Evening star., 1942-06-13
U. 5. Torpedoes Sank
Lexington 10 Prevent
Greater Loss ofLife
Navy Flyer Tells How
jap Corrier Went Down
Like Sub Submereing
p the Associated Press.

SAN DIEGO. Calf. June l3-
The United States aircraft carrier
Lexington was sunk by American
torpedoes to prevent greater loss of
life after Iires and internal eXplo-
sions started by japanese attack
had ragged for seven and half
hours. the commander of an Amer
lean dive bomber squadron said to-
dav.
I'VE finally had to put it under
with our own torpedoes," revealed
1t. Comdr. Weldon l.. Hamilton,
chief of the Lexington's dive bomber
squadron, in an interview.
He said Capt. Frederick Sherman's
order TO abandon ship undoubtedly
saved a great loss of life from flames
and explosions, which was the i'm
portant thing.
I'm convinced it would be float
ing yet if we hadn't been forced TO
do that"
Find Unreported Jap Force.
Aircraft from the carrier were
searching for an enemy task force
in the area around Tagula Island
in the Coral Sea on May 7, when
they stumbled on a Jap force of
a carrier and several cruisers that
had not been reported. he said.
1T was a dive bomber's dream"
he said.
Our torpedo planes attacked the
carrier head-on, and the scouting
squadron came in from the side and
pounded the flight deck with light
bombs.
We we're hidden in the sun and
dived fast downwind. l let the first
heavy bomb go. II plunked sQuarely
amidship on the fight deck. l
zoomed up and turned TO watch the
squadron come down.
L was spellbound 1t was almost
indescribable l couldn't believe one
bomb could cause that much de-
struCtion.
Get Direct Hits.
The entire after half of the deck
had burst into flames. The other
bombers were plopping damaging
rear-misses into the water at the
bow. l screamed into my radio:
Use the wind use the wind to get
them hack on target
Then we started getting direct
hits. We placed five heavy bombs
IN perfect five-spot pattern on the
Geek. Smoke was trailing behind
the ship in vast smoke screen. and
the torpedo bombers came in
through the screen unobserved.
They launched torpedoes right
into the sides of the carrier and it
staggered visibly.
The carrier was twisting and
turning to avoid us, but I don't think
II made half a turn before it sank.
1t was still under way when it went
down. 1t submerged like a subma-
rine divlne-still moving"
Comdr. Hamilton. veteran of 20
years naval service. has been rec
commended for the Navy Cross for
his part in this action.
The next day American and jap
enese scouting planes discovered
each others carriers simultaneously.
and launched attacks at the same
time.
That battle definitely proved the
superiority of American naval air
forces over the japanese" Comdr.
Hamilton said.
Carrier Hidden in Clouds.
The Jap carrier was hidden in
low overcast. while the Lexington
was right out in the open in clear
weather. But our planes had a base
to land upon when they returned
from their miSSion-and the Jap
anese didn't.
We few nearly 200 miles south to
reach the enemy. Our forces almost
didn't find them because of the
low clouds.
My squadron became separated
from the torpedo group. and they
found the carrier first. They
launched series of torpedoes into
its sides, wrecking it badly. Just
as we were nearing the zone of ac-
ton, We heard over the radio that
japanese torpedo planes had at
tackled the Lexington.
We decided to get back to our
base, so we turned back without
trying for the Jap. We jettisoned
our bombs en- route. and reached the
Lexington just in time, as our fuel
was running low.
From the air. the carrier didn't
lock damaged bit We landed and
TAXED forward, noting superficial
shell fragment holes but nothing
serious.
Lexington Damaged Internally.
But We found Jap torpedoes had
struck the Lexington from an angle.
damaging it internally. 1t was
doomed
After seven and one-half hours,
fires and internal explosions had so
disrupted communications and cleo
trlcal apparatus that Capt. tFred-
erick) Sherman finally had to give
the order to abandon ship.
Even then, racked by explosions
even as Sherman went oversize last,
the Lexington didn't sink.
We finally had to put it under
with our own torpedoes. I'm con-
WINGED 1t would be floating yet if
We hadn't been forced to do that
Capt. Sherman's timely order un-
doubtedly saved a great loss of life
from flames and explosions, how
ever, which was the important
thing.
We lost only per cent of the
men on the Lexington, while I'm
certain the japanese lost at least
95 per cent of the complement on