<P> On 4 May , from a position 100 nmi ( 120 mi ; 190 km ) south of Guadalcanal ( 11 ° 10 ′ S 158 ° 49 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 11.167 ° S 158.817 ° E ﻿ / - 11.167 ; 158.817 ) , a total of 60 aircraft from TF 17 launched three consecutive strikes against Shima 's forces off Tulagi . Yorktown 's aircraft surprised Shima 's ships and sank the destroyer Kikuzuki ( 09 ° 07 ′ S 160 ° 12 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 9.117 ° S 160.200 ° E ﻿ / - 9.117 ; 160.200 ) and three of the minesweepers , damaged four other ships , and destroyed four seaplanes which were supporting the landings . The U.S. lost one torpedo bomber and two fighters in the strikes , but all of the aircrew were eventually rescued . After recovering its aircraft late in the evening of 4 May , TF 17 retired towards the south . In spite of the damage suffered in the carrier strikes , the Japanese continued construction of the seaplane base and began flying reconnaissance missions from Tulagi by 6 May . </P>
<P> On 4 May , from a position 100 nmi ( 120 mi ; 190 km ) south of Guadalcanal ( 11 ° 10 ′ S 158 ° 49 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 11.167 ° S 158.817 ° E ﻿ / - 11.167 ; 158.817 ) , a total of 60 aircraft from TF 17 launched three consecutive strikes against Shima 's forces off Tulagi . Yorktown 's aircraft surprised Shima 's ships and sank the destroyer Kikuzuki ( 09 ° 07 ′ S 160 ° 12 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 9.117 ° S 160.200 ° E ﻿ / - 9.117 ; 160.200 ) and three of the minesweepers , damaged four other ships , and destroyed four seaplanes which were supporting the landings . The U.S. lost one torpedo bomber and two fighters in the strikes , but all of the aircrew were eventually rescued . After recovering its aircraft late in the evening of 4 May , TF 17 retired towards the south . In spite of the damage suffered in the carrier strikes , the Japanese continued construction of the seaplane base and began flying reconnaissance missions from Tulagi by 6 May . </P>
who started the battle of the coral sea
who started the battle of the coral sea
The U.S.
The U.S.