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| USN Lexington-class aircraft carrier 50,000 Tons (1942) 888' x 105' 5.25" x 24' 3" 4 x Twin 8" guns 12 x 5" guns 91 aircraft  USN June 8, 1932  USN October 14, 1941   USN December 1941  IJN May 8, 1942 11:00am  USN May 8, 1942 5:30pm  USN May 8, 1942 5:30pm  USN May 8, 1942 5:30pm |
Ship History Built by Fore River Shipbuilding Company in Quincy, Massachusetts. During 1916 authorized as a battlecruiser. Laid down January 8, 1921 as the lead ship of Lexington-class battlecruiser. After the Washington Naval Conference on July 1, 1922 the ship was roughly a quarter completed and as a result of the conference was redesignated and reauthorized as an aircraft carrier. Launched October 3, 1925 as USS Lexington (CV-2) for the Battle of Lexington during the Revolutionary War sponsored by Mrs. Theodore Douglas Robinson, wife of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Commissioned December 14, 1927 in the U.S. Navy (USN) with Captain Albert W. Marshall in command. Prewar During January 1928 proceeded to Boston for fitting out and shakedown on April 7, 1928 Lexington joined the Battle Fleet at San Pedro and operated on the west coast performing flight training and tactical exercises. Each year, she participated in fleet maneuvers off Hawaii Caribbean, Panama Canal and eastern Pacific Ocean. During trials, Lexington achieved an average speed of 30.7 knots (35.3 mph, 56.9 km/h), and maintained a speed of 34.5 kn (39.7 mph, 63.9 km/h) for one hour. On June 20, 1930 placed under the command of Captain Ernest J. King. In February 1931 particiapted in Fleet Problem XII with USS Saratoga (CV-3) to defend the west coast of Panama against a hypothetical invasion. Afterwards to the Caribbean and in another exercise defended the Panama Canal. On March 31, 1931 steamed from Guantanamo Bay provided aid to earthquake survivors in Managua, Nicaragua with her planes dropping medical supplies and landing personnel. In 1937 participated in Fleet Problem XVIII in a support role for battleships and in the exercise was crippled and nearly sunk by surface gunfire and torpedoes. During July 1937 Lexington participated in the futile search for Lockheed Model 10 Electra 1055 pilot Amelia Earhart with navigator Frederick Joseph "Fred" Noonan. During the search she was escorted by USS Lamson DD-367. During March 1938 participated in Fleet Problem XIX an tested the defense of Hawaii. On March 29, 1938 at dawn her planes sucessfully attacked Pearl Harbor and later attacked San Francisco without being detected. During March 1939 participated in Fleet Problem XX in the Caribbean with all four aircraft carriers and practiced refueling at sea and maneuvers. In 1940 during Fleet Problem XXI off Hawaii her planes caught and attacked Yorktown but suffered flight deck damage. During May 1940 remains in Hawaii. In June 1941 during a brief refit at Pearl Harbor, Lexington was equipped with early RCA CXAM-1 radar with the antenna mounted on the forward lip of the funnel with the control room below. On December 5, 1941 departs Pearl Harbor with eighteen SB2U-3 Vindicators from Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 231 (VMSB-231) that will be delivered to Midway Airfield plus her own complement of 65 planes including 17 F2A Buffalos as part of Task Force 12 (TF-12) with three heavy cruisers and five destroyers bound for Midway. Wartime History On December 7, 1941, Lexington roughly 580 miles southeast of Midway when word of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and Oahu was received. Hours later, Task Force 12 (TF 12) was ordered to cancel the ferry mission and instead searched for the Japanese fleet and headed south to rendezvous with USS Indianapolis (CA-35) and USS Enterprise (CV-6) between Johnston Island and Hawaii. On December 13, 1941 returns to Pearl Harbor and was quickly refueled. On December 14, 1941 departs