
Episode 613-The First Carrier Battle
independent historian and researcher covering WWII chronologically
Essential · Edition 2026-03-28
Ray Harris Jr. covers the Coral Sea carrier strikes — the first time carrier task forces traded blows without their surface ships ever sighting each other. At 25 minutes it's tight but focused, with the strategic stakes for the SW Pacific and Australia clearly laid out. Part of Harris's meticulous chronological march through the war, and this is a genuinely pivotal moment.
🎙 Veterans' accounts
The Library of Congress Veterans History Project holds 100+ interviews with WWII naval personnel and witnesses, including carrier operations — searchable at loc.gov/vets. (single-source — see provenance)Claims on this page verified against current sources · last refreshed 2026-06-11
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