The Coral Sea 1942

In May 1942, the Japanese Imperial Navy had not yet known defeat. Its next big objective in the Southwest Pacific was Port Moresby in New Guinea. Carrier Division 5 escorted the Japanese landing force. The U.S. Navy sent half its Pacific aircraft carriers, the Yorktown and Lexington, to turn back the assault. Over several days, the two task forces maneuvered almost blindly in the Coral Sea, each seeking the moment to launch killing carrier aviation strikes against the other. What happened next was the first carrier battle of the war. Author Mark Stille puts that clash in proper perspective, with illustrations by John White. The author's writing style allows the reader to easily follow the course of events. For example, the Opposing Plans section provides an excellent overview of the respective goals on each side. It also covers the events that led up to the battle. The battle itself is then segmented into various stages. All in all, the author does a good job of painting a clear picture. As usual in the campaign series the 2D maps are well done, it has also three 3D Birds' Eye View maps. This is definitely one of the better books in the Osprey Campaign series.