Answer:
The Battle of the Coral Sea
Step-by-step explanation:
The Battle of the Coral Sea, which took place from May 4-8, 1942, denied the Japanese the opportunity to attack Australia during World War II. The battle was fought between the Japanese Navy and the combined forces of the United States and Australia. It was a significant naval engagement and the first in history where opposing fleets fought entirely with carrier-based aircraft, without the ships directly engaging each other.
The Japanese objective was to establish control over the Coral Sea and launch an invasion of Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, which would have put them in a position to threaten Australia. However, the Allied forces were able to intercept and disrupt the Japanese plans. The battle resulted in heavy losses on both sides, with the Japanese losing the aircraft carrier Shōkaku and sustaining damage to another carrier, while the U.S. lost the carrier USS Lexington and had another carrier, the USS Yorktown, damaged.
Although the battle was technically a tactical victory for the Japanese, as they sank more Allied ships, it was a strategic victory for the Allies. The Japanese were forced to cancel their planned invasion of Port Moresby, and the battle marked a turning point in the Pacific War. It was the first time the Japanese advance was halted and their expansion was checked. The Battle of the Coral Sea prevented the Japanese from attacking Australia directly and set the stage for future Allied victories in the Pacific theater.