David
Wed December 11, 2002 9:05am
|
October 31, 2001 Airstrik
October 31, 2001 Airstrikes
|
|
David
Wed December 11, 2002 9:05am
|
November 1, 2001 Airstrik
November 1, 2001 Airstrikes
|
|
David
Wed December 11, 2002 9:05am
|
October 29, 2001 Airstrik
October 29, 2001 Airstrikes
|
|
David
Wed December 11, 2002 9:05am
|
October 30, 2001 Airstrik
October 30, 2001 Airstrikes
|
|
David
Wed December 11, 2002 9:05am
|
October 28, 2001 Airstrik
October 28, 2001 Airstrikes
|
|
David
Wed December 11, 2002 9:05am
|
October 24, 2001 Airstrik
October 24, 2001 Airstrikes
|
|
David
Wed December 11, 2002 9:05am
|
October 25, 2001 Airstrik
October 25, 2001 Airstrikes
|
|
David
Wed December 11, 2002 9:05am
Rating: 10
|
October 23, 2001 Airstrik
October 23, 2001 Airstrikes
|
|
David
Mon March 31, 2003 9:00am
|
No pause here
Despite reports that ground forces had taken an "operational pause" March 29 in advancing to battle Iraqi troops, airstrikes against Baghdad and other cities continued. Here, crew members on the flight deck of the USS Harry S. Truman supervise launches of aircraft for missions over Iraq.
|
|
David
Thu April 17, 2003 1:23pm
|
Allied portrait
Wednesday, April 2, 2003, An Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga fighter stands guard with a picture of U.S. President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney plastered on his quiver in the Kurd-controlled town of Kifri, some 130 kilometers southeast of Kirkuk, on Wednesday. Airstrikes in and around Kirkuk have intensified, forcing Iraqi troops back and allowing Kurdish fighters to advance.
|
|
David
Thu April 17, 2003 1:23pm
|
Homeless
Wednesday, April 2, 2003, An Iraqi woman cries in front of her destroyed house following an airstrike on the outskirts of Baghdad on Wednesday. With President Saddam Hussein urging a holy war against the invaders, U.S. bombers pounded the southern fringes of Baghdad on Wednesday, where the vaunted Republican Guard is believed to be dug in.
|
|
David
Thu April 17, 2003 4:12pm
|
Iraqi Hafid Katham waits
Sunday, April 6, 2003, Iraqi Hafid Katham waits to be treated for severe burns to his face and hands at an open-air military clinic set up by the U.S. 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit in the town of Nasiriya in central Iraq on Saturday. Katham, a civilian, 39, said he was burned in his home in U.S. airstrikes 13 days before that killed 11 of his relatives. He decided to show up at the clinic for treatment of his burns on Saturday.
|
|
David
Fri April 18, 2003 11:00am
|
A series of explosions ro
Tuesday, April 8, 2003, A series of explosions rocks the Iraqi Planning Ministry in Baghdad on Tuesday after an airstrike. U.S. aircraft, artillery and tanks mounted an intense early-morning bombardment of an area in central Baghdad that houses government ministries and other official buildings.
|
|
David
Wed March 24, 2004 9:52am
|
October 21, 2001 Airstrik
October 21, 2001 Airstrikes
|
|
David
Tue August 9, 2005 12:41pm
|
USS Lexington CV 16 17 Fe
USS Lexington CV 16 17 Feb 1942 8 Nov 1991
USS Lexington (CVA-16) arriving in San Francisco Bay, California, circa early 1958, after a four and one-half month overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington. The "Lady Lex" has the letters "USO" spelled out on her flight deck by members of her crew, in observance of the United Services Organization fundraising drive then being conducted. Note automobiles parked aft, and a wingless UF Albatross behind the island. The original print has the date 8 May 1958 stamped on its reverse.
displacement: 27,100 tons
length: 872 feet
beam: 93 feet; extreme beam: 192 feet
draft: 28 feet 7 inches
speed: 32.7 knots
complement: 3,748 crew
armament: 12 five-inch guns, 68 40mm guns
aircraft: 103
class: Essex
The fifth Lexington (CV-16) was laid down as Cabot 15 July 1941 by Bethlehem Steel Co., Quincy, Mass., renamed Lexington 16 June 1942, launched 23 September 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Theodore D. Robinson; and commissioned 17 February 19 43, Capt. Felix B. Stump in command.
