Battle of the Coral Sea order of battle

This is an order of battle for the Battle of the Coral Sea. The battle, fought during 4–8 May 1942, was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval and air forces from the United States (U.S.) and Australia.

In an attempt to strengthen their defensive positioning for their empire in the South Pacific, Imperial Japanese forces decided to invade and occupy Port Moresby in New Guinea and Tulagi in the southeastern Solomon Islands. The plan to accomplish this, called Operation MO, involved several major units of Japan's Combined Fleet, including two fleet carriers and a light carrier to provide air cover for the invasion fleets, under the overall command of Shigeyoshi Inoue. The U.S. learned of the Japanese plan through signals intelligence and sent two United States Navy carrier task forces and a joint Australian-American cruiser force, under the overall command of Frank Jack Fletcher, to oppose the Japanese offensive.

Japanese Forces
Task Force MO
 * IJN 4th Fleet – Vice Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue
 * light cruiser Kashima (Inoue's flagship, anchored at Rabaul during the battle)
 * Tulagi Invasion Group – Rear Admiral Kiyohide Shima
 * minelayers Okinoshima (Shima's flagship), Kōei Maru
 * transport Azumasan Maru
 * destroyers Kikuzuki (sunk), Yūzuki
 * minesweepers Wa #1 (sunk), Wa #2 (sunk), Hagoromo Maru, Noshiro Maru #2, and Tama Maru (sunk)
 * subchasers Toshi Maru #3 and Tama Maru #8
 * 400 troops from the 3rd Kure Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) plus a construction detachment from the 7th Establishment Squad.
 * Support Group/Close Cover Force – Rear Admiral Kuninori Marumo
 * light cruisers Tenryū (Marumo's flagship), Tatsuta
 * seaplane tender Kamikawa Maru
 * Kamikawa Maru air group – 12 aircraft
 * Kiyokawa Maru air group (attached)
 * gunboats Keijo Maru, Seikai Maru, Nikkai Maru
 * Covering Group/Main Body Support Force – Rear Admiral Aritomo Gotō
 * light carrier Shōhō (sunk)
 * Shōhō Air Group – Lieutenant Kenjirō Nōtomi
 * Shōhō Carrier Fighter Unit – 8 A6M Zero and 4 Mitsubishi A5M fighters
 * Shōhō Carrier Attack Unit – 6 Nakajima B5N Type 97 torpedo bombers
 * cruisers Aoba (Gotō's flagship), Kako, Kinugasa, Furutaka
 * destroyer Sazanami
 * Port Moresby Invasion Group – Rear Admiral Sadamichi Kajioka
 * light cruiser Yubari (Kajioka's flagship)
 * destroyers Oite, Asanagi, Uzuki, Mutsuki, Mochizuki, Yayoi
 * 1 or 2 unidentified patrol boats
 * Transport Unit – Rear Admiral Kōsō Abe
 * minelayer Tsugaru
 * 11 transports:
 * Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN)- Mogamigawa Maru, Chōwa Maru, Goyō Maru, Akiba Maru, Shōka Maru.
 * Imperial Japanese Army (IJA)- Asakasan Maru, China Maru, Mito Maru, Matsue Maru, Taifuku Maru, Hibi Maru
 * salvage tugboat Woshima
 * oilers Hoyo Maru, and Irō
 * minesweepers W-20 (Wa #20), Hagoromo Maru, Noshiro Maru #2, Fumi Maru #2, and Seki Maru #3.
 * Approximately 500 troops from the 3rd Kure SNLF plus construction specialists from the 10th Establishment Squad on the IJN transports
 * South Seas Detachment of approximately 5,000 troops on the IJA transports
 * Carrier Striking Force – Vice Admiral Takeo Takagi
 * Carrier Division 5 – Rear Admiral Chūichi Hara, Officer in Tactical Command
 * Carrier Shōkaku
 * Shōkaku Air Group – Lieutenant Commander Kakuichi Takahashi
 * Shōkaku Carrier Fighter Unit – 21 A6M Zero fighters
 * Shōkaku Carrier Bomber Unit – 20 Aichi D3A Type 99 dive bombers
 * Shōkaku Carrier Attack Unit – 19 Nakajima B5N Type 97 torpedo bombers
 * Carrier Zuikaku (Hara's flagship)
 * Zuikaku Air Group – Lieutenant Commander Shigekazu Shimazaki
 * Zuikaku Carrier Fighter Unit – 25 Zero fighters
 * Zuikaku Carrier Bomber Unit – 22 Type 99 dive bombers
 * Zuikaku Carrier Attack Unit – 20 Type 97 torpedo bombers
 * cruisers Myōkō (Takagi's flagship), Haguro
 * destroyers Ushio, Akebono
 * destroyers Ariake, Yugure, Shiratsuyu, Shigure
 * oiler Tōhō Maru
 * Submarine Force – Captain Noburu Ishizaki
 * Patrol/Scouting Group – I-21, I-22, I-24, I-28, and I-29
 * Raiding Group – RO-33 and RO-34
 * 25th Air Flotilla (also called the 5th Air Attack Force) – Rear Admiral Sadayoshi Yamada
 * 4th Air Group (based at Rabaul) – 17 Mitsubishi G4M Type 1 land attack bombers
 * Tainan Air Group (based at Lae and Rabaul) – 18 A6M Zero and six Mitsubishi A5M fighters
 * Yokohama Air Group (based at Rabaul, Shortland Islands, and Tulagi) – 12 Kawanishi H6K reconnaissance and nine Nakajima A6M2-N fighter aircraft
 * Genzan Air Group (based at Rabaul) – 25 Mitsubishi G3M Type 96 land attack bombers

