165-522: USS Lexington (CV/CVA/CVS/CVT/AVT-16) is an Essex -class aircraft carrier built during World War II for the United States Navy . Originally intended to be named Cabot , the new aircraft carrier was renamed while under construction to commemorate the recently-lost USS Lexington (CV-2) , becoming the sixth U.S. Navy ship to bear the name in honor of the Battle of Lexington . Lexington
330-904: A League of Nations Mandate , whereupon it was referred to as Kwezerin-kanshō ( クェゼリン環礁 ) in Japan, part of the Nan'yō gunto . The islands of the Kwajalein Atoll, especially the main island, served as a rural copra -trading outpost administered by Japanese civilians until the beginning of World War II in the Pacific in December 1941. Before the Pacific War , Japanese settlement in Kwajalein Atoll consisted mostly of traders and their families who worked at local branches of shops headquartered at nearby Jaluit Atoll. There were also local administrative staff at Kwajalein. With
495-407: A fast carrier task force . Lessons learned from operating the carriers as a single group of six, as two groups of three, and three groups of two, provided the basis for many tactics that later characterized carrier task force operations, with the evolution of the fast carrier task force and its successful employment in future operations. The original aircraft complement, nicknamed the "Sunday Punch",
660-520: A US cruiser task force consisting of New Orleans , Wichita , Santa Fe , and Mobile ). Meanwhile, her aircraft alone sank the fleet carrier Zuikaku . During the battle of the Coral Sea on May 8th 1942, Zuikaku 's air group landed two torpedo hits that were the primary reason behind Lexington (CV-2)'s sinking, thus Lexington avenged her fallen predecessor. Later in the day, alongside Intrepid aircraft, Lexington 's aircraft sank
825-559: A causeway built by forced laborers working under the Japanese military; it was filled with sand that was dredged from the lagoon by both the Japanese and later American administration between 1940 and 1945. After the war, the resulting conjoined islands were renamed Roi-Namur. There is a significant indigenous Marshall Islander workforce that commutes to Roi-Namur from the nearby island of Ennubirr, much like workers commute from Ebeye to Kwajalein. These workers are badged and have limited access to
990-656: A conflagration matching that of the destruction of the USS ; Arizona at Pearl Harbor four years earlier. The Lt. Cmdr. and several men in his squadron were awarded the Navy Cross for this action. She had also flown bombing attacks on industrial targets in the Tokyo area. After hostilities ended, her aircraft continued to fly air patrols over Japan. The previously mentioned Lt.Cmdr. Wall first located and then led in supply drops to prisoner-of-war camps on Honshū that had been abandoned by
1155-560: A filming location at sea the feature movie Midway and again in 1987 for the TV miniseries War and Remembrance . In both cases, she was altered to the extent possible to resemble other vessels, ( Yorktown in Midway and Enterprise in War and Remembrance ) by adding antiaircraft cannons and operating World War II-vintage Navy aircraft. Lexington was also used (though tied up to her pier) for filming of
1320-434: A land area of 16.4 km (6.3 sq mi) and surrounds one of the largest lagoons in the world, with an area of 2,174 km (839 sq mi). The average height above sea level for all the islands is about 1.8 m (6 ft). The atoll was formed when volcanoes on the seabed from 165 to 76 mya built up enough lava that the land rose from beneath the sea. It cannot be determined how far above sea level
1485-417: A major air attack began while the task force was under way off Kwajalein. At 23:22, parachute flares from Japanese planes silhouetted the carrier, and 10 minutes later, she was hit by a torpedo on the starboard side, knocking out her steering gear. Nine people were killed, two on the fantail and seven in the chief petty officers' mess room, which was a repair party station during general quarters. Four members of
1650-433: A nickel-chrome steel alloy that provided the same protective qualities as Class B armor plate, but which was fully structural rather than deadweight. The original design for the class assumed a complement of 215 officers and 2,171 enlisted men. However, by the end of World War II, most crews were 50% larger than that. The tactical employment of U.S. carriers changed as the war progressed. In early operations, through 1942,
1815-654: A raid on Tarawa air bases in late September, followed by a raid against Wake Island in October, before returning to 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 on 4 December. Her morning strike destroyed
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#17328551681241980-566: 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 to San Diego on 20 December. She next trained Air Group 12 , which deployed with her on the next 7th Fleet deployment. Arriving at Yokosuka on 1 June 1957, Lexington embarked Rear Admiral H. D. Riley, Commander Carrier Division 1 , and sailed as his flagship until returning to San Diego on 17 October. Following overhaul at Bremerton, her refresher training
2145-427: A third heavier than Yorktown -class carriers. A longer, wider flight deck and a deck-edge elevator (which had proven successful in the one-off USS Wasp ) facilitated more efficient aviation operations, enhancing the ship's offensive and defensive air power. Machinery arrangement and armor protection were greatly improved from previous designs. These features, plus the provision of more anti-aircraft guns, gave
2310-600: A third time by propaganda pronouncements. As Japanese opposition to the Marianas operation provoked the Battle of the Philippine Sea on 19–20 June, Lexington played a major role in TF 58's great victory in what was later called the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot". With over 300 enemy aircraft destroyed the first day, and a carrier, a tanker, and a destroyer sunk the second day, American aviators nearly knocked Japanese naval aviation out of
2475-419: A torpedo hit that crippled the heavy cruiser Myōkō , forcing her out of the battle alongside two destroyers to escort her. The next day Lexington ' s aircraft served in the battle off Cape Engano against Japanese aircraft carriers. With Essex aircraft, they sank the light carrier Chitose and in conjunction with Franklin aircraft crippled the light carrier Chiyoda (later finished off by
2640-538: A training carrier for the next 22 years until she was relieved by Forrestal , and Lexington was decommissioned and struck on 8 November 1991. On 18 August 1980, Lexington became the first aircraft carrier in United States naval history to have women stationed aboard as crew members. On 29 October 1989, a student naval aviator lost control of his T-2 training aircraft after an aborted attempt to land on Lexington ' s flight deck. The aircraft inverted and hit
2805-518: A unique convergence of protected channels and small islands. The Nell area is unique and a popular destination for locals and Americans sailing through the area with proper permissions from the Republic of the Marshall Islands. (All non-leased islands are strictly off-limits to American base residents and personnel without applying for official permission.) Enmat ( Enm̧aat , [ɛnʲ(ʌ)mˠɑːtˠ] )
2970-527: Is mo̧ or taboo, birthplace of the irooj (chiefly families) and off-limits to anyone without the blessing of the Iroijlaplap (paramount chief). The remains of a small Marshallese village and burial sites are still intact. This island is in the Mid-Atoll Corridor, and no one can reside there or on surrounding islands due to missile tests. Because of the Battle of Kwajalein of World War II ,
3135-510: Is Kwajalein itself, which is close to the native name; the received spelling is from German, however. Kwajalein Island is the southernmost and largest of the islands in the atoll. The area is about 3.1 km (1.2 sq mi). It is 4.0 km (2.5 mi) long and averages about 730 m (800 yd) wide. To enlarge the island, the Americans placed fill at both the northwestern part of
3300-451: Is about 31 km (19 mi) north of Kwajalein. It is a launch site for anti-ballistic missiles and is probably the most restricted island of all the U.S.-leased sites. It was originally built up as part of the Nike-X program, as the main island of Kwajalein was already filled with equipment from the earlier Nike Zeus program, some of which remained in use during Nike-X testing. A large berm
3465-497: Is about 800 km (500 mi) north of the equator. Islands often have alternate names: The first is the Marshallese name, the second was assigned somewhat arbitrarily by the U.S. Navy prior to their attack on the atoll during World War II. The original name was considered too difficult for English speakers to properly differentiate among the islands. The latter has often been retained by English speakers. The exception to this
