View source for USS Lexington (CV-2)

{{short description|Lexington-class aircraft carrier}}
{{Redirect|CC-1|other uses|CC1 (disambiguation)}}
{{Other ships|USS Lexington}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2023}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin
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{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = USS Lexington (CV-2) leaving San Diego on 14 October 1941.jpg
| Ship caption = An aerial view of ''Lexington'' on 14 October 1941
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header = 
| Ship country = United States
| Ship flag = {{USN flag|1942}}
| Ship name =''Lexington''
| Ship namesake = [[Battle of Lexington]]
| Ship ordered = *1916 (as battlecruiser)
*1922 (as aircraft carrier)
| Ship awarded = 
| Ship builder = [[Fore River Shipyard|Fore River Ship Building Co.]], [[Quincy, Massachusetts]]
| Ship original cost = 
| Ship yard number = 
| Ship way number = 
| Ship laid down = 8 January 1921
| Ship launched = 3 October 1925
| Ship sponsor = 
| Ship christened = 
| Ship completed = 
| Ship commissioned = 14 December 1927
| Ship reclassified = As aircraft carrier, 1 July 1922
| Ship refit = 
| Ship struck = 24 June 1942
| Ship identification = [[Hull number]]: CC-1, then CV-2
| Ship motto = 
| Ship nickname = "Lady Lex", "Gray Lady"
| Ship honors = 
| Ship fate = *[[Scuttled]] after the [[Battle of the Coral Sea]], 8 May 1942
*Shipwreck found, 4 March 2018
| Ship notes = 
| Ship badge = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = (as built)
| Ship class = {{sclass|Lexington|aircraft carrier}}
| Ship displacement = *{{convert|36000|LT|t|lk=on}} ([[Displacement (ship)#Standard displacement|standard]])
*{{convert|47700|LT|t}} ([[deep load]])
| Ship length = {{convert|888|ft|m|1|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|107|ft|6|in|m|1|abbr=on}}
| Ship draft = {{convert|32|ft|6|in|m|1|abbr=on}} (deep load)
| Ship power =*16 [[Yarrow boiler]]s
*{{cvt|180000|shp|lk=on}}
| Ship propulsion =4 shafts, 4 sets [[turbo-electric]] drive
| Ship speed = {{convert|33.25|kn|lk=in}}
| Ship range = {{convert|10000|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|10|kn}}
| Ship complement = 2,791 (including aviation personnel) in 1942
| Ship armament = *4 × twin [[8"/55 caliber gun|{{cvt|8|in|0}}]] guns
*12 × single [[5"/25 caliber gun (United States)|{{cvt|5|in|0}}]] [[AA gun]]s
| Ship armor = *[[Belt armor|Belt]]: {{convert|5|-|7|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
*[[Deck (ship)|Deck]]: {{convert|0.75|-|2|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
*[[Gun turret]]s: {{convert|0.75|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
*[[Bulkhead (partition)|Bulkhead]]s: {{convert|5|-|7|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
| Ship aircraft = 78
| Ship aircraft facilities = 1 [[Aircraft catapult]]
| Ship notes = 
}}
|}

'''USS ''Lexington'' (CV-2)''', nicknamed "Lady Lex",<ref>Groom, p. 203</ref> was the [[name ship]] of [[Lexington-class aircraft carrier|her class]] of two [[aircraft carrier]]s built for the [[United States Navy]] during the 1920s. Originally designed as a {{sclass|Lexington|battlecruiser}}, she was converted into one of the Navy's first aircraft carriers during construction to comply with the terms of the [[Washington Naval Treaty]] of 1922, which essentially terminated all new [[battleship]] and battlecruiser construction. The ship entered service in 1928 and was assigned to the [[United States Pacific Fleet|Pacific Fleet]] for her entire career. ''Lexington'' and her [[sister ship]], {{USS|Saratoga|CV-3|2}}, were used to develop and refine carrier tactics in a series of annual exercises before [[World War II]]. On more than one occasion these included successfully staged surprise attacks on [[Pearl Harbor]], [[Hawaii]]. The ship's [[turbo-electric]] propulsion system allowed her to supplement the electrical supply of [[Tacoma, Washington]], during a drought in late 1929 to early 1930. She also delivered medical personnel and relief supplies to [[Managua]], [[Nicaragua]], after an [[1931 Nicaragua earthquake|earthquake in 1931]].

''Lexington'' was at sea when the [[Pacific War]] began on 7 December 1941, ferrying fighter aircraft to [[Midway Island]]. Her mission was canceled and she returned to Pearl Harbor a week later. After a few days, she was sent to create a diversion from the force en route to relieve the [[Battle of Wake Island|besieged Wake Island]] garrison by attacking Japanese installations in the [[Marshall Islands]]. The island surrendered before the relief force got close enough, and the mission was canceled. A planned attack on Wake Island in January 1942 had to be canceled when a submarine sank the [[Replenishment oiler|oiler]] required to supply the fuel for the return trip. ''Lexington'' was sent to the [[Coral Sea]] the following month to block any Japanese advances into the area. The ship was spotted by Japanese search aircraft while approaching [[Rabaul]], [[New Britain]], but her aircraft shot down most of the Japanese bombers that attacked her. Together with the carrier {{USS|Yorktown|CV-5|2}}, she successfully attacked Japanese shipping off the east coast of [[New Guinea]] in early March.

''Lexington'' was quickly refitted in Pearl Harbor at the end of the month and rendezvoused with ''Yorktown'' in the Coral Sea in early May. A few days later the Japanese began [[Operation Mo]], the invasion of [[Port Moresby]], [[Papua New Guinea]], and the two American carriers attempted to stop the invasion forces. They sank the [[light aircraft carrier]] {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Shōhō||2}} on 7 May during the [[Battle of the Coral Sea]], but did not encounter the main Japanese force of the carriers {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Shōkaku||2}} and {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Zuikaku||2}} until the next day. Aircraft from ''Lexington'' and ''Yorktown'' badly damaged ''Shōkaku'', but the Japanese aircraft crippled ''Lexington''. A mixture of air and [[aviation gasoline]] in her improperly drained aircraft fueling trunk lines (which ran from the [[keel]] tanks to her hangar deck) ignited, causing a series of explosions and fires that could not be controlled. ''Lexington'' was [[Scuttling|scuttled]] by an American [[destroyer]] during the evening of 8 May to prevent her capture. The ship's wreck was located on 4 March 2018 by {{RV|Petrel}}, which was part of an expedition funded by [[Paul Allen]].

==Description and construction==
[[File:USS Lexington (CV-2) on building ways, 1925.jpg|thumb|left|''Lexington'' on the slipway, 1925]]
[[File:USS Lexington (CV-2) with tugs in January 1928.jpg|thumb|left|''Lexington'' beginning the transit from her builder at [[Quincy, Massachusetts|Quincy]] to [[Boston Navy Yard]] in January 1928]]
''Lexington'' was [[USS Lexington|the fourth US Navy ship]] named after the 1775 [[Battles of Lexington and Concord|Battle of Lexington]], the first battle of the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]].<ref name=DANFS/> She was originally authorized in 1916 as a {{sclass|Lexington|battlecruiser|2}}, but construction was delayed so that higher-priority [[anti-submarine warfare|anti-submarine]] vessels and merchant ships, needed to ensure the safe passage of personnel and materiel to Europe during Germany's [[U-boat Campaign (World War I)|U-boat campaign]], could be built. After the war the ship was extensively redesigned, partially as a result of British experience.<ref>Friedman 1984, pp. 88, 91, 94, 97–99</ref> Given the [[hull number]] of CC-1, ''Lexington'' was [[laid down]] on 8 January 1921 by [[Fore River Shipbuilding Company]] of [[Quincy, Massachusetts]].<ref name=DANFS/>

Before the [[Washington Naval Conference]] concluded, the ship's construction was suspended in February 1922,<ref name="USN Ship Types">{{cite web | url=http://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-61000/NH-61245.html | title=Lexington Class (CC-1 through CC-6) | publisher=Navy Department, Naval Historical Center | date=26 February 2004 | access-date=15 April 2015}}</ref> when she was 24.2 percent complete.<ref name="Doooomed">{{Cite news| date = 2 May 1922| title = Board for Selling Doomed Warships; Admirals Oppose Sinking at Sea Under Terms of the Five Power Naval Treaty | work= The [[New York Times]]| page = 20| url = https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B01EFD71739EF3ABC4B53DFB3668389639EDE|format=PDF}}</ref> She was re-designated and re-authorized as an aircraft carrier on 1 July 1922.<ref name=DANFS/> Her displacement was reduced by a total of {{convert|4000|LT|t|lk=on}}, achieved mainly by the elimination of her main armament of eight 16-inch (406&nbsp;mm) guns in four twin turrets (including their heavy turret mounts, their armor, and other equipment).<ref name=f0/><ref>Friedman 1984, p. 471</ref> The main [[armor belt]] was retained, but was reduced in height to save weight.<ref>Stern, p. 82</ref> The general line of the hull remained unaltered, as did the torpedo protection system, because they had already been built, and it would have been too expensive to alter them.<ref>Stern, p. 28</ref>

