Lexington (CV 16) - Naval Cruise Book

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A U ' 2 , ,Wm-4,safwfy.z :ffgf6:fff,Si , , t if 9. , si: ., 2:3,sm,, ,gwrtfwg r' I vi2:f,.wf ', 1 .f vm, f,w:s1e,1f- xr-yn. : -vyf-mn: ' f ' ,ere - 4 f ' x r 4 g t f1.'.f4ff, 'r 7'-1 -Q. li sfffju 1,4 .-'Qf ' 7f W1'.,' . if Fkiitezcifi ,r 2 - ',gsf'5fy fs-we 41' 69'-, 'wfi t ' -, 1,1 .SL X5 iq, 2 'g,,'g' 'Qu ,gg , X I ts A' wif .t ,, , f. .r 2, Qs-. a,51fy,sg7zt5, ,if in 7 -i, r ',,.fgy,. '11-fwg: - . , WL,f,,ff.,, ,, we ,, . ax? Ziyi' it Q fs: ju f - 4 - A i'-A Fuiiyamaj as seen from Buoy 15, Yokosuka Naval Base. The fire-scarred Nagato lies at anchor in the foreground. Fuji-san was not visible on September 5, but Lexington crew members had plenty of chances to study its beauty in the months in which they lay moored off Yokosuka after the surrender, supporting the occupation of Icxpcm. Not until December 3rd did the Lexington. her homeward-bound pennant flying, see the last of this familiar view. other areas over which Air Group 94 planes had flown since the end of hostilities, Iapanese planes were exposed in orderly lines at all airfields, no' enemy planes were in the air and no evidence was seen of any hostile action. On the 4th of September the Lexington was de- tached, and on the afternoon of the Sth set a prece- dent for heavy carriers by entering Tokyo Bay. The crew was drawn upon her flight deck at quarters for muster as she left Sagami Wan, rounded Kannon Saki Light, passed to port the towering cranes of Yokosuka Naval Base and the cluttered pagoda bridge of the still floating Nagato, and to starboard the more familiar battleships and cruisers of the Third Fleet, till, off the waterfront of Yokohama, she dropped anchor. This halted the restless movement which had never ceased since she quit Leyte Gulf 67 days earlier, and brought to a satisfying con- clusion the fighting history begun off the beaches of Tarawa two years before. is m 1, I J N z QQ' ' xi E 51 'X 'M 'x- y. s tx' ,il lr ' 'I

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speciorl edition in two hours, the Chief Petty Officers who donoted their shoes, sweoiters ond coots, ond the numerous men of oll deportments, who contrib- uted to the pilots who tirelessly flew flight ofter flight without corriploint. Similor drops were mode on the 27th, ond for more thon ct week thereofter. Numerous letters hove since been received from liberoted P.O.W.'s expressing their thonks for the greot volume of supplies delivered by Lexington plones. TARAWA TO TOKYO For operotions on the 29th ond 30th of August, Tosk Group 38,l relieved Tosk Group 38.4 in the Tokyo oreo. The Lexington wos given responsibility for on oreo which included the city of Tokyo ond the woters of Tokyo Boy, Lexington plgnes were flown overheod os Genercxl lVlocArthur londed on Waving prisoners crowd their court- yard as Lexington planes revisit cr grateful camp, late in August, 1945. Tokyo lies quiet, September S. 1945. as the Lexington enters TOICYO Bay, while her planes ily over the city. .N-J is X Atsugi airfield ond os the first of our occupotion ttt. forces mode their woy oshore in the vicinity of t'ii Yokosuko. On both doys more supplies were ff 4 dropped to prisoners, 'jg ff'-Q'K4 T A ex Potrols ond prisoners-of-wcir supply-dropping mis- :fi f i, eA 5 if Nl,f.T,T NT sions were flown on the first three doys of Septem- K X 'T ber, the Lexingtons crreo of responsibility now in- W ig., 3 ,'A J T cluding the city of Nogoyo ond oirfields to the A f- f ' lu Sgr' . southeost of thot city. As hod been the cdse in the 4 Q T 'f:f ' . A f f' T y W X X E, fb, '11-'W r .. no .. Q ,gi Q .A,. t 'r.g.-.4 51:-' '. - ' , ' I . ' . 1 T Q -T RH . ff fn? .' -'. - ' ,I 'bds'

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PM 'll if f ., - 1 ii.t-if . , ff ' lil- 1 t -Lu' ' Ll ' If - ' 3 . K4 mr i , , V Ku' . A mw'fmJ' .lf fmzrw, '5000' WA' MWKYO Y f -.ff Q. N ww-54' THE SCORESHEET FOR THE LEXINGTON From September 18, 1943, to December 17, 1943: from March 3. 1944 to March 17, 1945: and from Iune 13, 1945 to De- cember 3, 1945, the Lexington operated in the forward areas of the Pacific west of Pearl Harbor. During that time She participated in 35 major actions: her planes shot down 387 planes in the air and destroyed 645 on the ground: they sank or damaged 588,000 tons of naval vessels and 497.000 gross tons of merchant shipping: they dropped 2035 bombs on airfields and 700 on factories. Her own guns got 15 planes, with 5 assists , She was damaged twice. This impressive record is now proudly displayed on her island. Above appears the records for each air group-Air Groups 16, 19, 20, 9, and 94 fsince the war, Air Group 92 relieved 941. A flag represents a plane in the air: the sitting duck so many planes on the ground: the warship and cargo ship sinkings are obvious, as are the hangar and factory. Below is the list ot actions and the grand total.