The Aircraft of USS Lexington - Decades Underwater, Yet Still Intact
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 พ.ย. 2024
- When I covered the wreck of USS Lexington, I briefly touched on the aircraft surrounding her. Not in any great detail, as that video focused on the ship herself. However, those aircraft are quite impressive in their own right.
Certainly, some of them are very rough. But others are incredibly well preserved. Looking almost like they just sank yesterday, obvious battle damage aside. Well, that and the rusted out engines.
This video will focus on those aircraft, in a bit of a break from the usual pattern.
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I've always felt that the Navy should recover and restore one of the devastators from here or Midway and restore it. There are currently no surviving airframes, and even though it would be insanely expensive I feel like they owe it as a memorial to the people that basically sacrificed themselves so that the dive bombers could be successful in their mission.
I am with you 100%! The way the government squanders our tax dollars… I feel that project would be well received and welcomed by taxpayers!
To my knowledge there IS a project in progress to possibly raise the Devastators and the Wildcat from Lexington (the Wildcat being rather historically significant in itself), but it’s having some trouble getting approved by US government authorities. Classic bureaucracy issues but yes, there is a chance in a few years the Devastators will see the light of day again!
@@trainnerd3029. Why preserve our own heritage and history? Ukraine and Israel need more money.
@@YoloSwagNinja You mean the Biden crime syndicate needs to launder more of our money!
@@YoloSwagNinja right?! It’s ridiculous isn’t it?
There are no Devastators anywhere in any museum. There are two submerged in relatively shallow water on Jaluit Atoll, but "shallow" is another way of saying "covered in marine growth". The Lady Lex Devastators are pristine by comparison. If just one could be raised, it would be a treasure.
There is a TBD-1 Mockup aboard the MIDWAY at San Diego , suspended from the overhead in the Hangar Deck . Only a mockup , but at least it is full size. Better than nothing .
Let the dead sleep. It's a graveyard.
@@zcole774 Trust me, they won't wake up.
@@zcole774the ship may be, the plane isn't
@@zcole774how is it a grave yard if no body died in the plane?
It's amazing how well the paint has held up over 80+ years!
Sure! But as the saying goes, the worse it stinks the better it is. Paint wise anyway.
@@paulh.5691 Thats how i judge my morning shits
@@elzach0 Cheers mate 😅
@@elzach0lol😂
And thats why lead paint is the best.
Seeing the pictures of the underwater devastators is so surreal to me. We sadly have no survivors above water, yet to see the aircraft’s paint in good condition despite being deep in the ocean. The Devastators are fairly underrated, or at least, have a very negative reputation they don’t deserve. I hope they are able to take one and bring it the surface someday. Even if just for static preservation in a museum.
Excellent content! My uncle was a cook on the 'Lady Lex', and she was always one of my favorites. Thank you for sharing this!
My grandfather was a sea marine and first loader on the AA gun , and was one that reboarded and got some ice cream 😂
You have any Lex recipes you can share with us ? Even if it’s one made for 500 servings ?
Somewhere down there is the rest of the Lex’ air wing that was left aboard. That’s the part that gets me - we’re only seeing the few they found and photographed.
Probably still chained down in the hanger deck. That would be an amazing sight to see
@navyav8r653 The hangar deck spaces suffered major sustained fires and several very significant explosions. I wouldn't bet on much surviving in what was essentially an exploding furnace.
@@k1ross consider the tug that's still chained down inside the hanger at the fantail. I'd bet there is something still there
Outstanding job on this video.
God bless our vets please! Living and diseased, and all generations.
Don’t forget the living and healthy ones.
No more brother wars.
Interesting side note here, the F4F shown; this aircraft was attached to VF-3 (VF-6B originally) making this the second VF-3 squadron established on 1 July 1937-1946, another squadron VF-6 also used Felix the Cat as their squadron emblem and mascot established on 1st of July 1935 making it the second oldest active duty naval squadron in the U.S Navy. The squadron as VF-6 flew the F4F between 1937, and 1943, the original Felix the Cat squadron was VF-3, once VF-6 and VF-3 swapped designations again in 1943 it caused a 3 year controversy over who owned the emblem and mascot, until 1946 when the CNO gave VF-3 the official approval for Felix, VF-6 was then redesignated again to VF-3A. In 1948 VF-3A was redesignated VF-31. VF-31 would many fly aircraft such as the F-4B/J Phantom II from the 1960's to the early 1980's. VF-31 then transitioned to, and received their first F-14A in 1981, in 1992 VF-31 upgraded from the F-14A to the F-14D, VF-31 would be the last squadron to fly the F-14 ending her career in the Navy on 4 October 2006. It's also worth noting that VF-3 had one of the greatest American Naval Aviators under her at the time, LCDR Edward O'Hare who was awarded the Medal of Honor and was the Navy's first fighter Ace of World War II, VF-3 was attached to the Saratoga until she was torpedoed and sent in for repairs, VF-3 was transitioned to the Lex in January of 1942. He's very much worth a read, excellent video as always.
