Lexington Class, U.S. Fleet Carriers


Photograph of Lexingon with packed flight deck

National Archives #80-G-416362


Specifications:


Displacement

36,000 tons standard

Dimensions

888' by 106' by 24'2"

270.7m by 32.3m by 7.4m

Maximum speed      

35 knots

Complement

2791

Aircraft

866'2" (264m) flight deck
2 elevators
80 aircraft total

Armament

4x2 8"/55 guns
12 5"/25 AA guns
5x4 1.1"/76 AA guns
36 0.50 machine guns

Protection

7" (178mm) belt
2" (51mm) deck over magazines

Bunkerage

3600 tons fuel oil
125,000 gallons (473,000 liters) aviation gasoline

Range

10,950 nautical miles (20,200 km) at 15 knots.
Fuel consumption approximately 395 tons per day during flight operations.

Munitions

1248 tons

Sensors

CXAM1 air search radar

Modifications:

In 1942 the 8" guns were removed from both ships. During the same year Lexington received another 7x4 1.1" guns and 18 20mm Oerlikon AA guns. Saratoga received 4x2 5"/38 dual-purpose guns and had all her 0.50s removed and replaced by 32 20mm Oerlikons. She also had her 5"/25s replaced by 5"/38s and she received SC, SG, and FD radar.

In 1944 Saratogo had two bow catapults installed.

By 1945 Saratoga had 16 20mm and 96 40mm Bofors AA guns, and her radar suite included SM radar.


Completed in 1927, the Lexingtons were laid down as battle cruisers but were completed as carriers under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty. They retained unusually heavy belt armor and a cruiser-like armament of 8" guns, on the dubious theory that in their scouting role they might have to tangle with enemy light surface forces. They were notoriously unmaneuverable, but very tough ships, the Saratoga twice surviving hits from deadly Japanese torpedoes. They had excellent subdivision due to the use of turboelectric drive, which allowed the engine and boiler rooms to be laid out alternately down the centerlines of the ships.


Units in the Pacific:

Lexington      

Task Force 12 en route Midway      

Sunk by aircraft 1942-5-8 in the Coral Sea

Saratoga

San Diego



References

DANFS

Chesneau (1992)

Friedman (1983)

Worth (2001)


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