05/01 Fri. United States Naval Base and United States Naval Auxiliary 
           Air Facility, Great Exuma, Bahama Islands, and United States 
           Naval Base, Grand Cayman, British West Indies, are 
           established. 
           Adm. W. D. Leahy, USN (Ret.), ends service as Ambassador to 
           France.
05/02 Sat. Japanese land on Florida Island, Solomon Islands. 
            Japanese naval vessel sunk: 
             Seaplane tender MIZUHO, by submarine DRUM (SS-228), 
              off southeastern Honshu, Japan, 
              34 d. 26' N., 138 d. 14' E.
05/03 Sun. Submarine SPEARFISH (SS-190) evacuates certain military 
           personnel from Corregidor, P. I.
05/04 Mon. Battle of the Coral Sea (4-8 May) commences with an air 
           strike on Tulagi, Solomon Islands, by United States carrier-
           based aircraft.  Allied naval forces (Rear Adm. F. j. 
           Fletcher, USN) comprise Attack Group (Rear Adm. T. C. 
           Kinkaid, USN) of 
           United State cruisers CHESTER (CA-27), NEW ORLEANS (CA-32), 
           PORTLAND (CA-33), ASTORIA (CA-34), MINNEAPOLIS (CA-36) and 
           destroyers FARRAGUT (DD-348), DEWEY (DD-340), MONAGHAN (DD-
           354), AYLWIN (DD-355) and PHELPS (DD-360); Support Group 
           (Rear Adm. J. G. Crace, RN) with United States cruiser 
           CHICAGO (CA-29), Australian cruisers AUSTRALIA and HOBART, 
           and United States destroyers PERKINS (DD-377) and WALKE (DD-
           416); Carrier Group (Rear Adm. A. W. Fitch, USN) consisting 
           of United States carriers LEXINGTON (CV-2) and YORKTOWN (CV-
           5) with destroyers ANDERSON (DD-411), HAMMANN (DD-412), 
           RUSSELL (DD-414), and MORRIS (DD-417); Fueling Group (Capt. 
           J. S. Phillips, USN) including United States oilers 
           TIPPECANOE (AO-21) and NEOSHO (A0-23) and destroyers WORDEN 
           (DD-352) and SIMS (DD-409). 
           Commander in Chief United States Fleet (Adm. E. J. King) 
           directs Coast Guard Auxiliary to organize civilian small 
           craft as coastal pickets. 
            United States naval vessel sunk: 
             Minesweeper TANAGER (AM-5), by coastal defense guns, 
              Corregidor, P. I. 
            Japanese naval vessel sunk: 
             Destroyer KIKUZUKI, by carrier-based aircraft, Tulagi, 
              Solomon Islands.
05/05 Tue. Rear Adm. F. J. Fletcher's Allied force, after fueling, 
           changes course to intercept Japanese Port Moresby Invasion 
           Group (Battle of Coral Sea, 4-8 May). 
           Japanese forces land on Corregidor, P. I. 
            United States naval vessels sunk: 
             River gunboat MINDANAO (PR-8) and submarine rescue vessel 
              PIGEON (ASR-9), by horizontal bombers, Philippine Islands 
              area, 
              14 d. 23' N., 120 d. 36' E. 
             Tugs GENESEE (ATO-55) and VAGA (YT-116), by scuttling, 
              Philippine Islands area, 
              14 d. 25'N., 120 d. 30' E.
05/06 Wed. Rear Adm. F. J. Fletcher's Allied force is steaming on course 
           to intercept Japanese Port Moresby Invasion Group (Battle of 
           Coral Sea, 4-8 May). 
           Naval Auxiliary Air Facility, Nawiliwili, Kauai, T. H., is 
           established. 
           Corregidor and Manila Bay forts, P. I., surrender to the 
           Japanese. 
            United States naval vessels sunk: 
             River gunboat OAHU (PR-6) and LUZON (PR-7), and minesweeper 
              QUAIL (AM-15), by scuttling, Philippine Islands area, 
              14 d. 23' N., 120 d. 35' E.
05/07 Thu. Rear Adm. F. J. Fletcher's Allied force turns north to engage 
           Japanese Attack Group.  Support Group (Rear Adm. Crace, RN) 
           is detached to intercept enemy Port Moresby Invasion Group.  
           Admiral Crace's ships are attacked by enemy torpedo bombers 
           and land-based bombers and, mistaken for Japanese Port 
           Moresby Invasion Force, are bombed by Army B-26 aircraft.  
