On March 4, 2018, wreckage of the USS Lexington was discovered by the crew of Research Vessel Petrel, which is owned by Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Paul G. Allen.
The Lexington was found resting on the floor, approximately two miles below the surface of the Coral Sea more than 500 miles off the eastern coast of Australia.
As one of the first US aircraft carriers ever built, the Lexington became known as “Lady Lex” and went down with 35 aircraft on board.
The USS Lexington was originally commissioned as a battlecruiser but was launched as an aircraft carrier in 1925. She took part in the Battle of Coral Sea (May 4-8, 1942) along with the USS Yorktown against three Japanese carriers.
Allen-led expeditions have also resulted in the discovery of the USS Indianapolis (August 2017), USS Ward (November 2017), USS Astoria (February 2015), Japanese battleship Musashi (March 2015) and the Italian WWII destroyer Artigliere (March 2017).
His team was also responsible for retrieving the ship’s bell from the HMS Hood for presentation to the British Navy in honor of its heroic service.
Mr. Allen’s expedition team was permanently transferred to the newly acquired and retrofitted R/V Petrel in 2016 with a specific mission around research, exploration and survey of historic warships and other important artifacts.
