Pacific Ocean - Coral SeaThe Coral Sea is a region of the north-east coast of Australia and consist of a chain of uninhabited islands,including the Coringa, and Tregosse Islets. Only Willis Island is inhabited with four Meteorological Bureau staff. Unmanned weather stations beacons and a lighthouse are located on several other islands and reefs. The Coral Sea is named for its primary feature, the Great Barrier Reef, which is the largest coral reef in the world. The territory is a possession of Australia, administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of the Environment in 1969.
The Coral Sea covers an area of over more than three-quarters of a million square kilometres. The coral and sand islands are quite small with some grass and low vegetation cover. There is no fresh water. The Battle of the Coral Sea, fought on the 7th and 8th of May 1942, was the first fleet action in which aircraft carriers engaged each other, and the first naval battle in human history in which neither side's ships sighted or fired directly upon the other. The battle is considered a tactical victory for Japan since the aircraft carrier USS Lexington was lost, while Japan only lost a light carrier in the battle. Coral Sea was a strategic victory for the Allies as the Japanese abandoned their attempt to land troops to take Port Moresby, New Guinea. The engagement ended with no clear victor, but the damage suffered and experience gained by both sides set the stage for the Battle of Midway one month later. |
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