           Carrier aircraft attack Japanese Support Group and sink 
           aircraft carrier SHOHO (Battle of the Coral Sea, 4-8 May). 
           Hollandia, New Guinea, is occupied by Japanese forces. 
            United States naval vessel sunk: 
             Destroyer SIMS (DD-409), by dive bomber, Battle of the 
              Coral Sea, 
              15 d. 10' S., 158 d. 05' E. 
            United States naval vessel damaged: 
             Oiler NEOSHO (AO-23), by dive bomber, Battle of the Coral 
              Sea, 
              15 d. 10' S., 158 d. 05' E., 
              and sunk by Unites States forces 11 May 1942. 
            Japanese naval vessel sunk: 
             Carrier SHOHO, by carrier-based aircraft, Battle of the 
              Coral Sea, 
              10 d. 29' S., 152 d. 55' E.
05/08 Fri. Carrier LEXINGTON (CV-2) search aircraft sight Japanese 
           carriers SHOKAKU and ZUIKAKU.  Rear Adm. F. J. Fletcher's 
           carrier aircraft damage SHOKAKU and force her retirement.  At 
           the same time, Japanese aircraft hit carriers YORKTOWN (CV-5) 
           and LEXINGTON (CV-2), damaging the latter to such an extent 
           that destroyer PHELPS (DD-360) is ordered to sink her.  
           (Battle of the Coral Sea 4-8 May.) [This is the first battle 
           in modern naval history in which opposing warships did not 
           exchange a shot; all damage was inflicted by carrier 
           aircraft.  Coral Sea was a strategic United States victory  
           The heretofore uninterrupted Japanese push southeastward was 
           halted.] 
            United States naval vessel sunk: 
             Carrier LEXINGTON (CV-2), severely damaged by carrier-based 
              torpedo bombers and, in sinking condition, sunk by United 
              States forces, Battle of the Coral Sea, 
              15 d. 12 S., 155 d. 27' E. 
            United States naval vessel damaged: 
             Carrier YORKTOWN (CV-5), by carrier-based dive bombers, 
              Battle of the Coral Sea, 
              14 d. 35' S., 155 d. 15' E.
05/09 Sat. Unites States carrier WASP (CV-7), in the Mediterranean, 
           launches 47 British Spitfire aircraft for Malta. 
            German submarine sunk: 
             U-352, by Coast Guard cutter ICARUS (PC-119), off South 
              Carolina, 
              34 d. 12' N., 76 d. 35' W.
05/11 Mon.  Japanese vessel sunk: 
             Minelayer OKINOSHIMA, by submarine S-42, north of Solomon 
              Islands, 
              05 d. 06 S., 153 d. 48 E.
05/12 Tue. Battleship MASSACHUSETTS (BB-59) is commissioned at Boston, 
           Mass.
05/13 Wed. Bureau of Navigation is renamed Bureau of Naval Personnel. 
           French agree to immobilize three French warships at 
           Martinique, French West Indies.
05/14 Thu. German submarine lays minefield off St. John's, Newfoundland.
05/17 Sun.  Japanese submarines sunk: 
             I-28, by submarine TAUTOG (SS-199), Caroline Islands area, 
              06 d. 30' N., 152 d. 00' E. 
             I-164, by submarine TRITON (SS-201), 
              southeast of Kyushu, Japan, 
              29 d. 25' N., 134 d. 09' E.
05/18 Mon. Office of Naval Inspector General (Rear Adm. C. P. Snyder) is 
           established.
05/20 Wed. Air Force, South Pacific Area (Rear Adm. J. S. McCain) is 
           established.
05/21 Thu. North Pacific Force (Rear Adm. R. A Theobald) is established 
           for operations in Alaskan sector.
05/22 Fri. Mexico declares war on Germany, Italy, and Japan.
05/25 Mon.  United States naval vessel damaged: 
             Destroyer BLAKELEY (DD-150), by submarine torpedo, off 
              Martinique, French West Indies. 
            Japanese naval vessel sunk: 
             Repair ship ASAHI, by submarine SALMON (SS-182), 
              South China Sea, 
              10 d. 00' N., 110 d. 00' E.
05/27 Wed. Marines and Seabees occupy Wallis Island, South Pacific 
           Ocean. 
            United States naval vessel damaged: 
             Destroyer tender PRAIRIE (AD-15) and gunboat SPRY (PG-64), 
              by fire, Argentia, Newfoundland.
05/28 Thu. United States forces arrive at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides 
           Islands.
05/31 Sun. Japanese midget submarines raid harbor of Sydney, Australia.