Evening star., 1942-06-17
HeILish and Telling Borroge From Lexington Guns
Met Japanese Torpedo Planes and Dive Bonbers

attitudes, and the scouts at low al.
titudes.
From one Of our scouts came 8
radio call about 10 am, lively,
unidentified planes approaching
Still l60 miles away on course tt
intercept you"
We reasoned that our reportine
scout had seen part of the Japa.
nese carrier-borne air fleet soor
after it had taken off to attack the
Lexington. Capt. Fred c. Sher.
man of the Lexington (recently pro.
NOTED to rear admiraD and our ali
officers said they believed the two
air blows-ours against the Japs
and theirs against us-had beer
'1red"-that is, the planes on both
sides had taken off-at almost the
same time.
Ships Form to Guard Carriers.
Battle stations for the fleet KEEP,
the Lexington and the other car.
riers surrounded by a double lint
of cruisers and destroyers. Any
torpedo planes coming in low te
strike at either of the important
carriers must pass through the anti.
aircraft barrage of the protecting
vessels. And they also could assist
the carriers in laying a barrage
against dive bomberS. The cruisers
were perhaps quarter mile off oul
beam on either side and destroyer:
about half mile away.
Gradually our speed built uI
from the Is knots of previous cruis-
ing to 20. The Lexington maneu-
vered into the wind from time tt
time to receive or launch planes
The launchings and landings were
made frequently to keep every
plane fully fueled for battle.
Katie to carrier" came the next
radio warning from our scouts al
1880 am. Big force coming ir
from right ahead, Sixty miles
away"
Immediately we knew we were In
for a knock down, drag out battle
with the Japanese aviation. The
Lexington turned into the wind al
once, launching all the reserve
fighters and scouts that had been
waiting for this moment.
From here things happened fast
and furiously. The timetable of the
assault is extremely important to
give the true picture Of the speed
of such attacks. I will give it, just
5v,
while standing on the Lexington's
open signal bridge throughout the
thunderouS battle.
Enemy planes, 1900 feet, four
groups of nine each. Two groups
dive bombers each protected by
nine mixed Messerschmitt 109s and
Zeros," 1t. Comdr. Paul Ramsey,
skipper of the defensive fighters
aloft, reported.
I'm at $4,000 about II miles
northeast of you. climbing hard.
They're going awfully fast. Doubt
if I can intercept" Comdr. Ramsey
added.
Torpedo PInaes Reported.
Almost simultaneously We got a
call from our scouts.
Enemy torpedo planes spilling
out of a cloud 8 miles off,. They
are at 5000 feet in a steep dive.
We're intercepting now"
I can fix the action of the next
few minutes accurately from my
notes as follows:
11:14 a.m.-The Lexington was
turning back into the defensive
formation of ships. On its port Qeft)
side there was only one screening
vessel, a cruiser.
11:16 am.-Suddenly we saw guns
aboard our screening cruiser belch
smoke and flame, and a moment
later, heard the thunder clap of the
shots.
1l:161a a.m.-"Here they come"
sang the lookouts. Enemy torpedo
planes coming in port beam"
Hard starboard," said Capt. Sher-
man in conversational tone to his
helmSman. This maneuver was to
present only the stern to the tor
pedo. But a ship, even a fast ship
like the Lexington, moves at a
snail's pace compared with planes.
Dive in at High Speed.
And as the captain spoke, the
japanese aircraft hove into view,
slim silver monoplanes, low, spread
ing out fanlike, diving in directly
toward our port side at high speeds.
Later heard it estimated this was
250 miles an hour. AS soon as they
came into view all the 100-odd guns
on the valiant old Lexington broke
into flame.
There was the sharp "wham,
wham, wham, wham," of the s.
inchers. The slow bark of the H.
inchers, and the stutter of the
smaller weapons A hellish chorus,
uneven and jerky, but with a power
that left us, there on the bridge,
gasping in partial vacuuns created
by the blasts.
More action from my battle notes
expanded from the few words
wrote at the moment:
11.17 am.-The Japs were so low
that saw two lead planes pull up
to skim over our protecting cruiser.