Lexington (CV 16) - Naval Cruise Book

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V, ,-f ,. ...,....-H , . - -Av--Y-- , J ,1-sync. -affix 'ff-ff 'SJFF-11fm:11'11f-0--':L'Ji'1i:1 ::i:t'5: ' M' B? M 'r'i's H 1 sunk. By the attacks on Formosa the Navy. . . Qwasj neutralizing the base from which the jap- anese could best replace their lossesf' Heavier air resistance was met in this period than had been confronting Navy pilots recently, and on October 14 a raid of enemy torpedo planes Uillsj sneaked past the Combat Air Pa- trol and launched their attack. Lex gunners were the first to open fire, shooting down three and assisting in two other kills. The cruisers Houston and Canberra took seri- ous torpedo hits during the attack, but the elated japanese pilots, in their usual modest style, flash- ed word that eleven carriers, two battleships' and three cruisers had been sunk. Radio Tokyo duti- fully broadcast these reports to the world and japan was 'cswept by a sudden wave ofexhilara- tion which dispelled overnight the growing pessi mism over the unfavorable trend of the warf, After lingering 'briefly in the area to cover our retiring damaged cruisers, Lexington resumed at- tacks against the Philippines October 21. Three days later an enemy force was located in the Sibuyan Sea, and pilots from Air Group 19 were credited with hits on three cruisers and an assist in the sinking of the battleship M usacki. The same day TF-38 fell victim of an air attack LeX's guns are manned and ready as an F617 makes ker ina! approach, be- low. At right, is a view of tke flight deck, looking ybrward from Prilfbz, as aircrap' ,are respotted afer a strike on Formosa in Octoben 1944. itseli the CAP was able to splash or drive back most enemy planes Qwith Air Group 19 splash- ing 63 of the 150 shot down during the dayj, but one broke through for a hit on Princeton. When Essex scout planes sighted the japanese carriers the next morning, their Air Group joined with Air Group 19 to deliver a fatal attack on one of them, Ckitose. A second strike successful- ly attacked other enemy units Qincluding the car- rier' Ckzjzodaj an hour later, while Strike No. 3 was sent against additional carriers located to the north. Lex is planes here were credited with sink- ing Zaikaku and assisting in the serious dam- aging of another flattop, Zuiko. The dayas opera- tions were facilitated by the fact that most of the N ipponese aircraft had been caught on the ground at Luzon rather than being on hand to defend the -shipsg Hellcats reportedly made short

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