Battle of Coral Sea
The Battle of Coral Sea took place because the Japanese sought to expand their control by taking New Guinea and the Solomon Islands while the Americans were still weak after Pearl Harbor. Japan wanted to eliminate the last Allied base between Japan and Australia to provide a security perimeter around the Dutch East Indies, Japan's latest conquest. They hoped the US would use their Navy carriers, so they could be destroyed.
One of Japan's fleets moved towards Tulagi in the Solomons, another one sailed to Port Moresby, the main Allied base on New Guinea. Vice Admiral Takeo Takagi screened these invasion forces. The island was quickly occupied by the Japanese and they set up a seaplane base. With the invasion of Port Moresby the Japanese suffered their first major setback. The Japanese task force broke of the engagement and withdrew after two days of fighting. The battle took place on May 4-8, 1942.
Battle of Midway
After the Japanese defeat at the Battle of Coral Sea, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto came up with a plan to destroy the remaining ships of the US Fleet. The plan was to invade Midway because Yamamoto knew the Americans would send their aircraft carriers to protect the island. He sailed with four aircraft carriers and a large fleet of battleships and cruisers because he thought the US only had two carriers operational.
The commander of American naval forces in the Pacific, Admiral Chester Nimitz moved to defend the island. His scout planes found the Japanese and he sent torpedo planes and dive bombers to attack on June 3,1942. The Japanese weren't expecting the attack and still had their planes on the decks of their carriers. At the end of the battle the Japanese lost four aricraft carriers, a cruiser, and 250 planes. The battle took place on June 3-7, 1942.
Personal thoughts:
Both battles were a major turning part of the war. I thought that both battles were kind of like revenge on the Japanese for Pearl Harbor.
Sources:
http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/worldwari1/p/coralsea.htm
http://www.worldwar2history.info/Coral-Sea
http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/worldwari1/p/Midway.htm
The US History Book
Comments
Good but a bit brief overall.