The first major battle to use aircraft carriers as a main component of battle was the Battle of the Coral Sea.
The battle of the Coral Sea was a naval battle between Japan and allied forces, mainly of the Navy of the United States, freed in May of 1942 in the Coral Sea. It was one of the key battles of the Asian Theater in World War II and was the first failure of a Japanese offensive. Although the Japanese inflicted significant casualties on the Americans, their own losses prevented them from executing Operation Mo, the invasion of Port Moresby. In addition, two Japanese aircraft carriers that participated in the battle were damaged and could not participate in the Battle of Midway, which would mark a turning point in the course of the war in the Pacific.
The Battle of the Coral Sea was the first aircraft carrier battle in history, it was also the first battle where naval forces were never directly seen, nor were they within the reach of enemy artillery.
