Lexington (CV 16) - Naval Cruise Book

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December 1 1943 saw a great deal of actz'on in the Marshalls. Above, a japanese 'Yfaten torpedo bomber slfims in on LCXiI1gtOI1,S starboard side. The '7Cate began to smohe just after LeXington,s five-inch gunners opened up at i500 yards. At Q500 yards, she burst into flame. Here she is just off LeXington,s starboard side, after the ship is 40mm isstarted hammering home. Right page, the torpedo bomber ex- plodes within three hundred yards of Lexingt0n's bow. 40 Overleaf, an SBD rests on the flight deck, as another carrier steams quietbl along on a parallel course. Overleaf, right page, on December 51 1943, ex- hausted enlisted men sleep on Lexing- ton's flight deck after more than twenty- four hours at their General Quarters stations.

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l i 1 5 'FI MG .IS N -4 -1 .. .. M..- A,.,. in An interesting sidelight developed from an event in the attack. The device used to bring Lex is rudder back amidships was an emergency, hand-operated hydraulic unit which had been de- signed by one of the ship's officers, Lt. P. N. MacDonald, and installed by ship 's force during the last availability period. Following the recog- nition it received after enabling Lexington to seta course and steam out of the battle area, this ap- paratus was subsequently made 'cstandard equip- ment on other ships of the class. About this time Tokyo Rose reported the ship had been sunk. This was the first of several such premature tales of Lexington 's demise hope- fully released by the enemy in an attempt to weaken American morale. It was Tokyo Rose also, who is credited with endowing CV-16 with her most famous nick- name: c'The Blue Ghostf' The two most popu- lar tales of the origin of this tag were: first, that having been reported as sunk, her reappearance made her a 'ighost shipgi' second, Lex was the only carrier in the fleet without camouflage, and appeared blue from a distance. When the shipyard availability was terminated February 12, 1944, Lexington embarked Air Group 19 at Alameda and set sail for Hawaii. Air Group 16 re-embarked there, and the ship, now operating as a part of Task Force 58, December 4, 1943 was an eventful day for Lex. Her aircraft successfulbi hit shipping and ground installations on K wajalein. Later in the day, Lex herseh' was hit. Left page, Lexington is under heavy air attach in this picture taken from the escort carrier Cowpens. Left, a japanese torpedo bomber explodes close aboard. Below, a fapanese tor- pedo plane bursts into flames just aher launching a torpedo attach against Lex. just before midnight a torpedo hithilled nine of Lexington's men and injured thiriji-five.

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