At Coral Sea, the comparison gives 966 Japanese personnel killed and 715 Americans. Midway cost Japan roughly 3,000 killed, while the Eastern Solomons cost it about 300 against fewer than 100 Americans. These are overall personnel figures, not a count of aircrew alone. Even engagements described as possible Japanese victories were reducing its smaller pool of experienced personnel faster. American and British systems also returned experienced people to training roles and the formation of new units more readily than Japan's system did. Japan thus reached its greatest territorial extent while losing knowledge needed to sustain and expand its forces.
Chapter · 21:05-24:18
Cumulative attrition after Coral Sea and Midway
Earlier carrier battles had already cost Japan more people and more irreplaceable experience than the United States before Santa Cruz began.