Wreck of Aircraft Carrier USS Lexington Located in Coral Sea After 76 YearsBy The Editors - March 5, 2018
https://www.paulallen.com/uss-lexington-wreck-located-rv-petrel/Wreckage from the USS
Lexington was discovered by the expedition crew of Research Vessel (R/V)
Petrel on March 4. The
Lexington was found 3,000 meters (about two miles) below the surface, resting on the floor of the Coral Sea more than 500 miles off the eastern coast of Australia.
“To pay tribute to the USS
Lexington and the brave men that served on her is an honor,†said Paul Allen. “As Americans, all of us owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who served and who continue to serve our country for their courage, persistence and sacrifice.â€
As one of the first U.S. aircraft carriers ever built, the
Lexington became known as “Lady Lex†and went down with 35 aircraft on board.
“
Lexington was on our priority list because she was one of the capital ships that was lost during WWII,†said Robert Kraft, director of subsea operations for Mr. Allen. “Based on geography, time of year and other factors, I work with Paul Allen to determine what missions to pursue. We’ve been planning to locate the
Lexington for about six months and it came together nicely.â€
The USS
Lexington was originally commissioned as a battlecruiser but was launched as an aircraft carrier in 1925. She took part in the Battle of the Coral Sea (May 4-8, 1942) along with the USS
Yorktown against three Japanese carriers. This was the first carrier versus carrier battle in history and was the first time Japanese forces suffered a permanent setback in its advances on New Guinea and Australia. However, the U.S. lost the
Lexington and 216 of its distinguished crew.
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