It's quite surreal watching the video about a wreck of the distinguished airplane, which fell in to the ocean eighty years ago alongside with it's legendary aircraft carrier...
...to then see Felix the Cat on it's side, perfectly preserved.
That's not something i was expecting to witness today
Wow - the preservation is amazing. They should really bring one of these up.
me too
My grandfather's plane got shot down during ww2 around the Pacific Ocean in 1944. His remains were nevere recovered, he's still missing in action. His name was Phillip Dean Largo, he was 20 when he died.
Sorry for your loss
I built a huge B11 SBD 3 Dauntless in its previous paint from Midway before it was painted with the red dots in the stars for heading to Japan after midway fight from the original Ww2 photo's I have collected throughout 40 year's! Still amazing to see this faded blue it would be even better if we seen some of the yellow/Green zinc chromite baselayer from the separation! I have some amazing photos of them before settling off for Midway
I really appreciated this video. I know some aviation modelers who love to check out the aircraft markings.
I love the educational value your videos offer. Please keep up the great work. I look forward to every video.
Thanks for the video. I understand that the folks at A&T are in discussions with the Navy. This outfit has recovered several of the planes that ditched in Lake Michigan over the years. I wish the Navy would change their policy on ownership of these abandoned aircraft. Many years ago someone discovered a TBD off the coast of Florida. The Navy wanted that plane but wouldn’t allow it to be salvaged and wouldn’t do it themselves. It is still there further corroding away. Just a shame.
How about the aircrafts that are taken out of Lake Michigan that are amazingly still able to be flown?
Fresh water makes a difference.
No chloride corrosion.
It's all about the US Navy. Unlike the US Army once the Navy pays for something they will not let it go. It's not finders-keepers with them.
And MUCH shallower depths to be recovered from. And relatively closer to land, so both points make them less costly to recover.
What do you think is actually flyworthy, be it found at great dephts at sea or in a shallow lake?
Just some tags found on a wreck, the rest is all made anew. Not that much to romanticize.
It's incredible to see these planes in almost mint condition. Pure time capsules they are.
I really kept rewinding and looking at the planes in the other video so Im all about this
Lt. Gayler would become the 3rd Commanding Officer of USS Ranger (CVA/CV-61). I find it very interesting that his plane captain was able to get the 4 kills painted on the plane. I'm sure they had a lot of things to keep them busy during those hectic days.
Very surprised how well those planes looked considering all the circumstances. Awesome video, thanks!
Are there people I'm John from England it's absolutely amazing to see these aircraft still intact after so many years
I hope they bring them up. It’d b interesting to b part of the plans on how to bring them up. I see an alley framed perspex type box, that you could fill with foam.
Very interesting episode.
It’s interesting to see the early war US Star with the red circle in the middle. This was changed because of confusion with the red rising sun emblem of the Japanese.
The B-25s of the Doolittle raid still had the red circles in the stars in April of 1942. There was some conjecture from the US air crews that the red circles confused the Japanese defenders. Most Japanese had never seen the white American star on a plane but they had seen the rising sun emblems on planes. The fact that in the run-up to their bomb runs, the B-25s experienced little opposition from the Japanese.
We’ll never know for sure but it is very interesting to see the early war emblems. Most Americans today would have had little knowledge of the early war differences.
One reason for raising a Devastator is as a memorial to commemorate the men who gave their lives a Midaway in them.
Another is a deep recovery training exercise/learning opportunity.
For many years I would take my family to Corpus Christi Texas on vacation to tour the USS Lexington.
We lived in San Antonio for 20+ years so it wasn't far to visit The Blue Ghost.
