Enterprise participated in every early Pacific carrier battle except the Battle of the Coral Sea. She missed Coral Sea because she was returning from the Doolittle Raid, placing the absence within the same operational tempo that made the carrier so prominent. Japanese accounts claimed that Enterprise had been sunk six times, a tally compared here with German claims against HMS Ark Royal. Repeated false reports followed both famous carriers and show how uncertain wartime loss reporting could be.
Notable Point · 9:16-9:33
Enterprise's carrier-battle record and repeated loss claims
Enterprise missed only the Battle of the Coral Sea and survived long enough to be declared sunk repeatedly in Japanese reports, a record compared here with German claims against HMS Ark Royal.