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#17328551681243630-503: Is along the islet's northern lagoon side. Ennylabegan ( Āneeļļap-kaņ , [ænʲeːllˠɑbʲ(ɛ)ɡɑnˠ] ), or "Carlos" Islet, is the site of a small Marshall Islander community that has decreased in size in recent decades; it was once a bigger village. Until 2012, it was actively used by the Reagan Test Site for telemetry tracking activities during missions and has been one of the only non-restricted Marshallese-populated islands used by
3795-531: Is located at the westernmost tip of the atoll. It was the second-largest island in the atoll before the formation of Roi-Namur. Like Ebeye, it falls fully under the jurisdiction of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and is not part of the Reagan Test Site. The village of Ebadon was much more heavily populated before the war, and it was where some of the irooj (chiefs) of Kwajalein Atoll grew up. Like many other key islets in
3960-500: Is possible to wade across the reef between Kwajalein and Little Bustard. Gugeegue or Gugegwe ( / ˈ ɡ uː dʒ i ɡ uː / GOO -jee-goo ; Marshallese: Kōn̄e-jekāān-eņ , [kɤŋeːzʲɛɡæːnʲɛːnˠ] ) is an islet north of Ebeye and is the northernmost point of the concrete causeway connecting the islets between them. Gugeegue is just south of the Bigej Pass which separates it from Bigej islet. Bigej , just north of
4125-552: The Battle of Leyte Gulf , the climactic American naval victory over Japan. While the carrier came under constant enemy attack in the engagement, she was not damaged during the main battle. In exchange her aircraft served in the battle of the Sibuyan Sea , where they assisted in sinking the Japanese "super battleship" Musashi , one of the two largest and most powerful battleships in the world (alongside her sistership Yamato ) and scored hits on three cruisers on 24 October, including
4290-929: The Brooklyn Navy Yard and Newport News respectively. After the US declaration of war, Congress appropriated funds for nineteen more Essex -class carriers. Ten were ordered in August 1942 (CV-31 and 33-35 from Brooklyn, CV-32 from Newport News, CV-36 and -37 from the Philadelphia Navy Yard , CV-38 through -40 from the Norfolk Navy Yard ) and three more in June 1943 (CV-45 from Philadelphia, -46 from Newport News and -47 from Fore River). Only two of these were completed in time to see active World War II service. Six ships ordered in 1944 (CV-50 through -55) were canceled before construction
4455-520: The Doolittle Raiders flew from the fictional Himalayan kingdom setting of the novel Lost Horizon . At the conclusion of the war, the six ships ordered but never laid down (CV-50 through 55) were cancelled. Of the nine still unfinished, six were completed, two ( Reprisal and Iwo Jima ) were scrapped, and Oriskany was taken in hand for modification to an improved design, completing in 1950. In summary, during World War II and until its conclusion,
4620-465: The Essex building program. The number of 20 mm and 40 mm anti-aircraft guns was greatly increased, new and improved radars were added, the original hangar deck catapult was removed, the ventilation system was substantially revised, details of protection were altered, and hundreds of other large and small changes were executed. In the meantime, earlier ships were continually modified as they returned to
4785-698: The Essex carriers participated in the Korean War. These ships played a major role throughout the entire war. Missions included attacks on all types of ground targets, air superiority, and antisubmarine patrols. Thirteen of the twenty-four carriers originally built participated in the Vietnam War , including the prelude and follow-up. However, their inability to support the latest aircraft constrained some of those ships to specialized roles as helicopter carriers or antisubmarine platforms. The ships still performing an attack mission generally carried older aircraft types than
4950-489: The Essex -class ships laid down after 1942, only Bon Homme Richard followed the original "short bow" design. The later ships have been variously referred to as the "long-bow units", the "long-hull group", or the " Ticonderoga class". However, the U.S. Navy never maintained any institutional distinction between the long-hull and short-hull members of the Essex class, and postwar refits and upgrades were applied to both groups equally. Less immediately visible aspects of
5115-547: The Marshallese people of the Ralik chain. In Marshallese cosmology , Kwajalein island is the site of an abundant flowering zebra wood tree , thought to have spiritual powers. Marshallese from other islands came to gather the "fruits" of this tree. This, explain many elders, is a Marshallese metaphor that describes the past century of colonialism and serves to explain why Kwajalein is still so precious to foreign interests. This story
USS Lexington (CV-16) - Misplaced Pages Continue
5280-678: The Ministry of the Navy to immediately expedite the process. A few months later, a naval officer stationed in Kwajalein sent a memorandum to the Naval Ministry denouncing the failure to ready the region for war. Both warnings were ignored by the Naval Ministry. Korean forced laborers were ordered to work throughout the Pacific beginning in the early 1940s. Over 10,000 were sent to the Nan'yō area alone, mostly from
5445-692: The Moon in December 1968; and Princeton recovered the second crew to orbit the Moon, aboard Apollo 10 , in May 1969. Kwajalein Kwajalein Atoll ( / ˈ k w ɑː dʒ ə l ɪ n / ; Marshallese : Kuwajleen [kʷuwɑzʲ(ɛ)lʲɛːnʲ] ) is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island , which its majority English-speaking residents (about 1,000 mostly U.S. civilian personnel) often use
5610-641: The Operation Crossroads nuclear test in 1946. In the late 1950s, the US Army took over the base as part of their Nike Zeus anti-ballistic missile efforts, and since then the atoll has been widely used for missile tests of all sorts. Today it is part of the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site , with various radars , tracking cameras, missile launchers, and many support systems spread across many islands. One of
5775-555: The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard . She received the Essex -class SCB-27C and SCB-125 conversions in one refit, being then able to operate the most modern jet aircraft. The most visible distinguishing features were an angled flight deck, steam catapults, a new island, and the hurricane bow . Lexington was recommissioned on 15 August 1955, Captain A. S. Heyward Jr. in command. Assigned to San Diego as her home port, she operated off California until May 1956, sailing then for
5940-483: The SCB-144 program in the early 1960s. The updated units remained active until age and the growing number of supercarriers made them obsolete, from the late 1960s into the middle 1970s. However, one of the first of the type, Lexington , served until 1991 as a training ship. Four of the modernized ships ( Yorktown , Intrepid , Hornet , and Lexington ) have been preserved as museums; the remainder were scrapped starting in
6105-474: The SS ; Kembu Maru , damaged two cruisers, and accounted for 30 enemy aircraft. The carrier was attacked at midday by six Tenzan Torpedo bombers of the 531st Kōkūtai, two were shot down by flak while attacking the carrier, but the task force was ordered not to open fire at night as Admiral Charles Pownall then in command believed it would give their position away. (he was later replaced). At 19:20 that night,
6270-468: The U.S. Army to live there. Some 13,500 Marshallese citizens live on the atoll, most of them on Ebeye Island . Other islands in the atoll: Ebeye is about 7.2 km (4.5 mi) north of eastern end of Kwajalein Island. It is not part of the Reagan Test Site ; it is a Marshallese island-city with shops, restaurants, and an active commercial port. It is the administrative center of
6435-616: The anti-submarine warfare carrier (CVS) designation established in August 1953. As the Forrestal -class " supercarriers " entered the fleet, the eight 27A conversions were designated CVS to replace the original unconverted ships; the latter began to leave active service in the late 1950s. Two 27C conversions were designated CVS in 1962 (although CVS-11 Intrepid would operate as an attack carrier off Vietnam) and two more in 1969. The seven angle-deck 27As and one 27C received specialized CVS modifications including bow-mounted SQS-23 sonar under
6600-471: The "South Seas" ( 南洋 , Nan'yō ) in the 19th century, prior to its imperial expansion into Korea and China . By 1875, ships from the newly established Imperial Japanese Navy began to hold training missions in the area. Shigetaka Shiga , a writer who accompanied a Navy cruise to the region in 1886, published his Current State of Affairs in the South Seas ( 南洋時事 , Nan'yō jiji ) in 1887, marking
6765-618: The 1940s; it was left incomplete at the time of the American invasion in 1944. On February 1, 1942, the USS Enterprise (CV-6) launched a series of raids on the Roi Namur airfield and merchant shipping in Carlos Pass, where they sank several ships. In Kwajalein, forced laborers from across the empire and Marshallese volunteers known as teishintai ( 挺身隊 ) built military facilities throughout
USS Lexington (CV-16) - Misplaced Pages Continue