After Caribbean shakedown and yard work at Boston, Lexington sailed for Pacific action via the Panama Canal, arriving Pearl Harbor 9 August 1943. She raided Tarawa in late September and Wake in October, then returned Pearl Harbor to prepare for the Gilbert Islands operation. From 19 to 24 November she made searches and flew sorties in the Marshalls, covering the landings in the Gilberts. Her aviators downed 29 enemy aircraft on 23 and 24 November.
Lexington sailed to raid Kwajalein 4 December 1943. Her morning strike destroyed a cargo ship, damaged two cruisers, and accounted for 30 enemy aircraft. Her gunners splashed two of the enemy torpedo planes that attacked at midday, and opened fire again at 1920 that night when a mayor air attack began. At 2322 parachute flares silhouetted the carrier, and 10 minutes later she was hit by a torpedo to starboard, knocking out her steering gear. Settling five feet by the stern, the carrier began circling to port amidst dense clouds of smoke pouring from ruptured tanks aft. An emergency hand-operated steering unit was quickly devised, and Lexington made Pearl Harbor for emergency repairs, arriving 9 December. She reached Bremerton, Wash., 22 December for full repairs completed 20 February 1944.
Lexington sailed via Alameda, Calif., and Pearl Harbor for Majuro, where Rear Adm. Marc Mitscher commanding TF 58 broke his flag in her 8 March. After a warm-up strike against Mille, TF 58 operated against the major centers of resistance in Japa n's outer empire, supporting the Army landing at Hollandia 13 April, and hitting supposedly invulnerable Truk 28 April. Heavy counterattack left Lexington untouched, her planes splashing 17 enemy fighters; but, for the second time, Japanese propaganda announced her sunk.
A surprise fighter strike on Saipan 11 June virtually eliminated all air opposition over the island, then battered from the air for the next five days. On 16 June 1944, Lexington fought off a fierce attack by Japanese torpedo planes based on Guam, once a gain to emerge unhurt, but sunk a third time by propaganda pronouncements. As Japanese opposition to the Mariannas operation provoked the Battle of the Philippine Sea 19 and 20 June, Lexington played a mayor role in TF 58's great victory. With over 300 enemy aircraft destroyed the first day, and a carrier, a tanker, and a destroyer sunk the second day, American aviators virtually knocked Japanese naval aviation out of the war; for with the planes went the trained and experienced pilots without whom Japan could not continue air warfare at sea.
Using Eniwetok as her base, Lexington flew sorties over Guam and against the Palaus and Bonins into August. She arrived in the Carolinas 6 September for three days of strikes against Yap and Ulithi, then began attacks on Mindanao, the Visayas, the Manila area, and shipping along the west coast of Luzon, preparing for the coming assault on Leyte. Her task force then blasted Okinawa 10 October and Formosa two days later to destroy bases from which opposition to the Philippines campaign might be launched . She was again unscathed through the air battle fought after the Formosa assault.
Now covering the Leyte landings, Lexington's planes scored importantly in the Battle for Leyte Gulf, the climactic American naval victory over Japan. While the carrier came under constant enemy attack in the engagement in which USS Princeton (CVL 23) was sunk, her planes joined in sinking Japan's superbattleship Musashi and scored hits on three cruisers 24 October 1944. Next day, with Essex aircraft, they sank carrier Chitose, and alone sank Zuikako. Later in the day, they aided in sinking a third carrier, Zuiho. As the retiring Japanese were pursued, her planes sank heavy cruiser Nachi with four torpedo hits 5 November off Luzon.
But in the same action, she was introduced to the kamikaze as a flaming Japanese plane crashed near her island, destroying most of the island structure and spraying fire in all directions. Within 20 minutes mayor blazes were under control, and she was able to continue normal flight actions, her guns knocking down a would-be kamikaze heading for the carrier USS Ticonderoga (CV 14) as well. On 9 November Lexington arrived Ulithi to repair battle damage and learn that Tokyo once again claimed her destroyed.