The ship had an [[length overall|overall length]] of {{convert|888|ft|m|1}}, a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|106|ft|m|1}}, and a [[draft (ship)|draft]] of {{convert|30|ft|5|in|m|1}} at [[deep load]]. ''Lexington'' had a [[Displacement (ship)#Standard displacement|standard displacement]] of {{convert|36000|LT|t|0}} and {{convert|43056|LT|t|0}} at deep load. At that displacement, she had a [[metacentric height]] of {{convert|7.31|ft|1}}.<ref name=f0/>

Christened by Helen Rebecca Roosevelt, the wife of the [[Assistant Secretary of the Navy]], [[Theodore Douglas Robinson]], ''Lexington'' was [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 3 October 1925. She was [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 14 December 1927 with [[Captain (naval)|Captain]] [[Albert W. Marshall|Albert Marshall]] in command.<ref name=DANFS>{{cite DANFS | title = Lexington IV| url = https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/l/lexington-cv-2-iv.html| access-date = 19 January 2017}}</ref> By 1942, the ship had a crew of 100 officers and 1,840 enlisted men and an aviation group totaling 141 officers and 710 enlisted men.<ref name=f0/>

===Flight deck arrangements===
[[File:Curtiss F6C and Martin T3m on deck of USS Lexington (CV-2), 1928.jpg|thumb|[[Curtiss F6C]] fighters and [[Martin T3M]] torpedo bombers, 1928]]
The ship's flight deck was {{convert|866|ft|2|in|m|0}} long and had a maximum width of {{convert|105|ft|11|in|m|1}}.<ref name=f0/> When built, her [[hangar]] "was the largest single enclosed space afloat on any ship"<ref name=ab10>Anderson & Baker, p. 310</ref> and had an area of {{convert|33528|sqft}}. It was {{convert|424|ft|1}} long and {{convert|68|ft|1}} wide. Its minimum height was {{convert|21|ft|1}}, and it was divided by a single [[fire curtain]] just forward of the aft [[Elevator#Aircraft elevators|aircraft elevator]]. Aircraft repair shops, {{convert|108|ft|1}} long, were aft of the hangar, and below them was a storage space for disassembled aircraft, {{convert|128|ft|1}} long. ''Lexington'' was fitted with two hydraulically powered elevators on her centerline. The forward elevator's dimensions were {{convert|30|×|60|ft|m|1}} and it had a capacity of {{convert|16000|lb|kg}}. The aft elevator had a capacity of only {{convert|6000|lb|kg}} and measured {{convert|30|×|36|ft|m|1}}.<ref name=ab10/> [[Avgas]] was stored in eight compartments of the [[Anti-torpedo bulge|torpedo protection system]], and their capacity has been quoted as either {{convert|132264|USgal}} or {{convert|163000|USgal}}.<ref name=ab311>Anderson & Baker, p. 311</ref>

[[File:USS Lexington (CV-2) insignia (80-G-462515).png|thumb|upright=0.5|''Lexington''{{'}}s ship's insignia was adapted from the sculpture by [[Henry Hudson Kitson]]]]
''Lexington'' was initially fitted with electrically operated [[arresting gear]] designed by [[Carl Norden]] that used both fore-and-aft and transverse wires. The longitudinal wires were intended to prevent aircraft from being blown over the side of the ship while the transverse wires slowed them to a stop. This system was authorized to be replaced by the hydraulically operated [[Mark (designation)|Mk]] 2 system, without longitudinal wires, on 11 August 1931. Four improved Mk 3 units were added in 1934, giving the ship a total of eight arresting wires and four [[safety barrier|barriers]] intended to prevent aircraft from crashing into parked aircraft on the ship's [[bow (ship)|bow]]. After the forward flight deck was widened in 1936, an additional eight wires were added there to allow aircraft to land over the bow if the landing area at the [[stern]] was damaged.<ref>Stern, pp. 113–115</ref> The ship was built with a {{convert|155|ft|1|adj=on}}, [[flywheel]]-powered, F Mk II [[aircraft catapult]], also designed by Norden, on the starboard side of the bow.<ref name=f0/><ref name=ab10/> This catapult was strong enough to launch a {{convert|10000|lb|adj=on}} aircraft at a speed of {{convert|48|kn|lk=in}}. It was intended to launch [[seaplanes]], but was rarely used; a 1931 report tallied only five launches of practice loads since the ship had been commissioned. It was removed during the ship's 1936 refit.<ref>Stern, p. 115</ref>

''Lexington'' was designed to carry 78 aircraft, including 36 [[bomber]]s,<ref>Anderson & Baker, pp. 310–311</ref> but these numbers increased once the Navy adopted the practice of tying up spare aircraft in the unused spaces at the top of the hangar.<ref>Stern, p. 109</ref> In 1936, the fighter component of her air group consisted of 18 [[Grumman F2F]]-1 and 18 [[Boeing F4B]]-4 fighters, plus an additional nine F2Fs in reserve. Offensive punch was provided by 20 [[Vought SBU Corsair]] [[dive bomber]]s with 10 spare aircraft and 18 [[Great Lakes BG]] [[torpedo bomber]]s with nine spares. Miscellaneous aircraft included two [[Grumman JF Duck]] [[amphibious aircraft|amphibian]]s, plus one in reserve, and three active and one spare [[Vought O2U Corsair]] observation aircraft. This amounted to 79 aircraft, plus 30 spares.<ref name=f0/>

===Propulsion===
The ''Lexington''-class carriers used [[Turbo-electric transmission|turbo-electric propulsion]]; each of the four propeller shafts was driven by two {{convert|22500|shp|lk=on|adj=on}} [[electric motor]]s. They were powered by four [[General Electric]] [[turbo generator]]s rated at {{convert|35200|kW}} using steam provided by sixteen [[Yarrow boiler]]s.<ref name=ab12/> Six {{convert|750|kW|adj=on}} [[electric generator]]s were installed in the upper levels of the two main turbine compartments to provide power to meet the ship's [[hotel load]] (minimum electrical) requirements.<ref>Stern, p. 58</ref>

The ship was designed to reach {{convert|33.25|kn}},<ref name=f0>Friedman 1983, p. 390</ref> but ''Lexington'' achieved {{convert|34.59|knots}} from {{convert|202973|shp|abbr=on}} during [[sea trial]]s in 1928.<ref name=ab12>Anderson & Baker, p. 312</ref> She carried a maximum of {{convert|6688|LT|t}} of [[fuel oil]], but only {{convert|5400|LT|t}} of that was usable, as the rest had to be retained as [[Sailing ballast|ballast]] in the port fuel tanks to offset the weight of the [[Glossary of nautical terms (A-L)#island|island]] and main guns.<ref name=ab13/> Designed for a range of {{convert|10000|nmi|lk=in}} at a speed of {{convert|10|kn}},<ref name=f0/> the ship demonstrated a range of {{convert|9910|nmi|abbr=on}} at a speed of {{convert|10.7|kn}} with {{convert|4540|LT|t}} of oil.<ref name=ab13>Anderson & Baker, p. 313</ref>

===Armament===
[[File:USS Lexington (CV-2) firing 203mm guns 1928.jpg|thumb|''Lexington'' firing her eight-inch guns, 1928]]
The Navy's [[Bureau of Construction and Repair]] was not convinced when the class was being designed that aircraft could effectively substitute as armament for a warship, especially at night or in bad weather that would prevent air operations.<ref>Friedman 1983, p. 44</ref> Thus the carriers' design included a substantial gun battery of 8 [[8"/55 caliber gun|{{convert|8|in|0|adj=on|spell=in}} Mk 9 guns]] in four twin-[[gun turret]]s. These turrets were mounted above the [[flight deck]] on the starboard side, one [[superfiring]] pair before the [[superstructure]], and another behind the [[funnel (ship)|funnel]], numbered I to IV from bow to stern.<ref name="Stern, p. 96">Stern, p. 96</ref> In theory the guns could fire to both sides, but it is probable that if they were fired to port (across the deck) the blast would have damaged the flight deck.<ref>Stille 2005, p. 17</ref>

