“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 Paul Allen. “Based on geography, time of year and other factors, I work together 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.”
During the war, the Lexington found herself in the Coral Sea, off the northeast coast of Australia, in early May of 1942. There she encountered Japanese carriers. It was the first carrier vs. carrier battle in history. In the end, the Lexington sustained massive damage after several direct hits and a subsequent explosions. Two-hundred sixteen crew members died. The other 2,770 abandoned ship and were rescued by other U.S. warships on standby. Then came the order for the destroyer USS Phelps to drive five torpedoes into her hull and USS Lexington sank more than 9,000 feet to the bottom. There she sat until Sunday.
And may those sailors rest in a well deserved peace.
Explore, but do not disturb. The site is a resting place for deceased warriors, similar to the USS Arizona.
They were able to get all but 200+ off the ship before she was scuttled by a torpedo from a US destroyer. She had just gone through the Battle of Coral Sea without any major damage and it was a spark from a generator erroneously left on that started a fire. Amazing story. God bless all who sailed on her.
Can you imagine having that kind of money that you look for sunken warships as a hobby.
“Another reminder of America’s wars of aggression”
– Seattle man on the street interview
What a great discovery. What a terrific carrier. The famous line, “Scratch one flattop!” was what Lieutenant Commander Robert E. Dixon said over his radio after he led the Lexington’s dive bombers on their successful attack on the Japanese carrier Shoho, during the Battle of the Coral Sea. Commander Dixon was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions that day. He later served on the aircraft carriers Yorktown, Enterprise, Saratoga and Bunker Hill. He was in almost every major action in the Pacific carrier war against the Japanese. What a hero.
@Marco, yep, Georgia boy.