USS Lexington: aircraft carrier scuttled in 1942 is finally found

Wreckage from the USS Lexington, an aircraft carrier that sank during the second world war, has been found in the Coral Sea by a search team led by the Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

The wreckage was found on Sunday by the team’s research vessel, the R/V Petrel, about 3,000m (two miles) below the surface and more than 500 miles (800km) off the eastern coast of Australia.

The team released pictures and video of the wreckage of the Lexington – one of the first ever US aircraft carriers – and some of the planes that went down with it.

Remarkably preserved aircraft could be seen on the seabed bearing the five-pointed star insignia of the US Army Air Forces on their wings and fuselage.

On one aircraft an emblem of the cartoon character Felix the Cat can be seen along with four miniature Japanese flags presumably depicting “kills”.

The search team also released pictures and video of parts of the ship, including a nameplate and anti-aircraft guns covered in decades of slime.

The Lexington and another carrier, the USS Yorktown, fought against three Japanese aircraft carriers from 4 to 8 May 1942 in the Battle of the Coral Sea, the first ever between carriers.

Source: theguardian