USS Lexington (CV-2) Wreck Found

 

Most everybody has probably heard by today that the wreck of the USS Lexington (CV-2) has been positively located, along with many airplanes and other artifacts lying on the ocean floor.  The location was found by Paul Allen (Cofounder of Microsoft) and his team.  The debris field is located off the coast of Australia, 2 miles deep.

 

 

 

The initial images being sent up by the ROV are astounding.  Everything seems to be in a remarkable good state of preservation, considering the amount of time that has passed since the sinking during the famous Battle of the Corral Sea. This was the first major US offensive against the Imperial Japanese Navy, who were trying to isolate Australia and that region.  It was here that part of the US Pacific Fleet thwarted the Japanese effort to invade and occupy specific strategic locations, which included the island of Tulagi, (the small island in the Solomon Islands chain, just across and north of Guadalcanal) and Port Moresby (at the time was the main port of New Guinea).  The famous Doolittle Raid and The Battle of Midway followed soon after.

 

I think that one of the most compelling parts for us TBM folks is (aside from the amazing history of the wreck itself) are the airplanes found, especially the type of airplanes. Two Douglas TBD Devastators.  This was the airplane that the TBM Avenger was replacing and phasing out.  And most exciting, these may be the only ones in existence in the world today.  I am not aware of any flying in the world.  Also, none at any museum.  This could be the first real look at the famous old torpedo plane, other than the old black and white pictures and film reels.  It would be amazing if one or both of the TBD's could be raised and preserved. 

Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo plane

 

 

Why? Not only because they don't exist anywhere in the world, but they were really made famous in The Battle of Midway, which was proclaimed to be the turning point in the entire Pacific War.  This was Torpedo Squadron 8, whose actions were critical to the US victory.  Although they were diligently led by the competent and brave Lieutenant Commander John Waldron of Oglala Lakota bloodline, and although he alone disobeyed orders from the incompetent Stanhope Ring (the arrogant "lost" dive bomber squadron leader who led his group to find and attack nothing), thus on his own found the Japanese fleet.  But unfortunately they arrived early without any fighter escort, way ahead of the dive bombers.  Sadly they were all eventually shot down by ship ack ack, with many falling prey to the Zero fighters in the defense ring who were lurking high at 15,000 feet and swooped down in.  Only one man survived, George Gay, floating in the water and later rescued by a Navy PBY, after spending over 30 hours in the water.  But minutes later after Torpedo Squadron 8, along with the other carrier torpedo squadrons, which had followed their lead, the first 6 TBF Avengers that came off Grumman's production line to enter the war, which were land based from Midway Island (just arrived from Pearl) arrived on the scene and joined  in melee.  Unfortunately they met with similar results.  5 of those 6 TBF's were also shot down. 

 

BUT! 



Of the 5 torpedoes USS Phelps launched to scuttle the USS Lexington,
Paul Allen's team believes that this was likely one of the two that were duds.

This is close to when finally USS Enterprise's air group dive bomber commander Lieutenant Commander Wade McClusky, on a hunch had deviated his group - and following the wake of a destroyer, had at last found the Japanese fleet.  With no Japanese Zero fighters up high flying umbrella defense, and with most of the ships' guns trained and focused on the burning wrecks of the torpedo planes, the TBD Dauntlesses dove, completely unmolested, single file, like a "silver zipper".  In minutes, three of the four Japanese aircraft carriers were flaming wrecks, with one marked for death the next day.

 

This picture of Ensign Bert Earnest’s Avenger torpedo bomber was taken shortly after he returned to Midway Island

with 64 machine gun holes and nine 20 millimeter cannon holes in it.

 

The one Midway based TBF barely made it back, as it practically crash landed into the sand bank on Midway Island.  2 of the 3 crew survived - Pilot Bert Earnest and Radioman Harry Ferrier.

Harry Ferrier (right) Bert Earnest (center) and replacement gunner Basil Rich (Left) with VT-8 on Guadalcanal