USS Lexington: Lost WW2 aircraft carrier found after 76 years

BBC News ^ | March 6, 2018 | BBC News

[George - the Other]

The wreck of a US aircraft carrier that was sunk during World War Two has been found off the coast of Australia.

The USS Lexington was found 3km (2 miles) underwater in the Coral Sea, about 800km off Australia's east coast.

The ship was lost in the Battle of the Coral Sea, fought with Japan from 4-8 May 1942. More than 200 crew members died in the fighting.

The US Navy confirmed the ship had been discovered by a search team led by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

[George - the Other]

Coral Sea was an important battle, as it stopped the Japanese advance, and helped set up the U.S. victory at Midway.

[Dog]

Leyete Gulf was big also

[miliantnutcase]

Paul Allen is a roll! wow

[gaijin]

The Japanese currency for a conquered Australia had already been printed up.

[Bonemaker]

“The US Navy confirmed the ship had been discovered by a search team led by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.”

Allen is a big collector and restorer of WW2 warbirds. 2 miles deep may be too much to recover anything.

[BlueLancer]

From the article: The ship will not be retrieved because the US Navy considers it to be a war grave.

Well, I would have first guessed that the ship wouldn't be retrieved because it is some two miles deep in the Pacific and it was 888 feet long and over 43,000 tons.

[smokingfrog]

Cool.

[DoodleDawg]

Well, I would have first guessed that the ship wouldn't be retrieved because it is some two miles deep in the Pacific and it was 888 feet long and over 43,000 tons.

They discovered about a dozen airplanes that had slid off the flight deck when the ship went down. Perhaps those might be salvageable?

[Stanimal]

My maternal grandfather was on the Lex at Coral Sea. He floated a few hours, then was rescued. Went on to serve on the Bennington and the Card in WWII, then lived a full life back home in Missouri.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

the japs thought they had sunk yorktown as well but she limped back to pearl and was patched up and ready for what turned into the battle of midway.lexington was such a beautiful ship.glad they found her

[boomop1]

Send the Space Aliens will float it in no time.

[donna]

And eventually you were born!

[rlmorel]

BFL

[Redleg Duke]

If that number of men were lost today, the pantywaists in the media and Dem party would be screaming to surrender because all was lost!

This country needs a serious moral awakening...and I think Donald J. Trump may be the catalyst.

[A_Former_Democrat]

Yeah, too bad other billionaires can’t do something constructive rather than blabbermouth and give to anti American causes

Or LOOKITMEEEE projects like Billy and Lindy Gates

[Moonman62]

Thanks.

[BenLurkin]

History trivia: The Lexington was laid down to be a battle cruiser but was converted to a carrier due to treaty restrictions on capital ships.

[Yo-Yo]

Related: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3637596/posts

[BenLurkin]

Lexington class battle cruiser:

[abb]

Sister ship.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Saratoga_(CV-3)