6930-569: The 1970s save Oriskany , which the Navy contemplated reactivating in the 1980s and which was eventually scuttled as an artificial reef off the Florida coast in 2006. Of the unmodernized Essex es, Boxer , Princeton , and Valley Forge were redesignated Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH) amphibious assault ships for the Marine Corps , and remained in commission with their original straight decks until about 1970. The remainder decommissioned in
7095-521: The 1970s. For a typical attack carrier (CVA) configuration in 1956–57 aboard Bennington , the air wing consisted of one squadron each of the following: FJ-3 Furies , F2H Banshees , F9F Cougars , AD-6 , AD-5N , and AD-5W Skyraiders, AJ-2 Savages , and F9F-8P photo Cougars . By the mid-to-late 1960s, the attack air wing had evolved. Oriskany deployed with two squadrons of F-8J Crusaders , three squadrons of A-4E Skyhawks , E-1 Tracers , EKA-3B Skywarriors , and RF-8G photo Crusaders . In 1970,
7260-648: The 2001 film Pearl Harbor , where she was altered to resemble a Japanese carrier, as well as Hornet . In July 2007, the popular TV show Ghost Hunters filmed aboard Lexington , looking for evidence of ghosts, and in December 2009, she was the subject of an episode of Ghost Lab , on the Discovery Channel . In 2014, Pepsi used the ship to film a commercial in preparation for the 2015 Super Bowl . The commercial, titled "Operation Halftime," featured country-music singer Blake Shelton performing for veterans and their families. The crew of Lexington received
7425-612: The 7th Fleet. She was on standby alert during the Laotian crisis of late August and September. Following this, she exercised with British naval forces before returning to San Diego, arriving on 2 December. In early 1960, she underwent an overhaul at the 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
7590-456: The 8–10°N, as reported by the Villalobos expedition chroniclers. However, at some point in the late 18th century, due to some transcription error from the old Spanish maps, they start to appear in the nautical charts shifted northwards to 21°N, thus creating phantom islands of Los Jardines that, even if sought and never found, remained on charts of the Pacific until 1973. The atoll came under
7755-423: The American arrangement to have been superior. In the late 1930s, locating the strength deck at hangar deck level in the proposed Essex -class ships reduced the weight located high in the ship, resulting in smaller supporting structures and more aircraft capacity for the desired displacement. The Midway class which followed armored both the hangar and flight deck (the latter more heavily). The larger size of
7920-503: The American invasion of Kwajalein. Whether this figure represents Kwajalein islet or the whole atoll is unclear. Since no distinction was made between dead Japanese soldiers and Korean forced laborers in mass graves on Kwajalein, both are enshrined as war hero guardian spirits for the Japanese nation in Yasukuni Shrine . This enshrinement is solely due to the mingling of Korean and Japanese corpses in this one case and has not occurred with
8085-453: The Caribbean) in 1943, Kinnick and other naval fliers were conducting training flights off her deck. The Grumman F4F Wildcat flown by Kinnick developed a serious oil leak while airborne and was unable to return to Lexington , crashing into the sea four miles from the ship. Neither Kinnick nor his plane were recovered. Lexington arrived at Pearl Harbor on 9 August 1943, and participated in
8250-540: The China Sea on 20 January, Lexington sailed north to strike Formosa again on 21 January and Okinawa again on 22 January. After replenishing at Ulithi, TG 58.2 sailed on 10 February to hit airfields near Tokyo on 16 February 1945, and on 17 February to minimize opposition to the Iwo Jima landings on 19 February. Lexington flew close support for the assaulting troops from 19 to 22 February, then sailed for further strikes against
8415-748: The Cold War heated up, the Essex carriers were often involved, including Quemoy and the Matsu Islands , the Bay of Pigs Invasion , and the Cuban Missile Crisis . Also, from 1957 through 1991 an Essex -class ship served as the Navy's training carrier— Antietam from 1957 through 1962 and Lexington for the remainder of the time. Several Essex -class ships played a part in the United States' human spaceflight program, as recovery ships for uncrewed and crewed spaceflights, between 1960 and 1973. USS Valley Forge
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#17328551681248580-503: The Dead Reckoning Tracer was also implemented for navigation and tracking of surface ships. Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) was used to identify hostile ships and aircraft, especially at night or in adverse weather. The four-channel Very High Frequency (VHF) radio permitted channel variation in an effort to prevent enemy interception of transmissions. It also allowed for simultaneous radio contact with other ships and planes in
8745-519: The Ebeye chain, is covered with tropical palm trees and jungle. People from Kwajalein have visited it for picnics and camping. It is a site of cultural significance to the indigenous people of Kwajalein atoll, as are most of the small islands throughout the atoll. Some Kwajalein atoll landowners have proposed developing Bigej to look similar to the landscaped beauty of Kwajalein islet, for the exclusive use of Kwajalein atoll landowners and their families. Meck
8910-521: The Japanese home islands and the Nansei Shoto before heading for overhaul at Puget Sound. Lexington was combat-bound again on 22 May, sailing via Alameda and Pearl Harbor for San Pedro Bay , Leyte, where she joined Rear Admiral Thomas L. Sprague 's task force for the final round of air strikes which battered the Japanese home islands from July-15 August, when the last strike was ordered to jettison its bombs and return to Lexington on receiving word of
9075-472: The Japanese surrender. During this period, she had launched attacks on Honshū and Hokkaidō airfields, and Yokosuka and Kure naval bases to destroy the remnants of the Japanese fleet. In the actions at Kure, F4U-1D Corsairs of VBF94 flying off Lexington , sank the hybrid battleship/aircraft carrier Ise . Flying against heavy enemy fire, squadron commander Lester Wall Jr. dropped a 1000lb bomb down her stack, exploding her boilers and breaking her keel in
9240-659: The Japanese. He was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for this mission. In December, she was used to ferry home servicemen in what was known as Operation Magic Carpet , arriving in San Francisco on 16 December. Lexington was decommissioned at Bremerton on 23 April 1947, and entered the National Defense Reserve Fleet . While in reserve, she was designated attack carrier CVA-16 on 1 October 1952. In September 1953, Lexington entered
9405-476: The March 1943 design modification included safer ventilation and aviation-fuel systems, moving the combat information center below the armored deck, the addition of a second flight-deck catapult, the elimination of the hangar deck catapult, and a third Mk 37 fire-control director; some of these changes were also made to short-bow ships nearing completion or as they returned to the yards. Modifications were made throughout
9570-472: The Marshall Islands, plotting it on the map and specifying the location of some other islands. At the time, the atoll was known as Kuadelen and Kabajaia to Spain. In early November, 1875, a typhoon resulted in an 8 feet (2.4 m) storm surge , drowning everyone on Kwajalein Island. The German Empire annexed the Marshall Islands, including Kwajalein Atoll, as a protectorate on October 15, 1885. Japan had developed an interest in what it called
9735-437: The Nan'yō, colonial settlers outnumbered Micronesian natives by as much as ten to one, amounting to the most significant violation of Japan's League of Nations mandate. In the furthest eastern areas, however, immigrants remained in the minority. Contemporary testimony and postwar investigations have attested that Japan honored their agreement under the mandate to administer the islands peacefully. Nevertheless, Kwajalein along with
9900-843: The Presidential Unit Citation for heroism in action against enemy Japanese forces, 11 battle stars for major engagements during World War II service, and other awards. Essex-class aircraft carrier The Essex class is a retired class of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy . The 20th century's most numerous class of capital ship , the class consisted of 24 vessels, which came in "short-hull" and "long-hull" versions. Thirty-two ships were ordered, but as World War II wound down, six were canceled before construction, and two were canceled after construction had begun. Fourteen saw combat during World War II. None were lost to enemy action, though several sustained crippling damage due to kamikaze attacks. Essex -class carriers were
