Tulagi

(noun)

A small island in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida Island. The Japanese occupied it on May 3, 1942, with the intention of setting up a seaplane base nearby; however, the Japanese ships were raided by planes from the USS Yorktown the following day in a prelude to the Battle of Coral Sea.

Related Terms

Examples of Tulagi in the following topics:

  • The Guadalcanal Campaign

    • The Allies chose the Solomon Islands (a protectorate of the United Kingdom), specifically the southern Solomon Islands of Guadalcanal, Tulagi and Florida Island, as the first target.
    • The Imperial Japanese Navy had occupied Tulagi in May 1942 and had constructed a seaplane base nearby.
    • By August 1942, the Japanese had about 900 naval troops on Tulagi and nearby islands and 2,800 personnel on Guadalcanal.
    • The Allies also intended to use Guadalcanal and Tulagi as bases to support a campaign to eventually capture or neutralize the major Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain.
    • The Allies overwhelmed the outnumbered Japanese defenders, who had occupied the islands since May 1942, and captured Tulagi and Florida, as well as an airfield (later named Henderson Field) that was under construction on Guadalcanal.

  • Coral Sea and Midway

    • In an attempt to defend their empire in the South Pacific, Imperial Japanese forces decided to invade and occupy Port Moresby in New Guinea and Tulagi in the southeastern Solomon Islands.
    • On May 3-4, Japanese forces successfully invaded and occupied Tulagi, although several of their supporting warships were surprised and sunk or damaged by aircraft from the U.S. fleet carrier Yorktown.

  • MacArthur's Leapfrogging

    • Joint Chiefs of Staff but which was ultimately implemented, called for the capture of Tulagi (later Guadalcanal) and the Santa Cruz Islands (Operation Watchtower), the capture of the northeast coast of New Guinea and the central Solomons; and the reduction of Rabaul and related bases.