LOST AND FOUND

USS Lexington, Sunk in WWII, Found Near Australia 76 Years Later

A search team led by billionaire explorer Paul Allen discovered the ship, one of the first U.S. aircraft carriers ever made.

The wreckage of one of the first U.S. aircraft carriers ever made has been recovered off the coast of Australia, 76 years after it sank in the world’s first carrier-vs.-carrier battle during World War II. The U.S. Navy has confirmed that a search team led by billionaire explorer and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen made the discovery of the USS Lexington on Sunday in the Coral Sea at a depth of about 2 miles. The ship, which was damaged by Japanese forces during the Battle of the Coral Sea on May 8, 1942, appeared to be well-preserved in photos released by Allen’s team. Adm. Harry Harris, head of the U.S. Pacific Command, commended Allen and his team on the discovery of “Lady Lex.” “We honor the valor and sacrifice of the Lady Lex’s Sailors—all those Americans who fought in World War II—by continuing to secure the freedoms they won for all of us,” Harris said in a statement, adding that his father was one of the survivors of the shipwreck. The ship went down with 35 aircraft aboard, and 216 crew members were killed. Allen’s team also found the remains of the USS Indianapolis in the Philippine Sea six months ago.