The ship's heavy [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft]] (AA) armament consisted of a dozen [[5"/25 caliber gun (United States)|{{convert|5|in|0|adj=on|spell=in}} Mk 10]] guns which were mounted on single mounts, three each fitted on [[sponson]]s on each side of the bow and stern.<ref name=s8>Stern, p. 98</ref> No light AA guns were initially mounted on ''Lexington'', but two sextuple .30-caliber (7.62&nbsp;mm) [[machine gun]] mounts were installed in 1929.<ref>Friedman 1983, p. 47</ref> They were unsuccessful, and they were replaced by two [[Browning .50 caliber machine gun|.50-caliber (12.7&nbsp;mm)]] machine guns by 1931, one each on the roof of the upper eight-inch turrets. During a refit in 1935, platforms mounting four .50-caliber machine guns were installed on each corner of the ship, and an additional platform was installed that wrapped around the funnel. Six machine guns were mounted on each side of this last platform. In October 1940, four [[3"/50 caliber gun|{{convert|3|in|0|adj=on|spell=in}} Mk 10]] AA guns were installed in the corner platforms; they replaced two of the .50-caliber machine guns which were remounted on the tops of the eight-inch gun turrets. Another three-inch gun was added on the roof of the deckhouse between the funnel and the island. These guns were just interim weapons until the quadruple [[1.1"/75 caliber gun|{{convert|1.1|in|0|adj=on}}]] gun mounts could be installed in August 1941.<ref>Stern, pp. 101–103</ref>

In March 1942, ''Lexington''{{'}}s eight-inch turrets were removed at Pearl Harbor and replaced by seven quadruple 1.1-inch gun mounts. The eight-inch guns and turrets were reused as coast defense weapons on Oahu.<ref>Berhow, pp. 118–119, 217–219</ref> In addition twenty-two [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|{{convert|20|mm|1|adj=on|sp=us}} Oerlikon AA guns]] were installed, six in a new platform at the base of the funnel, 12 in the positions formerly occupied by the ship's boats in the sides of the hull, two at the stern, and a pair on the aft [[spotting top|control top]]. When the ship was sunk in May 1942, her armament consisted of a dozen single 5-inch guns, 12 quadruple 1.1-inch mounts, 22 Oerlikon guns, and at least two dozen .50-caliber machine guns.<ref>Stern, pp. 98, 103</ref>

===Fire control and electronics===
Each eight-inch turret had a Mk 30 [[Rangefinding telemeter|rangefinder]] at the rear of the turret for local control, but they were normally controlled by two Mk 18 [[Fire-control system#Naval fire control|fire-control directors]], one each on the fore and aft spotting tops.<ref name="Stern, p. 96"/> A {{convert|20|ft|m|1|adj=on}} rangefinder was fitted on top of the [[pilothouse]] to provide range information for the directors.<ref>Anderson & Baker, p. 300</ref> Each group of three five-inch guns was controlled by a Mk 19 director, two of which were mounted on each side of the spotting tops.<ref name=s8/> ''Lexington'' received a [[RCA]] [[CXAM radar|CXAM-1]] [[radar]] in June 1941 during a brief refit in Pearl Harbor. The [[Antenna (radio)|antenna]] was mounted on the forward lip of the funnel with its control room directly below the aerial, replacing the secondary [[Conning tower|conning station]] formerly mounted there.<ref>Stern, p. 127</ref>

===Armor===
The waterline [[Belt armor|belt]] of the ''Lexington''-class ships tapered {{convert|7|-|5|in|0}} in thickness from top to bottom and angled 11° outwards at the top. It covered the middle {{convert|530|ft|1}} of the ships. Forward, the belt ended in a [[bulkhead (partition)|bulkhead]] that also tapered from seven to five inches in thickness. Aft, it terminated at a seven-inch bulkhead. This belt had a height of {{convert|9|ft|4|in|m|1}}. The third deck over the ships' machinery and [[magazine (artillery)|magazine]] was armored with two layers of [[special treatment steel]] (STS) totaling {{convert|2|in}} in thickness. The steering gear, however, was protected by two layers of STS that totaled {{convert|3|in|0}} on the flat and {{convert|4.5|in|0}} on the slope.<ref name=ab8>Anderson & Baker, p. 308</ref>

The gun turrets were protected only against splinters with {{convert|0.75|in}} of armor. The conning tower was {{convert|2|-|2.25|in|0}} of STS, and it had a communications tube with two-inch sides running from the conning tower down to the lower conning position on the third deck. The [[torpedo defense system]] of the ''Lexington''-class ships consisted of three to six medium steel [[Torpedo bulkhead|protective bulkheads]] that ranged from {{convert|0.375|to|0.75|in|0}} in thickness. The spaces between them could be used as fuel tanks or left empty to absorb the detonation of a torpedo's [[warhead]].<ref name=ab8/>

==Service history==
[[File:USS Langley (CV-1), USS Lexington (CV-2) and USS Saratoga (CV-3) at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, in 1929 (NNAM.1996.488.001.004).jpg|thumb|''Lexington'' (top) at [[Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility|Puget Sound Navy Yard]], alongside {{USS|Saratoga|CV-3|2}} and {{USS|Langley|CV-1|2}} in 1929]]
After [[fitting-out]] and [[shakedown cruise]]s, ''Lexington'' was transferred to the [[West Coast of the United States]] and arrived at [[San Pedro, California]], part of Los Angeles, on 7 April 1928. In June ''Lexington'' made a high speed run from San Pedro to [[Honolulu]] in the record time of 72 hours and 34 minutes.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Pride |first=Alfred M. |year=1986 |title=Pilots, Man Your Planes |journal=Proceedings |volume=Supplement |issue=April |pages=28–35 |publisher=[[United States Naval Institute]] }}</ref> ''Lexington'' was based in San Pedro until 1940 and mainly stayed on the West Coast, although she did participate in several [[Fleet Problem]]s (training exercises) in the [[Atlantic Ocean]] and the [[Caribbean Sea]].<ref name=DANFS/> These exercises tested the Navy's evolving doctrine and tactics for the use of carriers. During [[Fleet Problem X#Fleet Problem IX|Fleet Problem IX]] in January 1929, ''Lexington'' and the [[Scouting Force]] failed to defend the [[Panama Canal]] against an aerial attack launched by her [[sister ship]] {{USS|Saratoga|CV-3|2}}.<ref>Johnston, pp. 48–50</ref> Future [[science fiction]] author [[Robert A. Heinlein]] reported aboard on 6 July as a newly minted [[ensign (rank)|ensign]] under Captain [[Frank Berrien]].<ref>Patterson, pp. 114–115</ref> Heinlein experienced his first literary rejection when his short story about a case of espionage discovered at the [[United States Naval Academy|Naval Academy]] failed to win a shipboard writing contest.<ref>James, p. 244</ref>

[[File:USS Lexington (CV-2) steams through smoke screen 1929.jpg|thumb|''Lexington'' in a smoke screen off Panama, February 1929]]
In 1929, western [[Washington (state)|Washington]] state suffered a drought which resulted in low levels in [[Lake Cushman]] that provided water for [[Cushman Dam No.&nbsp;1]]. The [[hydro-electric]] power generated by this dam was the primary source for the city of Tacoma and the city requested help from the federal government once the water in the lake receded below the dam's intakes during December. The [[U.S. Navy]] sent ''Lexington'', which had been at [[Puget Sound Naval Shipyard]] in [[Bremerton, Washington|Bremerton]], to Tacoma, and heavy electric lines were rigged into the city's power system. The ship's generators provided a total of 4,520,960 [[kilowatt hour]]s from 17 December to 16 January 1930 until melting snow and rain brought the reservoirs up to the level needed to generate sufficient power for the city.<ref name=ab13/> Two months later, she participated in [[Fleet Problem X#Fleet Problem X|Fleet Problem X]], which was conducted in the Caribbean. During the exercise, her aircraft were judged to have destroyed the flight decks and all the aircraft of the opposing carriers ''Saratoga'' and {{USS|Langley|CV-1|2}}. [[Fleet Problem X#Fleet Problem XI|Fleet Problem XI]] was held the following month and ''Saratoga'' returned the favor, knocking out ''Lexington''{{'}}s flight deck for 24 hours, just as the exercise came to a climax with a major surface engagement.<ref>Nofi, pp. 123–124, 132</ref>

