Podcast Summary:

New Books Network – Interview with Michal A. Piegzik, "Gamble in the Coral Sea: Japan's Offensive, the Carrier Battle, and the Road to Midway"
Host: Mark Klobus
Guest: Michal A. Piegzik
Release Date: December 7, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of the New Books in Military History channel features an in-depth conversation with Michal A. Piegzik, author of Gamble in the Coral Sea: Japan's Offensive, the Carrier Battle, and the Road to Midway. The discussion explores Piegzik’s unique approach, focusing on the Japanese perspective of the pivotal 1942 Battle of the Coral Sea—contextualizing its importance, exploring operational failures and innovations, and considering its lasting impact on the Pacific War and naval warfare.

Introduction & Author Background

• Michal A. Piegzik introduces himself as a PhD in Japanese private law, lecturer, and prolific author, with a deep passion for Pacific War history (02:07).
  • Currently transitioning to a new academic post at Yokohama National University.
  • Written around 10 books on the Pacific War, both in Polish and English.
  • "I'm more a passionate researcher than a person doing it professionally, although I must admit that I put always my heart into it." (02:40)

Why Write about the Battle of the Coral Sea?

• The battle is underrated and often overshadowed by Midway and Leyte Gulf (03:25).
• Piegzik seeks to correct Western misunderstandings and bring forward Japanese perspectives, citing rare materials and unpublished documents:
  • "I wanted to describe it basically from the Japanese perspective because this is something which is still not very known in the Western world." (04:24)
  • "I've collected so many Japanese materials during my PhD period in Japan… wanted to contribute to the world's scholarship in this topic." (04:47)

Approach and Sources

• Piegzik emphasizes humanizing Japanese participants:
  • "In my book, you can also find some evidence that they sometimes objected. They openly criticized the orders they discussed. They showed their emotions, feelings." (06:56)
• Extensive use of Japanese language sources, previously underutilized in Western accounts.
  • Praises earlier Japanese researchers, especially Shiromori.

Setting the Stage: Spring 1942 in the Pacific

• April 1942: Japanese begin to sense vulnerabilities in their war strategy—failure to eliminate the British Eastern Fleet; realization that resources are overstretched (08:53).
• The South Pacific campaign is designed to:
  • Expand the Japanese defensive perimeter.
  • Capture Port Moresby and sever Australia/New Zealand from U.S. logistics (11:03).
• Japanese strategic optimism was based on four months of unbroken victories.
  • "They started to believe that the Allies are so weak that they can be defeated only by using the part of their forces. But eventually they learned that it's not possible. They gambled a lot and they lost a lot." (13:37)

Operation Mo: The Plan to Take Port Moresby

• Operation Mo: Plan to capture Port Moresby by amphibious assault, with support from carriers.
  • Commanded by Vice Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue, who possessed limited resources and struggled with challenging geography (18:11).
  • Carrier support (Shokaku and Zuikaku) provided grudgingly—Yamamoto held the better carriers (Hiryu, Soryu) back for Midway (19:55).
• Critical Flaw:
  • "If something went bad in the first or the second step, the entire plan was basically ruined. And this is what happened to the Japanese." (21:29)

Allied Intelligence & Response

• U.S. cryptanalysis only partially deciphers Japanese plans, but enough to anticipate a major thrust into the Coral Sea (22:12).
  • "Famous historians say it's up to 20, 25% of the messages were regularly read." (22:46)
• U.S. Navy commits all available Pacific carriers (Yorktown and Lexington), treating the threat with utmost seriousness, with Enterprise and Hornet to follow (24:51).
  • "Nimitz has sent basically the core of what's available. Straight away with the idea that the Enterprise and Hornet are going to follow." (25:06)

Japanese Miscalculation

• Japanese believed they faced only a single U.S. carrier—grossly underestimated enemy resistance (27:07).
  • "They felt that the Americans will have only one available aircraft carrier to defend Port Moresby. And this is why Shokaku and Zuikaku should be enough…" (27:50)

The Battle Unfolds

The Nature of Carrier Battles

• Coral Sea is the first naval battle where opposing ships never see each other—fought entirely by aircraft (28:05).

