Lexington (CVA 16) - Naval Cruise Book

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if I I I I I 127' THE IRONCLAD THIRD LEXINGTON STEAMS THE MISSISSIPPI DURING THE CIVIL WAR. well as setting a new record of 74 hours, 34 minutes for the passage of 2228 nautical miles from the U.S. to the Hawaiian Islands. Paradoxically, this mighty weapon of destruction often took part in errands of mercy at scenes of disaster, both at home and abroad. She supplied electrici- ty to the paralyzed city of Tacoma, Washington, for four days, after a major power failure in the area, and conducted extensive relief operations following the Nicaraguan earth- quake of March, 1931. When Amelia Earhart was lost on her trans-Pacific flight in July, 1937, aircraft from the LEXINGTON searched for her plane, day after day, until it became apparent that further search was futile. N N fith the outbreak of World War II, the LEXINGTON stood in the vanguard of our Naval Forces in the Pacific. Taking a steady toll of enemy warships and aircraft, her strikes on Lae and Salamaua completely disrupted the attempts of the Japanese to advance to the south-east of New Guinea. Thus her death at the Battle of the Coral Sea was not in vain. The LEXINGTON, working with the YORKTOWN, sank one Japanese carrier and probably a second of the same type. The two CV's shot down 67 Japanese aircraft during a 48 hour period ending 8 May, ARTISTS CONCEPTION OF BATTLE-CRUISER WHICH BECAME FOURTH LEXINGTON.

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THE U ITI-ID TATES SHIP LEXI GTO The name LEXINGTON is as old as the United States Navy itself and is dramatically woven into the annals of American history, having been carried on the nation's Naval Register since the embryonic days of 1775. It was the Baltimore brig, WILD DUCK, purchased by the Marine Committee of the Continental Congress in March of 1776, that became the first ship to bear the name LEXINGTON. She was so re-named in honor of the famous Revolutionary War battle that took place on 19 April of the previous year. The second LEXINGTON, built in 1825, was a 691 ton sloop-of-war fitted with 18 guns. She cruised on special service off Laborador protecting American fishing interests in the area, and during the Mexican War, served as a transport for troops as well as blockading Mexican ships from California ports. After returning to the East Coast in the early 1850's, she participated in Commodore Perry's famous expedition to Japan. Having remained in Far Eastern waters for two years, she set sail for New York City, where she was decommissioned on 26 February, 1855. An ironclad sidewheeler was the third LEXINGTON, built at Pittsburgh in 1860 and displacing 500 tons. She was purchased by the Army and then transferred to the Navy in 1862. A river gunboat, she saw extensive service in the Civil War and particularly in the Mississippi campaign- Working with the TYLER, her sister ship, the third LEXINGTON, owing to her light draft, was ideally suited for harassment duty and also served as a fire-support ship for troops. In this capacity she received a special letter, along with the TYLER, from the then-Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Gideon Wells, commending the two vessels for their ,courageous performance and prowess in combat. Originally laid down as a battle-cruiser, but converted to an aircraft carrier in accordance with the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty for limitation and armaments, the fourth LEXINGTON went down the ways on 3 October 1925. The LEXINGTON CCV-25 and her sister ship the USS SARATOGA CCV-30, were the first aircraft carriers built by the United States Navy other than the experimental carrier LANGLEY. One of the giants of the fleet in her time, the LEXINGTON had a flight deck 888 feet long, a beam of 106 feet, and a standard displacement of 33,000 tons. Logging 30.7 knots on a run from San Pedro, Calif. to I-Ionolulu, from 9 June, 1928, the LEXINGTON on three successive days broke the 24 hour steaming record as

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NEWLY CONVERTED LEXINGTON STANDS OUT OF YARD AT QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, OCTOBER 3, 1925. 1942, only to receive the brunt of an HCTCC counter-attack launched the following day. Struck by two aerial torpedos and atleast two bombs, the LEXINGTON nevertheless managed to recover all her aircraft, which at the time of the attack were in the ' process of reducing the Japanese carrier, SHOKAKU, to a blazing hulk. he crew of the CV-2 were successful in extinguishing the Hres resulting from the hits scored upon her. Several hours later, however, the ship was rocked by a fatal explosion while steaming at 20 knots. She was abandoned soon after with practically no loss of life. I he fifth LEXINGTON CCV-16D avenged her predecessor. She destroyed a total of 862 enemy planes: 372 in air, 475 on the ground, and 15 by anti-aircraft fire. She sank or destroyed 300,000 tons of Japanese shipping and damaged an additional 600,000 tons. With air groups from other flattops, she sent three Japanese aircraft carriers to the bottom along with a NATORI class cruiser. Following her commissioning on 26 September, 1942, the LEXINGTON participated in nearly every major campaign in the Pacific theatre. She spent an aggregate of 21 months in the combat area, at least 18 of which saw her west of the 180th meridian. Her planes struck at Tarawa, Kwajalien, the Marianas, Palau, the Philippines, Truk, the Bonins, Formosa, Okinawa and Japan, and helped destroy the power of the Japanese Fleet in the first and second battles of the Philippine Sea. Renowned for an almost impregnable air defense, she received but two hits during the course of the Second World War. Her outstanding record earned her the follow- ing Presidential Unit Citation: 9? or extraordinary heroism in action againstgthe enemy Japanese force in the air, ashore, and afloat in the Pacific War Area from September 18, 1943 to August 15, 1945. Spearheading our concentrated carrier warfare in the most forward areas, the USS LEXINGTON and her air groups struck crushing blows toward annihilating Japanese fighting power 5 they provided air cover for our amphibious forces 3 they fiercely countered the enemyis aerial attacks and destroyed his planes, they inflicted terrific losses on the Japanese in Fleet and merchant marine units sunk or damaged. Daring and dependable in combat, the LEXING- TON, with her gallant officers and men, rendered loyal service in achieving the ultimate defeat of the Japanese Empiref' X n 11 October, 1946, she was placed in reserve at Bremerton and decommissioned the following April. Reclassified CVA-16 on 1 October 1952, she underwent a two-year conversion period during which was fitted with the latest innovations in carrier design, including an angled Hight deck, steam catapults, and a mirror landing system. Recom- missioned on 15 August, 1955, and one of the ---i most potent mobile striking units in the Pacific Fleet today, she is currently deployed on her second Far Eastearn Cruise.