USS Lexington (CV-16) facts for kids

USS Lexington underway on 16 August 1958
Quick facts for kids History
United States
Name	Lexington
Namesake	Battle of Lexington
Ordered	9 September 1940
Builder	Fore River Shipyard
Laid down	15 July 1941
Launched	23 September 1942
Commissioned	17 February 1943
Decommissioned	23 April 1947
Recommissioned	15 August 1955
Decommissioned	8 November 1991
Reclassified	CVA-16, 1 October 1952 CVS-16, 1 October 1962 CVT-16, 1 January 1969 AVT-16, 1 July 1978
Stricken	8 November 1991
Status	Museum ship
General characteristics
Class and type	Essex-class aircraft carrier
Displacement	27,100 long tons (27,500 t) (standard) 36,380 long tons (36,960 t) (full load)
Length	820 feet (249.9 m) (wl) 872 feet (265.8 m) (o/a)
Beam	93 ft (28.3 m)
Draft	34 ft 2 in (10.41 m)
Installed power	8 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers 150,000 shp (110,000 kW)
Propulsion	4 × geared steam turbines 4 × screw propellers
Speed	33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph)
Range	14,100 nmi (26,100 km; 16,200 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement	2,600 officers and enlisted men
Armament	12 × 5 in (127 mm) DP guns 32 × 40 mm (1.6 in) AA guns 46 × 20 mm (0.8 in) AA guns
Armor	Waterline belt: 2.5–4 in (64–102 mm) Deck: 1.5 in (38 mm) Hangar deck: 2.5 in (64 mm) Bulkheads: 4 in (102 mm)
Aircraft carried	36 × Grumman F6F Hellcat 36 × Douglas SBD Dauntless 18 × Grumman TBF Avenger
USS Lexington Museum on the Bay
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
USS Lexington Location in Texas Show map of Texas USS Lexington Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Built	1942
NRHP reference No.	03001043
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	31 July 2003
Designated NHL	31 July 2003

The USS Lexington (CV/CVA/CVS/CVT/AVT-16) is a famous aircraft carrier built for the United States Navy during World War II. It was supposed to be named Cabot. However, it was renamed Lexington to honor an earlier ship, USS Lexington (CV-2), which was lost in battle. This made it the sixth U.S. Navy ship to carry the name, remembering the Battles of Lexington and Concord.

The Lexington started service in February 1943. It played a big role in the Pacific War. For much of its time, it was the main ship for Admiral Marc Mitscher. It led the Fast Carrier Task Force through many battles. The ship earned 11 battle stars and a special award called the Presidential Unit Citation.

After the war, the Lexington was taken out of service. But it was updated and brought back in the early 1950s. It was then used as an attack carrier (CVA) and later as an anti-submarine carrier (CVS). In its second career, it served in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. For almost 30 years, it was a training carrier (CVT) in Pensacola, Florida.

The Lexington was taken out of service for good in 1991. It had served longer than any other Essex-class ship. After its service, it became a museum ship in Corpus Christi, Texas. In 2003, the Lexington was named a National Historic Landmark. Even though other ships like Yorktown, Intrepid, and Hornet have lower numbers, the Lexington was built and started service earlier. This makes it the oldest fleet carrier still existing in the world.

The Lexington in Action

World War II Service

The Lexington in November 1943, when it first started service.

The ship was first called Cabot and was started on July 15, 1941. In May 1942, the earlier USS Lexington was sunk. Workers at the shipyard asked to rename the new carrier. On June 16, 1942, Cabot became Lexington. It was launched on September 23, 1942. The ship officially began service on February 17, 1943.

After training in the Caribbean, the Lexington sailed through the Panama Canal. It then joined the fleet in the Pacific Ocean.

One of the first sad events for the carrier involved Nile Kinnick. He was a famous college football player. In 1943, during training, his plane had an oil leak. It crashed into the sea and was never found.

The Lexington arrived at Pearl Harbor on August 9, 1943. It helped with attacks on Tarawa and Wake Island. Then it got ready for the Gilbert Islands campaign. From November 19 to 24, it flew missions over the Marshall Islands. Its planes shot down 29 enemy aircraft.

Kwajalein Attack

The chart room on USS Lexington during a mission in December 1943.

The Lexington sailed to attack Kwajalein on December 4. Its morning attack destroyed a ship and damaged two cruisers. It also took down 30 enemy planes. Later that night, Japanese planes attacked the ship. Flares lit up the carrier, and it was hit by a torpedo.

The torpedo hit the ship's right side, damaging its steering. Nine people were killed. The ship began to circle, and smoke poured out. Crews worked fast to seal off damaged areas. An emergency steering system was set up. The Lexington went to Pearl Harbor for quick repairs. It then went to Bremerton, Washington, for full repairs. After this attack, Japan's "Tokyo Rose" claimed the ship was sunk. This was the first of many times they would say this.

Battle of the Philippine Sea

The Lexington returned to action in March 1944. It became the main ship for Rear Admiral Mitscher's new Task Force 58. The task force began attacking Japanese bases. The Lexington supported landings at Hollandia. It also attacked Truk. Japanese planes attacked, but the Lexington was not hit. Japanese propaganda again said the ship was sunk.

On June 11, a surprise attack on Saipan destroyed many enemy planes. The Lexington then fought off a strong attack by Japanese torpedo planes. Again, it was not hit, but propaganda claimed it was sunk a third time. The Lexington played a big part in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. This battle was called the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot." Over 300 enemy planes were destroyed on the first day. A carrier, a tanker, and a destroyer were sunk on the second day. This battle greatly weakened Japanese naval air power.

