Evening star., 1942-06-14
Lexington, One Of Two Biggest Carriers,
Took on Its Planes at Sea on Last Cruise

(This is the second of nine
stories supplied to the Associated
Press by the Chicago Tribune,
Uhose correspondent, Stanley
Johnston, tCas the only American
reporter aboard the aircraft car
rier Lexington in the Coral Sea
battle.)
BY STANLEY JOHNSTON.
Foreign Correspondent Of the Chicago
Tribune.
CHICAGO. June l3.-I had no
idea that balmy Hawaiian evening
balmy in the darkness of Honolulus
blackout-that the next 80 DAYS
would take me into and through
the battle OF the Coral Sea. where
American and japanese aircraft
carrier forces made history.
1t was April a. I was sitting in a
poker game at the Moanana Hotel
out on Waikiki Beach. A porter
called me to the telephone.
1t was 1t. Jim Bassett. Speaking
for the press relations Office of
Admiral Chester w. NimitZ, COM
mander in chief of all Pacific opera
tions, 1t Bassett asked If I cared
to 60 to sea.
Yes" I replied He told me to get
my baggage and meet him the next
morning at Pearl Harbor.
One of Two Biggest.
At $50 am. I met a lieutenant
in the hotel lobby. We took taxi
cab to Pearl Harbor. Within a few
minutes 1t. Bassett appeared in his
car. Then we drove to the docks.
As we rounded the corner Of a
warehouse a huge steel wall lowered
above us. 1t was the side Of slate
gray ship.
That's her. 1t. Bassett said,
You'll 90 on one of the two biggest
ships in the world in their class.
You are going on the Lexington
We climbed 30 feet up a gangWay
from the pier to the flight deck
the fat. wood planked "airf1eld' on
which the carriers planes alight and
take off while at sea.
I thought the deck was enormous.
but before the cruise was over / felt
like the pilots who man the carriers
planes. They call the deck that
postage stamp" because that's the
way it looks to them when they are
circling above the ship.
We clambered down a narrow steel
ladder to the deck filled with crew
quarters and Offices. I trailed 1t.
tive officer"
Here's your passenger - Stan
Johnston of the Chicago Tribune"
1t. Bassett told the slender, short
officer who rose to shake hands.
This is Comdr Mort Seligman,"
1t. Bassett told me.
In "Admiral's Country"
The commanders welcome was
easy, friendly.
The commander showed me to my
quarters in "the Admirals country"
as it is known in the Navy.
We've put you in here" the COM
mander said, pointing to a door with
a brass plate that bore the inscrip-
ton "Admiral's guest room" Drop
your baggage and come down to
breakfast We're pushing off soon"
Returning from the meal I looked
over the cabin where I was to live
for the next few weeks. to gather
copious notes and material. and then
to lose them all when Jap bomb
the first one to strike us-shattertS
everything in the room.
The ship got under way while |
slowed away my extra khaki uni
forms. When l came on deck she
was slowly making her way to the
sea through Pearl Harbor's chan
nei. Awaiting us outside were
cruisers and destroyers of our task
force. They slid into position
around us so that we travelled in
a zone protected by them.
But where are our aircraft?"
I inquired. We're not going with
out them, are we?"
I asked that question because the
main flight deck and hangar decks
were still empty of planes.
They'll pick us up at sea-"
Comdr Seligman told me. They'll
come off the Navy land field and
land aboard
Hour of Gunnery Practice
Before that happened. however,
the entire fleet had more than an
hour of gunnery practice This drill.
incidentally. consisted of firing at
aircraft or aircraft-towed targets.
Not a gun was fired at a target
on the surfoce of the water. This
was prophetic. .
The fleet seemed to be proceed
ing aimlessly We we're miles away
from Pearl Harbor. but still within
easy sight of other islands in the
Hawaiian group when the gun drill
began. 1t opened with the arrival
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