Japanese search planes made contact with Allied Task Force 3, composed of three cruisers and two destroyers. Attack aircraft from the lone remaining Japanese carrier, the Zuikaku, were launched and tore into the task force. With no CAP the task force was helpless. Bombs and torpedos flew about and when the smoke cleared the heavy cruiser USN Chicago and the light cruiser HMAS Hobart were gone. The remainder of the fleet picked up survivors and fled the scene. The Japanese had relatively minor damage from this attack, losing only 5 or 6 planes in total.
At Port Moresby a flight of Zeros attacked the Allied search planes and set one on fire at harbor. They lost two planes in the attack, but had, in the words of the Japanese commander, "Poked out the Allied eyes."
