Wreck of USS Lexington (CV-2)
Solomon Islands /
Rennell and Bellona /
Tigoa /
World
/ Solomon Islands
/ Rennell and Bellona
/ Tigoa
World
Second World War 1939-1945, military, aircraft, shipwreck, aircraft carrier, United States Navy
Laid down in January 1921 at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, MA as the lead ship in her class of Battlecruisers for the US Navy, USS Lexington was designed to be the most modern surface combatant ever to sail with the US Navy, with an unmatched top speed and heavy 16" broadside. However, the February 1922 ratification of the Washington Treaty for the Limitation of Naval Armaments by the United States brought all construction on the uncompleted ship to a halt, and after five idle months on the ways construction resumed but with the intent to covert Lexington into a Fleet Aircraft Carrier. Christened and launched in October 1925, the USS Lexington commissioned into US Navy service in December 1927 as a member of the US Atlantic Fleet.
Following training and shakedown along the US East Coast, the Lexington passed through the Panama Canal and joined the US Pacific Fleet in April 1928 and immediately began intensive training and evaluation exercises with members of the fleet and her sistership USS Saratoga (CV-3) to develop Carrier warfare tactics and doctrine for the US Navy. Taking part in regular exercises called “Fleet Problems” through the late 20’s and through the 30’s, Lexington and her crew honed both their and the US Navy’s skills at using their potent new airborne weaponry, something which would prove of immeasurable value as relations between the United States and the Empire of Japan continued to deteriorate through the late 1930’s. Ordered to remain in Hawaii at the conclusion of 1940’s Fleet Problem XXI, Lexington joined her sister Saratoga and the newer Yorktown Class Carriers USS Yorktown (CV-5) & USS Enterprise (CV-6) in what would eventually become the backbone of the US Pacific Fleet following the Surprise Attack on Pearl Harbor.
At sea transporting a deckload of reinforcement aircraft to Midway Atoll when news came of the attack, the Lexington and her escort ships immediately abandoned their stated mission and began a fruitless hunt for the already-withdrawing Japanese Carrier force before a dwindling fuel supply forced the ship back into Pearl. Departing the next day on an abortive attempt to raid Jaluit Atoll to draw Japanese attention away from Saratoga’s effort to reinforce Wake Island, Lexington and her crew were again called back after Wake fell to Japanese invaders, beginning a lengthy period of frustratingly ineffective operations against the Japanese Navy which lasted well into January 1942. Assuming a larger role in the Pacific Fleet after Saratoga was torpedoed and forced to return stateside for repairs, Lexington stood out of Pearl Harbor in February 1942 bound for the Japanese base at Rabaul, where her airwing clashed for the first time with enemy forces after the Carrier was spotted by a Japanese recon aircraft. Forced to abandon her planned raid on Rabaul, Lexington and her escorts shaped a Westward course towards New Guinea, where her aircraft raided Lae and Salamaua harbors before foul weather and a desire not to expose Lexington to undue risk brought the Carrier back to Pearl by the end of March.
After receiving a hasty refit which included the removal of her four twin 8-inch gun mounts in favor of increased AA weaponry, the Lexington was back at sea by April 15th and steaming Southwest towards New Caledonia to rendezvous with the force centered around USS Yorktown. Not long after linking up, word reached the formation that a large Japanese force was spotted moving South along the coast of New Guinea, and after refueling for the coming fight Lexington and the American force steamed into the Coral Sea and began scouting for the enemy. Contact was gained on May 6th as aircraft from Yorktown spotted two Japanese Cruisers and two Carriers off the Louisade Archipelago. At the same time, Japanese aircraft spotted the withdrawing Oiler USS Neosho (AO-23) and her escort USS Sims (DD-409), and thinking the large tanker to be an American Carrier launched a full strike that eventually claimed both ships. Given a costly bit of luck, Lexington and Yorktown launched their own strikes at the betrayed locations of their Japanese counterparts, and by nightfall on May 6th the Japanese Carrier HIJMS Shōhō had been sunk.
The following morning the Battle of the Coral Sea resumed at approximately 0900hrs as both sides once again located the other and sent up airstrikes. While aircraft from Lexington and Yorktown succeeded in disabling the Japanese Carrier HIJMS Shōkaku, aircraft from that carrier and HIJMS Zuikaku were sighted closing in on the American fleet around 1100hrs. With her crew at General Quarters and her combat air patrol aloft and intercepting her attackers, Lexington and her crew began firing on the first group of B5N “Kate” torpedo bombers to drop out of the cloud deck. Though her gunners managed to down two aircraft and drive several off their torpedo runs, Lexington was struck by two torpedoes in her Port Bow, one of which severed her main Portside water main and flooded three boiler rooms, reducing her speed to 24.5knots. While still engaged in evasive maneuvers to avoid the torpedo bomber attack, Lexington was targeted by a separate flight of 19 D3A “Val” dive-bombers which came streaking out of the clouds onto the wounded ship. Once again, Lexington’s gun crews drove off several of their attackers but two bombs struck the ship and several near-missed, causing heavy casualties in a 5-inch gun mount and flooding of two compartments. Still able to make way, the Lexington’s Captain continued his evasive maneuvering while gun crews drove off the remnants of the Japanese force, allowing damage control crews to begin effecting repairs to the ships battered hull and the Carrier’s airborne planes to return to the ship.