10065-451: The Red Cross. The island acquired the nickname "Execution Island" because of the treatment and killing of prisoners at the hands of Japanese military staff. The Japanese military also tested biological warfare agents on prisoners there. After the war, a US Naval War Crimes court located on the atoll tried several Japanese naval officers for war crimes committed elsewhere; at least one officer
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#173285516812410230-498: The Republic of the Marshall Islands at Kwajalein Atoll and the Kwajalein Atoll Local Government (KALGOV). It has the largest population in the atoll, with approximately 13,000 residents living on 32 ha (80 acres) of land. Inhabitants are mostly Marshall Islanders but include a small population of migrants and volunteers from other island groups and nations. Ebeye is one of the most densely populated places in
10395-551: The US Navy ordered 32 aircraft carriers of the Essex class, including the Ticonderoga subgroup, of which 26 were laid down and 24 actually commissioned. In drawing up the preliminary design for Essex , particular attention was directed at the size of both the flight and hangar decks. Aircraft design had come a long way from the comparatively light planes used in carriers during the 1930s. Flight decks now required more takeoff space for
10560-523: The US Navy turned Lexington over to the City of Corpus Christi. On 15 June 1992, the ship was donated as a museum and now operates as the "USS Lexington Museum on the Bay" at 2914 North Shoreline Boulevard, Corpus Christi, Texas. A MEGAtheater (similar to IMAX ) was added in the forward aircraft elevator space. Lexington was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2003. The ship is carefully maintained, and areas of
10725-410: The United States Army. As such, power and clean drinking water were provided to half of the island similar to the other military-leased islands. This has been phased out as the island ceases to be used for mission support. The power plant, which also performed water treatment, is no longer in use. Legan ( Am̧bo , [ɑmbˠo] ) is uninhabited but it has a few buildings on the southern part. Most of
10890-429: The United States. The important missile test range has been a mutually agreed task, and many Marshalese work at the military bases. The atoll is also used as a base for orbital rocket launches with the Pegasus-XL rocket, and previously had a base for SpaceX for their Falcon 1 rocket. Kwajalein is the 14th largest coral atoll as measured by area of enclosed water. Comprising 97 islands and islets, it has
11055-402: The advent of war, airplane weights began to go up as armor and armament got heavier; aircrew complements also increased. By the war's end in 1945, catapult launches would become more common under these circumstances, with some carrier commanding officers reporting up to 40% of launches by catapult. The hangar area design came in for many design conferences between the naval bureaus. Not only were
11220-469: The affected repair party survived because they were sitting on a couch that apparently absorbed the shock of the explosion. Settling 5 feet (2 m) by the stern, the carrier began circling to port amidst dense clouds of smoke pouring from ruptured tanks aft. To maintain water-tight integrity, damage control crews were ordered to seal the damaged compartments and welded them shut, applying heavy steel plates where needed. An emergency hand-operated steering unit
11385-575: The atoll, it has significant cultural and spiritual significance in Marshallese cosmology. Roi-Namur is the northernmost island in the atoll, located some distance north of Kwajalein. It has several radar installations and a small residential community of unaccompanied US personnel who deal with missions support and radar tracking. It also has a number of Japanese bunkers and buildings from World War II which are preserved in good condition. Roi-Namur used to be four islands: Roi, Namur, Enedrikdrik (Ane-dikdik), and Kottepina. Roi and Namur were joined by
11550-570: The atoll. The trauma of this experience, together with the influx of these young and underprepared soldiers, surprised the local population. Islanders who survived this period make clear distinctions in their recollections of civilian and military Japanese for this reason. This is the first known instance of forced relocation in Kwajalein Atoll, although similar events took place throughout the Marshall Islands. Archaeological evidence as well as testimony from Japanese and Marshallese sources indicate that this militarization would likely not have begun until
11715-435: The atoll. These construction teams would repair the resulting damage from American bombing raids. A second wave of Japanese naval and ground forces was dispatched to Kwajalein in early 1943 from the Manchurian front. These soldiers were between the ages of 18 and 21, poorly trained, and had no experience in the tropics. The supply ships that were meant to provide them with food rations were sunk by American forces before reaching
11880-431: The atoll; many Japanese succumbed to illnesses like dengue fever and dysentery, as did many of the laborers. As the military situation worsened and the pressures of military ideology increased, soldiers at Kwajalein became harsher and more violent toward Marshall Islanders, whom they often suspected of spying for the Americans. Kwajalein was also the site of a prisoner of war camp, whose detainees were not registered with
12045-402: The backbone of the U.S. Navy from mid-1943 and, with the three Midway -class carriers added just after the war, continued to be the heart of U.S. naval strength until supercarriers joined the fleet in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Several of the carriers were rebuilt to handle heavier and faster aircraft of the early jet age, and some served until well after the Vietnam War . Of the 24 ships in
12210-461: The basis of the actual Essex design; 9G became the ancestor of the 45,000-ton Midway class. After the abrogation of disarmament treaties by Japan in 1936, the U.S. took a realistic look at its naval strength. With the Naval Expansion Act of Congress passed on 17 May 1938, an increase of 40,000 tons in aircraft carriers was authorized. This permitted the building of Hornet , which
12375-537: The class were made, particularly with regard to the ventilation system, lighting systems, and the trash burner design and implementation. These carriers had better armor protection than their predecessors, better facilities for handling ammunition, safer and greater fueling capacity, and more effective damage control equipment. Yet, these ships were also designed to limit weight and the complexity of construction, for instance incorporating extensive use of flat and straight metal pieces, and of Special Treatment Steel (STS),
12540-401: The class, four – Yorktown , Hornet , Lexington , and Intrepid – have been preserved as museum ships . The preceding Yorktown -class aircraft carriers and the designers' list of trade-offs and limitations forced by arms control treaty obligations shaped the development of the Essex class – a design sparked by the Japanese and Italian repudiation of
12705-544: The command module from that flight is currently on display aboard Hornet . Bennington recovered the command module of Apollo 4 , the first uncrewed flight of the Saturn V launch vehicle, on 9 November 1967. Eleven months later, Essex recovered the astronauts of Apollo 7 , the first crewed mission in the Apollo program, after eleven days in orbit. Yorktown recovered the astronauts of Apollo 8 , after their historic flight around
12870-584: The control of Spain but was largely ignored by European powers during the 17th and 18th centuries except for some short-lived missionary expeditions, minor trading posts and demarcation treaties between the Iberian kingdoms (Portugal and Spain). In 1828–1829, Russian Navy captain Ludwig von Hagemeister made his final circumnavigation on the ship Krotky. During this journey, he surveyed the Menshikov Atoll (Kwajalein) in
13035-555: The demise of the treaty limitations and the growing tensions in Europe, naval planners were free to apply both the lessons they had learned operating carriers for fifteen years and those of operating the Yorktown -class carriers to the newer design. Designed to carry a larger air group, and unencumbered by the latest in a succession of pre-war naval treaty limits , USS Essex was over sixty feet longer, nearly ten feet wider, and more than
13200-406: The doctrine was to operate singly or in pairs, joining together for the offense and separating when on the defense—the theory being that a separation of carriers under attack not only provided a protective screen for each, but also dispersed the targets and divided the enemy's attack. Combat experience in those early operations did not bear out the theory, and new proposals for tactical deployment were
13365-574: The early 1950s, being reclassified as an attack carrier (CVA). Later, she was reclassified as an antisubmarine carrier (CVS). In her second career, she operated both in the Atlantic/Mediterranean and the Pacific, but spent most of her time, nearly 30 years, in Pensacola, Florida, as a training carrier (CVT). Lexington was decommissioned in 1991, with an active service life longer than any other Essex -class ship. Following her decommissioning, she