Captain [[Ernest J. King]], who later rose to serve as the [[Chief of Naval Operations]] during World War II, assumed command on 20 June 1930. ''Lexington'' was assigned, together with ''Saratoga'', to defend the west coast of Panama against a hypothetical invader during [[Fleet Problem X#Fleet Problem XII|Fleet Problem XII]] in February 1931. While each carrier was able to inflict some damage on the invasion convoys, the enemy forces succeeded in making a landing. Shortly afterward, all three carriers transferred to the Caribbean to conduct further maneuvers. The most important of these was when ''Saratoga'' successfully defended the Caribbean side of the Panama Canal from an attack by ''Lexington''. Rear Admiral [[Joseph M. Reeves]] baited a trap for King with a destroyer and scored a kill on ''Lexington'' on 22 March while the latter's aircraft were still searching for ''Saratoga''.<ref>Nofi, pp. 139–146</ref>

[[File:USS Lexington (CV-2) launching Martin T4M torpedo planes, in 1931 (NH 82117).jpg|thumb|left|''Lexington'' launching [[Martin T4M]] torpedo bombers in 1931]]
On 31 March 1931, ''Lexington'', which had been near [[Guantanamo Bay Naval Base]], [[Cuba]], was ordered to aid survivors of an [[1931 Nicaragua earthquake|earthquake]] that devastated [[Managua]], [[Nicaragua]].<ref>Patterson, pp. 126, 138</ref> By the following day, the ship was close enough to launch aircraft carrying supplies and medical personnel to Managua.<ref>Johnston, p. 51</ref>

During Grand Joint Exercise No. 4, ''Lexington'' and ''Saratoga'' were able to launch a massive airstrike against Pearl Harbor on Sunday, 7 February 1932 without being detected. The two carriers were separated for [[Fleet Problem X#Fleet Problem XIII|Fleet Problem XIII]], which followed shortly afterward. ''Lexington'' was assigned to Black Fleet, defending Hawaii and the West Coast against Blue Fleet and ''Saratoga''. On 15 March, ''Lexington'' caught ''Saratoga'' with all of her planes still on deck and was ruled to have knocked out her flight deck and have badly damaged the carrier, which was subsequently ruled sunk during a night attack by Black Fleet [[destroyer]]s shortly afterward. ''Lexington''{{'}}s aircraft were judged to have badly damaged two of Blue Fleet's [[battleship]]s.<ref>Herts, pp. 8–9, 13–14</ref>

Before [[Fleet Problem X#Fleet Problem XIV|Fleet Problem XIV]] began in February 1933, the Army and the Navy conducted a joint exercise simulating a carrier attack on Hawaii. ''Lexington'' and ''Saratoga'' successfully attacked Pearl Harbor at dawn on 31 January without being detected. During the actual fleet problem, ''Lexington'' attempted to attack San Francisco, but was surprised in heavy fog by several defending battleships at close range and sunk.

[[Fleet Problem X#Fleet Problem XV|Fleet Problem XV]] returned to the Gulf of Panama and the Caribbean in April–May 1934, but the participating ships of the Pacific Fleet remained in the Caribbean and off the [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]] for more training and maneuvers until they returned to their home bases in November. Most notably during [[Fleet Problem X#Fleet Problem XVI|Fleet Problem XVI]], April–June 1935, ''Lexington'' ran low on fuel after five days of high-speed steaming, and this led to experiments with [[underway replenishment]] that later proved essential to combat operations during the Pacific War. During [[Fleet Problem X#Fleet Problem XVII|Fleet Problem XVII]] in 1936, ''Lexington'' and the smaller carrier {{USS|Ranger|CV-4|2}} routinely refueled their [[plane guard]] destroyers.<ref>Nofi, pp. 166, 169, 178–190, 203, 214</ref>

Admiral [[Claude C. Bloch]] limited ''Lexington'' to support of the battleships during [[Fleet Problem X#Fleet Problem XVIII|Fleet Problem XVIII]] in 1937 and consequently the carrier was crippled and nearly sunk by surface gunfire and torpedoes.<ref>Nofi, pp. 223–224</ref> The following July, the ship participated in the unsuccessful search for [[Amelia Earhart]].<ref>Johnston, p. 55</ref> The 1938 Fleet Problem again tested the defenses of Hawaii and, again, aircraft from ''Lexington'' and her sister successfully attacked Pearl Harbor at dawn on 29 March. Later in the exercise, the two carriers successfully attacked San Francisco without being spotted by the defending fleet. [[Fleet Problem X#Fleet Problem XX|Fleet Problem XX]], held in the Caribbean in March–April 1939, was the only time before October 1943 that the Navy concentrated four carriers (''Lexington'', ''Ranger'', ''Yorktown'', and {{USS|Enterprise|CV-6|2}}) together for maneuvers. This exercise also saw the first attempts to refuel carriers and battleships at sea. During [[Fleet Problem X#Fleet Problem XXI|Fleet Problem XXI]] in 1940, ''Lexington'' caught ''Yorktown'' by surprise and crippled her, although ''Yorktown''{{'}}s aircraft managed to knock out ''Lexington''{{'}}s flight deck. The fleet was ordered to remain in Hawaii after the conclusion of the exercise in May.<ref>Nofi, pp. 231, 235, 241, 247, 259–260, 262</ref>

===World War II===
[[Admiral (United States)|Admiral]] [[Husband Edward Kimmel|Husband Kimmel]], Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet, ordered [[Task Force]] (TF) 12—''Lexington'', three heavy cruisers and five destroyers—to depart Pearl Harbor on 5 December 1941 to ferry 18 [[U.S. Marine Corps]] [[Vought SB2U Vindicator]] dive bombers of [[VMSB-231]] to reinforce the base at [[Midway Island]].<ref>Prange, pp. 456, 460</ref> At this time she embarked 65 of her own aircraft, including 17 [[Brewster F2A Buffalo]] fighters. On the morning of 7 December, the task force was about {{convert|500|nmi}} southeast of Midway when it received news of the Japanese [[attack on Pearl Harbor]]. Several hours later, Rear Admiral [[John H. Newton]], commander of the task force, received orders that canceled the ferry mission and ordered him to search for the Japanese ships while rendezvousing with [[Vice Admiral]] [[Wilson Brown (admiral)|Wilson Brown]]'s ships {{convert|100|mi}} west of [[Ni{{okina}}ihau Island]]. Captain [[Frederick C. Sherman|Frederick Sherman]] needed to maintain a continuous [[Combat Air Patrol]] (CAP) and recover the fuel-starved fighters which were on patrol. With the Marine aircraft aboard, ''Lexington''{{'}}s flight deck was very congested and he decided to reverse the phase of the ship's electric propulsion motors and steam full speed astern in order to launch a new CAP and then swap back to resume forward motion to recover his current CAP. This unorthodox action allowed him to maintain a continuous CAP and recover his aircraft without the lengthy delay caused by moving the aircraft on the flight deck from the bow to the stern and back to make space available for launch and recovery operations. ''Lexington'' launched several [[scout plane]]s to search for the Japanese that day and remained at sea between [[Johnston Island]] and Hawaii, reacting to several false alerts, until she returned to Pearl Harbor on 13 December.<ref>Lundstrom 2005, pp. 9, 16–17, 22–26</ref> Kimmel had wanted to keep the ships at sea for longer, but difficulties refueling at sea on 11 and 12 December meant that the task force was low on fuel and was forced to return to port.<ref>Lundstrom 2006, pp. 17–18</ref>

Redesignated as Task Force 11 and reinforced by four destroyers, ''Lexington'' and her consorts steamed from Pearl Harbor the next day to raid the Japanese base on [[Jaluit]] in the Marshall Islands to distract the Japanese from the [[Wake Island]] relief force led by ''Saratoga''. For this operation, ''Lexington'' embarked 21 Buffalos, 32 [[Douglas SBD Dauntless]] dive bombers, and 15 [[Douglas TBD Devastator]] torpedo bombers, although not all aircraft were operational. Vice Admiral [[William S. Pye]], acting commander of the Pacific Fleet, canceled the attack on 20 December and ordered the task force northwest to cover the relief force. The Japanese, however, captured Wake on 23 December before ''Saratoga'' and her consorts could get there. Pye, reluctant to risk any carriers against a Japanese force of unknown strength, ordered both task forces to return to Pearl.<ref>Lundstrom 2005, pp. 33, 39, 41–44</ref>

''Lexington'' arrived back at Pearl Harbor on 27 December, but was ordered back to sea two days later. She returned on 3 January, needing repairs to one of her main generators. It was repaired four days later when TF 11 sailed with the carrier as Brown's [[flagship]]. The Task Force's mission was to patrol in the direction of [[Johnston Atoll]]. It was spotted by the submarine [[Type C submarine|''I-18'']] on 9 January and several other submarines were vectored to intercept the task force. Another submarine was spotted on the surface the following morning about {{convert|60|nmi}} south of the carrier by two Buffalos who reported it without alerting the submarine to their presence. That afternoon it was spotted again, further south, by a different pair of fighters, and two Devastators carrying depth charges were vectored to the submarine's position. They claimed to have damaged it before it could fully submerge, but the incident is not mentioned in Japanese records. The putative victim was most likely {{ship|Japanese submarine|I-19||2}}, which arrived at [[Kwajalein Atoll]] on 15 January. ''Lexington'' and her consorts returned to Pearl Harbor on the following day without further incident.<ref>Lundstrom 2005, pp. 47–51</ref>