I served on the Lex (AVT16) for 2 1/2 years in the late 80's. worked on the flight deck in arresting gear training student and requalifying pilots out of Pensacola. Lucky you to see her as a museum. Haven't been on the Lex since it opened as a museum. The Blue Ghost is named for CV-2 thats in this video.
Great video and comprehensive commentary, thank you. I have mixed emotions at seeing the aircraft: devastated, wild but undaunted!
Engines have a higher rate of degradation than the rest of the plane’s fuselage because they are made from cast iron probably, while the fuselage is made from aluminium.
The structure might have iron bolts, if not plates, to reinforce the tail section… and that’s why the tails are easily detached from the rest of the plane even if they survived the sinking.
I would like that Devastator to be salvaged, and a memorial built along side the other one with the two bomb kits record and the Wild Cat with the victory markings.
Not touching them, making something public to honor the pilots, the downed fighters and the sank ships.
Some things should not be forgotten
Very interesting to see and hear about. I grew up living next to what was a training base for numerous squadrons before they were deployed to combat operations in the Pacific Theater. Later in the war, that station was home to Marine squadrons that were trained to operate from aircraft carriers providing close air support for their fellow Marines on the ground. While there weren't many of the WW2 aircraft still flying out of there, I can clearly remember as a child hearing them start up and take off and occasionally they would fly right over our house. I love the sound of the old birds to this day.
How old are you ? And where in montana you from ?
That Wildcat--I may have just found my next project for a plastic model. Pre-submerged version, though.
REALLY INCREDIBLE, AMAZING STUFF!!! THANK YOU!
I honestly agree with the notion that the Devastators and the wildcat surrounding our forlorn lady should be recovered for museum display. One or two Devastators could be rebuilt to flying condition, while several others should be displayed "as is" in their wrecked condition.
Can you do any videos of ships sunk and planes downed at the second landings in southern France or the landing in Sicily.
Radial engine on the Dauntless is visible at 5:45
Wonderful video, Thank You.
Awesome video! I'd be in favor of raising some of them, though there are myriad technical questions to be answered, includ8ng if the planes would have sufficient structural integrity to survive being raised and support their own weight out of water.
Ha-ha! I can't believe the paint marks & roundel on that Wildcat are still so clear!
Amazing, the condition of those planes! :0)
Wow!!! That's all amazing!
These planes were not manned and no pilotes were in the craft when they were sunk. So these planes should not be considered as war graves n need to be retrieved as museum artifacts. Strongly believe this!!
Good argument.
Either saving the best one for preservation, or making a public memorial from the other two planes with victory records… left there, but show to the public to remind us what happened
Uh no. There already is a replica on display, none of these could ever fly again, and the cost would be prohibitive.
Sorry, but just because it's a "neat idea" doesn't mean that any more of my paid tax dollars should go into the bottomless abyss of the Federal deficit.
Oh, and by the way, before your all little emotions get all pent up about my insensitivity, I am the son of a WW2 Pacific navy veteran and the nephew of three others.
The Navy and my tax dollars have better things to do.
@@JD-tn5lz sorry, but you do not know what you are talking about. The USN wastes more money on pie in the eye projects than it would to retrieve the old torpedo bombers. By the way my Dad served in the Pacific n lost a brother in Italy in '45..
@@JD-tn5lz Could you sound a little more pompous and condescending please.
Those planes would never make it to the surface without disentigrating.
I dived on two intact airplanes in 25 feet and 80 feet of water respectively on the north coast of a Papua New Guinea in 1978-81. One was inverted and appeared to be a Zero, although I could not be sure. The other was a B-25 that settled gently on the bottom at 80. It’s only damage appeared to be a blown port engine. I entered the cockpit and, looking aft, observed a very large number of .50 caliber casings on the deck. I will return to PNG in 2026/27 and dive this planes again with a Go Pro. History tells the best stories.
Still amazes me how the sea can hold so many secrets.
Very well presented, thank you.
Look at how well its been preserved
I always loved the color of the Pacific aircraft.
Hooray! New video
Cv16 is very fun to walk around I definitely recommend visiting if your in the area!
back when the united states made everything with pride and precision. my mother was a rosie the riveter and she would tell me stories as to what she did to help with making sure the united states received everything it needed to defeat the enemies of the free world. there is a reason my mothers generation is called the great generation. without these men and woman whom fought in world war 2, the freedoms we now take for granted would not exist without them. thank you mom and every man and woman that has allowed me to have the freedoms to live my life in this great country of ours. GOD BLESS EVERY ONE OF YOU. THANK YOU. GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
I wonder what metal is present in the alloys of the engines that they corroded so much quicker and thoroughly the the rest of the airframes?
