From: Dictionary of American Fighting Ships, published
by the
Naval Historical Center
The fifth
Lexington (CV-16) was laid down as Cabot 15 July 1941 by Bethlehem Steel
Co., Quincy, Mass., renamed Lexington 16 June 1942, launched 23 September
1942; sponsored by Mrs. Theodore D. Robinson; and commissioned 17 February 19
43, Capt. Felix B. Stump in command.
After Caribbean shakedown and yard work at Boston, Lexington sailed
for Pacific action via the Panama Canal, arriving Pearl Harbor 9 August 1943.
She raided Tarawa in late September and Wake in October, then returned Pearl
Harbor to prepare for the Gilbert Islands operation. From 19 to 24 November
she made searches and flew sorties in the Marshalls, covering the landings in
the Gilberts. Her aviators downed 29 enemy aircraft on 23 and 24 November.
Lexington sailed to raid Kwajalein 4 December 1943. Her
morning strike destroyed a cargo ship, damaged two cruisers, and accounted for
30 enemy aircraft. Her gunners splashed two of the enemy torpedo planes that
attacked at midday, and opened fire again at 1920 that night when a mayor air
attack began. At 2322 parachute flares silhouetted the carrier, and 10 minutes
later she was hit by a torpedo to starboard, knocking out her steering gear.
Settling five feet by the stern, the carrier began circling to port amidst
dense clouds of smoke pouring from ruptured tanks aft. An emergency
hand-operated steering unit was quickly devised, and Lexington made Pearl
Harbor for emergency repairs, arriving 9 December. She reached Bremerton,
Wash., 22 December for full repairs completed 20 February 1944.
Admiral Mitscher-Capt Litch
Lexington sailed via Alameda, Calif., and Pearl Harbor
for Majuro, where Rear Adm. Marc Mitscher commanding TF 58 broke his flag in
her 8 March. After a warm-up strike against Mille, TF 58 operated against the
major centers of resistance in Japan's outer empire, supporting the Army
landing at Hollandia 13 April, and hitting supposedly invulnerable Truk 28
April. Heavy counterattack left Lexington untouched, her planes splashing 17
enemy fighters; but, for the second time, Japanese propaganda announced her
sunk.
A surprise fighter strike on Saipan 11 June virtually eliminated all
air opposition over the island, then battered from the air for the next five
days. On 16 June 1944, Lexington fought off a fierce attack by Japanese
torpedo planes based on Guam, once a gain to emerge unhurt, but sunk a third
time by propaganda pronouncements. As Japanese opposition to the Mariannas
operation provoked the Battle of the Philippine Sea 19 and 20 June, Lexington
played a mayor role in TF 58's great victory. With over 300 enemy aircraft
destroyed the first day, and a carrier, a tanker, and a destroyer sunk the
second day, American aviators virtually knocked Japanese naval aviation out of
the war; for with the planes went the trained and experienced pilots without
whom Japan could not continue air warfare at sea.
Using Eniwetok as her base, Lexington flew sorties over Guam and
against the Palaus and Bonins into August. She arrived in the Carolinas 6
September for three days of strikes against Yap and Ulithi, then began attacks
on Mindanao, the Visayas, the Manila area, and shipping along the west coast
of Luzon, preparing for the coming assault on Leyte. Her task force then
blasted Okinawa 10 October and
Airplane gets "go" signal for take-off
Formosa two days later to destroy bases from which
opposition to the Philippines campaign might be launched . She was again
unscathed through the air battle fought after the Formosa assault.
Now covering the Leyte landings, Lexington's planes scored
importantly in the Battle for Leyte Gulf, the climactic American naval victory
over Japan. While the carrier came under constant enemy attack in the
engagement in which USS Princeton (CVL 23) was sunk, her planes joined in sinking
Japan's superbattleship Musashi and scored hits on three cruisers 24 October
1944. Next day, with Essex aircraft, they sank carrier Chitose, and alone sank
Zuikako. Later in the day, they aided in sinking a third carrier, Zuiho. As
the retiring Japanese were pursued, her planes sank heavy cruiser Nachi with
four torpedo hits 5 November off Luzon.
But in the same action, she was introduced to the kamikaze as a
flaming Japanese plane crashed near her island, destroying most of the island
structure and spraying fire in all directions. Within 20 minutes mayor blazes
were under control, and she was able to continue normal flight actions, her
guns knocking down a would-be kamikaze heading for the carrier USS Ticonderoga
(CV 14) as well. On 9 November Lexington arrived Ulithi to repair battle
damage and learn that Tokyo once again claimed her destroyed.