Regular flight operations and damage control efforts continued aboard Lexington for the next hour without major event, however at 1247hrs the ship was rocked by a massive gas vapor explosion near her forward aviation gasoline tanks which had been split open by torpedo damage. With her main damage control station knocked out and 25 of her crew killed in the blast, Lexington crewmen raced below decks to contain a rash of fires and continued their efforts until a second heavier detonation tore through the bow of the ship at 1442hrs. With power to the forward half of the ship cut and several large fires now burning out of control below decks, damage control parties were pulled back to their midship stations as three Destroyers closed in to lend assistance to the stricken Carrier. Another massive explosion at 1525 cut all water pressure to the hangar and forced the evacuation of all machinery spaces, bringing the Lexington to a halt down by the bow, listing to Port and heavily aflame. With the ship no longer operational, the order to evacuate wounded crew was passed at 1540hrs, followed by the Abandon ship order at 1707hrs. Fires below deck made their way steadily aft over the next hour, and with the majority of the crew mustered already off the ship the Lexington’s aft ready torpedo magazine detonated, blowing aircraft off the deck and opening up enormous holes in her hull. Several more detonations followed before Lexington’s Captain stepped off the ship at 1830hrs, after which the Lexington was set adrift. After an hour had passed, the decision was made to scuttle the still-burning Carrier to prevent her being used as a beacon for enemy Submarines or aircraft, and after the USS Phelps (DD-360) sent five torpedoes into her hull the USS Lexington rolled over and sank at this location at 1952hrs on May 8th, 1942.
For her actions on the date of her loss, USS Lexington was awarded her second and final Battle Star for World War Two service. Less than two months after her loss, the Lexington’s name was bestowed to an Essex Class Aircraft Carrier then under construction on the same Fore River Shipyard ways where “Lady Lex” was built. Commissioned in February 1943, USS Lexington (CV-16) would go on to become the a decorated WWII Veteran and the longest-serving member of her class before being enshrined as a museum ship in Corpus Christi, TX.
www.paulallen.com/rv-petrel/uss-lexington-wreck-located...
www.navsource.org/archives/02/02.htm
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K-V_ah6IIs
Following training and shakedown along the US East Coast, the Lexington passed through the Panama Canal and joined the US Pacific Fleet in April 1928 and immediately began intensive training and evaluation exercises with members of the fleet and her sistership USS Saratoga (CV-3) to develop Carrier warfare tactics and doctrine for the US Navy. Taking part in regular exercises called “Fleet Problems” through the late 20’s and through the 30’s, Lexington and her crew honed both their and the US Navy’s skills at using their potent new airborne weaponry, something which would prove of immeasurable value as relations between the United States and the Empire of Japan continued to deteriorate through the late 1930’s. Ordered to remain in Hawaii at the conclusion of 1940’s Fleet Problem XXI, Lexington joined her sister Saratoga and the newer Yorktown Class Carriers USS Yorktown (CV-5) & USS Enterprise (CV-6) in what would eventually become the backbone of the US Pacific Fleet following the Surprise Attack on Pearl Harbor.
At sea transporting a deckload of reinforcement aircraft to Midway Atoll when news came of the attack, the Lexington and her escort ships immediately abandoned their stated mission and began a fruitless hunt for the already-withdrawing Japanese Carrier force before a dwindling fuel supply forced the ship back into Pearl. Departing the next day on an abortive attempt to raid Jaluit Atoll to draw Japanese attention away from Saratoga’s effort to reinforce Wake Island, Lexington and her crew were again called back after Wake fell to Japanese invaders, beginning a lengthy period of frustratingly ineffective operations against the Japanese Navy which lasted well into January 1942. Assuming a larger role in the Pacific Fleet after Saratoga was torpedoed and forced to return stateside for repairs, Lexington stood out of Pearl Harbor in February 1942 bound for the Japanese base at Rabaul, where her airwing clashed for the first time with enemy forces after the Carrier was spotted by a Japanese recon aircraft. Forced to abandon her planned raid on Rabaul, Lexington and her escorts shaped a Westward course towards New Guinea, where her aircraft raided Lae and Salamaua harbors before foul weather and a desire not to expose Lexington to undue risk brought the Carrier back to Pearl by the end of March.
