Lexington (CV 16) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 22 text:

, i ,, Y ,, .. - ,Y... 2... .W .f T: mA,,,,,,,,.-ff, ,, ,.-,::T. Q, - ... .. - -- . Www-mwnuwmmjwmr-nmwmmmmwsme W..... . 'm R '1 ' When the famed woman flier Amelia Earhart disappeared crossing the Pacific in july of 1937, Lexingtonis' aircraft joined in the fruitless search for many days until such operations were reluc- tantly called off and the heroine given up for lost. The next three years the aircraft carrier partici- pated in major fleet operations in the Hawaiian, Caribbean and Northeastern Pacific regions re- spectively. Captain Frederick C. Sherman as- sumed command Iune 13, 1940. The fateful japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Sunday, December 7, 1941 was indeed a HDay of Infamyw against the United States and her Pacific Fleet in particular. Countless words have been written on how much was known of japan7s intentions and devoted to speculations of how a key warning made or heeded in any number of quarters could have averted orlimited the disaster. However, the fact remains that the japanese assault dia' come offwith a marked suc- cess and the United States could only be grateful that her aircraft carriers were not in port on the fateful morning. Enterprise was returning from Wake Island where she had delivered Marine Corps fighter pfanesg Saratoga had left Pearl Harbor for up- keep and repairs on the west coastg and Lexing- ton, on December 5, had departed as the center of a Task Force under Rear Admiral Newton to deliver 25 scout bombers to Midway Island. The absence of these vessels was described by Naval Historian Samuel Eliot Morison as Ha slight concession that the god of battles made to us .... 'L At sea, when the message, Hostilities with japan commenced with air raid on Pearl, was received aboard Lexington, she immediately dis- patched search planes to hunt for the enemy fleet. At mid-morning she headed south to rendezvous with the Indianapolis and Enterprise Task Forces to conduct search operations. Unfortunately, an incorrect radar fix had placed the retreating apanese Fleet to the south of the Hawaiian Is lands nearly 180 degrees in error so an un successful search was conducted southwest of Oahu Island until December 13 when these Task Forces returned to Pearl Harbor The next day Lexington set out on her first 20 offensive assignment of the conflict- a raid against japanese forces on Ialuit Island- a di- versionary tactic to enable the Saratoga Force to relieve Wake. On the 20th, however, with hope of a surprise attack slim, Lexington was diverted to support Saratogag when the latter ship delay- ed to refuel two days later, the japanese forces seized Wake without naval opposition December 23. Both carrier forces returned to Pearl Harbor December 27 without having engaged enemy naval units. Saratoga was operating about five hundred miles southwest of Oahu when she was torpedoed by a japanese submarine on january 12, 1942. She stayed afloat and made it back to Pearl with three firerooms flooded. Throughout the initial month of 1942 Lexing- ton conducted patrols in the Oahu-Johnston Palmyra triangle to preventpossible enemy raids. On january 23 she was unsuccessfully attacked by a submarine 135 miles west of Oahu. In February she departed from Pearl Harbor as flagship of Vice Admiral Wilson Brown's Task Force Eleven, and after covering the retirement and refueling of the Enterprise and Yorktown Task Forces from the Marshall Islands she j oin- ed the Anzac Force in the Southwest Pacific. February 16 TF-11 turned north-northwest in preparation for an attack on Rabaul the 21st. Plans called for an air strike first, and, if this proved successful, a follow-up bombardment by the cruiser Pensacola and a pair of destroyers against Rabaul anchorage would take place. The day before, however, a pair of Japanese flying boats on patrol spotted the U. S. ships, and even though they were both shot down by Lexington aircraft, they managed to radio a re- port to their base. QOther accounts indicate there may have been three reconnaissance planes, one escaping to broadcast the alarm.j Two flights of nine bombers arrived on the scene that after- noon to avenge their fallen mates' the first were met with a potent Combat Air Patrol from CV 2 which shot down five of the attackers on the way in and three of the remainder as they attempted to flee after unsuccessful bombing runs The second flight however approached from the east while all but two of the CAP were pursuing the original attackers One of the two defenders . , 0 , J .. - I . - 7 - - - ' a D . I .D U 9

Page 21 text:

CV-219 Marine Deiachrnentforrns an' of the island under two of her 8 55 tur- reis. Right, during the 193019 Lexing- ton, Ranger and other U S. carriers rendezvoused each spring for combined exercises. Resting at anchon below, the HLady Lex sei several speed and en- durance records during herjirsi decade ofservice.

Page 23 text:

Qthe other had his guns jammed Q, was Lieutenant E. H. MButchH O'Hare who interposed his plane between the enemy and the Task Force, shooting down five- an act which was later to gain him the Medal of Honor. Lexington maneuvered radically under the attack from the remaining planes, shooting down one and causing all bombs to miss astern. The final three were de- stroyed by the returning Wildcats ofthe Combat Air Patrol. The aircraft carrier emerged unscath- ed, with the loss of only two planes, and the com- manding officer, Captain Sherman, was subse- quently awarded the Navy Cross for this action Lexington returned to the Coral Sea for offen- Eoery tbree years brought fleet opera- tions to the Hawaiian area. Here Lex- ington is between Saratoga anctRanger. In spite ofsz'rnz'tan'Q1 ofloroj?tes between Saratoga ana' Lex, Naoymen could at- zuays zdentzyjz the forrner by strzloe down ber stack. ji!! Z:l!!iiY