Pearl Harbor as part of redesignated Task Force 11 (TF 11) escorted by four destroyers for a raid on Jaluit, but the mission was canceled on December 20, 1941, and instead was directed to cover USS Saratoga CV-3 bound for Wake Atoll with reinforcements but three days later both carriers were recalled to Pearl Harbor returning on December 27, 1941 but departs two days later. On January 3, 1942 returns to Pearl Harbor for repairs to one of her generators that were completed four days later then departs as flagship for Vice Admiral Wilson Brown commanding Task Force 11 (TF-11) to patrol off Johnston Atoll. On January 9, 1941 spotted by submarine I-18 and the next morning another submarine was spotted and her carrier aircraft released depth charges on the submarine without results and on January 16, 1942 returns to Pearl Harbor. On January 19, 1942 Lexington departs Pearl Harbor to patrol northeast of Christmas Island. On January 21, 1942 ordered to conducts a diversionary raid against Wake Island but when oiler USS Neches was sunk four days later, the strike was canceled then returns to Pearl Harbor on January 25, 1942. On January 31, 1942 embarks VF-3 from USS Saratoga (CV-3) and the same day departs Pearl Harbor escorting oiler USS Neches (AO-5) to rendezvous with the force returning from a strike against the Marshall Islands but the meeting was canceled when refueling was not required. Afterwards, ordered to cover a convoy off Canton Island then to rendezvous with the Australia New Zealand (ANZAC) Squadron in the Coral Sea. On February 10, 1942 reinforced by USS San Francisco (CA-38) with two destroyers. On February 16, 1942 joins the ANZAC Squadron steaming towards Rabaul to launch carrier aircraft strike in conjunction with U.S. Army Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses from northern Australia. The next day joined by USS Pensacola (CA-24) with two more destroyers. On February 20, 1942 in the morning, northeast of Rabaul, the force was spotted by an H6K Mavis and attacked by two waves of G4M1 Bettys from the 4th Kōkūtai (4th Air Group). Intercepting, Lexington's F4F Wildcats Combat Air Patrol (CAP) and anti-aircraft fire claimed seventeen bombers. During the combat, F4F Wildcat piloted by Lt. Edward "Butch" O'Hare from VF-3 claimed five bombers shot down and later earned the Medal of Honor. Lost were G4M1 Betty piloted by Watanabe (KIA) and G4M1 Betty piloted by Ono (ditched, crew rescued). Although no damage was inflicted, the strike scheduled for February 21, 1942 was canceled. Afterwards, rendezvous with tanker Platte on February 22, 1942. On March 6, 1942 north of New Caledonia rendezvous with Task Force 17 (TF-17) including USS Yorktown CV-5 and her screening force to strike Rabaul but two days later the strike was switched to Salamaua and Lae on the north coast of New Guinea. On March 10, 1942 at 7:49am Lexington launches her carrier planes from the Gulf of Papua followed at 8:10am by planes from USS Yorktown (CV-5). The combined force of 104 carrier aircraft fly roughly 125 miles over New Guinea and the Owen Stanley Range to strike Lae and Salamaua. At 9:22am SBDs from Scouting Squadron 2 (VS-2) began dive bombing Japanese ships in Huon Gulf off Lae. Lost is SBD-2 Dauntless 2130 (MIA). At 9:38am the TBD-1 Devastators attack shipping off Salamaua. F4F Wildcats from Fighter Squadron 2 (VF-2) divided into four-plane attack groups and strafe targets at Lae and the Salamaua. Next, VB-5 and VT-5 Yorktown planes attack Japanese ships off Salamaua with one TBD-1 scoring one or more bomb hits on Kiyokawa Maru. Escorting F4F Wildcats from VF-5 over Salamaua strafe targets and small boats off Salamaua. Meanwhile, VS-5 attack ships off Lae. Afterwards, returned to Pearl Harbor arriving March 26 and departed on April 15 for a brief overhaul to remove her 8" gun turrets, replacing them with by quadruple 1.1" anti-aircraft guns. On May 1, 1942 