The Seabourn Odyssey left Cairns and is headed for New Caledonia. The Battle of the Coral Sea  occurred between 4 and 8 of May 1942, five months after Pearl Harbor.   Japan vs the USA and Australia.   First aircraft carrier battle ever fought. All the fighting, however, were carried out by airplanes from those ships. This was the first time in WWII that Japan experienced failure in a major battle. This was the victory that saved Australia, for Japan was advancing towards Australia. The U.S. knew more than the Japanese suspected, for America had broken the Japanese secret naval codes.  The strategy was to sink carriers, for that would destroy the plane runway.  The problem was that each was protected by a screen of cruisers and destroyers. The Japanese were led by Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue, with Admiral Frank Fletcher in American command. The final truth is that this was actually a tactical victory for Japan, as the American USS Lexington carrier was scuttl...