Battle of the Coral Sea

Fought almost exclusively as a series of air actions, the fortunes of opponents in the Coral Sea battle were largely affected by the changing weather factors. Thus, on 4 May and 7 May, while Allied forces were operating in a frontal zone under a heavy cloud cover, and the Japanese forces were in clear weather beyond the limits of the zone, none of our ships suffered damage and only nine aircraft were lost, as against nine ships and 24 aircraft of the enemy. However, in the clashes that followed on 8 May, when the fleets were in exactly the reverse position so far as the weather was concerned, the Japanese escaped ship losses and the famous American aircraft carrier Lexington was sunk. On that day, the aircraft losses were 51 Japanese planes and 57 Allied, which indicated that the enemy pilots did not make the best use of their meteorological advantage.

The strategic and tactical use of weather normally forms the offensive action, since the attacking force possesses a great advantage in being able to decide the best time for initiating action. This is particularly so in a sea-air engagement, but it is equally clear that it is almost impossible in a sustained naval clash of the type of the Coral Sea battle for one fleet continually to use the weather factor to its own advantage while enemy ships do not. Hence, in the defence, the meteorologists and commanders of the defending forces must be alert to seize the advantage of the weather gauge as soon as conditions will permit. In the total engagement the side making best use of the fully appreciated meteorological situation—an appreciation which largely depends on the extent of weather information to it from all sources, including its own aircraft in flight from the carriers—undoubtedly possesses a valuable advantage over its adversary.

Bureau of Meteorology