Allied Forces
Task Force 17 – Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher
 * Task Group 17.2 (Attack Group) – Rear Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid
 * cruisers Minneapolis, New Orleans, Astoria, Chester, Portland
 * destroyers Phelps, Dewey, Farragut, Aylwin, Monaghan
 * Task Group 17.3 (Support Group, from Task Force 44) – Rear Admiral John Gregory Crace
 * cruisers Australia, Chicago, Hobart
 * destroyers Perkins, Walke
 * Task Group 17.5 (Carrier Air Group) – Rear Admiral Aubrey Fitch, Officer in Tactical Command (OTC)
 * carrier Yorktown
 * Yorktown Air Group – Lieutenant Commander Oscar Pederson
 * Fighting 42 (VF-42) – 17 F4F Wildcat fighters
 * Bombing 5 (VB-5) – 18 SBD Dauntless dive bombers
 * Scouting 5 (VS-5) – 17 SBD dive bombers
 * Torpedo 5 (VT-5) – 13 TBD Devastator torpedo bombers
 * carrier Lexington (sunk)
 * Lexington Air Group – Commander William B. Ault
 * Fighting 2 (VF-2) – 21 Wildcat fighters
 * Bombing 2 (VB-2) – 18 SBD dive bombers
 * Scouting 2 (VS-2) – 17 SBD dive bombers
 * Torpedo 2 (VT-2) – 12 TBD torpedo bombers
 * destroyers Morris, Anderson, Hammann, Russell
 * Task Group 17.6 (Fueling Group) – Captain John S. Phillips
 * oilers Neosho (sunk), Tippecanoe
 * destroyers Sims (sunk), Worden
 * Task Group 17.9 (Search Group) – Commander George H. DeBaun
 * seaplane tender Tangier. Based at Noumea
 * Patrol Squadron 71 (VP-71) – 6 PBY-5 Catalinas
 * Patrol Squadron 72 (VP-72) – 6 PBY-5 Catalinas