Probably magnesium. The engine mounts are steel and rust away pretty quickly which is why all the engines are laying at odd angles.
I was out on the beach the day when the other USS Lexington sailed in for its final resting place to North Beach Corpus Christi Tx.
The first Wildcat shown at the beginning of the video has an interesting detail. The pilot's gloves are sitting on the instrument panel behind the corner of the front windshield.
even if they were brought up and they are almost completely destroyed it would still be cool to see planes no one has seen with their own eyes for 80 years
Outstanding video
it would be great to see a devastator in the Erin space museum sometime in the future! Great video love the early American white star markings as well 13:47
It would be awesome if one of these planes could be recovered and restored for future generations to see and enjoy.
The lead paint is amazing. I could never image that the paint last this long in such highly corrosive saltwater conditions.
Great info, thanks for the video 🍻
Its amazing the condition of some of these planes
I have some cool pics of SBDs S12, S11 scout bombers en route to Rekata Bay in 1942 I'm planning on building next
we can only hope to one day see a video from you breaking down the images of someone raising the planes for display
imagine recovering those planes and making them fly again, would be so great to see!
Skynea History - wondering when you will do a video on the USS Sims ( DD-409) which was sunk during the Battle of Coral Sea?
The engines are not gone. Their mounts have failed, dropping them down and forward. These are radial engines, cylinders arranged around the crank. If the engines were missing, the propellers would most likely be flat on the bottom. Most images show the cylinder heads. Beyond that? Love your work.
.
MAGNIFIQUE🔬🛠🎙🎬🔥🙏🌌
There is a number 3 on that first Devastator at 9m00s, but it looks like it's on the tip of the vertical stab so it's in the wrong place and also oriented wrong... but it is there.
fascinating pics.
Makes you wonder what's still out there waiting to be discovered
Some of these Devestators are in better shape than other planes that have been restored .
I'd like to think Lex's aircraft are keeping her company at the bottom of the sea all these years.
I owned a Tattoo studio for 10 years. Great guy and client named Billy had become One of my great friends. His grandfather flew a Wildcat with the "Felix the cat" squadron. I drew up a custom design for him, with Felix piloting the wildcat holding the round bomb with the fuse on it as if Felix was dropping the bomb. His father was a door gunner in Vietnam. Billy and I bonded over aviation and we took flying lessons together.. Ended up with a complete aviation themed tattoo sleeve. It was sick.
It is interesting this video came up in my recommendations beings I had just found out a little over a week ago my friend Billy passed away in a crash.. He was a hotdogger and went on to become a cropduster because he loved excitement and being an aerial applicator gave him that excitement.. Ayers Thrush was what he was flying last I talked to him.
Just wild seeing that plane on the bottom of the ocean and seeing that Felix just after learning of his death.
my father was a aviation machinist , chief petty oficer on the lexington with three planes directly under him . after the lexington sunk he transfered to the Enterprise rest of the war . I could write a book . he joined the Navy seven months before Pearl harbor & the at Pearl day before the attack
A woman across the street from us Sally, her husband was killed on the USS Lexington.Her and her husband were living in that house at the time the war started,he was already in the navy and stationed at Long Beach Ca.They had young daughter naned Maureen who had to grow and with her father. Sally never remarried and Maureen stayed in that house for the rest of her life with her mom.
Twenty years ago or more ago I met a beautiful lady called Sally who was an Australian nurse in Singapore and had a permanent injury to her arm from a Japanese bayonet
The Navy needs to be petitioned about the recovery of those historically significant planes, raise all of the devastators and the wildcat. Including the ones that are a mess, they might contain enough usable parts to restore at least a few planes for display!
Excellent content, as always. Thanks. Much appreciate the time you take on research as well. But, for clarity, I believe the F4F wing is not separated, but just pivoted slightly at its fold point. The pivot is roughly mid-wing and the wings fold aft-ward against the fuselage. Maybe someone with more knowledge can back up my layman's observation. This aircraft is in extremely good condition. Again, that's for the video.
That was my thought as well.
The F4F-3 didn't have wing folds.