May 7, 1942 (Day 1)

• Japanese lose initiative after Yorktown’s raid on Tulagi (May 4).
• Both sides commit major errors:
  • Japanese misidentify the U.S. oiler Neosho as a carrier, wasting a full strike (34:20).
• Quote:
  "They failed, ultimately failed ... they pushed the entire striking group against the secondary target... But still, once the striking group arrived over the target, they realized, okay, there is, guys, there is nothing to do here..." (34:50)
• Shoho, a Japanese light carrier, is sunk by U.S. air attack—the first carrier loss of the war (35:54).

May 8, 1942 (Climactic Day)

• Both strike groups spot each other and launch simultaneous attacks; planes from each side literally pass each other en route.
  • "The airstrikes literally pass by each other. They can see. They could see each other exactly going out and striking each other." (39:21)
• Japanese determination and tactical skill result in the sinking of Lexington and damaging of Yorktown, while Americans only seriously damage Shokaku (40:34).

Lessons and Impact

Training & Attrition

• Japanese aircrews on Shokaku/Zuikaku lacked the experience of their peers on other carriers (32:25).
• Heavy aircrew losses were the real Japanese disaster—losses cannot be quickly replaced, a blow felt keenly at Midway and later in the war (43:23).
  • "They lost literally 40, 50% of their crews with some notable examples... after the Battle of the Coral Sea ... the real reason for the Japanese loss laid in the loss of the [aircrews], which was significant..." (43:45)
• Many surviving Japanese aircrew suffered PTSD, reducing combat effectiveness (45:51).

Strategic Implications

• The battle foreshadowed trends for the rest of the Pacific War:
  • Japanese operational rigidity and inability to learn from experience due to constant operations.
  • U.S. ability to quickly repair ships and rotate experienced crews contrasted with Japanese resource constraints (47:35).
• Memorable Insight:
  "This battle was very rich in lessons for Japanese. But... it was really extremely difficult for the Japanese to put those lessons in practice, especially considering the very tight timetable and ... deficiencies in numbers started to play a significant role." (45:51)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Humanizing the Japanese Side:
  "For the first time in history, I showed what they really felt and how they really behaved..." (07:30)

• On Japanese overconfidence:
  "After four months of successful campaigns... they started to believe that the Allies are so weak that they can be defeated only by using the part of their forces. But eventually they learned that it's not possible." (13:37)

• On learning and operational strain:
  "It's like there's no time to learn the lessons of Coral Sea because they have to send the carriers off to Midway. And as you're pointing out, they're having these lectures as the carriers are sailing east..." (39:21)

What’s Next for Michal A. Piegzik

• Writing a book on the Dutch East Indies campaign (to appear in late 2026 or early 2027), again focusing on Japanese and Dutch perspectives (49:34).
• Already working on a study of the Philippine campaign (planned for late 2027).
• Actively updates his research, planning for both English and Polish editions, sharing new findings as he revises (52:36).
  • "My books is alive. So it has a continuation." (52:23)

Recommended Listening Segments

• Author's Background and Motivation: 02:07 – 04:47
• Japanese Perspective & Humanization Effort: 05:56 – 08:25
• Operational Context and Japanese Strategy: 08:53 – 13:37
• Intelligence & American Response: 22:12 – 25:06
• Battle Narrative and First Carrier Actions: 28:05 – 36:47
• Lessons, Attrition, and Aftermath: 39:21 – 47:35
• Future Projects and Research Philosophy: 49:29 – 53:04

Tone & Language

The podcast maintains a conversational yet scholarly tone. Klobus and Piegzik blend narrative storytelling with detailed operational analysis and historiographical context. Piegzik remains modest but passionate, often reflecting on the ongoing nature of historical research and emphasizing the importance of underrepresented perspectives.

Summary Conclusion

This episode provides a compelling, nuanced exploration of the Battle of the Coral Sea, with a rare focus on Japanese viewpoints and operational challenges. Through firsthand research and deep engagement with Japanese sources, Piegzik displays how this "underrated" battle set the stage for later Pacific War confrontations—and how its lessons, learned and unlearned, shaped the course of history.