Battles at Sea
After the Japanese seized control of the Philippines, they expanded their control across the Pacific. A weakened American Navy desperately tried to halt their advances. Their efforts succeeded in May 1942, during the Battle of the Coral Sea. This battle, fought exclusively by airpower from aircraft carriers, halted the Japanese invasion of Australia. The battle was fought by ships hundreds of miles away from each other.
Map of the Coral Sea.
Map of flight, battleship and aircraft carrier paths in the Coral Sea
Although the Americans were able to stop the Japanese from conquering Australia, there were two significant losses of U.S. Naval vessels. The U.S.S. Lexington and the U.S.S. Yorktown were both casualties of this battle.
Another pivotal sea battle during World War II was the Battle of Midway, which was fought on June 4, 1942. Just like the Battle of the Coral Sea, this campaign was fought exclusively using airpower. Midway was considered a complete victory for American forces, because they destroyed four Japanese carriers and forever ended the offensive power of the Japanese Navy.
Images from the Battle of Midway