Journey back with us if you will, to a time when a president couldn't watch a military action in live time from across many oceans and such. President Al Gore wasn't even born yet, let alone have invented the internet. Most remember the 'infamy' of the air raid on Pearl Harbor, many also remember the crucial four scratched flat-tops from "Battle of Midway" that forever turned the tide on what seemed to be an unstoppable Imperial Japanese Navy. Today is the anniversary of the big naval action that often gets overlooked during those two crucial 'bookend engagements.'Subsequent to such tactical success at Pearl Harbor, the IJN set it's sights on the resources that could be gained, and were severely lacked, within their tiny homeland. As such, they set out to take control of the Solomon Islands, New Guinea and, ultimately, threaten our allies in Australia. The first blows of the campaign began May 3rd, 1942, with the Japanese invading the island of Tulagi. The battle would later evolve into the first engagement where multiple fleet carriers engaged without seeing each other {i.e. naval carrier-based air assets-a practice in it's infancy at the beginning of World War 2}, two American fleet carriers, Lexington and Yorktown, met the virtually undefeated PH veteran IJN fleet carriers, Shokaku and Zuikaku. The Lexington was sunk {see death blow pictured at bottom above}-the Yorktown {middle above} almost joined her {she would limp back to PH for repair, play a pivotal role at Midway a month later, and finally be scuttled after doing all she could the last day at Midway}. However, the Japanese navy had been stopped for the first time in their tracks. Shokaku was heavily damaged-Zuikaku lost virtually all of it's air wing, and both carriers would have to regroup/refit instead of being the possible 5th and 6th carriers at Midway the following month....which may have tipped the scales completely.
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/1998/mindell-0610.html {article regarding locating Yorktown, which was scuttled after final, fatal damage, with modest casualties, at the conclusion of the decisive win at Midway}
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHdjqsSSa_A {my strategy for Price Is Right..BTW-that chick bidding $421 was just cold-blooded!!}