14 Boating New Zealand
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“We owe them a
debt of gratitude.”LADY LEX
FOUND
T
he wreck of the USS Lexington – a WWII aircraft carrier sunk
by the Japanese during the Battle of the Coral Sea – has been
discovered 500 miles of Australia’s east coast by billionaire-
turned-explorer Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft.
Allen’s personal research ship R/V Petrel found the missing ship two
miles below the surface.
Originally conceived as a battlecruiser, ‘Lady Lex’ was redesigned in
1922 and became one of America’s first aircraft carriers. The Japanese
sank her on May 8, 1942.
More than 200 sailors died in the attack but 2,000 more were
evacuated from the ship before she sank.
“To pay tribute to the USS Lexington and the brave men that served
on her is an honour,” Allen said in a statement. “As Americans, all of us
owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who served and who continue to
serve our country for their courage, persistence and sacrifice.
“The Battle of the Coral Sea was notable not only for stopping a
Japanese advance but because it was the first naval engagement in
history where opposing ships never came within sight of each other.”
Video footage and photos show well-preserved examples of the
ships’ eight-inch and anti-aircraft guns. Aircraft abandoned aboard
when the carrier was evacuated are also in excellent condition.
Roundels, squadron markings and kill markings are clearly visible on
fuselages of the lost aircraft.USS Lexington leaving San Diego,
California on October 14, 1941.