USS Lexington (CV-2) was an early
aircraft carrier built for the
United States Navy during the 1920s. Originally designed as a
battlecruiser, she was converted into an aircraft carrier during construction to comply with the terms of the
Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. The ship's
turbo-electric propulsion system allowed her to supplement the electrical supply of
Tacoma, Washington, during a drought in 1929–1930.
Lexington was at sea when the
Pacific War began on 7 December 1941, ferrying fighter aircraft to
Midway Island. She was sent to the
Coral Sea in February 1942 to block any Japanese advances into the area. Together with the carrier
Yorktown, she successfully attacked Japanese shipping off the east coast of
New Guinea in early March.
Lexington 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. They sank the
light carrier Shōhō on 7 May during the
Battle of the Coral Sea, but did not encounter the main Japanese force of the carriers
Shōkaku and
Zuikaku until the next day. Aircraft from
Lexington and
Yorktown succeeded in badly damaging
Shōkaku, but the Japanese aircraft crippled
Lexington. Vapors from leaking
aviation gasoline tanks sparked a series of explosions and fires that could not be controlled, and the carrier had to be
scuttled by an American
destroyer during the evening of 8 May to prevent her capture. (
Full article...)
Widely covered, 88th anniversary of her launching, promoted just under a year ago, so 3 points.--
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