USS Lexington (CV-16) - March 15th, 2024
Erin and I roadtrip to Corpus Christi to see the USS Lexington
But not on a background worthy Chamber of Commerce Day, quite overcast
The Museum on the Bay was first opened in 1992
Reported sunk so often and she always came back . . . The Blue Ghost
Minutemen fought at the Battle of Lexington in 1775 and are the ship's mascot
CV-16 is the fifth Lexington & her first battle was at Tarawa in 1943
Blue Angle A-4B Skyhawk on display at the ship's entry ramp
Blue Angels transitioned to the McDonnell Douglas A-4F Skyhawk in 1974
Mark 37 torpedo was great for sinking subs unable to go over 20 knots
Erin at the museum entry with the propeller of the USS Cabot CVI-28
CV-16's name was changed to Lexington after CV-2 sank at Coral Sea
Lexington was the last Essex class carrier in service retiring in 1991
Over twenty life pods in view on the starboard side of the Lexington
Each life pod is a 15 man life raft with emergency provisions for 5 days
Pay $5 parking, $21 adult, $18 youth admission and enter the [Hangar Deck]
There are five total ship areas to tour starting with the [Hangar Deck]
Original .50 caliber machine guns of the SBD Dauntless dive bomber
Hall won the MOH for helping sink the Shoho and shoot down 3 enemy aircraft
Navy pilots favored the Dauntless over the newer Curtiss SB2C Helldiver
David poses in the SBD tailgunner position w/its twin .30 caliber guns
Next is the Naval Aircraft Factory N3N primary training biplane
The US military's last biplane, introduced in 1936 and built until 1942
The tandem, open cockpit, seats were used by student and instructor
Declared surplus after WWII, purchased by civilians & used as cropdusters
2500hp Wasp engine powered the P-47, F6F, F4U, B-26 and A-26 aircraft
1000hp Cyclone engine powered the Dauntless, B-17, F4F & F2A Buffalo
North American SNJ/T-6 Texan was the US military's trainer into 1950s
Over 60 nations utilized the Texan into the 1990s
Modified Texans were used in movies Tora, Tora, Tora & The Final Countdown
Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bomber helped sink the Yamato & Mushashi
Introduced in 1942 and replaced the obsolete Douglas TBD-1 Devastator
The wings folded back laterally to better fit in carrier hangar decks
Large scale model of the battleship South Dakota BB-57 on display
Discover Lexington is a display and storage place for hundreds of models
Erin checks out the bay from Lexington's port side hangar deck opening
Begin the 2nd tour [Foc'sle] with a Link Aviation Trainer simulator
Watch a video on the attack on Pearl Harbor . . .
And view a map of the ships damaged and sunk during the attack
Anchor machinery on display within the [Foc'sle] tour
Cross the area to view both ends of the visible anchor machinery
Focus on the Monkey's Fist in the display on naval knots
Rats carry diseases & chew electrical insulation causing outages & fires
Six Lexington battle cruisers were halted after the 1922 Treaty of Washington
Lexington & Saratoga were made into aircraft carriers, the others scrapped
Catch a great view of the Texas State Aquarium and the 1959 Harbor Bridge with its suspension bridge replacement underway beyond it
Model of how the the 2nd Lexington, 1826 American Sloop of War, looked
The [Foc'sle] tour concludes with the junior officers' quarters
The 3rd tour [Gallery Deck] begins with the Captain's Cabin
The captain & senior officers enjoying a formal dining experience
Enlisted man starts the meal out with salads . . .
You must be an officer to receive one of these butter drizzled steaks!
Erin awaits the officers to make her presentation
Admiral's Quarters are not as lavish as Captain's Quarters
With an Admiral aboard, the Lexington became the Task Force flagship
The Admiral had his own private bathroom beside his quarters
View of hallway and hatches as the tour continues
Secretary outside the presentation/meeting room
Pilot ready room where mission details are explained
USS Pillsbury was rumored to have the best biscuits & croissants!
Lexington's Air Traffic Control Center provided aircraft guidance
Assigned training area radio frequencies are displayed
Air Operations coordinated all aspects of flight operations on a carrier
Video of veteran describing the Air Ops activities within the room
Tour 4 [Lower Decks] of ship functions begins in the barber shop
Erin decides to keep her non-military approved pony tail
Bunk Racks open upward to reveal the Coffin Lockers underneath
Lexington machine shop with mannequins busily working
Next is some sort of medical laboratory for the men onboard
The Crews Galley is next on the tour and the food looks great!