rejoined Task Force 17 (TF-17) and proceeded to the Coral Sea along with USS Yorktown CV-5 to search for the Japanese task force. Battle of the Coral Sea On May 7, 1942 at the start of the Battle of the Coral Sea her aircraft reported contact with an enemy carrier task force sank Shōhō. Later that day, 12 bombers and 15 torpedo planes from Shōkaku and Zuikaku were intercepted by fighters from Lexington and Yorktown, which shot down nine of the enemy aircraft. Sinking History On May 8, 1942 in the morning, a search plane from Lexington located Shōkaku and a strike was immediately launched, heavily damaging the enemy carrier. At 11:00am Japanese planes penetrated the American task force's defenses. At 11:20am, Lexington was struck by a torpedo on the port side. Seconds later, a second torpedo hit her port side directly abeam from the bridge. At the same time, she took three bomb hits from D3A Val dive bombers that caused a 7° list to port and caused several raging fires. By 1:00pm, skillful damage control efforts brought the fires under control and restored her to an even keel and the carrier was able to make 25 knots and was ready to recover her aircraft. Suddenly, Lexington was shaken by a tremendous explosion caused by the ignition of gasoline vapors below deck causing fires that raged out of control. At 3:58pm, Captain Frederick Carl Sherman fearing for the safety of men working below, ceased salvage operations and ordered all hands to the flight deck. At 5:01pm, Sherman ordered "abandon ship" and an orderly disembarkation began with executive officer, Commander Morton T. Seligman and Captain Frederick Carl Sherman were last to abandon ship. As the abandonment was nearing completion, at 5:27pm an explosion detonated in the midship hangar causing ordnance to detonate and smoke and fire to engulf the carrier from bow to stern with flames shooting hundreds of feet into the air. To prevent capture by the enemy, USS Phelps DD-360 closed to 1,500 yards and fired two torpedoes into her hull causing an explosion that caused the carrier to sink at 7:56pm at approximately Lat 15°20′S Long 155°30′E. During the attack and sinking, more than 200 died. Rescue More than 2,000 crew members were evacuated before the carrier sank. The crew were almost immediately picked up by nearby cruisers including USS New Orleans CA-32, USS Minneapolis (CA-36) and destroyers USS Morris (DD-417), USS Anderson (DD-411), USS Hammann (DD-412) and USS Phelps (DD-360). Afterwards, Admiral Aubrey W. Fitch and his staff were transferred to USS Minneapolis CA-36. Shipwreck On March 4, 2018 the shipwreck was located by Paul Allen R/V Petrel at a depth of two miles roughly 500 miles off the eastern coast of Australia. On March 5, 2018 The find was confirmed by the U.S. Navy (USN) as the shipwreck of USS Lexington CV-2. Using an ROV, his expedition recorded video and photos of the aircraft carrier and aircraft still aboard including F4F Wildcat F-5 and TBD Devastator T-5. Awards For her World War II service, Lexington earned two battle stars. References Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) - Pearl Harbor Attack, 7 December 1941 Carrier Locations Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) Coral Sea, Sinking of USS Lexington U.S.S. Lexington--Action Report of the Battle of the Coral Sea NavSource - USS Lexington (CV-2) YouTube "Sinking Of Us Aircraft Carrier Lexington (1942)" YouTube "USS Lexington at the Battle of the Coral Sea Vincent Anderson" remarks by survivor Vincent Anderson USNI "VIDEO: Billionaire Paul Allen Finds Lost World War II Carrier USS Lexington" by Sam LaGrone March 5, 2018 RV Petrel / Paul Allen - USS Lexington (CV-2) YouTube "Wreckage of USS Lexington Located in Coral Sea" March 5, 2018 Contribute
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 Photo Archive  Sinking 15°20′S 155°30′E  6,637' 2,023m |
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