13530-459: The eastern side. It is framed by its three largest islands, Ebadon, Roi-Namur and Kwajalein, which are located at the extreme western, northern, and southern points, respectively. Roi-Namur is about 70 km (43 mi) east of Ebadon and 80 km (50 mi) NWN of Kwajalein. The atoll is 3,400 km (2,100 mi) from Honolulu , 3,200 km (2,000 mi) from Australia , and 3,400 km (2,100 mi) from Japan . Kwajalein Island
13695-469: The end of the war, beginning with raids in the central Pacific and the invasion of Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands . The ships successfully performed a number of missions, included air superiority, attacking the Japanese fleet, supporting landings, fleet protection, bombing the Japanese home islands, and transporting aircraft and troops. Along the way, the carriers survived bombs , torpedoes , kamikazes , and typhoons without one ship being sunk. Eleven of
13860-589: The end of the war, was completed to an improved design between August 1948 and September 1950, with a much stronger (straight) flight deck and a reconfigured island. Eight earlier ships were thoroughly rebuilt to the Oriskany design under the SCB-27 A program in the early 1950s. Six more of the earlier ships were rebuilt to an improved 27C design as the last stage of the SCB-27 program; these ships received steam catapults instead of
14025-477: The establishment of Kwajalein's public school in 1935, schoolteachers were sent to the island from Japan. Most Marshall Islanders who recall those times describe a peaceful time of cooperation and development between Japanese and Marshallese, although the latter were not considered on the same social tier as Japanese. By the 1930s, immigration from the Japanese mainland had increased exponentially. In some regions of
14190-452: The final Gemini spaceflight, Gemini 12 on 15 November. The successful use of the carriers as recovery ships continued into the Apollo program . On 26 February 1966, Boxer recovered the command module from AS-201 , the first uncrewed flight of a production Apollo Command and Service Module . AS-202 , another sub-orbital test flight of the command module, was recovered in August by Hornet ;
14355-416: The first crewed flight, Gemini 3 . Wasp recovered the crew of Gemini IV on 7 June, and on 29 August, Lake Champlain picked up Gemini 5 after eight days in space. In December 1965, Wasp made history by picking up two spacecraft in just over two days: Gemini VI-A on 16 December, and Gemini 7 on 18 December, after their orbital rendezvous test flight. She also recovered Gemini 9A on 6 June 1966 and
14520-545: The first nine days of January 1945, encountering little enemy opposition. The task force then entered the South China Sea to strike enemy shipping and air installations. 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 on 12 January. Leaving
14685-561: The first of several series of nuclear tests (comprising a total of 67 blasts) at the Marshall island atolls of Bikini and Enewetak . Significant portions of the native population were forced to relocate as a result of American weapons testing and military activity in the islands between 1945 and 1965. The German heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen was towed to Kwajalein from Bikini Atoll after the Operation Crossroads nuclear tests. It developed
14850-560: The first of several such assertions. Lexington returned to Majuro in time to be present when Rear Admiral Mitscher took command of the newly formed Task Force 58 (TF 58) on 8 March. Mitscher took Lexington as his flagship, and after a warm-up strike against Mille , the Fast Carrier Task Force began a series of operations against the Japanese positions in the central Pacific. She supported Army landings at Hollandia (currently known as Jayapura) on 13 April, and then raided
15015-611: The first operational United States angled deck aircraft carrier in 1955. Oriskany , the first of the modernized ships but the last angled-deck conversion, received a unique SCB-125A refit which upgraded her to 27C standard, and included steam catapults and an aluminum flight deck. Korean War and subsequent Cold War needs ensured twenty-two of the twenty-four ships had extensive post–World War II service ( Bunker Hill and Franklin had suffered heavy damage and were never recommissioned). All initially carried attack air groups; however by 1955 seven unconverted Essex es were operating under
15180-553: The first supercarriers necessitated a deeper hull and shifted the center of gravity and center of stability lower, enabling moving the strength deck to the flight deck, thus freeing US Naval design architects to move the armor higher and remain within compliance of US Navy stability specifications without imperiling seaworthiness. One of the design studies prepared for the Essex project, "Design 9G", included an armored flight deck but reduced aircraft capacity, and displaced 27,200 tons, or about 1,200 tons more than "Design 9F", which formed
15345-466: The first time a Japanese civilian published a firsthand account of Micronesia. Three years later, Shiga advocated for annexation of the area by claiming that doing so would "excite an expeditionary spirit in the demoralized Japanese race." Despite the appeal imperialism had for the Japanese public at the time, neither the Meiji government nor the Navy seized any pretexts to fulfill this popular aspiration. It
15510-529: The five ground stations used in controlling the operation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation system is located on Kwajalein. The Marshall Islands are a dependent nation through the Free Compact of Association with the United States, after their independence established in the 1980s from a U.N. Protectorate. The defense of the Kwajalein, and the Marshall Islands is the responsibility of
15675-427: The heavier aircraft being developed. Moreover, US carrier doctrine was premised on the "deck-load strike", launching as rapidly as possible as many aircraft as could be spotted on the flight deck beforehand. Most of the first-line carriers of the pre-war years were equipped with flush deck catapults , but, owing to the speed and size of these ships, very little catapulting was done except for experimental purposes. With
15840-428: The heavy bombardment. Taking refuge in bunkers resulted in many Marshallese deaths when their shelters were destroyed by hand grenades. Some Marshallese were reportedly induced to fight by Japanese propaganda which, as would occur later in the Battle of Okinawa , stated that the Americans would indiscriminately rape and massacre the civilian population if they successfully took the atoll. On February 6, 1944, Kwajalein
16005-427: The high state of training of both active-duty and reserve naval aviators. Her work became of increasing significance as she prepared the men vital to the Navy and Marine Corps operations over Vietnam , where naval aviation played a major role. Lexington marked her 200,000th arrested landing on 17 October 1967, was redesignated CVT-16 on 1 January 1969 and was redesignated again as AVT-16 on 1 July 1978. She continued as
16170-417: The island above the pier (within the atoll, by 1953), the northern part extending towards Ebeye, and the southwestern parts of the island (by 1970). The northern extension was used for housing, the remainder for industrial purposes. Kwajalein Island's population is about 1,000, mostly made of Americans with a small number of Marshall Islanders and other nationalities, all of whom require express permission from
16335-486: The island is thick and jungle-covered, like most in the Marshall Islands. Unlike most islands, Legan has a very small lake in the middle. Illeginni was used as a remote launch site for Sprint and Spartan missiles during the 1970s, with Meck as the primary control center. Coral soil dredged from the northeastern tip of the island was piled up to build a berm supporting the missile launchers. Several remotely-controlled tracking cameras and other devices were also built on
16500-439: The island with its left wing, killing four crew members (including the pilot of the plane who had begun an ejection sequence) and one civilian maintenance worker and injuring seventeen. The island suffered no major damage, and fires from the burning fuel were extinguished within 15 minutes. Lexington was the final Essex -class carrier in commission, after USS Oriskany had been decommissioned in 1976. On 26 November 1991,
16665-450: The island, adding to the destruction. Of the 8,782 Japanese personnel deployed to the atoll, including forced laborers, 7,870 were killed. U.S. military documents do not differentiate between the Japanese and Korean dead. However, the Korean government's Truth Commission for Forced Labor Under Japanese Imperialism reports an official figure from the Japanese government of 310 Koreans killed in