After receiving a hasty refit which included the removal of her four twin 8-inch gun mounts in favor of increased AA weaponry, the Lexington was back at sea by April 15th and steaming Southwest towards New Caledonia to rendezvous with the force centered around USS Yorktown. Not long after linking up, word reached the formation that a large Japanese force was spotted moving South along the coast of New Guinea, and after refueling for the coming fight Lexington and the American force steamed into the Coral Sea and began scouting for the enemy. Contact was gained on May 6th as aircraft from Yorktown spotted two Japanese Cruisers and two Carriers off the Louisade Archipelago. At the same time, Japanese aircraft spotted the withdrawing Oiler USS Neosho (AO-23) and her escort USS Sims (DD-409), and thinking the large tanker to be an American Carrier launched a full strike that eventually claimed both ships. Given a costly bit of luck, Lexington and Yorktown launched their own strikes at the betrayed locations of their Japanese counterparts, and by nightfall on May 6th the Japanese Carrier HIJMS Shōhō had been sunk.
The following morning the Battle of the Coral Sea resumed at approximately 0900hrs as both sides once again located the other and sent up airstrikes. While aircraft from Lexington and Yorktown succeeded in disabling the Japanese Carrier HIJMS Shōkaku, aircraft from that carrier and HIJMS Zuikaku were sighted closing in on the American fleet around 1100hrs. With her crew at General Quarters and her combat air patrol aloft and intercepting her attackers, Lexington and her crew began firing on the first group of B5N “Kate” torpedo bombers to drop out of the cloud deck. Though her gunners managed to down two aircraft and drive several off their torpedo runs, Lexington was struck by two torpedoes in her Port Bow, one of which severed her main Portside water main and flooded three boiler rooms, reducing her speed to 24.5knots. While still engaged in evasive maneuvers to avoid the torpedo bomber attack, Lexington was targeted by a separate flight of 19 D3A “Val” dive-bombers which came streaking out of the clouds onto the wounded ship. Once again, Lexington’s gun crews drove off several of their attackers but two bombs struck the ship and several near-missed, causing heavy casualties in a 5-inch gun mount and flooding of two compartments. Still able to make way, the Lexington’s Captain continued his evasive maneuvering while gun crews drove off the remnants of the Japanese force, allowing damage control crews to begin effecting repairs to the ships battered hull and the Carrier’s airborne planes to return to the ship.
Regular flight operations and damage control efforts continued aboard Lexington for the next hour without major event, however at 1247hrs the ship was rocked by a massive gas vapor explosion near her forward aviation gasoline tanks which had been split open by torpedo damage. With her main damage control station knocked out and 25 of her crew killed in the blast, Lexington crewmen raced below decks to contain a rash of fires and continued their efforts until a second heavier detonation tore through the bow of the ship at 1442hrs. With power to the forward half of the ship cut and several large fires now burning out of control below decks, damage control parties were pulled back to their midship stations as three Destroyers closed in to lend assistance to the stricken Carrier. Another massive explosion at 1525 cut all water pressure to the hangar and forced the evacuation of all machinery spaces, bringing the Lexington to a halt down by the bow, listing to Port and heavily aflame. With the ship no longer operational, the order to evacuate wounded crew was passed at 1540hrs, followed by the Abandon ship order at 1707hrs. Fires below deck made their way steadily aft over the next hour, and with the majority of the crew mustered already off the ship the Lexington’s aft ready torpedo magazine detonated, blowing aircraft off the deck and opening up enormous holes in her hull. Several more detonations followed before Lexington’s Captain stepped off the ship at 1830hrs, after which the Lexington was set adrift. After an hour had passed, the decision was made to scuttle the still-burning Carrier to prevent her being used as a beacon for enemy Submarines or aircraft, and after the USS Phelps (DD-360) sent five torpedoes into her hull the USS Lexington rolled over and sank at this location at 1952hrs on May 8th, 1942.
For her actions on the date of her loss, USS Lexington was awarded her second and final Battle Star for World War Two service. Less than two months after her loss, the Lexington’s name was bestowed to an Essex Class Aircraft Carrier then under construction on the same Fore River Shipyard ways where “Lady Lex” was built. Commissioned in February 1943, USS Lexington (CV-16) would go on to become the a decorated WWII Veteran and the longest-serving member of her class before being enshrined as a museum ship in Corpus Christi, TX.
www.paulallen.com/rv-petrel/uss-lexington-wreck-located...
www.navsource.org/archives/02/02.htm
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K-V_ah6IIs
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Lexington_(CV-2)
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Coordinates: 15°11'59"S 155°26'58"E
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