USS Lexington | The fight to save a Coral Sea hero

The USS Lexington (CV-2), also known as "Lady Lex," played a significant role in the early stages of World War II. But the carrier was sunk during the Battle of the Coral Sea, which took place from May 4 to May 8, 1942. This battle was a pivotal engagement between American and Japanese naval forces and marked the first carrier-vs-carrier battle in history.
During the battle, the US-Australian Task Force 17 intercepted a Japanese fleet that was attempting to capture Port Moresby in New Guinea.
The USS Lexington was attacked by Japanese carrier-based aircraft at around 11:20 AM. It was hit by at least two torpedoes and two bombs. These attacks caused fires which eventually triggered explosions on board, leading to uncontrollable fires and damage to vital systems.
Efforts to control the fires and flooding proved unsuccessful, and as the situation deteriorated, it became clear that the ship was in danger of sinking. The decision was made to abandon ship, and the crew was evacuated to other U.S. Navy vessels. To prevent the Japanese from capturing the USS Lexington, the American destroyer USS Phelps scuttled the carrier by firing torpedoes - most of which failed to detonate. The USS Lexington, however, evetnually sank beneath the waves.
The loss of the USS Lexington was a significant blow to the U.S. Navy, but it demonstrated the effectiveness of carrier-based air power and the crucial role that aircraft carriers would play in the naval battles of the Pacific theatre during World War II.

[@MsZeeZed]

3:13 - Interesting the official account focused on how the attack planes could have been stopped. Fortunately the lessons the USS Yorktown learned (and passed to the fleet) in the same attack was how to improve Carrier damage control. USS Yorktown was so good at it by Midway she was mistakenly attacked twice hours apart, having quelled the fire & smoke so fast. In drawing the second attack she probably saved USS Enterprise. None of the actions trying to save USS Lexington were wasted.

[@rayw3294]

Thanks mate. Love listening to the old boys that were involved. They are normally forgotten. We won't forget them.

[@alanrogers7090]

I love these personal memories coupled with historic films.

[@edwardpate6128]

She and her sister the USS Saratoga two of the most beautiful carriers ever.

[@Caktusdud.]

Yep, ladies wanna be making notes.

[@flywheel986]

To hear the calm demeanor of these WWII serviceman describing events of battle, destruction and horror, should hammer home the point that this truly was The Great Generation. They knew their duty, they loved their country, and they did their jobs.

[@MartinMcAvoy]

Thank you very much for creating this video, AC. It is always meaningful to hear the sailors tell their own stories. I am quite sure that if the matelots who served at the battle of Salamis in 480BC could speak, their experiences would not be so different. They were all in peril of the sea.

[@briannicholas2757]

Another great video, thank you so much for sharing it with us. Keep up your good work, we really do appreciate all of your hard work.

[@gary6300]

Hi buddy fantastic footage very interesting video. god bless the men who sailed on her and rip to those who lost there lives on her. war is a terrible thing. Cheers Gary 🇬🇧

[@jonny-b4954]

5:20 "Go get me some photos pilot!" What a mission to be given during a battle. Crucial, but still kind of weird. Good stuff.

[@therealcriky]

My great grandfather was the head aircraft mechanic on the Lexington. He said he could remember the explosions going off on the top deck while he was underneath. he died not long ago, god rest his soul

[@JGCR59]

That contemporary Coral Sea film where the diagrams are from would be interesting as a stand alone vid. But great vid as always :)

[@ArmouredCarriers]

I'm saving that for when I do the Coral Sea memories of war ...

[@DrydockDreamsGames]

Top Notch, as always!

[@ramal5708]

Have to be very clear with this, the Lexington carriers are the best converted aircraft carriers out there, forget about the Akagi/Kaga, Furious/Glorious, the Lexingtons were the best in terms of the role of carrier, great range, speed, big hangar size and very good aircraft handling facility, that converted Battlecruiser that turned into a fine carrier.

[@edwardpate6128]

Agreed! They were the ships that really taught the US Navy how to operate aircraft carriers. They just had pretty amazing size too, those hanger decks were amazing.

[@MattVF]

Don’t disagree but I don’t think that you can really include Spurious,Curious or Outrageous in the same group. They were around the 20000 ton mark and a 100 foot smaller. They weren’t really even “proper” battlecruisers. Had the unfinished “Admiral” class battlecruisers been completed as a carriers you would have a much closer comparison.
The Japanese vessels are certainly closer in spec to the US ships.
Very beautiful vessels. At least Saratoga is relatively intact In Bikini atoll. I believe that poor old Lady Lex is broken apart in 3 large pieces.

[@Caktusdud.]

​@@edwardpate6128oh and being movie stars, catching sharks and powering cities in the process.

[@markpace9400]

a lot of the audio is totally unintelligible unfortunately, needs remastering.

[@admiralmallard7500]

Man the intro to these vids are great

[@Johnnycdrums]

I didn't know William Bendix was a Coral Sea.

[@MegaBloggs1]

zuikaku was not damaged at coral sea-she was protected by a rainstorm during the american attack

[@Caktusdud.]

Yeah one thing I find rather interesting is that shokaku seems to be taking all the hits for her. Until we know what happened to them.

[@stephenhopkins6166]

Should have abandoned her much sooner…don’t get that…amazing the damage it took!

[@ArmouredCarriers]

I do get lucky sometimes. Such as the testimony of a French survivor from Mers el Kebir.