Interesting. Does the Navy still have any jurisdiction over these wrecks?
The first video you did about the USS Lexington I kept rewinding the parts with the Wildcats on it.
It's amazing to see a fighter plane from WW2, 80 Years Ago...
And to see how pristine they are compared to other Carrier wrecks.
I was shocked to see the Devastators, they weren't the best torpedo planes...Because they were so slow and then they had to be very low and slow to be able to release their torpedoes...
Unless they had fighter protection they wouldn't make it...
Idk how I feel about the US Navy raising the WW2 era planes...because no matter what anyone says they are nearby gravesites...these are nearby the USS Lexington...that in my opinion is grave robbing...and I don't believe in it!
Unless the US Navy could find the same exact planes at other known Battles, then I'd say NO!
I mean it would be amazing to have the planes raised and reconstructed...But not at the risk of disturbing any gravesites of our US Navy....
Thank you so much for covering the WW2 era planes near the USS Lexington!!
Always appreciate your insight and detailed videos.
I have read that the "Lady Lex" went down with her Colors flying! She hung tough.
The painted over the red dot between Coral Sea and Midway it seems.
Back when "made in usa" meant made to last!
Incredible
Gonna have to do a video on the Kommuna soon as the latest WW2 wreck.
Makes you wonder about the depth and planes composition .
There _IS_ a surviving and fully restored Devastator at the National Museum of Naval Aviation. I saw it yesterday.
There was some talk, of "possibly" bringing up some Devastator's! Any news on that??
Sunken US Navy ships and aircraft remain the property of the Navy, and their permission is needed to salvage them. Unfortunately getting the Navy to give such permission is like pulling teeth.
"work in progress" ostensively.
a company wants to do it, the navy is interested but alot of formalities need to be completed between point A and point B
What kind of formalities we talking about? Imagine the history in & around the planes themselves 👍
@@edwardbrophy9749 Basically, its still navy property, so they either have to formally contract a firm to retrieve their property, or they have to strike it from their inventory list to describe it simply
Awesome👍
Here's to those awesome heroes who fought in those planes and those that died for our freedom..
As much as i would like to see these planes restored and in a museum, being that mother nature has done such an incredible job of keeping these historical aircraft in such pristine condition (original paint and all - exposed to air even in a museum, the paint would deteriorate/fade), might it not be better to leave them where they fell? No telling what kind of structural damage they have and what might fall off in the process of raising them. Not to mention possible evidence for future hydrodynamic evidence in the aircrafts sinking (not critical, but nonetheless interesting). Much is done now with 3D modeling analysis and chromatically corrected digital imagery and much more cost effective.
Sky//you piqued my interest in the Gayler stpry you hinted ay..PLEASE do a video on that Hero...another great video that makes eonderment in that horrific war and the relics left behind..
Could the wildcat be Jimmy Thatch's?
Most of the damage appears to be impact related and not corrosion it is very likely these aircraft could contribute in restoration of many that need components. Maybe some time soon technology would allow us to recover objects safely at those extreme depths. There is the unseen damage of coerce of closed components imploding during decent. i.e. tubing hydraulic and gauges things of that nature.
Fun fact: At any given moment worldwide, the US Navy has more planes in the ocean than submarines in the sky.
I am amazed with their thin metal they have not rusted into ash, but that might be because so far down there is less oxygen to oxydise, and the paint is containing lead.
R/V Petrel fell off the blocks while in drydock in Scotland. One died and many injured.
Now comes to think of it. CVs that converted from Battlecruiser or Battleships doesn’t tends to survive the war.
What is the depth of those aircraft underwater?
Over 9K feet. Almost two miles down. No free diving without tanks here.
US Stars...don't fade.
Will never be dry again .
Which countries Navy put the Lady Lex on the ocean floor as I am feeble and forgetful ?
My father was aboard the Lexington when she went down. And was rescued by the USS Hammann A destroyer that returned their survivors to Pearl. Dad was transferred to the Enterprise for Midway. where. Where the USS Hammann was sunk. Dad had mixed emotion of the Midway victory.
According to the starboard side of Gaylor's wild cat, He had 3 kills and one probable..?
I see the depth on the photo. Is that in feet or meters. Thx
Prity sure at the start he mentions 3000 meters
@@superdidly1 it’s showing 2800+ in the pictures. Just verifying.