Kamikaze In Sight
Chosen flagship for TG 58.2 on 11 December, she struck at the
airfields of Luzon and Formosa during the first 9 days of January 1945,
encountering little enemy opposition. The task force then entered the China
Sea to strike enemy shipping and air installations. Strikes were flown
against Saipan, Camranh Bay in then Indochina, Hong Kong, the Pescadores, and
Formosa. Task force planes sank four merchant ships and four escorts in one
convoy and destroyed at least 12 in another, at Camranh Bay 12 January.
Leaving the China Sea 20 January, Lexington sailed north to strike Formosa
again 21 January and Okinawa again 22 January.
After replenishing at Ulithi, TG 58.2 sailed 10 February to hit
airfields near Tokyo 16 and 17 February to minimize opposition to the Iwo Jima
landings 19 February. Lexington flew close support for the assaulting troops
19 to 22 February, then sailed for further strikes against the Japanese home
islands and the Nansei Shoto before heading for overhaul at Puget Sound.
Lexington was combat bound again 22 May, sailing via
Alameda and Pearl Harbor for San Pedro Bay, Leyte, where she joined Rear Adm.
T. L. Sprague's task force for the final round of airstrikes which battered
the Japanese home islands through July until 15 August, when the last strike was ordered to jettison its bombs and return to Lexington on receiving word of
Japanese surrender. During this period she had launched attacks on Honshu and
Hokkaido airfields, and Yokosuka and Kure naval bases to destroy the remnants
of the Japanese fleet. She had also flown bombing attacks on industrial
targets in the Tokyo area. After hostilities ended, she continued to fly
precautionary patrols over Japan, and dropped supplies to prisoner of war
camps on Honshu. She supported the occupation of Japan until leaving Tokyo Bay
3 December 1945 with homeward bound veterans for transportation to San
Francisco, where she arrived 16 December.
After west coast operations, Lexington decommissioned at Bremerton,
Wash., 23 April 1947 and entered the Reserve Fleet there. Designated attack
carrier CVA-16 on 1 October 1952, she began conversion and modernization in
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard 1 September 1953, receiving the new angled flight
deck.
Lexington recommissioned 15 August 1955, Capt. A. S.
Heyward, Jr., in command. Assigned San Diego as her home port, she operated
off California until May 1956 sailing then for a six-month deployment with the
7th Fleet. She based on Yokosuka for exercises, maneuvers, and search and
rescue missions off the coast of China, and called at major Far Eastern ports
until returning San Diego 20 December. She next trained Air Group 12, which
deployed with her on the next 7th Fleet deployment. Arriving Yokosuka 1 June
1957, Lexington embarked Rear Adm. H. D. Riley, Commander Carrier Division 1,
and sailed as his flagship until returning San Diego 17 October.
Air Group 16 counting Tally
Following overhaul at Bremerton, her refresher training was
interrupted by the Lebanon crisis. On 14 July 1958, she was ordered to embark
Air Group 21 at San Francisco and sail to reinforce the 7th Fleet off Taiwan,
arriving on station 7 August. With another peacekeeping mission of the U.S.
Navy successfully accomplished, she returned San Diego 19 December. Now the
first carrier whose planes were armed with air-to-surface Bullpup guided
missile, Lexington left San Francisco 26 April 1959 for another tour of duty
with the 7th Fleet. She was on standby alert during the Laotian crisis of late
August and September, then exercised with British forces before sailing from
Yokosuka 16 November for San Diego, arriving 2 December. Through early 1960
she overhauled at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
Lexington's next Far Eastern tour began late in 1960 and
was extended well into 1961 by renewed tension in Laos. Returning to west
coast operations, she was ordered in January 1962 to prepare to relieve USS
Antietam (CVS-36) as aviation training carrier in the Gulf of Mexico, and she
was redesignated CVS-16 on 1 October 1962. However, during the Cuban missile
crisis, she resumed duty as an attack carrier, and it was not until 29
December 1963 that she relieved Antietam at Pensacola.
Lexington operated out of her home port, Pensacola, as
well as Corpus Christi and New Orleans, qualifying student aviators and
maintaining the high state of training of both active duty and reserve naval
aviators. Lexington marked her 200,000th arrested landing 17 October 1967, and
was redesignated CVT-16 on 1 January 1969. She continued as a training carrier
for the next 22 years until decommissioned 8 November 1991. On 15 June 1992,
the ship was donated as a museum and now operates as such in Corpus Christi,
Tex.
Lexington received the Presidential Unit Citation and 11 battle stars
for World War II service.
