Lexington (CV 16) - Naval Cruise Book

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fare told how amphibious forces could advance in great leaps across an ocean where the enemy had dozens of island bases. Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet QCINCPACD had secured through reconnaissance of the Gil- berts, and as a result was able to convince the joint Chiefs that it would be wise to seize Tarawa and Makin for air bases before pressing on to the Marshalls. Such a directive was issued july 20 1943, with the operations scheduled for November. Meanwhile Lex transited the Panama Canal july 26-27 arriving at Pearl Harbor August 9 and reporting to the recently-organized Fifth Fleet. Her first mission was as apartof a Carrier Task Force under Rear Admiral Pownall, striking Tarawa and Makin September 18 and 19 Half of the eighteen enemy aircraft on the former island soldiers were killed and wounded' a Japanese 32 diary entry described Tarawa as Ha sea of flame. The most significant result of the raid, however, according to Naval Historian Morison, was the Lexington 19 planes' obtaining reconnais- sance photos which were to prove of great bene- fit in plotting the subsequent invasion of the island. October 5-6 Lexington joined five other car- riers Cthe largest fast carrier force yet organized under Rear Admiral Montgomery for strikes on Wake Island The six Air Groups flew 738 com- bat sorties, and these attacks so reduced the enemy s air strength that apan was forced to call upadditional planes from the Marshalls Heavy damage was also done to the island s fixed installations, according to estimates record- ed in the ship s War Diary at that time, least 60 per cent of the gun installations ap- peared to be untenable on the second day The forward anchorages had not yet been cap- , . . , I ' - ' ' ' . . .at target were destroyed and a great number of X'

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tured at this time, and Lex was therefore obliged to return to Pearl Harbor following such brief missions. During this period the use of our submarines to recover downed aviators was becoming signi- ficant-something which proved to be a con- siderable morale factor forthe carrier pilots. In one instance, when the submarine Skate succeed- ed in rescuing four fliers downed in a carrier strike, the captain of that vessel received a mes- sage reflecting the appreciation of Lexington 's Captain Stump: MAnything in Lexington is yours for the asking. If it is too big to carry away, we will cut it up in small partsf' On November 10, as a part of Rear Admiral It is the men who win the wars - notthe machines. Pilots literalhz live in their Ready Room during hostz'lities,' it may be the place for a tense hriehng prior to a vital mission, or, far left, where the details of the last air strike are rehash- ed Below, officers and men thinlc, plan and coordinate in Lex 's plot room while her aircraft are engaged in wartime strilce against Gilbert and Marshall is- lands. These photos, and others on previous and succeeding pages, were taken on location by world-famous Captain Edward Steichen aboard CV-I6 during 1943 Pacifc action. i ...,., ., , E .. v , - -, . , - . .. .... .. .. ,, . V - H ,.. .... www. -.MW .-----Y-------W . --