Sea battle occurring on day time, but in dark weather due to thick fog and heavy rain was the Coral Sea Battle, taking place on May 7-8, 1942. The Coral Sea Battle occurred when the American task force led by Rear Admiral Jack Fletcher tried to prevent the Japanese landing to Port Moresby. The battle in Coral Sea was a very specific sea war, because for the first time in history of sea war, a task force of carrier ships confronted with another task force of carrier ships.
In Japan side, the fleet consisting of three carriers, Zuikaku, Shokaku and Shoho, and several cruiser ships, 14 transport ships, and 1 destroyer ship, was under the command of Rear Admiral Inouye. The Japanese goal was to make the landing at Port Moresby.
The US Task Force was under the command of Rear Admiral Fletcher, consisting of 2 carriers, Yorktown and Lexington, 1 destroyer ship, and 1 tanker ship.
On the first day of battle, on May 7, Fletcher succeeded in sinking Soho, the light carrier, and destroyed all bomber planes available on its deck. Bad weather, fog and heavy rain protected his two carriers, Yorktown and Lexington, so that the torpedo bomber planes flown from two Japanese carriers Zuikaku and Shokaku, did not succeed in finding their positions.
On the second day of the battle, it was the turn of the two Japanese carriers were in the protected positions due to fog and heavy rain, whereas the both of the American carriers were in brighter positions. At about 08.15 in the morning, two carriers were confronted by the other two carriers, and both sides attacked to each other by flying their bomber planes.The carrier Zuikaku succeeded in hiding in heavy rain, so that it survived from bombardment of Fletcher’s planes. Meanwhile Shokaku was still maneuvering at sufficiently brighter place, and got the bombardment.
On the contrary, the American carriers, Yorktown and Lexington, both got bombardment from the Japanese planes. A big fire occurred at the carrier Lexington, and finally this carrier got sunk at 14.45, whereas Yorktown suffering from damage, succeeded in fleeing away. In Japan’s side, Shokaku was badly damage. In such a bad weather, both sides finally maneuvered to stay away each other from the battle field.
(The Shokaku in 1944, as depicted by Takeshi Yuki, "Color Paintings of Japanese Warships")
This shows Shokaku and the weather similar to as seen by Cavalla on 19 June 1944.
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