The USS Lexington (CV-2) sinking was just one of several naval losses suffered during the Second World War, and her wreckage has rested on the seafloor for over 75 years. As part of the Pacific Fleet, the aircraft carrier played a role in multiple engagements, until she sustained significant damage from the Japanese forces in the Battle of the Coral Sea. To prevent Lexington from falling into enemy hands, the difficult decision was made to intentionally scuttle the vessel.
USS Lexington (CV-2)
The USS Lexington‘s origin can be traced back to a 1916 order as a battlecruiser, but this plan changed following the signing of the Washington Naval Treaty in 1922. The treaty prohibited the construction of battleships of this type, prompting a decision to repurpose the design into one of the early aircraft carriers in the US Navy’s fleet. She received her commission on December 14, 1927, and earned the affectionate nickname “Lady Lex.”
Lexington‘s construction outside of wartime allowed for a versatile range of uses. The Navy used her to develop and refine carrier tactics, even conducting mock attacks on Pearl Harbor. Furthermore, the vessel served the public interest, coming to the aid of Tacoma, Washington during a drought in 1929-30 by supplementing the city’s power system.
Additionally, Lexington played a humanitarian role by delivering much-needed medical supplies and personnel in the aftermath of the 1931 earthquake in Managua, Nicaragua.
The USS Lexington‘s (CV-2) service during World War II
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the USS Lexington was in the middle of delivering fighter aircraft to Midway Island. She was quickly recalled to base, with her first mission of World War II being an attack on the Japanese in the Marshall Islands, to divert attention from the siege on Wake Island. However, the US sailors and Marines surrendered before any show of force was needed.
At the beginning of 1942, she was sent to the Coral Sea, where she spent the majority of her remaining service. Lexington was used to block the Japanese from advancing in the area, and, along with USS Yorktown (CV-5), attacked several enemy shipping vessels near New Guinea.
Following a refit at Pearl Harbor, she returned to the Coral Sea that May. Her arrival couldn’t have come at a better time, as the Japanese launched Operation Mo only a few days later.
Battle of the Coral Sea
The beginning of Operation Mo marked the start of the Battle of the Coral Sea. The USS Lexington, Yorktown and their carrier aircraft defended the area from the attacking Japanese vessels, having intercepted their plans to take Port Moresby. It was a unique engagement, as historians recount it was the first sea battle where the combatant ships didn’t come within range of each other. Instead, they fought using their carrier aircraft.
On May 7, 1942, Lexington’s aerial fleet sunk the Japanese light aircraft carrier Shōhō. They dropped bombs and torpedos on her, first setting fire to the aircraft on her flight deck, then knocking out her power and steering. Once disabled, the attack continued, and Shōhō started to flood. With the help of Yorktown’s aircraft, the carrier finally sank at 11:31 AM, with Lt. Cmdr. Robert E. Dixon famously calling, “Scratch one flat top!”
A turn for the worse
Unfortunately for the USS Lexington, it didn’t take long for news of her success to reach the nearby Japanese fleet, leading Rear Adm. Chūichi “King Kong” Hara to order his aircraft to retaliate. This move was largely unsuccessful, as the Americans shot down several of the aircraft.
The fighting started up again at around 9:00 AM on May 8, 1942. Although the Americans generally outflew the incoming Japanese bombers, enough Nakajima B5Ns hit Lexington with two torpedo bombs on her port side to cause the ship to slowly flood. A group of 19 Aichi D3As were next to break through and drop three bombs, one of which set off everything in the port forward ammunition locker.
Wreck of the USS Lexington (CV-2)
In the ensuing hours, relentless attacks persisted against the USS Lexington. Impressively, she managed to refuel a considerable number of her aircraft. However, at 2:42 PM, an explosion severed all power to the ship’s front, intensifying the fires that raged aboard the carrier. Capt. Frederick Sherman issued the order for the crew to abandon ship at 5:07 PM, ensuring everyone who could be evacuated was safely removed before he followed suit at 6:30 PM.
The difficult decision was made to scuttle Lexington, to prevent the Japanese from seizing the vessel. Tasked with this mission, the USS Phelps (DD-360) launched five torpedoes, all of which found their mark, leading to the aircraft carrier’s sinking, along with 35 of her aircraft.
The majority of the crew successfully escaped, with reports indicating that 2,735 were evacuated, while 216 tragically lost their lives. Despite the heavy toll, the resolute defensive stand made by the USS Yorktown and Lexington bore immense significance. This stance thwarted the Japanese carriers from reaching New Guinea and Australia, thus preventing their involvement in the Battle of Midway.
The wreck of the USS Lexington (CV-2) is discovered near Australia
A location was recorded for where the USS Lexington (CV-2) was scuttled, but it wasn’t until March 4, 2018 that her final resting place was discovered, after six months of searching.
A research team put together by Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, set out on the research vessel Petrel to try and locate the wreck. They found it over 800 km from the coast of Queensland, Australia, at a depth of 3,000 m.
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The team confirmed it was the right ship by deploying a remotely-operated underwater vehicle (ROV), which transmitted video feedback to Petrel. The ROV located the nameplate on the wreck’s stern, and found Lexington had broken into several pieces, which rested together. The crew also located 11 of the aircraft – three Douglas SBD Dauntless, seven TBD Devastators and one Grumman F4F Wildcat – nearby.