16830-476: The island, although access is granted for islanders who need to use the air terminal to fly to Kwajalein. Little Bustard ( Orpāp , [worˠ(ɤ)bʲæpʲ] ) and Big Bustard ( Epjā-dik , [ɛbʲ(ɛ)zʲæːrʲik] , 'little Ebeye ') are the first and second islets respectively north of Kwajalein island on the East reef, and are the only islets between Kwajalein and Ebeye . During low tide and with protective boots, it
16995-479: The island, and serviced by boats or helicopters landing on a pad on the western end of the island. Today a single tracking camera remains in use, along with telemetry equipment to support it. Illeginni was used successfully for the first Minuteman III land impact test in 1980. It also hosts one of the two remote receivers for the TRADEX radar, the other being on Gellinam and the main radar on Roi-Namur. Nell has
17160-469: The lagoon contains the wrecks of many ships and aircraft. Most of the ships were merchant vessels. Barracuda Junction is about 1.6 km (1 mi) northeast of the southern tip of Enubuj (Carlson) Island. The atoll has a tropical rainforest climate under the Köppen climate classification . The average temperature varies less than 1.1 °C (2 °F) from month to month. The record low from 1950 to 1969
17325-509: The last nine ships completed stayed on active duty to form, with three Midway s, the backbone of the post-war Navy's combat strength. Though the Truman administration 's defense economies sent three of the active Essex es into "mothballs" in 1949, these soon came back into commission after the Korean War began. Ultimately, all but two short-hulls and all thirteen long-hulls had active Cold War service. Oriskany , which had been left unfinished at
17490-578: The late 1950s and early 1960s and were promptly reclassified as aircraft transports (AVT), reflecting their very limited ability to operate modern aircraft safely. An unmodernised Essex was offered to the Royal Australian Navy in 1960 as a replacement for HMAS Melbourne but the offer was declined due to the expense of modifications required to make it operationally compatible with the RAN's primarily British-designed fleet. All were scrapped, most in
17655-456: The latest technology and communications equipment. All units were commissioned with SK air-search and SC and SG surface-search radars. Several of the class received SM fighter-direction radar. Two Mark 37 fire control directors fitted with FD Mark 4 tracking radar for the 5"/38 battery were installed; the Mk4 proved inadequate at distinguishing low-level intruders from surface clutter and
17820-450: The less powerful hydraulic units. The otherwise unmodified Antietam received an experimental 10.5-degree angled deck in 1952. An angled flight deck and enclosed hurricane bow became the distinctive features of the SCB-125 program, which was undertaken concurrently with the last three 27C conversions and later applied to all 27A and 27C ships except Lake Champlain . Shangri-La became
17985-424: The light carrier Zuihō . As the retiring Japanese were pursued, her aircraft then sank the heavy crusier Nachi with four torpedo hits on 5 November off Luzon. Later that day, Lexington was introduced to the kamikaze as a flaming Japanese aircraft crashed near her island, destroying most of the island structure and spraying fire in all directions. Within 20 minutes, major blazes were under control, and she
18150-543: The limitations proposed in the 1936 revision of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 (as updated in October 1930 in the London Naval Treaty ). Effectively, this rejection allowed all five signatories to resume the interrupted naval arms race of the 1890s-1910s in early 1937. At the time of the repudiations, both Italy and Japan had colonial ambitions, intent on or already conducting military conquests. With
18315-435: The original land rose. Then coral started growing around the land/volcano, about 56 mya. Then the land subsided leaving the coral ring of the atoll. The water temperature averages 27 °C (81 °F) degrees. Underwater visibility is typically 30 m (100 ft) on the ocean side of the atoll. The atoll has an extended oval shape running roughly WNW - ESE on the western side and then bending to run almost due south on
18480-439: The position of the elevator. The elevator also increased the effective deck space when it was in the "up" position by providing additional parking room outside the normal contours of the flight deck, and increased the effective area on the hangar deck by the absence of elevator pits. In addition, its machinery was less complex than the two inboard elevators, requiring about 20% fewer man-hours of maintenance. Ongoing improvements to
18645-512: The purpose built Iwo Jima -class amphibious assault ships providing floating helicopter bases for US Marines. The LPHs were sometimes also used as aircraft ferries for all branches of the U.S. armed forces. The AV-8A arrived into Marine Corps inventory too late to see regular fixed wing operations return to these ships. It was possible to launch and recover small aircraft like the OV-10 Bronco without need of catapult or arresting wires, but this
18810-562: The remains of other Korean forced laborers elsewhere. Additionally, while many of the native Marshallese successfully fled the island in their canoes just before the battle, an estimated 200 were killed on the atoll during the fighting. Kwajalein was one of the few locations in the Pacific War where indigenous islanders were recorded to have been killed while fighting for the Japanese. Many Marshallese dead were found among those killed in bunkers. The flat island offered no other protection against
18975-758: The rest of the territories in the Nan'yō began to be fortified militarily after Japan's departure from the League of Nations in 1933. With the assistance of the Imperial Japanese Navy, local infrastructure was improved between 1934 and 1939. The first combat units, from the Imperial Japanese Navy's 4th Fleet , arrived in February 1941. Prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor , militarization of the Nan'yō, including Kwajalein, had been considered meagre enough that it alarmed Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue , who in January 1941 strongly urged
19140-646: The runway. After the Army's main ABM programs shut down in the 1970s, Meck has served as the primary launch site for a variety of follow-on programs, including the Homing Overlay Experiment and THAAD , among many others. Omelek , about 5 km (3.1 mi) north of Meck, is uninhabited and leased by the U.S. military. From 2006 to 2009, it was used by SpaceX to launch five Falcon 1 rockets. Enubuj ( Āne-buoj , [ænʲeːbˠuotʲ] ), or "Carlson" Islet which
19305-491: The same shipyard two decades earlier, was sunk at the Battle of the Coral Sea . In June, workers at the shipyard submitted a request to Navy Secretary Frank Knox to change the name of a carrier currently under construction there to Lexington . Knox agreed to the proposal and Cabot was renamed Lexington on 16 June 1942, the fifth U.S. Navy ship to bear the name of the Revolutionary War Battle of Lexington . She
19470-466: The ship previously off-limits are becoming open to the public every few years. One of the most recent examples of this is the catapult room. The ship's World War II-era gun battery is also being partially restored using guns salvaged from scrapped ships. Most notable among these are 5"/38 DP gun turrets saved from the scrapping of the heavy cruiser Des Moines . They have been mounted in the approximate locations where similar mounts once existed as part of
19635-447: The ship's original World War II-era fit. After the coast guard cutter Dauntless ' overhaul, her 3"/50cal gun was put on display onboard Lexington . On 5 February 2010, Lexington hosted its 17th annual "Stagedoor Canteen". The National Naval Aviation Museum , at Naval Air Station Pensacola, has a small carrier deck mock-up, whose flight deck is constructed from deck boards salvaged from Lexington . In 1975 Lexington served as
19800-528: The ships much enhanced survivability. In fact, during the war, none of the Essex -class carriers were lost and two, USS Franklin and USS Bunker Hill , came home under their own power and were successfully repaired even after receiving extremely heavy damage. Debates raged regarding armoring the hangar deck . British designers' comments tended to disparage the use of hangar deck armor, but some historians, such as D.K. Brown in Nelson to Vanguard , see
19965-457: The ships to handle the jets' increased weight and speed. Among these modification were jet-blast deflectors (JBDs), greater aviation fuel capacity, stronger decks and elevators. Also included were the British innovations of an optical landing system , steam catapults and, ultimately, an angled flight deck . All of the short-hulls were laid up in 1946–47 along with five of the long-hulls. Eight of
20130-520: The shortened name, Kwaj / k w ɑː dʒ / . The total land area of the atoll amounts to just over 6 square miles (16 km ). It lies in the Ralik Chain , 2,100 nautical miles (3,900 km; 2,400 mi) southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii . The US Navy has hosted a naval base on Kwajalein Island since World War II . It was the final resting place of the German cruiser Prinz Eugen after it survived
