Flightpath - May 2018

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Dak and Meteor head north

USSLexingtonWreckAndAircraftFound

On4March2018,thewreckandsomeair-

craftoftheAmericanaircraftcarrierUSS

Lexington(CV-2) were found by a re-

motelyoperatedvehiclefromtheRe-

search VesselPetrelthree kilometres be-

low the surface and 430 nautical miles

(800 km) off the coast of Queensland. The

expedition was funded by Microsoft co-

founderPaulAllen,whoalsoownstheFly-

ingHeritageandCombatArmorcollection

in Seattle, WA, USA.

TheLexington was scuttled following

thebattleoftheCoralSea,whereLex-

ingtonand the USSYorktown’saircraft

fought against three Japanese carriers, in

the first carrier versus carrier battle in

history. It was the first time the Imperial

Japanese forces suffered a permanent

setbackintheiradvancesinthePacific.

However theLexingtonhadbeencrip-

pled by Japanese bombs and torpedoes,

and despite valiant attempts to recover

fromtheattack,andlaunchingandre-

covering several aircraft, the fires and

explosions went out of

controlandthesurviv-

ing 2,735 crew were

evacuated before the

On8February,theRAAFAmberleyAviationHeritageCentre
(AAHC)relocatedtwohistoricaircraftfromtheFleetAirArmMu-
seum at HMAS Albatross, New South Wales, to RAAF Base Amber-
ley, Queensland.
WingCommanderCliveWells,OICRAAFAAHC,saidthemove-
ment plan was conducted over four phases starting in October 2017
whenasmall,dedicatedgroupofReservistsandmembersof
Squadron RAAF were tasked with preparing Douglas Dakota A65-
86forroadtransportation.Evenwiththeremovalofcontrolsurfac-
es, propellers, antennas and other external components, the load
was still almost eight metres wide and five metres high on its trailer.
This aircraft entered service with 35 Squadron RAAF in April
1945 at Amberley and, after 53 years of operational service, was re-
tiredbeforebeingdeliveredtotheRoyalAustralianNavyHistoric
Flight in November 1999. During its operational service it flew with
10, 35 and 36 Squadrons, RAAF Transport Flight Japan, Central Fly-
ingSchoolandtheAircraftResearchandDevelopmentUnit.Ami-
nor refurbishment will include a repaint into Southwest Pacific
W.W.IIcoloursbeforetheC-47goesondisplayfrommid-2018.
Gloster Meteor A77-878 entered service in July 1953. By 1958 it
wasatrainingaidattheRAAFSchoolofTechnicalTraining,Wag-
gaWagga.InDecember1971theaircraftbecameagateguardianat
2StoresDepot,Villawood,NewSouthWales,andremainedthere
until 1988. It requires a deeper restoration, but will eventually go
ondisplayintheJetErahangarattheAAHC.
Historyand Heritage Branch – Air Force

carrierwassunkbytorpedoesfromaUS

destroyer. It was the first US carrier lost.

Severalrelativelyintact-seemingair-

craftwerealsofoundinthedebrisfield,

notably the otherwise-extinct Douglas

TBD Devastator torpedo bomber (other

underwaterTBDwrecksareknownof,

but in worse condition) and Grumman

F4F Wildcats, including one example

with several victory markings clearly vis-

ible,believedtobetheVF-3squadron

fighterofNoelGaylerwholaterbecamea

US Admiral. Despite intense expecta-

tions in some quarters, there are no plans

torecoveranyoftheaircraftorwreckage

from this war grave.James Kightly

RIGHT:The USS Lexington on 4 October 1941.[USN]

ABOVE:The Grumman F4F Wildcat with markings

related to Noel Gayler visible.[RV Petrel]

ABOVE:Dakota A65-86 on the way to Amberley.[History and Heritage Branch – Air Force]