The United States finally made a dent in the Japanese Navy with the Battle of the Coral being the first thing in early May 1942. The U.S. military had help from their Australian allies in the Battle of the Coral Sea, both the Japanese and U.S. suffered losses, but the U.S. was able to hold off any more advancement by Japan. In previous days (May3rd-4th) Japanese forces successfully invaded and occupied Tulagi.
The Battle of Midway (June 4th-7th) considered a major turning point for the United States during the Pacific War portion of World War II, which took place 6 months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea.
The goal for Japan was to extend it's defensive perimeter with its 'barrier' strategy, but their faulty assumptions that the U.S. was not prepared for such an attack would be part of their undoing. The U.S., thanks to American Cryptographers were able to determine the date of Japan's next attack, with the U.S. being able to enable their own ambush attack.
The result was devastating to the Japanese fleet and their forces moving forward in the war. The Japanese lacked the industrial replacement that the U.S. had, and the Japanese lost many trained pilots in the battle. For most Americans this portion of the War from May to June 1942, was the first time Americans had something to cheer about since the United States' involvement in the war.
