Calling all USS Lexington CV-2 fans

[MartinJQuinn]

Does anyone have any additional info?

Looks like the Landing Signal Officers platform

[Michael Vorrasi]

It's the LSO (landing sinal officer) Platform. He's the guy with red (?) paddles in his hands that guides the planes in when they land. Not sure if the screen that you see standing vertically was a wind break or what. There is also one on the starboard bow (also seen in the drawings of pg 18&19) which IIRC was used seldomly when the ship was recovering aircraft as the ship was moving in reverse. That is also the reason why there are arrester cables at the front just like the stern part of the ship. You see them on the Yorktown class also.

Yes, the vertical square of canvas on a frame is a wind breaker. All our carriers used these. They are hinged at the bottom to fold flat in an instant. See more in the Hornet thread. I will post some color LSO shots,

[smithec]

It's the LSO (landing sinal officer) Platform. He's the guy with red (?) paddles in his hands that guides the planes in when they land. Not sure if the screen that you see standing vertically was a wind break or what. There is also one on the starboard bow (also seen in the drawings of pg 18&19) which IIRC was used seldomly when the ship was recovering aircraft as the ship was moving in reverse. That is also the reason why there are arrester cables at the front just like the stern part of the ship. You see them on the Yorktown class also.

Yes, the screen was a windbreak. The LSO's paddles were red. There's great footage of the LSO on the DVD 'Dive Bomber' aboard the Enterprise. Clip attached.

[lvsquarerigger]

Thanks everyone

[lvsquarerigger]

I just got hold of Lexington Goes Down in an Interlibrary loan and saw a picture I haven't seen anywhere else. It's taken after she has been hit the first time, she's down by the bow, but this one is from portside forward and no smoke! It's grainy as it's a paperback but says it's from national archives. Anyone have any idea where this photo is and is the one available any better quality than in the book? It could answer a lot of questions.

[MartinJQuinn]

Good read too. What page is the photo on? I'll take a look tonight, I don't recall the photo.

[lvsquarerigger]

Good read too. What page is the photo on? I'll take a look tonight, I don't recall the photo.

OOOPS! Forgot that little tidbit but it's 54/55. If it wasn't so grainy it would answer a lot of questions because it's the view we've all been looking for.

[MartinJQuinn]

Here is the photo

[Jerry Phillips]

This photo is one of a series taken from CV-5 of Lexington on 08May42. This exact photo, and 2 others of Lexington's port side taken minutes later are in Great Naval Battles 2, Battle Of The Coral Sea, by Chris Henry, pgs. 70, 71, and 75. CV-2 is in silhouette, but the FC radar is clearly made out, especially in photo on pg.75. If you see this particular book for a decent price (softbound), pick it up....it's not bad!

Jerry Phillips

[Elvis965]

If you see this particular book for a decent price (softbound), pick it up....it's not bad!

Looks like it is still available in print:

http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Coral-Sea- ... 583&sr=8-1

Bob

[lvsquarerigger]

If you see this particular book for a decent price (softbound), pick it up....it's not bad!

Looks like it is still available in print:

http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Coral-Sea- ... 583&sr=8-1

Bob

I just ordered it. I just got the PE set of WWII radars from Tom's model works and am not sure exactly how I will use what is there. The photo quoted earlier on this site with a link to a pic of an FC MK 3 show a reasonably square antenna while Tom's is rectangular. Trying to get the best idea I can before I jump in and do whatever it is I'm going to do. So thanks everyone and I'll let you know how it works out.

James

[taskforce48]

James,

The Tom's set has the more commonly found rectangular Mk-3 radar but the WEM set has the square sets included with theirs.

HTH

Matt

[lvsquarerigger]

James,

The Tom's set has the more commonly found rectangular Mk-3 radar but the WEM set has the square sets included with theirs.

HTH

Matt

Thanks. When I had looked on WEM I only saw the MK 3 in a kit for the Missouri and didn't feel like springing for that just to get one radar screen. Will take another look. I had thoughts of cutting down the rectangular one. The main thing is having some screen material as I saw no easy way to replicate that.

James

[Jon C Ryckert]

Do you think it is possible that Lex had at one time an experimental catapult on the forward bow area of the flightdeck? I keep looking at the planking on page 22 of WP33 and I wonder why a portion of the planking runs fore and aft instead of port to starboard on the starboard side. ????

[Dick J]

Do you think it is possible that Lex had at one time an experimental catapult on the forward bow area of the flightdeck? I keep looking at the planking on page 22 of WP33 and I wonder why a portion of the planking runs fore and aft instead of port to starboard on the starboard side. ????

Lex and Sara were commissioned with what is described as a "flywheel catapult". It was marginally effective with the lightweight biplanes of the late '20's, but was soon overtaken by the heavier aircraft of the '30's. It was removed from both but the deck was not comprehensively replanked, hence the angled fore-and-aft planking you refer to. It was always hoped to install something better, catapult wise, but only Sara survived to have it done.

[Jon C Ryckert]

Thanks Dick J,
One more question. Do you know if it was also on the port side or not? I can't tell from the pic.

[Dick J]

From what I have read, it was only the one per ship and on the starboard side.

[MartinJQuinn]

James Noblin e-mailed me this picture today, and gave me permission to post it here. It was scanned at the NARA branch in San Bruno California (outside of San Francisco). Taken on April 13, 1942 at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, the subject of the photo is a yard craft, YD-69.

As with many archival photos, what is in the background of the picture is more interesting than the subject matter itself. In this case, in the background is the Lady Lex undergoing her final refit.

RG 181 Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard 1940 to 1946. L/11-1 box 110 located at San Bruno.

Zoom in a little closer, and you can see the outline of the extended/enclosed flag plot being constructed.

Zoom in even further, and you can see the extend/enclosed flag plot in a little more detail, plus you can see the outline of what looks like the FC radar - or at least the installation of said radar - on the roof of the spotting top.

These photos seem to confirm what Stern wrote in his book about how the Lex's enclosed flag plot was constructed. They also seem to confirm John W's theory on how the extended flag plot looked. Additionally, it looks like, as AA Hoeling mentions in his book "The Lexington Goes Down", that there were splinter mats over railings, and not splinter shields, on the island platforms.

My jaw completely dropped when I saw this photo. Great find by James - appreciate him sharing the photo and letting me post here. Who knows what else is out there lurking behind yard craft?

[Tracy White]

Excellent find! I'm glad he was able to spend the day there!

[Jerry Phillips]

Great find James!! Wow! Another piece of the puzzle...thanks for finding it James, and for posting it Martin! As for splinter mats....they were also slung on splinter shields/bulwarks, not just the rails/lifelines. I would guess this was to increase protection from blast/splinters over inadequate STS.

Jerry Phillips