Lexington Class, U.S. Fleet Carriers

Photograph of Lexingon with packed flight deck

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

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