This volume turns the corner from defeat to victory, beginning with the first of the great carrier actions of the war, the Battle of the Coral Sea. This is followed by a detailed account, the first to be written from Japanese as well as American sources, of the decisive Battle of Midway, and the Japanese thrust on the Aleutians, which ended with their occupation of Attu and Kiska. Part II, entitled "Submarine Actions", tells the little-known story of the "Silent Service", which courageously attacked Japanese shipping during the first year of the war.
Coral Sea, Midway and Submarine Actions, May 1942-August 1942, Volume 4 in the series, is a detailed look at two of the pivotal naval engagements of the Pacific war that marked the turning point from defeat to victory. In addition to covering these great carrier actions, where for the first time aircraft played a defining role in determining the outcome of a sea battle, this volume also fully examines the little-known exploits of the fledgling American submarine corps in the Pacific and its courageous attacks on Japanese shipping during the first year of the war.