Task Force 11 sailed from Pearl Harbor three days later to conduct patrols northeast of [[Christmas Island (Kiritimati)|Christmas Island]]. On 21 January, Admiral [[Chester Nimitz]], the new commander of the Pacific Fleet, ordered Brown to conduct a diversionary raid on Wake Island on 27 January after refueling from the only available tanker, the elderly and slow oiler {{USS|Neches|AO-5|2}} en route to Brown. The unescorted tanker was torpedoed and sunk by [[Kaidai type submarine#Kaidai VIa.2Fb .28I-168 class and I-174 class.29on|''I-71'']] 23 January, forcing the cancellation of the raid. The task force arrived back in Pearl two days later. Brown was ordered back to sea on 31 January to escort the fast oiler {{USS|Neosho|AO-23|2}} to its rendezvous with Halsey's task force returning from its [[Marshalls–Gilberts raids|attack on Japanese bases in the Marshall Islands]]. He was then supposed to patrol near [[Canton Island]] to cover a convoy arriving there on 12 February. The task force was reconfigured with only two heavy cruisers and seven destroyers; the 18 [[Grumman F4F Wildcat]]s of VF-3, redeployed from the torpedoed ''Saratoga'', replaced VF-2 to allow the latter unit to convert to the Wildcat. One of the Wildcats was severely damaged upon landing on the carrier. Nimitz canceled the rendezvous on 2 February after it became apparent that Halsey did not need ''Neosho''{{'}}s fuel and ordered Brown to proceed to Canton Island. On 6 February, Nimitz ordered him to rendezvous with the [[ANZAC Squadron]] in the Coral Sea to prevent Japanese advances that might interfere with the sea lanes connecting Australia and the United States. In addition, he was to protect a troop convoy bound for [[New Caledonia]].<ref>Lundstrom 2005, pp. 59, 84–87</ref>

====Attempted raid on Rabaul====
{{Further|Action off Bougainville}}
The heavy cruiser {{USS|San Francisco|CA-38|2}} and two destroyers reinforced the task force on 10 February and Brown rendezvoused with the ANZAC Squadron six days later. Even after emptying ''Neosho'' of her oil, there was not enough fuel for the ANZAC Squadron to join Brown's proposed raid on Rabaul and they were forced to remain behind. Brown was reinforced by the heavy cruiser {{USS|Pensacola|CA-24|2}} and two destroyers on 17 February and tasked these ships to bombard Rabaul in addition to the attack by ''Lexington''{{'}}s aircraft. While still some {{convert|453|nmi}} northeast of Rabaul, the task force was spotted by a [[Kawanishi H6K]] "Mavis" [[flying boat]] on the morning of 20 February. The snooper was detected by ''Lexington''{{'}}s radar and was shot down by [[Lieutenant commander (United States)|Lieutenant Commander]] [[Jimmy Thach]] and his [[wingman]], but not before it radioed its spot report. Another H6K was vectored in to confirm the first aircraft's report, but it was detected and shot down before it could radio its report. Brown's plan had depended on the element of surprise and he canceled the raid, although he decided to proceed toward Rabaul to lure Japanese aircraft into attacking him.<ref>Lundstrom 2005, pp. 87–95</ref>

[[File:G4M shot down near USS Lexington (CV-2) 1942.jpeg|thumb|A [[Mitsubishi G4M]] torpedo bomber photographed from ''Lexington''{{'}}s flight deck on 20 February 1942]]
Rear Admiral [[Eiji Gotō]], commander of the [[24th Air Flotilla]], launched all 17 of his long-range [[Mitsubishi G4M]]1 "Betty" torpedo bombers of the recently activated [[4th Air Group|4th Kōkūtai]], although no torpedoes were available at Rabaul and they made do with a pair of {{convert|250|kg|sp=us|adj=on}} bombs apiece. To better search for the Americans, the Japanese split their aircraft into two groups and ''Lexington''{{'}}s radar acquired one of these at 16:25. At this time, the ship was rotating its patrolling aircraft and the newly launched aircraft barely had time to reach the altitude of the Japanese before they arrived. ''Lexington'' had 15 fully fueled Wildcats and Dauntlesses on her forward flight deck that had been moved forward to allow the patrolling fighters to land. They represented a serious fire hazard, but they could not be launched until all aircraft on the flight deck were moved aft. Cognizant of the danger, the deck crews succeeded in respotting the aircraft, and the fueled aircraft were able to take off before the Japanese attacked.<ref>Lundstrom 2005, pp. 95–98</ref> Commander Herbert Duckworth said, "It was as if some great hand moved all the planes aft simultaneously."<ref>Quoted in Lundstrom 2005, p. 98</ref> Only four of the nine G4Ms in the first wave survived to reach ''Lexington'', but all of their bombs missed and they were all shot down afterward, including one by a Dauntless. The losses were not all one-sided as they shot down two of the defending Wildcats. The second wave of eight bombers was spotted at 16:56, while all but two of the Wildcats were dealing with the first wave. [[Lieutenant]] [[Edward O'Hare]] and his wingman, [[Lieutenant (junior grade)]] [[Marion William Dufilho|Marion Dufilho]], were able to intercept the bombers a few miles short of ''Lexington'', but Dufilho's guns jammed before he could fire a shot. O'Hare shot down three G4Ms and damaged two others before the bombers dropped their bombs, none of which struck the wildly maneuvering carrier. Only three of the G4Ms reached base, as Wildcats and Dauntlesses pursued and shot down several others.<ref>Lundstrom 2005, pp. 98–107</ref>

====Lae-Salamaua raid====
The task force changed course after dark for its rendezvous with the tanker {{USS|Platte|AO-24|2}}, scheduled for 22 February. One Japanese [[Aichi E13A]] "Jake" [[floatplane]] succeeded in tracking the task force for a short time after dark, but six H6Ks launched after midnight were unable to locate the American ships. Brown rendezvoused with ''Platte'' and the escorting ANZAC Squadron on schedule and he requested reinforcement by another carrier if another raid on Rabaul was desired.<ref>Lundstrom 2005, pp. 107–109</ref> Nimitz promptly responded by ordering ''Yorktown''{{'}}s [[Task Force 17]], under the command of Rear Admiral [[Frank Jack Fletcher]], to rendezvous with Brown north of New Caledonia on 6 March to allow the latter to attack Rabaul. The initial plan was to attack from the south in the hope of avoiding Japanese search aircraft, but this was changed on 8 March when word was received that Rabaul harbor was empty, as the Japanese had [[Invasion of Lae-Salamaua|invaded]] Papua New Guinea and all the shipping was anchored off the villages of [[Lae]] and [[Salamaua]]. The plan was changed to mount the attack from a position in the [[Gulf of Papua]], even though this involved flying over the [[Owen Stanley Mountains]]. The two carriers reached their positions on the morning of 10 March. ''Lexington'' launched eight Wildcats, 31 Dauntlesses and 13 Devastators. They were the first to attack the 16 Japanese ships in the area and sank three transports and damaged several other ships before ''Yorktown''{{'}}s aircraft arrived 15 minutes later. One Dauntless was shot down by anti-aircraft fire while a Wildcat shot down a [[Nakajima E8N]] floatplane. A H6K spotted one carrier later that afternoon, but the weather had turned bad and the 24th Air Flotilla decided not to attack. Task Force 11 was ordered to return to Pearl and ''Lexington'' exchanged six Wildcats, five Dauntlesses and one Devastator for two Wildcats from ''Yorktown'' that needed overhaul before she left. The task force arrived at Pearl Harbor on 26 March.<ref>Lundstrom 2005, pp. 122–135</ref>

