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| Coral Sea battle remembered By Graham Davis Edition 5008, 17 May, 2007 |
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Marking the 65th anniversary of the decisive battle in which neither navy saw each other, the service brought more than 400 ex-service men and women, serving defence personnel, VIPs and family members together at the Coral Sea Memorial, an imposing column of stone summounted by an American eagle, on May 5. One US veteran travelled 13,800 nautical miles from Alaska to lay a wreath on the memorial and remember the 137 shipmates who perished when the carrier USS Lexington was attacked by aircraft and sunk during the battle. He was joined by two other Lexington crew members and a group of ex-service personnel from the Pearl Harbour Survivors Association. The commanding officer of the visiting Arleigh Burke destroyer USS Lassen and a team from his ship also attended the service. The impressive list of dignitaries included the Governor of Queensland Ms Quentin Bryce, the US Ambassador to Australia Mr Robert McCallum and federal, state, local government and other ex-service representatives. Sailors from the Defence Force School of Signals outside Toowoomba provided the catafalque party. The 7th Fleet Band joined the Brisbane detachment of the RAN Band to provide the music while the RAN detachment of the Federation Guard flew in from Canberra. The ceremony began with Governor Bryce inspecting the Federation Guard and both bands before Navy chaplain Bill Pearson opened with prayers, an invocation and the saying of the Lord’s Prayer. Wreath laying followed and was led by the Governor followed by other dignitaries. In her message of welcome Maylou Badeaux, the president of Queensland Australia American Association, said, “we are also honouring all the US and Australians who died. They are patriots and heroes all.” She also applauded those who have followed, those who served in Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan. The US Secretary of the Interior Mr Dirk Kempthorne, in a tribute to those Allied forces who fought in the Battle of the Coral Sea, remarked, “thankyou for the freedom we enjoy today.” He passed on a message from President George W. Bush, “I send greetings on the 65th anniversary of this strategic defeat. Laura and I send our best wishes. God Bless.” Representing Prime Minister John Howard, Senator Russell Trood said, “the Battle of the Coral Sea stopped a seaborne invasion of Port Moresby.” It had also provided a foundation for the long friendship which exists between the US and Australia. The Chief of Staff of the US 7th Fleet CAPT David Newland had a special relationship to the service, revealing his father was a member of the crew of the USS Lexington. He pointed out that the battle was the first where neither navy sighted each other. The battle was taken to the opposing force by aircraft. CAPT Newland concluded his address with the words, “we remember our troops in harm’s way.” During the service the Last Post was sounded, a minute’s silence observed, the US flag and Australian White Ensign drawn to half mast and anthems of both countries rendered. An RAAF Caribou did a flyover. The US Air Force was represented at the service by BRIG GEN David Snyder, while CMDR Forbes Peters represented the Chief of Navy, MAJGEN Ash Power the Army and AIRCDRE Mark Gower the RAAF. Because of the high level of VIPs there a strong security screen was in place. Before the ceremony sniffer dogs checked the venue while uniformed police took up positions outside the crowd. Plain clothed detectives mingled while a Queensland Police RHIB patrolled the waters of the Brisbane River and nearby tributary, Breakfast Creek. The Battle of the Coral Sea was the first decisive check to Japan’s southward expansion. The battle became a blueprint for a series of naval air battles that would eventually win the war in the Pacific. It made the aircraft carrier the king of the fleet. In April 1942 with the substitution of the new South-West Pacific Area Command for the ANZAC arrangement, Task Force 44 was formed under RADM John Crace. The task force consisted of the RAN cruisers, HMA ships Australia, Canberra and Hobart, the US cruiser Chicago and destroyer USS Perkins. The ships were soon in action during the critical Battle of the Coral Sea in early May. This strategically defensive battle was fought between American and Japanese carrier task forces as the Japanese tried to dispatch invasion forces towards Tulagi in the Solomons and against Port Moresby. Task Force 44, operating as an independent cruiser/destroyer group, was positioned to attack the Port Moresby convoy as it moved into the Coral Sea. The task group came under attack from Japanese aircraft but did not encounter any enemy ships. The latter turned back in response to the apparent strength of the Allied force. The Battle of the Coral Sea proved the turning point. With the loss of a small carrier to the Imperial Japanese Navy and a large one to the USN, the encounter was a limited tactical victory for the Japanese but their aircraft and aircrew losses were substantial and they did not possess the pools of replacement machines and men that the Americans were quickly developing. The Japanese could no longer seriously consider a seaborne invasion of Port Moresby. They would have to accomplish its capture by crossing the mountain ranges of New Guinea or by stepping around the coast. The course of the future campaign for the island was set. |
