Indian Ocean Carrier Action

[Scott M. Kozel]

The Battle of the Coral Sea is considered by many
historians be the first aircraft carrier versus
aircraft carrier air battle in history.

Could this earlier action be considered the first,
since there were carrier-based air attacks
attempted by both forces against the other force's
carriers?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Ocean_raid

The Indian Ocean raid (known in Japan as Operation C)
was a naval sortie by the fast carrier strike
force of the Imperial Japanese Navy from 31 March -
10 April 1942 against Allied shipping and bases in
the Indian Ocean.

[Rich Rostrom]

...Coral Sea is considered ...the first...carrier
versus carrier... battle... Could [the] earlier
[Indian Ocean raid] be considered the first...

Hmm. British carrier planes did contact Kido
Butai, but failed to provide a sighting report,
so there was no British strike.

Japanese carrier planes did strike and sink
HERMES, which had no planes embarked.

No surface ships sighted each other in the
battle, but there were several air strikes.

However, the only British airstrike was from
a land base. OTOH, land-based aircraft
participated in Coral Sea.

The Indian Ocean raid did include the first
carrier-to-carrier attack, though as noted
HERMES had no aircraft at the time.

One could also note the sinking of LANGLEY
by Kido Butai on 27 February, though at that
time LANGLEY was an aircraft transport, not
an operational carrier, and carried stowed
aircraft.

So - the Indian Ocean raid had the first
engagement between carrier aircraft, the
first engagement of carriers, and the first
actual carrier-against-carrier attack, though
all of these elements are marginal.

I guess it does have a claim to be the first
"carrier battle".

However, the first naval actions with only
carrier air strikes were _much_ earlier.
For instance, ARK ROYAL's attack on BISMARCK
on 26 May 1941.

One could also cite the British attack on
the Italian fleet at Taranto in November 1940,
or against RICHELIEU at Dakar on 8 July 1940,
or against Mers-el-Kébir on 6 July 1940.

Were there any carrier air strikes against ships
during the Norway campaign?

[Scott M. Kozel]

Post by Rich Rostrom
So - the Indian Ocean raid had the first
engagement between carrier aircraft, the
first engagement of carriers, and the first
actual carrier-against-carrier attack, though
all of these elements are marginal.
I guess it does have a claim to be the first
"carrier battle".

Very definitely "marginal" compared to Coral Sea,
Midway, Eastern Solomons or Philippine Sea, but
still a carrier battle. The RN air strike didn't
manage to attack the IJN carriers, but they came
close to making contact.

I know it is splitting hairs, but that is what
often happens on Usenet! I've always questioned
the repeated statements that Coral Sea was the
"first carrier battle".

[John Dallman]

Post by Scott M. Kozel
Could this earlier action be considered the first,
since there were carrier-based air attacks
attempted by both forces against the other force's
carriers?

I wouldn't say so. The British never actually managed to mount an air
attack on the Japanese carriers. To have a carrier vs carrier "battle",
you need attacks in both directions within a reasonably short time.

John

[Scott M. Kozel]

I think it was in the _Shattered Sword_ book of 2005, in analyzing the fatal
weaknesses of the Kido Butai air defense system that led to the Midway
catastrophe (for the IJN), this Indian Ocean action exposed that in a way but
the IJN didn't recognize it at the time.

A British flight of carrier attack plane dive bombers came near to locating the
IJN carriers, and the Kido Butai air defense system never knew that they were
there, and with a bit more luck on the part of the British, those planes could
have done what happened at Midway with a near unopposed attack and seriously
damaged or destroyed at least two carriers.

That is part of what got me to thinking that the Indian Ocean action could be
considered the first carrier to carrier air battle. It was more significant
than what some historians might think.