The Lexington continued to launch planes over Guam and other islands. It attacked Yap and Ulithi in September. Then it began attacks on the Manila area and Luzon. This was to prepare for the attack on Leyte. The task force then attacked Okinawa and Formosa. This was to destroy bases that might fight the Philippines campaign. The Lexington was not hit during these battles.

Battle of Leyte Gulf

The Lexington helped greatly in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. This was a huge naval victory for the U.S. Its planes helped sink the Japanese battleship Musashi. They also hit three cruisers on October 24. The next day, its planes helped sink the Japanese aircraft carrier Chitose. They also sank the carrier Zuikaku by themselves. Later, they helped sink Zuihō.

On November 5, the Lexington's planes sank the Japanese cruiser Nachi. Later that day, a Japanese kamikaze plane crashed near the Lexington. It destroyed part of the ship's control tower and caused fires. But within 20 minutes, the fires were under control. The ship could still launch planes. It even shot down another kamikaze plane. The Lexington was again claimed sunk by Tokyo. This attack killed 50 crew members and injured 132.

The Lexington attacked airfields in Luzon and Formosa in January 1945. It then entered the South China Sea. It attacked enemy ships and air bases. Planes sank four merchant ships and four escorts in one group. They destroyed at least 12 more ships in another group. Leaving the China Sea, the Lexington attacked Formosa and Okinawa again. After getting supplies, it sailed to attack airfields near Tokyo. This was to prepare for the Iwo Jima landings. The Lexington supported troops at Iwo Jima. Then it sailed for more attacks on Japan before going for repairs.

Final Attacks and Homecoming

The Lexington returned to battle on May 22. It joined a task force for the final air attacks on Japan. These attacks lasted until August 15, when Japan surrendered. During this time, it attacked airfields on Honshū and Hokkaidō. It also attacked naval bases like Yokosuka and Kure. In one action, planes from the Lexington sank the battleship/aircraft carrier Ise. They also bombed factories near Tokyo.

After the war ended, its planes flew patrols over Japan. They also located and dropped supplies to prisoner-of-war camps. In December, the Lexington helped bring servicemen home. This was part of Operation Magic Carpet. It arrived in San Francisco on December 16.

After World War II

The Lexington leaving Puget Sound in 1955 after its big modernization.

The Lexington was taken out of service on April 23, 1947. It was kept in a reserve fleet. In 1952, it was renamed CVA-16, meaning "attack carrier." In September 1953, the Lexington went into a shipyard for major upgrades. It received modern jet aircraft equipment. This included an angled flight deck, steam catapults, and a new control tower.

The Lexington was brought back into service on August 15, 1955. It operated off California. Then it sailed for a six-month mission with the 7th Fleet. It trained and helped with search and rescue missions. It returned to San Diego on December 20.

After more repairs, the Lexington was sent to reinforce the 7th Fleet near Taiwan in 1958. It was the first carrier whose planes carried guided missiles. In 1959, it went on another tour with the 7th Fleet. It was on standby during a crisis in Laos.

In January 1962, the Lexington was chosen to be an aviation training carrier. It was renamed CVS-16. However, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, it served as an attack carrier again. It finally became a training carrier on December 29, 1962, in Pensacola, Florida.

From 1962 to 1991, the Lexington operated mainly out of Pensacola. It trained student pilots and kept naval aviators ready. This work was very important for Navy and Marine Corps operations in Vietnam. On October 17, 1967, the Lexington reached its 200,000th successful landing. It was renamed CVT-16 in 1969 and AVT-16 in 1978. It continued as a training carrier for 22 more years. The Lexington was taken out of service on November 8, 1991.

On August 18, 1980, the Lexington became the first U.S. aircraft carrier to have women as part of its crew. On October 29, 1989, a student pilot lost control of his training plane. It crashed into the ship's control tower. Four crew members and one civilian worker died. Seventeen people were injured. The ship was not badly damaged, and fires were put out quickly. The Lexington was the last Essex-class carrier still in service.

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  The Lexington leaving Pensacola in 1987.

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  Two T-2 training planes on the Lexington in 1989.

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  A TH-57 helicopter landing on the Lexington in 1985.

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  A TA-4 plane practicing landings on the Lexington in 1989.

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  The Lexington leaving Guantanamo Bay around 1989.

The USS Lexington Museum

The USS Lexington in Corpus Christi Bay, now a museum.

On November 26, 1991, the U.S. Navy gave the Lexington to the City of Corpus Christi. On June 15, 1992, the ship became a museum. It is now called the "USS Lexington Museum on the Bay." It is located at 2914 North Shoreline Boulevard, Corpus Christi, Texas. A large theater, like an IMAX, was added inside the ship.

In 2003, the Lexington was named a National Historic Landmark. The ship is well cared for. More parts of the ship are opened to the public every few years. For example, the catapult room is now open.

The museum is also restoring some of the ship's World War II-era guns. These guns were saved from other scrapped ships. They are placed where similar guns used to be on the Lexington. The National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola has a small model of a carrier deck. It is made from deck boards saved from the Lexington.

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  An aerial view of the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi.

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  The Lexington as a museum ship in 2008.

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  The ship's bridge, where it was steered.

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  The Combat Information Center.

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  Another view of the ship's island (control tower).

Awards and Honors

The crew of the Lexington received the Presidential Unit Citation for their bravery in battle. The ship also earned 11 battle stars for major battles during World War II. It received other awards too.

See also

In Spanish: USS Lexington (CV-16) para niños

• U.S. Navy museums (and other aircraft-carrier museums)
• CAPT Eugene McDaniel, a former POW and commanding officer of Lexington
• List of National Historic Landmarks in Texas
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Nueces County, Texas