Lexington (CV 16) - Naval Cruise Book

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l l V I ii 'l I t A I l l l i LL DEP RT i sibility for maintenance and upkeep ot the hull structure. Their task is a large one. Each day they receive numerous job orders. Those ot military ina portance are accomplished immediately. Such Jobs as constructing an armored bulkhead around the Contlagration Station or watertight hatches tor sec ond deck openings require many hours ot tiring work. Keeping three city blocks ot solid steel in repair is a prodigious task. The shiptitters have never let us down, Men from the Cc1rpenter's Shop have varyina re- sponsibilities: They must know modern damage control methodsg they maintain and repair the ships boatsg they are constantly required to construct equipment for the ship. Our plumbing and pipe repair experts make their home in the Pipe Shop. They are subject to call twenty-tour hours ot each day, Their major concern is the ships tire main which required frequent re- pair. Our pipe gang has replaced hundreds ot spools in the main. The boys don't hide their dis- taste for unplugging stopped-up drains and flushing equipment, but unplug them nonetheless They work had to keep the miles of Lexington piping in operation, Damage Control Maintenance men assemble and keep all damage control equipment ready for imme- diate use. They operate and repair the hydraulic systems tor control of valves. The efficiency of their work has kept the Lexington constantly ready to meet any emergency. I-lull Department painters have made our ship titivationn program a success. They mix and issue all paint tor the ship and in their spare time paint the fancy signs that decorate the Lexington. Our Boatswains Mates are charged with super- vision ot all side cleaning, rigging, mooring, and issue ot hull equipage. They man the Sail Locker and the Forward Hold. They are in over-all charge of the crews messing, a big job on a ship as large as the Lexington. The Hull Department is a team with a multitude of duties. Hard work by all hands has kept the Lexington hull system ready either to tight a war or win approbation in a peacetime inspection. Hats oft to a gang of hard-working menlll

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i I 5 B during battles to finish an important job. Hundreds of job orders from all the d have kept the First Lieutenants gang busy, but the ship has been in tip-top shape at all times ag d result. epartments on the ship lt is as impossible for the First Lieutenant to deter- mine where and when the ship will be damaged as it is for the Gunnery Officer to know from which bearing the next enemy airplane will attack. Dam- age control men have to be prepared to effect imme- diate repairs in any part of the ship, from the bilges to the radar antennae. To familiarize oneself com- pletely with a ship the size of the Lexington is not an easy task. Yet each man in the l-full Department is required to know his ship. Each new man in the department is required to attend lectures and follow experienced men in tours through the ship. While the ship is under way damage control drills are held almost daily. 'This is a drill-torpedo hit at frame l85, starboard, over the squawkbox, has been a familiar sound. During these drills men break out equipment, simulate fighting fires, shoring bulk- heads, draining flooded compartments and gener- ally receive instructions which will help them act quickly and decisively when the need arises. On the two occasions when the Lexington was dam- aged, this training paid its dividends. No time was lost in effecting repairs and the ship continued to fight with unimpaired efficiency. During the war, damage control parties stood around-the-clock watches at all repair stations. There never was a time when instant action could not have been taken to combat sudden damage to the ship. All of the men who stood the watch had been trained in fire-fighting at one of the llavys l'crack schools. They knew their equipment and were better equipped than any fire department ever has been Foam, fog, CCD, and salt water that the engineers kept at l25 pounds pressure were at their disposal at all times. They could walk into a burn- ing compartment with a rescue breather, or asbestos suit and a hose gushing water without fear. The success of the Lexingtons fire fighting has been due to this excellent training and equipment. There have been many fires on the Lexington, but never one that got out of control. On December 5, l943, when the Lexington was hit by an aerial torpedo, it required prompt action to prevent the underwater damage from spreading. Men from Repair lll isolated the damage, segre- gated a damaged fire main, shored bulkheads, res- cued trapped personnel and had the ship on an even keel, all within two hours. On November 5, 1944, when the Lexington was hit by a Kamikaze, men from Repair Vlll, l and ll fought fires in and around the island structure and in ready service ammunition rooms, removed wounded men and had the ship ready to fight within forty-five min- utes. The excellence of their work was rewarded by several special commendations. Controlling damage in action is not the only Hull Department problem. During periods of inactivity, when the ship is anchored and being replenished, the shipfitters and carpenters go about their job of keeping the vital hull systems of the ship in fighting condition. Work is handled by the various construc- tion and repair shops. To men from the Shipfittefs Shop falls the respon- I

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