The USS Lexington aircraft carrier, sunk by the Japanese during WWII’s Battle of the Coral Sea, was discovered in its seabed “war grave” more than 500 miles off the eastern coast of Australia by a group of searchers led by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.
The carrier went down in the Coral Sea with 216 crew members and 35 aircraft in May 1942, National Geographic reported.
Sixth months ago, Allen’s search team was given coordinates for where the Lexington may be resting and news of its discovery surfaced on Sunday, The International Business Times reported.
The team had already located other sunken warships -- including the USS Indianapolis which went down in July 1945 with nearly 900 crew members -- but Allen, the billionaire son of a WWII veteran, was personally invested in finding the USS Lexington.
Robert Kraft, director of subsea operations for the project, explained that locating the Lexington was a priority because it was one of the capital ships lost during WWII, per Allen’s website.
The carrier had fought off three Japanese carriers and played a vital role in halting Japan’s advances on New Guinea and Australia before it was sunk.
“The Battle of the Coral Sea was notable not only for stopping a Japanese advance but because it was the first naval engagement in history where opposing ships never came within sight of each other,” Allen said, per CNN.
“To pay tribute to the USS Lexington and the brave men that served on her is an honor,” Allen added in a post on his website. “As Americans, all of us owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who served and who continue to serve our country for their courage, persistence and sacrifice.”
The Navy’s “war grave” designation means the USS Lexington will remain undisturbed at the bottom of the Coral Sea.
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