Details
BATTLE OF THE CORAL SEA (10 SIGNATURES)
by Robert Taylor
Overall Print Size: 33" x 24"
Edition Size: 500
Secondary Market
Tactically the Battle of the Coral Sea may have indicated a Japanese success, but strategically it was an American victory. The capture of Port Moresby had been thwarted, and for the first time the march of the Japanese forces throughout the south west Pacific was halted. Though the loss of the carrier Lexington, the tanker Neosho, and the destroyer Sims were hard to take, the three task forces dispatched by Admiral Nimitz caused the Japanese to abandon their attack on Port Moresby in what was the first naval engagement fought without visual contact between the opposing forces. With it opened a new chapter in the annals of naval warfare, with carrier-against-carrier, and thus was set the strategy for the remainder of the war at sea in the Pacific. Naval aviation had truly come of age. Japanese losses of aircraft were especially severe, but of more significance to Nimitz was the damage to the carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku, and the prize of Admiral Goto's carrier Shoho. The toll reaped by the American aircraft was to pay dividends in the forthcoming Battle of Midway.
"THE BATTLE OF THE CORAL SEA" is a dramatic portrayal of the sinking of the Shoho. When Commander Weldon Hamilton, leading one of the Lexington's Dauntless squadrons, spotted the Shoho at 10:40 on the morning of May 4th 1942, the Japanese carrier's fate was sealed. Within minutes she was hit by the full force of the Lexington's dive bombers and torpedo aircraft, aided by the Yorktown's attack group. Smothered by a dozen bomb and seven torpedo hits, she was sunk within thirty minutes of the first sighting, causing an excited Commander Dixon of the Lexington to radio the immortal words, "Dixon to carrier: Scratch one Flat Top". Seen in Taylor's spectacular rendition are the Lexington's SBD Dauntless dive bombers climbing out following delivery of their successful bombing attack. More SBDs follow them in while below the Devastator torpedo bombers swoop in to deliver their lethal cargo.
In addition to the artist this print was individually signed by ten (10) SBD Dauntless pilots who flew in action in the Pacific:
- Commander HAROLD L. BUELL USN
- Captain BEN PRESTON USN
- Commander JOE RILEY USN
- Captain ARTHUR J. SCHULTZ USN
- Captain LAWRENCE 'LINK' G. TRAYNOR USN
- Lt. Commander DICK BEST USN
- Captain BILL CHRISTIE USN
- Captain ROBERT ELDER USN
- Commander HARRY A. FREDRICKSON USN
- Captain STANLEY W. YEJTASA USN
Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.
