Below is an outline of the primary missions executed by the US Fleet Carriers in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. Of the many US Fleet Carrier actions in World War II only five were Carrier vs. Carrier: Coral Sea, Midway, Eastern Solomons, Santa Cruz Islands, and Philippine Sea.

Early Carrier Raids (Dec 1941 - May 1942)

OPERATION(S) DATE CARRIERS NOTES Wake Island Relief 23 December 1941 USS Lexington (CV-2) USS Enterprise (CV-6) Raid; Aborted Marshall and Gilbert Islands Raids 1 February 1942 USS Enterprise (CV-6) USS Yorktown (CV-5) First major offensive operations by the U.S. Navy in World War II Wake Island Raid 24 February 1942 USS Enterprise (CV-6) Raid on Rabaul February 1942 USS Lexington (CV-2) Aborted Marcus Islands 4 March 1942 USS Enterprise (CV-6) New Guinea/ Brown's Raid March 1942 USS Lexington (CV-2) USS Yorktown (CV-5) Doolittle's Raid 18 April 1942 USS Hornet (CV-8) USS Enterprise (CV-6) 16 B-25s take off from USS Hornet and bomb Tokyo Raid on Tulagi 4 May 1942 USS Yorktown (CV-5)

Carrier versus Carrier Battles of 1942

OPERATION(S) DATE CARRIERS NOTES Coral Sea 7-8 May 1942 USS Lexington (CV-2) USS Yorktown (CV-5) USS Lexington sunk. IJN Carrier Shoho sunk. Midway 3-5 June 1942 USS Yorktown (CV-5) USS Enterprise (CV-6) USS Hornet (CV-8) Decisive battle of the war in the Pacific; USS Yorktown sunk. IJN Carriers Akagi, Hiryu, Soryu & Kaga sunk. Eastern Solomons 24 August 1942 USS Saratoga (CV-3) USS Enterprise (CV-6) USS Wasp was sent to refuel the day before and did not see action. IJN Carrier Ryujo sunk. Santa Cruz Islands 26-27 October 1942 USS Enterprise (CV-6) USS Hornet (CV-8) USS Hornet badly damaged; sunk the next day.

Solomon Islands Campaign (Aug 1942 - Jan 1944) Guadalcanal, Rabaul

OPERATION(S) DATE CARRIERS NOTES Raid during Battle of Guadalcanal 14 November 1942 USS Enterprise Buka-Bonis Air Strikes 1-2 November 1943 USS Saratoga Air Strikes on Rabaul 5 Nov 1943 USS Saratoga USS Princeton Air Strikes on Rabaul 11 Nov 1943 USS Saratoga USS Essex Carrier Raids on Kavieng 25 Dec 1943 & 1-4 Jan 1944 USS Bunker Hill

Gilbert Islands Campaign (Sep - Nov 1943) Makin, Tarawa

OPERATION(S) DATE CARRIERS NOTES Carrier Raids on Tarawa and Makin September 1943 Carrier Raids on Wake Oct 1943

Caroline Islands Raids (Feb & Apr 1944) Truk

OPERATION(S) DATE CARRIERS NOTES Truk Raid 16-17 February 1944 Task Force 58 USS Enterprise (CV-6) Truk Raid 29 April 1944 Task Force 58 USS Enterprise (CV-6)

Marshall Islands Campaign (Jan & Feb 1944) Eniwetok, Kwajalein

OPERATION(S) DATE CARRIERS NOTES Occupation of Marshalls Support 29 January 1944 12 Carriers

Marianas Islands Campaign (Jun - Aug 1944) Guam, Tinian, Saipan

OPERATION(S) DATE CARRIERS NOTES Marianas Islands Landings 11-24 June 1944

Philippines Campaign (June 1944 - Aug 1945)

OPERATION(S) DATE CARRIERS NOTES Philippine Sea 19-20 June 1944 Task Force 58 with 15 Carriers Carrier vs. Carrier battle IJN Carrier Shokaku sunk. Mindanao Raid 7-10 Sep 1944 First Visayas Raid 12-13 Sep 1944 Luzon and 2nd Visayas Raid 21-24 Sep 1944 Okinawa Raid 10 October 1944 Battle for Leyte Gulf October 1944 USS Enterprise (CV-6) IJN Carriers Zuiho & Zuikaka sunk.

Invasion of Iwo Jima (Feb - Mar 1945)

OPERATION(S) DATE CARRIERS NOTES

Invastion of Okinawa (Mar - Jun 1945)

OPERATION(S) DATE CARRIERS NOTES

Strategic Bombing of Japan (Feb - Aug 1945)

OPERATION(S) DATE CARRIERS NOTES Japanese Homeland Raids 16-17, 25 Feb 1945