was being planned as a follow up to Coral Sea anyway, from what I understand. Which makes sense because it'd be a logistical nightmare to plan that extensive an operation in under a month.
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As mnnorthstars said they were just looking for the big knockout battle; Coral Sea was just to soon for that; but i think if the big knockout type Midway was put off for a bit, a bigger effort might have been possible at Coral Sea. Seems to me even the whole Southern Strategy could have been a priority; then the big knockout battle; but i guess the Doolittle Raid had its desired effect. As for the question on the Torpedo Bombers; There was some success on Shoho, i read possible 7 torpedo hits on her; hard to believe.