In the later Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942, as Lexington's Air Group Commander, Ault led Lexington's bombers into combat in the successful May 7 attack on the Japanese aircraft carrier Shōhō, sinking the light carrier fifteen minutes after the first attack [REF].
Early in the morning on 8 May, Ault led the Lexington airwing's attack on the Japanese fleet carrier Shōkaku.