20295-422: The side elevator. It was a standard elevator, 60 by 34 ft (18 by 10 m) in platform surface, which traveled vertically on the port side of the ship. There would be no large hole in the flight deck when the elevator was in the "down" position, a critical factor if the elevator ever became inoperable during combat operations. Its new position made it easier to continue normal operations on deck, irrespective of
20460-453: The skilled observer, no two ships of the class looked exactly the same. The large numbers of new ships, coupled with their larger Midway -class contemporaries, sustained the Navy's air power through the rest of the 1940s, the Korean War era, and beyond. While the spacious hangars accommodated the introduction of jets, various modifications significantly improved the capability of fifteen of
20625-417: The southernmost provinces of Chōsen . In some atolls, such as Wotje , those forced laborers were joined by Japanese prisoners from Hokkaido , most of them political dissidents. In order to build the aerial runway on Kwajalein Island, the Japanese public school was demolished and, along with the civil administration, moved to Namu Atoll . Islanders were forcibly moved to live on some of the smaller islets in
20790-486: The strongpoint of Truk on 28 April. Heavy counterattacks 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 on 11 June nearly eliminated all air opposition over the island, then battered it from the air for the next five days. On 16 June, Lexington fought off a fierce attack by Japanese torpedo bombers based on Guam , once again emerging unhurt, but 'sunk'
20955-475: The subject of much discussion. As the new Essex - and Independence -class carriers became available, tactics changed. Experience taught the wisdom of combined strength. Under attack, the combined anti-aircraft fire of a task group 's carriers and their screen provided a more effective umbrella of protection against marauding enemy aircraft than was possible when the carriers separated. When two or more of these task groups supported each other, they constituted
21120-511: The supercarriers. Yet, the Essex class still made significant contributions to all aspects of the U.S. war effort. In one notable event, during the Gulf of Tonkin Incident , aircraft from Ticonderoga fired at North Vietnamese torpedo boats that had attacked a U.S. destroyer. The carriers also contributed between the wars, projecting U.S. power around the world and performing antisubmarine patrols. When
21285-408: The supporting structures to the flight deck required to carry the increased weight of landing and parked aircraft, but they were to have sufficient strength to support the storing of spare fuselages and parts (50% of each operational plane type aboard, hence 33% of carried aircraft) under the flight deck and still provide adequate working space for the men using the area below. One innovation in Essex
21450-422: The task force. Beginning in March 1943, one very visually significant change was authorized for ships then in the early stages of construction. This involved lengthening the bow above the waterline into a "clipper" form. The increased rake and flare provided deck space for an additional quadruple 40 mm mount; these units also had the flight deck slightly shortened forward to provide better arcs of fire. Of
21615-473: The terms of the Two-Ocean Navy Act , eight more of these carriers were programmed. Eight were ordered on 9 September, CV-12 through −15 from Newport News, and CV-16 through −19 from Bethlehem Steel 's Fore River Shipyard ; the last two, CV-20 and CV-21 , were authorized 23 December 1941, with the primary intention of keeping existing slipways busy, and were ordered eight days after Pearl Harbor from
21780-452: The three A-4 squadrons were replaced by two squadrons of A-7A Corsair IIs . The F-4 Phantom II and A-6 Intruder were considered too heavy to operate from the Essex -class. Tasked and fitted out as an ASW carrier (CVS), the air wing of an Essex such as Bennington in the 1960s consisted of two squadrons of S2F Trackers and one squadron of SH-34 Seabat ASW helicopters (replaced in 1964 by SH-3A Sea Kings ). Airborne early warning
21945-415: The war some Essex es, such as Bunker Hill , also included Vought F4U Corsairs in fighter-bomber squadrons (VBFs), the precursor to modern fighter-attack squadrons (VFAs). In the last year of the Pacific War , all of the carrier-based combat aircraft could mount several 5-inch High Velocity Aircraft Rockets (HVARs), which greatly improved their effectiveness against ground targets. The defensive plan
22110-630: The war; 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 sent aircraft on sorties over Guam and against the Palaus and Bonins into August. She arrived in the Carolinas on 7 September for three days of strikes against Yap and Ulithi , then began attacks on Mindanao , the Visayas, the Manila area, and shipping along
22275-408: The water, creating waterspouts which could bring down low flying aircraft such as torpedo planes. In addition there were seventeen quadruple Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft guns and 65 single Oerlikon 20 mm cannon . The Bofors 40 mm guns were a significant improvement over the 1.1 in/75 caliber guns mounted in the earlier Lexington and Yorktown classes. The Essex class also made use of
22440-557: The west coast of Luzon , preparing for the coming assault on Leyte . Her task force then blasted Okinawa on 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 aircraft scored importantly in
22605-444: The world. Many of its residents live in poverty. A coral reef (visible and able to be traveled at low tide) links them to Kwajalein and the rest of the outside world. A causeway at the northern end of the island provides a roadway that connects to several other islands, forming a chain of inhabited islands about 10 km (6.2 mi) long. Connected islands include Loi, Shell, and Gugeegue. Ebadon ( Epatōn , [ɛbʲɑdˠʌnʲ] )
22770-500: The yard for repair and overhaul. For example, Intrepid , one of the first to be commissioned, by the end of the war had received two H-4B flight deck catapults in place of her original single H-4A; three quad 40 mm mounts below the island to starboard, three more on the port side and one additional on both the starboard quarter and the stern; twenty-one additional 20 mm mounts; SM fighter-control radar; FD Mk 4 radar replaced with Mk 12/22; and an enlarged flag bridge. In fact, to
22935-414: Was 21 °C (70 °F). The highest temperature was 36 °C (97 °F). While tropical rainforest climates have no true dry season , the atoll's noticeably drier season occurs from January through March. The average annual rainfall was 2,570 millimetres (101.2 in). The average monthly relative humidity is between 78 and 83%. Kwajalein ( Kuwajleen ) Atoll is an important cultural site to
23100-404: Was a portside deck-edge elevator in addition to two inboard elevators. The deck-edge elevator was adopted in the design after it proved successful on Wasp . Experiments had also been made with hauling aircraft by crane up a ramp between the hangar and flight decks, but this method proved too slow. The Navy's Bureau of Ships and the chief engineer of A.B.C. Elevator Co. designed the engine for
23265-474: Was able to continue normal flight actions, as well as shooting down a kamikaze heading for Ticonderoga . On 9 November, Lexington arrived in Ulithi to repair battle damage while hearing that Tokyo once again claimed her sunk. Lexington suffered 50 killed and 132 wounded in this attack. Chosen as the flagship for Task Group 58.2 (TG 58.2) on 11 December, she struck at the airfields of Luzon and Formosa during
23430-486: Was begun. The Essex -class carriers combined the policy of naming aircraft carriers after historic battles begun with the Lexington class with the policy of naming them for historic navy ships generally followed for the Yorktown class. The first eight hulls were originally assigned names from historic Navy ships ( Essex , Bon Homme Richard , Intrepid , Kearsarge , Franklin , Hancock , Randolph , Cabot ). Lexington
23595-478: Was built on the northern end of the island to support the missile silos, while a Missile Site Radar was built to its south, on the western side. An airstrip, somewhat longer than 300 m (1,000 ft) running north–south at the southeastern end of the island provided STOL service to the base, although the strong prevailing winds from the west made for very tricky landings. Air service was later deemed too dangerous, and replaced by helicopter pads at either end of
23760-515: Was changed from Oriskany after the original USS Wasp (CV-7) was sunk in September 1942 in the South Pacific near Guadalcanal , and Hornet 's name was changed from Kearsarge after the original USS Hornet (CV-8) was lost in October 1942 in the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands . The erstwhile Valley Forge was renamed Princeton after USS Princeton (CVL-23)
