There is a rumor that Steve Wiper is planning to release his long-awaited "new and improved" Lexington (only) book sometime in the next few months. He indicated that he would concentrate on Lex's last couple of years and include all the wartime mods. He is supposed to have found some updated info on the April '42 mod at Pearl. I REALLY hope it comes out soon.
Prior to the April refit, Lex carried 5 quad 1.1's and 28 .50's. When the 8" guns were removed, so were the 8 .50's mounted on the turrets. 4 .50's were relocated to the former boat stowage platform outboard of the stack, and the other 4 were deleted, giving her a total of 24 .50's when sunk. 7 quad 1.1's were added along with 22 20MM. The 1.1's were 2 ea in place of turrets I, II, and IV, and a single 1.1 in place of turret III (with a small clipping room forward of the new single 1.1).
http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/020237.jpg
Looking at the above link, you should note that, unlike the Trumpy kit's depiction, the splinter screens for the two 1.1's in the turret II location were NOT at the outer edge of the overhanging catwalks. They were vertically aligned with the bulkheads immediately below them. Also, since the turret I mounts and splinter screens are NOT visible in the photo, I have concluded that they were moved outboard, probably to the deck-edge. I would imagine that the turret IV mounts were also further outboard. I also believe that the splinter screens around the mount in the turret III location were flat-plate and squared off (like the forward ones) rather than being a round "tub". Unfortunately, with the currently available documentation and photos, this can't be absolutely proven.
The 20MM were located as follows: 4 in an overhanging platform extending out from the forward port-side boat pocket, with 3 more on a similar platform extending from the third pocket. (Boats were still carried in the other two.) 5 more were on a platform in the starboard boat pocket and 6 more were on the former boat stowage platform outboard of the stack. (The 4 .50's were forward, and the 20MM were aft of them. Note that the boat platform was slightly lower than the deck for turret III, not at the same level as is usually depicted.) There were 2 20MM on the platform that had mounted the after 8" fire-control "top" and 1 each on either side of the after flightdeck round-down.
I have always suspected that Lexington's expanded flag-bridge was much closer to Saratoga's than is generally accepted. I can't, at this point, accept Trumpy's depiction, in part because I doubt that the weight of the rangefinder could have been adequately supported by a roof that was held up by bulkheads that were on the outer limits of welded-on cantilevered platforms. The R/F would have probably needed more direct support underneath. Based on the verbal descriptions, the catwalk surrounding the flag-bridge would have then been given a "bullet proof" roof and "bullet proof" windows.
Hopefully, Steve's book will come out soon, and I can see how close my suppositions are.