Dinner rolls, salads, olives, apples and candied jelly are available
Hobart 6030 Potato Peeler was produced from 1928 to 1942
Sign in and wait your turn at the Lexington Dental Department
Sailors get their teeth x-rayed once per year
Several dental chairs on display, this one unoccupied
Another has a dentist giving a sailor a tooth examination
This one demonstrates some sort of oral surgery underway
The Chiefs Office has a slot for Any Mouse hazard reports
The history of naval mine warfare began in 1776
Next room is dedicated to the history of the Texas Navy
Erin is ready to make sure no one messes with Texas!
Continue to the engine room where Erin views the pressure guages board
How to know what type of pipe line you are looking at
Checking out the Lexington's massive engine room
Look at the size of those turbines!
Eight boilers produced 150,000 SHP to propel Lexington at 30.7 knots
Model of the USS Constellation CVA-64, scrapped in 2015
List of all fullsized US Carriers, of which 33 fought in WWII
With CVN-78 the newest operational and 14 cancelled, 64 total made
Erin receives breakfast at the enlisted mess hall
David's buffet exploits are well known, even to the Lexington's crew
Another machine shop on display during the [Lower Decks] tour
You can mail your aircraft post card at the ship's Post Office
Erin amused at her dad's excitement for finally entering the model room
I've made over 100 model aircraft and ships in my youth, when they were $4/ea
European War aircraft top, Pacific War aircraft below
A few aircraft I've never seen before like the Aichi B7A1 Ryusei "Grace"
Almost every bomber that participated in WWII on display here
Do not find a model aircraft I once built on display here: Heinkel He 177 Greif
Do see a Dornier Do-335 with push/pull engine on top, back, 2nd from left
Modern aircraft on the three level wall shelves
Sweet Convair RB-36H Peacemaker and Northrop YRB-48A Flying Wing
Model of the USS Lexington CV-2 that sank at the Battle of Coral Sea in 1942
Model of the USS Lexington CV-16, The Blue Ghost, in original configuration
Comparison of Japanese & American warships during WWII
Various submarines, destroyers and patrol boats on display
Large metal Cleveland Class light cruiser on display near model room
Not all pharmacists work at a Walgreens or CVS!
Sound proof booth for testing hearing after consistent loud noise
Used for diagnosing vision problems requiring eye protection
Walls and floors designed for quick sterilizing for surgical procedures
Your typical Flight Surgeon's doctor's office w/lifelike mannequins!
Hospital like recovery room
For display only, no naps allowed
More pressure gauges and a prominent AFFF Foam Discharge pipe
Of all the Chaplains who served on the Lexington, none were Lutherans
Earley was instrumental in bringing the USS Lexington to Corpus Christi
This room is now known as the Rob Earley Chapel
Was called the Sparrow Missile Prep Compartment in the 1960s
Another Cleveland Class light cruiser, named after CA-30 sunk in 1942
Finally climb up to start Tour 1 [Flight Deck] and view the aircraft
First up is a McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet in Blue Angel livery
The Blue Angels replaced the A-4F Skyhawk w/the F/A-18 Hornet in 1986
The F/A-18 is still the demonstration aircraft for the Blue Angels
5" gun turrets removed in 1955, these added from scrapped ships
View off the starboard side looking at the multiple entry ramps
Great view of the Texas State Aquarium with the 1959 Habor Bridge and new suspension bridge underway behind it
Forward flight deck with a huge 16 painted at the very front
At the bow, look beyond the bridle catchers toward downtown CC
Looking back at the multiple aircraft we will now go investigate
Grumman F-14A Tomcat actually used in the 1986 movie Top Gun
Transplanted 5" gun turret and a large 16 on the conning tower
F-14 Tomcats were in operational service from 1974 through 2006
Next is a McDonnell Douglas F-4A Phantom II
This most versatile fighter was developed in 1958 and produced until 1981
Air Test & Evaluation Squadron 4 (VX-4) tested fighter weapons
Look inside the not yet refurbished forward 5" turret on the flight deck