The ship was given a short refit, during which her eight-inch gun turrets were removed and replaced by quadruple 1.1-inch (28&nbsp;mm) anti-aircraft guns. Rear Admiral [[Aubrey Fitch]] assumed command of Task Force 11 on 1 April and it was reorganized to consist of ''Lexington'' and the heavy cruisers {{USS|Minneapolis|CA-36|2}} and {{USS|New Orleans|CA-32|2}} as well as seven destroyers. The task force sortied from Pearl Harbor on 15 April, carrying 14 Buffalos of [[VMF-211]] to be flown off at [[Palmyra Atoll]]. After flying off the Marine fighters, the task force was ordered to train with the battleships of Task Force 1 in the vicinity of Palmyra and Christmas Island. Late on 18 April, the training was canceled, as Allied [[signals intelligence|codebreakers]] had figured out that the Japanese intended to invade and occupy Port Moresby and [[Tulagi]] in the southeastern [[Solomon Islands]] ([[Operation Mo]]). Therefore, Fitch's ships, acting on a command from Nimitz, rendezvoused with TF 17 north of New Caledonia on 1 May, after refueling from the tanker {{USS|Kaskaskia|AO-27|2}} on 25 April to thwart the Japanese offensive. At this time, ''Lexington''{{'}}s air group consisted of 21 Wildcats, 37 Dauntlesses and 12 Devastators.<ref>Lundstrom 2005, pp. 163–165</ref>

====Battle of the Coral Sea====
[[File:USS Lexington (CV-2) and USS Yorktown (CV-5) prepare to launch planes during the Battle of the Coral Sea, 8 May 1942 (80-G-16569).jpg|thumb|''Lexington'' in the early morning of 8 May 1942, prior to launching her aircraft during the [[Battle of the Coral Sea]]]]
{{Main|Battle of the Coral Sea}}

=====Preliminary actions=====
Both task forces needed to refuel, but TF 17 finished first, and Fletcher took ''Yorktown'' and her consorts northward toward the Solomon Islands on 2 May. TF 11 was ordered to rendezvous with TF 17 and [[Task Force 44]], the former ANZAC Squadron, further west into the Coral Sea on 4 May.<ref>Lundstrom 2005, p. 167</ref> The Japanese opened Operation Mo by occupying Tulagi on 3 May. Alerted by Allied reconnaissance aircraft, Fletcher decided to attack Japanese shipping there the following day. The air strike on Tulagi confirmed that at least one American carrier was in the vicinity, but the Japanese had no idea of its location.<ref>Stille 2009, pp. 46, 48</ref> They launched reconnaissance aircraft the following day to search for the Americans, but without result. One H6K flying boat spotted ''Yorktown'', but was shot down by one of ''Yorktown''{{'}}s Wildcat fighters before she could radio a report. [[United States Army Air Forces|US Army Air Forces]] (USAAF) aircraft spotted ''Shōhō''{{refn|Her name was mis-transliterated by the Americans as ''Ryukaku''.<ref>Lundstrom 2005, p. 181</ref>|group=Note}} southwest of [[Bougainville Island]] on 5 May, but she was too far north to be attacked by the American carriers, which were refueling.<ref>Stille 2009, pp. 49, 51</ref> That day, Fletcher received [[Ultra (cryptography)|Ultra]] intelligence that placed the three Japanese carriers known to be involved in Operation Mo near Bougainville Island, and predicted 10 May as the date of the invasion. It also predicted airstrikes by the Japanese carriers in support of the invasion several days before 10 May. Based on this information, Fletcher planned to complete refueling on 6 May and to move closer to the eastern tip of New Guinea to be in a position to locate and attack Japanese forces on 7 May.<ref>Lundstrom 2005, p. 179</ref>

Another H6K spotted the Americans during the morning of 6 May and successfully shadowed them until 1400. The Japanese, however, were unwilling or unable to launch air strikes in poor weather or without updated spot reports.<ref>Lundstrom 2005, pp. 178, 181–182, 187</ref> Both sides believed they knew where the other force was, and expected to fight the next day.<ref>Stille 2009, p. 52</ref> The Japanese were the first to spot their opponents when one aircraft found the oiler ''Neosho'' escorted by the destroyer {{USS|Sims|DD-409|2}} at 0722, south of the strike force. They were misidentified as a carrier and a [[cruiser]] so the fleet carriers ''Shōkaku'' and ''Zuikaku'' launched an airstrike 40 minutes later that sank ''Sims'' and damaged ''Neosho'' badly enough that she had to be [[scuttled]] a few days later. The American carriers were west of the Japanese carriers, not south, and they were spotted by other Japanese aircraft shortly after the carriers had launched their attack on ''Neosho'' and ''Sims''.<ref>Lundstrom 2005, pp. 189–191</ref>

American reconnaissance aircraft reported two Japanese heavy cruisers northeast of [[Misima Island]] in the [[Louisiade Archipelago]] off the eastern tip of New Guinea at 07:35 and two carriers at 08:15. An hour later Fletcher ordered an airstrike launched, believing that the two carriers reported were ''Shōkaku'' and ''Zuikaku''. ''Lexington'' and ''Yorktown'' launched a total of 53 Dauntlesses and 22 Devastators escorted by 18 Wildcats. The 08:15 report turned out to be miscoded, as the pilot had intended to report two heavy cruisers, but USAAF aircraft had spotted ''Shōhō'', her escorts and the invasion convoy in the meantime. As the latest spot report plotted only {{convert|30|nmi}} away from the 08:15 report, the aircraft en route were diverted to this new target.<ref>Lundstrom 2005, pp. 193, 195–196</ref>

[[File:USS Lexington under attack at Coral Sea.jpg|thumb|''Lexington'' photographed from a Japanese aircraft on 8 May after she had already been struck by bombs]]
''Shōhō'' and the rest of the main force were spotted by aircraft from ''Lexington'' at 10:40. At this time, ''Shōhō''{{'}}s patrolling fighters consisted of two [[Mitsubishi A5M]] "Claudes" and one [[Mitsubishi A6M Zero]]. The dive bombers of [[VS-2]] began their attack at 1110 as the three Japanese fighters attacked the Dauntlesses in their dive. None of the dive bombers hit ''Shōhō'', which was maneuvering to avoid their bombs; one Zero shot down a Dauntless after it had pulled out of its dive; several other Dauntlesses were also damaged. The carrier launched three more Zeros immediately after this attack to reinforce its defenses. The Dauntlesses of [[VFA-14|VB-2]] began their attack at 11:18 and they hit ''Shōhō'' twice with {{convert|1000|lb|adj=on}} bombs. These penetrated the ship's flight deck and burst inside her hangars, setting the fueled and armed aircraft there on fire. A minute later the Devastators of [[Douglas TBD Devastator#Operators|VT-2]] began dropping their torpedoes from both sides of the ship. They hit ''Shōhō'' five times and the damage from the hits knocked out her steering and power. In addition, the hits flooded both the engine and boiler rooms. ''Yorktown''{{'}}s aircraft finished the carrier off and she sank at 11:31. After his attack, Lieutenant Commander [[Robert E. Dixon]], commander of VS-2, radioed his famous message to the American carriers: "Scratch one flat top!"<ref>Lundstrom 2005, pp. 198–206</ref>

After ''Shōkaku'' and ''Zuikaku'' had recovered the aircraft that had sunk ''Neosho'' and ''Sims'', Rear Admiral [[Chūichi Hara]], commander of the [[5th Carrier Division]], ordered that a further air strike be readied as the American carriers were believed to have been located. The two carriers launched a total of 12 [[Aichi D3A]] "Val" dive bombers and 15 [[Nakajima B5N]] "Kate" torpedo bombers late that afternoon. The Japanese had mistaken Task Force 44 for ''Lexington'' and ''Yorktown'', which were much closer than anticipated, although they were along the same bearing. ''Lexington''{{'}}s radar spotted one group of nine B5Ns at 17:47 and half the airborne fighters were directed to intercept them while additional Wildcats were launched to reinforce the defenses. The intercepting fighters surprised the Japanese bombers and shot down five while losing one of their own. One section of the newly launched fighters spotted the remaining group of six B5Ns, shooting down two and badly damaging another bomber, although one Wildcat was lost to unknown causes. Another section spotted and shot down a single D3A. The surviving Japanese leaders canceled the attack after such heavy losses and all aircraft jettisoned their bombs and torpedoes. They had still not spotted the American carriers and turned for their own ships, using radio direction finders to track the carrier's homing beacon. The beacon broadcast on a frequency very close to that of the American ships and many of the Japanese aircraft confused the ships in the darkness. A number of them flew right beside the American ships, flashing signal lights in an effort to confirm their identity, but they were not initially recognized as Japanese because the remaining Wildcats were attempting to land aboard the carriers. Finally they were recognized and fired upon, by both the Wildcats and the anti-aircraft guns of the task force, but they sustained no losses in the confused action. One Wildcat lost radio contact and could not find either of the American carriers; the pilot was never found. The remaining 18 Japanese aircraft successfully returned to their carriers, beginning at 20:00.<ref>Lundstrom 2005, pp. 209–218</ref>

