Evening star., 1942-06-14
Lexington Skipper
Tells Vivid Story
OF Carrier Sinking
40 Of l08 Jap Planes
Shot Down Before They
Dropped Any Bombs
p the Associated Press.

p the Associated Press.
SAN DIEGO, Calf. June l3.-
Sinking of the U. S. S. Lexington
swept by fires below decks and
rocked by explosion after explosion
of burning ammunition and gaSo-
line, was described wildly today by
Rear Admiral Frederick c. Sherman
commander of the big aircraft car
rier.
Admiral Sherman said the heart
breaking" end of the Lexington
fatally crippled by Japanese planes
in the battle of the Coral Sea May
8 and finally sent under by tor
pedoes from an American destroyer
nevertheless came as a stirring part
of great United States sea VIC
tory.
1T was the first time in history
there has been an air-sea battle
against aircraft carriers" Admiral
Sherman declared in an interview
yet with inferior forces and fewer
planes, we sank two japanese car
riers and severely damaged another
before the Lexington succumbed.
Decisive Victory.
1T was such a decisive victory that
the entire japanese expedition was
forced to withdraw from the vital
southwestern Pacific area"
For his part in the action he was
promoted from Captain to Rear
Admiral.
Admiral Sherman said the great
long-range air battle actually
started near Misima Island May Z
when United States Navy torpedo
and dive bombing planes blasted a
japanese carrier to destruction in a
terrific five minute attack.
We discovered then the devaSta-
ting power of an aircraft carrier
attack group-it was almost unbe-
lievable," Admiral Sherman said.
In a later aerial fight that day
four of our fighters surprised nine
Ja panese Zero ighters-three of the
Japs got away. We lost one plane
This action led us to believe
there were enemy carriers in the
area. At dawn May 8 our scouting
forces went out. and finally located
two japanese aircraft carriers and
several other enemy ships hidden
in a rain squall about 200 miles
away.
Prepare for Attack.
1T was evident to us our forces
and the enemy had contacted each
other at about the same time, how
ever, so we prepared for attack as
We sent two raiding squadrons out.
I'VE found one Of the Japs-the
Shokaku - about II am. and
pounded it with heavy l,000-pound
bombs and hit it with five tor
pedoes. Our planes left her settling
fast. with flames and smoke rising
nearly a thousand feet in the air.
Thirteen minutes later they
came at each of our carriers with
81 planes We were ready for them.
Air patrols intercepted them. and
there was very hot aerial fight
We shot down 40 of their l08
planes. but not before they had
dropped bombs and torpedoes.
No defensive force can stop
determined offense by air.
Many Killed by Fragments.
"We counted IL torpedo wakes
In our direction. We avoided all
but two. The Jap divebombers
came roaring down and they got
the Lexington with three bombs,
one of heavy caliber. There were
a lot of close misses and many men
on the flight deck were killed by
fragments.
Fires were started, and the Lex
ington took a six-degree list We
checked our speed and within half
an hour the damage-control squads
had her back on an even keel
Lit. Comdr H. R. Healy, damage
control officer. reported three of
four fires were under control and
the other was only smoldering.
But minutes later the ship
was shaken by a tremendous ex-
plosion from below. We lost our
Communica tions system as heavy
fires broke out anew and spread
RAPIDLY toward the flight deck.
The fire mains, carrying the
water pressure, were severed and
1t became difficult to fight the fire.
Ammunition stored forward began
to explode at intervals of or 10
minutes.
Hangar Deck Abandoned.
FLAMES spread to the hangar
deck. That had to be abandoned
but the engineering crew below
stuck to their posts. although the
intense heat was blistering the
paint on bulkheads around them.
The fire made such headway we
finally were forced to order the
engineering men on deck. Even as
they came topside, the telephone
communication failed. If we had
delayed in giving the order. they
never would have reached the top
alive.
With no communications. our
steering gear gone and no chance
of extinguishing the fires. Rear
Admiral A. w. Fitch. whose flag the
Lexington flew as commander of the
naval air group, decided to abandon
ship
Il gave the order at 5:07 pm.
AT sunset. in very orderly
fashion the Observation-Disclosures
taken of to destroyers and cruisers
All arranged their shoes in an
orderly row on the flight deck be-
fore leaving.
No Lives Lost in Water.
mo lives were lost at all in the
water. All our casualties came from
the combat or f1re-fighting.
Il cannot emphasize too heavily
how magnificently the crew per-
formed throughout the entire action.
1t made one proud as an American
to see the way the boys did their
jobs
Admiral Fitch and I. left the