Both turrets obtained from the scrapped (2007) Des Moines CA-134
Small portion of original wooden flight deck remains in place
North American Aviation T-28B Trojan trainer replaced the T-6 Texan
Some T-28s were used for covert military operations during the Vietnam War
T-28 trainers were operational from 1950 until 1984
Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk dedicated "two-seat" trainer
Other 2 seaters were Electronic Counter Measures & Fast Forward Air Control
Grumman A-6E Intruder close air support & tactical/strategic bomber
The A-6 Intruder was operational from 1963 until 1997
Intruders were used for electronic counter measures & SAM suppression
Bell AH-1S Cobra was conceived as a tank-killing weapons platform
This Cobra was retired in 1994 but AH-1s are still in operation today
F2H-2 Banshee was McDonnell's 2nd carrier based fighter
McDonnell replaced the F2H-2 Banshee very well w/the F-4 Phantom by 1965
Grumman F9F-8T Cougar was a redesigned F9F Panther but w/swept wings
F9F-8T two seat trainers were acquired in 1956 & served until 1974
The Cougar was the first swept wing aircraft used by the Navy's Blue Angels
North American T-2C Buckeye was used for initial flight training
A 1989 carrier training accident killed the 1st woman in the line of duty
The T-2 entered service in 1959 & was replaced by the T-45 Goshawk in 2008
Douglas KA-3B Skywarrior tanker utilized a refueling probe & drogue system
The A-3 was the heaviest & longest serving carrier aircraft, 1956-1989
View from the stern to the entry ramp and parking lot beyond
Zoom in on the Blue Angel A-4B and Mark 37 torpedo at the entrance
Zoom in on the car, right of palm tree, left of white Jeep Cherokee
Zoom in on the new suspension bridge underway beyond the harbor bridge
Another angle on the Texas State Aquarium and 1959 Harbor Bridge
Looking down on the life pods and four twin Bofors 40mm AA guns
Douglas A-4B Skyhawk was used at the start of the Vietnam War
The A-4 began service in 1954 & is still in use today for other countries
Beechcraft T-34B Mentor was based on the Model 35 Bonanza
Introduced in 1953 and served as a intermediate trainer 25 years
Beechcraft T-34C Turbo-Mentor was developed in 1973
T-35C served 35 years and has since been replaced by the T-6 Texan II
The 1st woman aviator (Lt. Allen) earned her wings in a T-35C in 1974
The 2nd 5" turret saved from the scrapped (2007) Des Moines CA-134
This one has been cleared of most equipment for free movement
5" turrets were installed many US Navy ships in the WW2 era
None on active ships but many mothballed reserve ships could be recalled
The 5" gun could send a 55 lbs round 9.8 miles or 37200 feet skyward
Each twin 5" Gun Mount required a crew of 11 to operate
The gun could fire 22 rounds/min with a barrel life of 4600 rounds
Both guns firing 22 rounds/min in that enclosed box would be quite loud!
View of the museum entry ramp while climbing up the conning tower
Finally reach the Lexington's Navigation Bridge
Ship's helm, engine controls, wind & speed indicators & compasses are here
Erin takes the ships helm and maintains a steady course for the duration
The Officer of the deck (OOD) is the captain's primary assistant
The OOD is in charge of safely running the ship while under way
Great view of the forward flight deck!
The Captain used this cabin near the bridge while the ship was at sea
Outside the navigation bridge for a higher up view of the rear flight deck
Able to look down on eight of the aircraft on the flight deck
Look down on the original wood deck, F-4A Phantom, & F-14A Tomcat
Signal flags organized and kept in the "flag bag"
Fire Guns launched AFFF foam to blanket fuel & smother fires
Include the 5" turret behind the island and two left side aircraft
Escalator added in 1955 to help heavy gear laden pilots reach flight deck
Erin takes the immobile escalator back down to the Hangar Deck
Many interesting facts are displayed on the escalator walls
Lexington's deck is rather large, enough for 3 separate football fields!
Head to the Lexington's gift shop and get some souvenir t-shirts
Original ship's bell presented to the Lexington in February, 1943
Thoroughly enjoyed visiting the mighty & historic USS Lexington (CV-16) !