Chosen flagship for TG 58.2 on 11 December, she struck at the airfields of Luzon and Formosa during the first 9 days of January 1945, encountering little enemy opposition. The task force then entered the China Sea to strike enemy shipping and air insta llations. Strikes were flown against Saipan, Camranh Bay in then Indochina, Hong Kong, the Pescadores, and Formosa. Task force planes sank four merchant ships and four escorts in one convoy and destroyed at least 12 in another, at Camranh Bay 12 January. Leaving the China Sea 20 January, Lexington sailed north to strike Formosa again 21 January and Okinawa again 22 January.
After replenishing at Ulithi, TG 58.2 sailed 10 February to hit airfields near Tokyo 16 and 17 February to minimize opposition to the Iwo Jima landings 19 February. Lexington flew close support for the assaulting troops 19 to 22 February, then sailed for further strikes against the Japanese home islands and the Nansei Shoto before heading for overhaul at Puget Sound.
Lexington was combat bound again 22 May, sailing via Alameda and Pearl Harbor for San Pedro Bay, Leyte, where she joined Rear Adm. T. L. Sprague's task force for the final round of airstrikes which battered the Japanese home islands through July until 15 August, when the last strike was ordered to jettison its bombs and return to Lexington on receiving word of Japanese surrender. During this period she had launched attacks on Honshu and Hokkaido airfields, and Yokosuka and Kure naval bases to destroy the remnants of the Japanese fleet. She had also flown bombing attacks on industrial targets in the Tokyo area. After hostilities ended, she continued to fly precautionary patrols over Japan, and dropped supplies to prisoner of war camps on Honshu. She supported the occupation of Japan until leaving Tokyo Bay 3 December 1945 with homeward bound veterans for transportation to San Francisco, where she arrived 16 December.
After west coast operations, Lexington decommissioned at Bremerton, Wash., 23 April 1947 and entered the Reserve Fleet there. Designated attack carrier CVA-16 on 1 October 1952, she began conversion and modernization in Puget Sound Naval Shipyard 1 September 1953, receiving the new angled flight deck.
Lexington recommissioned 15 August 1955, Capt. A. S. Heyward, Jr., in command. Assigned San Diego as her home port, she operated off California until May 1956 sailing then for a six-month deployment with the 7th Fleet. She based on Yokosuka for exercises, maneuvers, and search and rescue missions off the coast of China, and called at major Far Eastern ports until returning San Diego 20 December. She next trained Air Group 12, which deployed with her on the next 7th Fleet deployment. Arriving Yokosuka 1 June 1957, Lexington embarked Rear Adm. H. D. Riley, Commander Carrier Division 1, and sailed as his flagship until returning San Diego 17 October.
Following overhaul at Bremerton, her refresher training was interrupted by the Lebanon crisis. On 14 July 1958, she was ordered to embark Air Group 21 at San Francisco and sail to reinforce the 7th Fleet off Taiwan, arriving on station 7 August. With another peacekeeping mission of the U.S. Navy successfully accomplished, she returned San Diego 19 December. Now the first carrier whose planes were armed with air-to-surface Bullpup guided missile, Lexington left San Francisco 26 April 1959 for another tour of duty with the 7th Fleet. She was on standby alert during the Laotian crisis of late August and September, then exercised with British forces before sailing from Yokosuka 16 November for San Diego, arriving 2 December. Through early 1960 she overhauled at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
Lexington's next Far Eastern tour began late in 1960 and was extended well into 1961 by renewed tension in Laos. Returning to west coast operations, she was ordered in January 1962 to prepare to relieve USS Antietam (CVS-36) as aviation training carrier in the Gulf of Mexico, and she was redesignated CVS-16 on 1 October 1962. However, during the Cuban missile crisis, she resumed duty as an attack carrier, and it was not until 29 December 1963 that she relieved Antietam at Pensacola.
Lexington operated out of her home port, Pensacola, as well as Corpus Christi and New Orleans, qualifying student aviators and maintaining the high state of training of both active duty and reserve naval aviators. Lexington marked her 200,000th arrested landing 17 October 1967, and was redesignated CVT-16 on 1 January 1969. She continued as a training carrier for the next 22 years until decommissioned 8 November 1991. On 15 June 1992, the ship was donated as a museum and now operates as such in Corpus Christi, Tex.
Lexington received the Presidential Unit Citation and 11 battle stars for World War II service.
|
|
|
The Patriot Files Forums