South West Pacific Area – General Douglas MacArthur
 * Allied Naval Forces – Vice Admiral Herbert F. Leary
 * Task Group 42.1 – Captain Ralph Waldo Christie in submarine tender USS Griffin at Brisbane
 * Subdiv 53 – Lieutenant Commander Elmer E. Yeomans: S-42, S-43, S-44, S-45, S-46, S-47
 * Subdiv 201 – Commander Ralston B. Van Zant: S-37, S-38, S-39, S-40, S-41
 * Task Force 44 – temporarily assigned to Task Force 17, see Task Group 17.3 above
 * Allied Air Forces – Lieutenant General George Brett
 * United States Army Air Forces:
 * 8th Pursuit Group – Archerfield, Brisbane, 26 P-39 Airacobras
 * 35th Fighter Squadron – Port Moresby
 * 36th Fighter Squadron – Port Moresby
 * 49th Pursuit Group – Darwin, 90 Curtiss P-40s
 * 7th Fighter Squadron – Darwin
 * 8th Fighter Squadron – Darwin
 * 9th Fighter Squadron – Darwin
 * 3rd Light Bombardment Group -
 * 8th Light Bombardment Squadron – Port Moresby, A-24 Dauntless dive bombers
 * 13th Light Bombardment Squadron – B-25 Mitchells
 * 90th Light Bombardment Squadron – B-25 Mitchells
 * 19th Bombardment Group – Townsville, 17 B-17s
 * 30th Bombardment Squadron
 * 40th Reconnaissance Squadron
 * 93rd Bombardment Squadron
 * 435th Bombardment Squadron
 * 22nd Bombardment Group – 48 B-26 Marauders
 * Royal Australian Air Forces
 * No. 11 Squadron – PBY Catalinas
 * No. 20 Squadron – PBY Catalinas
 * No. 24 Squadron – Townsville, 3 CAC Wirraways
 * No. 32 Squadron – Port Moresby, Lockheed Hudsons
 * No. 75 Squadron – Port Moresby, 3 Curtiss P-40s
 * Port Moresby garrison – approximately 5,000 troops under Major General B. M. Morris
 * 30th Infantry Brigade
 * 39th Infantry Battalion
 * 49th Infantry Battalion
 * 53rd Infantry Battalion
 * 13th Field Regiment
 * 23rd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery
 * Detachment, 1st Independent Company
 * 30th Infantry Brigade Signal Section
 * 30th Infantry Brigade HQ Defence Platoon
 * Moresby Fixed Defences
 * Moresby Fixed Defences Fortress Engineers
 * Moresby Fixed Defences Anti-Aircraft Artillery (six 3-inch guns)
 * 1st Army Troops Company
 * 7th Field Company
 * 1st Section, 1st Mechanical Equipment Company
 * 8th Military District Survey Section
 * 8th Military District Bomb Disposal Section
 * 8th Military District Signals
 * 8th Military District Defence and Employment Company
 * New Guinea Volunteer Rifles
 * Papuan Infantry Battalion
 * 8th Military District Section Intelligence Corps
 * 15th Supply Personnel Company
 * 8th Military District Bulk Issue Petrol and Oil Depot
 * A Section, 8th Military District Mechanical Transport Company
 * Base Hospital
 * 3rd Field Ambulance
 * 113th Convalescent Depot
 * 8th Military District Dental Centre
 * 45th Dental Unit
 * 253rd Dental Unit
 * 256th Dental Unit
 * 274th Dental Unit
 * 301st Dental Unit
 * 421st Dental Unit
 * 15th Optical Unit
 * 8th Military District Depot of Medical Stores
 * 16th Field Hygiene Section
 * 8th Military District Ordnance Depot
 * 19th Ordnance Ammunition Section
 * 109th Infantry Brigade Group Field Workshop
 * 109th Infantry Brigade Group Ordnance Field Park
 * 30th Infantry Brigade Provost Platoon
 * 8th Military District Accounts Office
 * 8th Military District Postal Unit
 * 8th Military District Records Office
 * 8th Military District Stationery Depot
 * 8th Military District Printing Section
 * 8th Military District Graves Registration and Inquiries Unit
 * 8th Military District Laundry and Decontamination Unit
 * 8th Military District Army Field Bakery
 * 8th Military District Base Depot
 * 8th Military District Marine Section
 * 8th Military District Canteen Services
 * 8th Military District Training Centre
 * Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit