Battle of the Coral Sea — First Carrier vs. Carrier Battle

US and Japanese carrier forces clashed in the Coral Sea in the first naval battle in history fought entirely by aircraft, with neither fleet sighting the other. The US lost the carrier Lexington and suffered heavy damage to Yorktown; Japan lost the light carrier Shōhō and suffered major damage to two fleet carriers. Strategically a US victory: Japan's plan to capture Port Moresby and threaten Australia was halted, and two Japanese carriers were unable to participate in the upcoming Battle of Midway, which proved decisive.