=====8 May=====
[[File:Aircraft sit on the smoldering flight deck of USS Lexington (CV-2) during the Battle of the Coral Sea, 8 May 1942 (80-G-16802).jpg|thumb|
View of the flight deck of ''Lexington'', at about 15:00 on 8 May. The ship's air group is spotted aft, with Wildcat fighters nearest the camera. Dauntless dive bombers and Devastator torpedo bombers are parked further aft. Smoke is rising around the aft aircraft elevator from fires burning in the hangar.]]
On the morning of 8 May, both sides spotted each other about the same time and began launching their aircraft about 09:00. The Japanese carriers launched a total of 18 Zeros, 33 D3As and 18 B5Ns. ''Yorktown'' was the first American carrier to launch her aircraft and ''Lexington'' began launching hers seven minutes later. These totaled 9 Wildcats, 15 Dauntlesses and 12 Devastators. ''Yorktown''{{'}}s dive bombers disabled ''Shōkaku''{{'}}s flight deck with two hits and ''Lexington''{{'}}s aircraft were only able to further damage her with another bomb hit. None of the torpedo bombers from either carrier hit anything. The Japanese CAP was effective and shot down 3 Wildcats and 2 Dauntlesses for the loss of 2 Zeros.<ref>Lundstrom 2005, pp. 230–243</ref>

[[File:Confirmed hits on USS Lexington (CV-2) during the Battle of the Coral Sea, 8 May 1942.png|thumb|Confirmed direct hits sustained by ''Lexington'' during the battle]]
The Japanese aircraft spotted the American carriers around 11:05 and the B5Ns attacked first because the D3As had to circle around to approach the carriers from upwind. American aircraft shot down four of the torpedo bombers before they could drop their torpedoes, but 10 survived long enough to hit ''Lexington'' twice on the port side at 11:20, although 4 of the B5Ns were shot down by anti-aircraft fire after dropping their torpedoes. War correspondent [[Stanley Johnston]], who was on the signal bridge during the battle, noted five torpedo hits on the port side from 11:18 to 11:22.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Johnston |first1=Stanley |title=Queen of the Flat-tops: The U.S.S. Lexington and the Coral Sea Battle |date=1942 |publisher=E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc. |pages=183–186}}</ref> The shock from the first torpedo hit at the bow jammed both elevators in the up position and started small leaks in the port avgas storage tanks. The second torpedo hit her opposite the [[bridge (nautical)|bridge]], ruptured the primary port [[water main]], and started flooding in three port [[fire room]]s. The boilers there had to be shut down, which reduced her speed to a maximum of {{convert|24.5|kn}}, and the flooding gave her a 6–7° [[List (watercraft)|list]] to port. Shortly afterward, ''Lexington'' was attacked by 19 D3As. One was shot down by fighters before it could drop its bomb and another was shot down by the carrier. She was hit by two bombs, the first of which detonated in the port forward five-inch ready ammunition locker, killing the entire crew of one five-inch gun and starting several fires. The second hit struck the funnel, doing little significant damage although fragments killed many of the crews of the .50-caliber machine guns positioned near there. The hit also jammed the ship's siren in the "on" position. The remaining bombs detonated close alongside and some of their fragments pierced the hull, flooding two compartments.<ref>Lundstrom 2005, pp. 246–257</ref>

Fuel was pumped from the port storage tanks to the starboard side to correct the list and ''Lexington'' began recovering damaged aircraft and those that were low on fuel at 11:39. The Japanese had shot down three of ''Lexington''{{'}}s Wildcats and five Dauntlesses, plus another Dauntless crashed on landing. At 12:43, the ship launched five Wildcats to replace the CAP and prepared to launch another nine Dauntlesses. A massive explosion at 12:47 was triggered by sparks that ignited gasoline vapors from the cracked port avgas tanks. The explosion killed 25 crewmen and knocked out the main [[Damage control (maritime)|damage control]] station. The damage did not interfere with flight deck operations, although the refueling system was shut down. The fueled Dauntlesses were launched and six Wildcats that were low on fuel landed aboard. Aircraft from the morning's air strike began landing at 13:22 and all surviving aircraft had landed by 14:14. The final tally included three Wildcats that were shot down, plus one Wildcat, three Dauntlesses and one Devastator that were forced to [[Water landing|ditch]].<ref>Lundstrom 2005, pp. 268–277</ref>

[[File:USS Lexington brennt.jpg|thumb|''Lexington'', abandoned and burning, several hours after being damaged by Japanese airstrikes]]
Another serious explosion occurred at 14:42 that started severe fires in the hangar and blew the forward elevator {{convert|12|in|0}} above the flight deck. Power to the forward half of the ship failed shortly afterward. Fletcher sent three destroyers to assist, but another major explosion at 15:25 knocked out water pressure in the hangar and forced the evacuation of the forward machinery spaces. The fire eventually forced the evacuation of all compartments below the waterline at 16:00 and ''Lexington'' eventually drifted to a halt. Evacuation of the wounded began shortly afterward and Sherman ordered "abandon ship" at 17:07. A series of large explosions began around 18:00 that blew the aft elevator apart and threw aircraft into the air. Sherman waited until 18:30 to ensure that all of his crewmen were off the ship before leaving himself. Some 2,770 officers and men were rescued by the rest of the task force. The destroyer {{USS|Phelps|DD-360|2}} was ordered to sink the ship and fired a total of five torpedoes between 19:15 and 19:52. Immediately after the last torpedo hit, ''Lexington'' finally slipped beneath the waves<ref>Lundstrom 2005, pp. 278–282</ref> at {{Coord|15|20|S|155|30|E|display=inline,title}}.<ref name=DANFS/> Some 216 crewmen were killed and 2,735 were evacuated.<ref>Polmar & Genda, pp. 218, 220</ref> 17 SBD Dauntless dive bombers, 13 F4F Wildcat fighters, and 12 TBD Devastator torpedo bombers, 42 planes total, went down with ''Lexington''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aviationarchaeology.com/listPages/navy/asp/USN_Loss_1942.asp |title=U.S. Navy Overseas Loss List - 1942 |website=Aviationarchaeology.com |access-date=20 March 2024}}</ref>

==Wreck location==
''Lexington''{{'}}s wreck was located on 4 March 2018 by research vessel {{RV|Petrel||2}} during an expedition funded by philanthropist [[Paul Allen]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Sunken World War II Aircraft Carrier Found by Deep-Sea Expedition|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/paul-allen-lexington-underwater-discovery-spd|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210222201422/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/paul-allen-lexington-underwater-discovery-spd|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 February 2021|date=5 March 2018|publisher=National Geographic|access-date=14 December 2018}}</ref>{{refn|The discovery was featured on ''[[Drain the Oceans]]'' (Season 2, Episode 8: Pacific War Megawrecks).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10763242/|title="Drain the Oceans" Pacific War Megawrecks (TV Episode 2019)|website=[[IMDb]]}}</ref>|group=Note}} A [[remotely operated underwater vehicle]] confirmed the ship's identity by the nameplate on its stern.<ref>{{cite news|title=USS Lexington: Lost WW2 aircraft carrier found after 76 years|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-43296489|date=6 March 2018|publisher=BBC News|access-date=14 December 2018}}</ref> It lies at a depth of {{convert|3000|m|sp=us}} and at a distance of more than {{convert|800|km|sp=us}} east off the coast of [[Queensland]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.paulallen.com/undersea-aircraft-the-planes-of-hornet-wasp-and-lexington/|title=Undersea Aircraft: The Planes of Hornet, Wasp and Lexington|date=10 April 2019|website=paulallen.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190518025921/https://www.paulallen.com/undersea-aircraft-the-planes-of-hornet-wasp-and-lexington/|archive-date=18 May 2019|access-date=5 October 2023}}</ref> The wreck lies on the seabed separated into multiple sections. The main section sits upright on the seabed; the bow rests flat with the stern sitting upright across from it, both approximately {{convert|500|m|sp=us}} west of the main section. The bridge rests by itself in between these sections.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lexington.wickedlocal.com/news/20180421/ripples-of-paul-allens-uss-lexington-deep-water-discovery|title=The ripples of Paul Allen’s USS Lexington deep water discovery|date=21 April 2018|website=lexington.wickedlocal.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200311131157/https://lexington.wickedlocal.com/news/20180421/ripples-of-paul-allens-uss-lexington-deep-water-discovery|archive-date=11 March 2020|access-date=5 October 2023}}</ref> Seven TBD Devastators, three SBD Dauntlesses, and a single F4F Wildcat were also located farther to the west—all in a good state of preservation. In 2022, an expedition was proposed to recover several TBD Devastators and the F4F Wildcat from ''Lexington''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hogan |first1=Mickeen |title=USS Lexington Aircraft Recovery Project |url=https://usslexingtonaircraftrecoveryproject.com/home |website=USS Lexington Aircraft Recovery Project |publisher=A&T Recovery |access-date=March 12, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Billionaire Paul Allen Finds Lost World War II Carrier USS Lexington|url=https://news.usni.org/2018/03/05/video-billionaire-paul-allen-finds-lost-world-war-ii-carrier-uss-lexington|date=5 March 2018|publisher=USNI News|access-date=14 December 2018}}</ref>

