The Battle of the Coral Sea Begins

On this day in US history, the first modern naval engagement in history began on May 3, 1942. After having broken Japan’s secret war code, the US intercepted a transmission detailing an impending invasion of Tulagi and Port Moresby at the Coral Sea. The confrontation was known as the “Battle of the Coral Sea” and was marked as the first air-naval battle in history, as none of the carriers fired at each other.