23925-436: Was claimed by the United States and was designated, with the rest of the Marshall Islands, as a United Nations Trust Territory under the United States. In the years following, Kwajalein Atoll was converted into a staging area for campaigns in the advance on the Japanese homeland in the Pacific War . After the war ended, the United States used it as a main command center and preparation base in 1946 for Operation Crossroads ,
24090-547: Was commissioned in February 1943 and saw extensive service through the Pacific War . For much of her service, she acted as the flagship for Admiral Marc Mitscher , and led the Fast Carrier Task Force through their battles across the Pacific. She was the recipient of 11 battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation . Following the war, Lexington was decommissioned, but was modernized and reactivated in
24255-420: Was condemned to death. On January 31, 1944, the 7th Infantry Division , spearheaded by the 111th Infantry Regiment performed an amphibious assault on Kwajalein. On February 1, 1944, Kwajalein was the target of the most concentrated bombardment of the Pacific War . An estimated 36,000 shells from naval ships and ground artillery on a nearby islet struck Kwajalein. B-24 Liberator bombers aerially bombarded
24420-641: Was donated for use as a museum ship in Corpus Christi, Texas . In 2003, Lexington was designated a National Historic Landmark . Though her surviving sister ships Yorktown , Intrepid , and Hornet carry lower hull numbers, Lexington was laid down and commissioned earlier, making Lexington the oldest remaining fleet carrier in the world. The ship was laid down as Cabot on 15 July 1941 by Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts . In May 1942, USS Lexington (CV-2) , which had been built in
24585-550: Was first provided by modified EA-1Es ; these were upgraded in 1965 to E-1Bs. A small detachment of A-4Bs or A-4Cs (4 aircraft) were also embarked to provide daylight fighter protection for the ASW aircraft. Landing platform helicopter –converted ships such as Boxer never had an angled landing deck installed and flew only helicopters such as the UH-34 Seahorse and CH-46 Sea Knight . Four converted Essex -class ships served alongside
24750-481: Was interrupted by the Second Taiwan Strait 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 on 7 August and returning to San Diego on 19 December. Now the first carrier whose planes were armed with AGM-12 Bullpup guided missiles, Lexington left San Francisco on 26 April 1959 for another tour of duty with
24915-455: Was its 1944 World War II U.S. operation codename, is situated next to Kwajalein to the northwest, directly west of Little Bustard. It was from this island that U.S. forces launched their amphibious invasion of Kwajalein island. Today, it is the site of a small Marshallese village with a church and small cemetery. The sunken vessel Prinz Eugen , used during the Bikini Atoll atomic weapons tests,
25080-569: Was launched on 23 September 1942, sponsored by Mrs. Theodore Douglas Robinson. Lexington was commissioned on 17 February 1943, with Captain Felix Stump in command. After a shakedown cruise in the Caribbean , Lexington sailed via the Panama Canal to join the Pacific fleet. One of the carrier's first casualties was 1939 Heisman Trophy winner Nile Kinnick . During the ship's initial voyage (to
25245-471: Was ordered in January 1962 to prepare to relieve Antietam 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 she did not relieve Antietam until 29 December 1962 at Pensacola, Florida . Into 1969, Lexington operated out of her home port, Pensacola, as well as Corpus Christi, qualifying student aviators and maintaining
25410-502: Was originally laid down as Cabot , but was renamed during construction after the previous USS Lexington (CV-2) was lost in the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942. Yorktown , originally to be named Bon Homme Richard , was renamed after the previous USS Yorktown (CV-5) was lost at the Battle of Midway on 7 June 1942. Lexington and Yorktown share the unique distinction of being named after both historic ships and historic battles. Likewise, Wasp 's name
25575-479: Was picked up by Intrepid on 24 May 1962, and Kearsarge recovered the last two Mercury spacecraft, Mercury-Atlas 8 ( Sigma 7 ), on 3 October 1962, and Mercury-Atlas 9 ( Faith 7 ), on 16 May 1963. When the Mercury program's successor, Project Gemini , got underway, Essex es were again closely involved. Lake Champlain recovered the second uncrewed flight, Gemini 2 , on 19 January 1965; and Intrepid recovered
25740-441: Was quickly devised, and Lexington made Pearl Harbor for emergency repairs, arriving on 9 December. She reached Bremerton, Washington , on 22 December for full repairs, completed on 20 February 1944. The error in judgment concerning opening fire at night was never repeated, as thereafter gun crews were ordered to open fire anytime the ship came under attack. Following this attack, the ship was reported as sunk by Japan's Tokyo Rose ,
25905-409: Was quickly replaced with the improved Mark 12/Mark 22 combination. 40mm AA batteries were controlled by Mark 51 optical directors with integrated gyro gun-sight lead-angle calculators. A Plan Position Indicator (PPI) display was used to keep track of ships and enabled a multi-carrier force to maintain a high-speed formation at night or in foul weather. The new navigational tool known as
26070-582: Was sunk in the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944. The names of Ticonderoga and Hancock were swapped while they were under construction: the John Hancock life insurance company had offered to conduct a bond drive to raise money for Hancock if that name was used for the carrier under construction in the company's home state of Massachusetts. USS Shangri-La was named after a facetious remark by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt suggesting that
26235-501: Was the origin of the name Kuwajleen , which apparently derives from Ri-ruk-jan-leen , "the people who harvest the flowers". The first recorded sighting of Kwajalein by Europeans was during the Spanish expedition of Ruy López de Villalobos in January 1543. The atoll was charted as Los Jardines (The Gardens) because of its fresh appearance and trees. Los Jardines remained well located in most 16th and 17th century charts in
26400-624: Was the pride of the carrier and consisted of the offensive power of 36 fighters , 36 dive bombers , and 18 torpedo bombers . The Grumman F6F Hellcat would be the standard fighter, the Douglas SBD Dauntless , the standard scout aircraft and dive bomber which was later replaced by the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver , and the Grumman TBF Avenger as the torpedo bomber, but also often used in other attack roles. Later in
26565-489: Was the recovery ship for the uncrewed flight of Mercury-Redstone 1A on 19 December 1960. The first spaceflight by an American was on Mercury-Redstone 3 ( Freedom 7 ), recovered by Lake Champlain on 5 May 1961. Randolph recovered the next flight, Mercury-Redstone 4 ( Liberty Bell 7 ), on 21 July 1961, and she was the primary recovery ship for Mercury-Atlas 6 ( Friendship 7 ), the first orbital flight by an American. The next crewed flight, Mercury-Atlas 7 ( Aurora 7 ),
26730-509: Was the third Yorktown -class carrier, and Essex , which was the lead ship of a new class. CV-9 was to be the prototype of the 27,000-ton (standard displacement) aircraft carrier, considerably larger than Enterprise , yet smaller than Saratoga (a battlecruiser converted to a carrier). The Navy ordered the first three of the new design, CV-9 , CV-10 and CV-11 , from Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock on 3 July 1940. These were to become known as Essex -class carriers. Under
26895-484: Was through the commercial operations of fisherman and traders that the Japanese first began to make a wider presence in the region, which continued to grow despite challenges from competing German commercial interests. At the outbreak of World War I in Europe, Japan joined the Triple Entente and seized the Marshall Islands against only token resistance. In 1922 the islands were placed under Japanese administration as
27060-591: Was to use radio and radar in a combined effort to concentrate anti-aircraft fire. The class, as designed, mounted twelve 5 in (127 mm) 38 caliber gun mounts (4 enclosed twin mounts located near the island on the starboard side and 4 single open mounts located on the port side forward and port side aft), these guns had a maximum range of seven miles and a rate of fire of fifteen rounds per minute. The 5-inch guns could fire VT shells, known as proximity fuzed -shells, that would detonate when they came close to an enemy aircraft. The 5-inch guns could also aim into
27225-496: Was very rarely permitted on these straight-deck ships for safety reasons and to avoid interruption of helicopter operations. One author called the Essex class "the most significant class of warships in American naval history", citing the large number produced and "their role in making the aircraft carrier the backbone of the U.S. Navy." Essex -class ships played a central role in the Pacific theater of World War II from 1943 through
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