==Honors and legacy==
''Lexington'' received two [[battle star]]s for her World War II service. She was officially struck from the [[naval register]] on 24 June 1942.<ref name=DANFS/>

In June 1942, shortly after the Navy's public acknowledgment of the sinking, workers at the Quincy shipyard, where the ship had been built twenty-one years earlier, cabled Navy Secretary [[Frank Knox]] and proposed a change in the name of one of the new {{sclass|Essex|aircraft carrier|0}} fleet carriers currently under construction from ''Cabot'' to ''Lexington''.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=United Press |title=Workers Name New Lexington |newspaper=Waterloo Daily Courier |date=17 June 1942 |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/waterloo-daily-courier/1942-06-17 |access-date=11 February 2012}}</ref> Knox agreed to the proposal and the carrier was renamed as the seventh {{USS|Lexington|CV-16|3}} on 16 June 1942.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/l6/lexington-v.htm|title=''Lexington V''|work=Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships|publisher=NH&HC|access-date=20 January 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111124081647/http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/l6/lexington-v.htm|archive-date=24 November 2011}}</ref>

===Awards and decorations===
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=American Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=Asiatic-Pacific Campaign ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|[[American Defense Service Medal]]<br>with "Fleet" clasp
|[[Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal]]<br>with 2 [[Service star|stars]]
|[[World War II Victory Medal (United States)|World War II Victory Medal]]
|}

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=Note}}

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=20em}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite journal|last1=Anderson|first1=Richard M.|last2=Baker|first2=Arthur D. III |year=1977|title=CV-2 Lex and CV-3 Sara|journal=Warship International|name-list-style=amp |volume=XIV|issue=4|pages=291–328|issn=0043-0374}}
*{{cite book |editor-last=Berhow |editor-first=Mark A. | title = American Seacoast Defenses, A Reference Guide |edition=Second | publisher = CDSG Press | year = 2004 | isbn = 0-9748167-0-1}}
*{{cite book|last=Brown|first=J. D.|title=Carrier Operations in World War II|year=2009|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=978-1-59114-108-2}}
*{{cite book|author=Friedman, Norman |author-link=Norman Friedman | title=U.S. Aircraft Carriers: An Illustrated Design History |location=Annapolis, Maryland |publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=1983 |isbn=0-87021-739-9}}
*{{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=U.S. Cruisers: An Illustrated Design History|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland |year=1984|isbn=0-87021-718-6}}
*{{cite book|last=Groom|first=Winston|author-link=Winston Groom|title=1942: The Year That Tried Men's Souls|publisher=Atlantic Monthly Press|location=New York |year=2005|isbn=0-87113-889-1|url=https://archive.org/details/1942yearthattrie00groo_0}}
*{{cite book|last=Herts|first=Dylan|title=Fleet Problem XIII & Grand Joint Exercise No. 4: Reconsidering Aircraft Carrier Doctrine|url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/43008877/Research-Paper-FPXIII}}
*{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bG2GNAJWcCoC&pg=PA244 |chapter=Afterword: A Clean Sweep |first=Robert |last=James|year=2003 |editor=Heinlein, Robert A. |title=For Us, The Living: A Comedy of Customs |location=New York |publisher=Scribner |isbn=0-7432-6157-7}}
*{{cite book| last = Johnston| first = Stanley| year = 1942| title = Queen of the Flat-Tops: The U.S.S. Lexington and the Coral Sea Battle | publisher = E. P. Dutton| location =New York | oclc= 560099}}
*{{cite book|last=Lundstrom|first=John B.|title=Black Shoe Carrier Admiral: Frank Jack Fletcher at Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2006|isbn=1-59114-475-2}}
*{{cite book| last = Lundstrom| first = John B.| year = 2005| title = The First Team: Pacific Naval Air Combat from Pearl Harbor to Midway| publisher = Naval Institute Press| location = Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=1-59114-471-X}}
*{{cite book|last=Nofi|first=Albert A.|author-link=Albert Nofi |title=To Train the Fleet for War: The U.S. Navy Fleet Problems|publisher=Naval War College Press|location=Newport, Rhode Island|year=2010|series=Naval War College Historical Monograph|volume=18|isbn=978-1-884733-69-7}}
*{{cite book|last=Patterson|first=William H.|title=Robert A. Heinlein: In Dialogue with His Century|publisher=Tom Doherty Associates Book|location=New York |year=2010|volume=1, 1907–1948 Learning Curve|isbn=978-0-7653-1960-9}}
*{{cite book|last1=Polmar|first1=Norman|last2=Genda |first2=Minoru |author-link2=Minoru Genda|title=Aircraft Carriers: A History of Carrier Aviation and Its Influence on World Events|publisher=Potomac Books|location=Washington, D.C.|year=2006|volume=1, 1909–1945|isbn=1-57488-663-0}}
*{{cite book|last=Prange|first=Gordon W.|author-link=Gordon Prange|author2=in collaboration with Donald M. Goldstein and Katherine V. Dillon|title=At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor|publisher=McGraw-Hill|location=New York|year=1981|isbn=0-07-050669-8|url=https://archive.org/details/atdawnwesleptun00pran}}
* {{cite book | last = Stern | first = Robert C. | year = 1993 | title = The Lexington Class Carriers | publisher = Naval Institute Press | location = Annapolis, Maryland| isbn = 1-55750-503-9 }}
*{{cite book| last = Stille| first = Mark| series =Campaign|volume=214| year = 2009| title = The Coral Sea 1942: The First Carrier Battle| publisher = Osprey Publishing| location = Oxford, UK| isbn = 978-1-84908-106-1}}
*{{cite book| last = Stille| first = Mark| series =New Vanguard|volume=114| year = 2005| title = US Navy Aircraft Carriers 1922–1945: Prewar Classes| publisher = Osprey Publishing | location = Oxford, UK | isbn = 1-84176-890-1}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=WNtRAQAAMAAJ&dq=%22Shall+We+Make+Junk+Or+The+World%27s+Finest+Plane+Carriers+Out+of+Our+Battle+Cruisers%22&pg=RA5-PA45 Shall We Make Junk Or The World's Finest Plane Carriers Out of Our Battle Cruisers] by G. Schornsteimer ''[[Popular Science]]'' December 1922
*[http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/logs/CV/cv2-Coral-prelim.html Preliminary battle report]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130308121122/http://www.wwiiarchives.net/servlet/action/documents/usa/126/0 WWII Archives U.S.S. ''Lexington'' (CV-2) original Ship Action Reports Scanned in from the National Archives]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130308122618/http://www.wwiiarchives.net/servlet/action/documents/usa/127/0 WWII Archives U.S.S. ''Lexington'' (CV-2) original War Damage Report Scanned in from the National Archives]
*[http://www.maritime.org/doc/plans/index.htm General Plan for the U.S.S. ''Lexington'' (CV-2)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20000522212807/http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-l/cv2.htm Navy photographs of ''Lexington'' (CV-2)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20010910132609/http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-pac/coralsea/cs-5m.htm Coral Sea photographs]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051216194630/http://home.vicnet.net.au/~gcasey/USS_Lex.html Personal account of the sinking of ''Lexington'' (CV-2)]
*[http://www.researcheratlarge.com/Ships/CV2/Tacoma/index.html ''Lexington'' (CV-2) report about powering City of Tacoma]
*[http://www.navsource.net/archives/02/02.htm USS ''Lexington'' (CV-2) at Navsource]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110301220546/http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=22991 Newsreel footage of ''Lexington'' sinking]

{{Lexington class aircraft carrier}}
{{May 1942 shipwrecks}}
{{Featured article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lexington (CV-02)}}
[[Category:1925 ships]]
[[Category:Aircraft carriers sunk by aircraft]]
[[Category:Lexington-class aircraft carriers]]
[[Category:Lexington-class battlecruisers]]
[[Category:Ships built in Quincy, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:World War I battlecruisers of the United States]]<!-- planned, designed during WWI -->
[[Category:World War II aircraft carriers of the United States]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Coral Sea]]
[[Category:Scuttled vessels]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in May 1942]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by Japanese aircraft]]
[[Category:Shipwreck discoveries by Paul Allen]]