World War II at Sea

The attack on Pearl Harbor took place on December 7, 1941, and brought the United States into World War II. Launching from aircraft carriers, Japanese planes conducted a surprise attack and sunk or badly damaged eight battleships. The attack on Pearl Harbor was dubbed "a day which will live in infamy" by President Roosevelt.

Fought May 4-8, 1942, the Battle of the Coral Sea was a strategic victory for the Allies. In the first naval battle fought entirely with aircraft, Allied naval forces were able to block a Japanese drive through the Coral Sea to Port Moresby. When the Battle of the Coral Sea ended, the Japanese had lost a light carrier while the Allies lost a...

The Battle of Midway in early June 1942, marked the turning point of World War II in the Pacific. Fighting to the west of Midway, the US Navy attacked and sunk four Japanese aircraft carriers while losing only one of its own.

The Battle of the Bismarck Sea was fought March 2-4, 1943, and saw Allied aircraft inflict heavy losses on the Japanese. Sailing from Rabaul to Lae, Japanese transports were attacked in the Bismarck Sea. In the fighting, all eight of the Japanese transports were sunk.

The Battle of the Philippine Sea was fought June 19-20, 1944, and was a decisive victory for the Allies. Attacking in the Philippine Sea while Allied forces were invading Saipan, the Japanese were repulsed with the loss of three carriers. The battle is often referred to as the "Marianas Turkey Shoot" due to the large number of Japanese planes...

The Battle of Leyte Gulf was a series engagements fought October 23-26, 1944, in the waters around the Philippines. During the fighting, the Japanese attempted to block the Allied invasion of Leyte through a series of naval battles. The Battle of Leyte Gulf ended in a massive Allied victory and effectively crippled the Imperial Japanese Navy.