Wreckage from the USS Lexington was discovered by the expedition crew of Research Vessel (R/V) Petrel on March 4. The Lexington was found 3,000 meters (about two miles) below the surface, resting on the floor of the Coral Sea more than 500 miles off the eastern coast of Australia.
An S.B.D. Dauntless Dive Bomber and a F4F Wildcat fighter.
ReplyDeleteIn pre Midway roundels and markings.
That is NOT an SBD. That is a Douglas TBM. The SBD did not have folding wings. The aircraft in the second photo is an F-4-F-3 it didn't have folding wings ether. As far as anyone knows those are the only TBD's known to be anything close to intact.---Ray
DeleteLet us hope that the salvage thieves can't get to this gallant ship, like they have to so many WWII wrecks, some in surprisingly deep waters.
ReplyDeletePicture 3 is "Chicago Piano" quad 1 inch AA battery.
ReplyDeleteno. not an spd. a douglas TBD devastator, judging from the canopy lines and wing folding, methinks. SPD pilot canopy was level with the center canopy, TBD was a tall radiused affair.
ReplyDeletenice to know for a fact that salt water activated life rafts actually worked back in the day as evidenced by the wildcat's empty raft locker. used to depend on the saltwater activated batteries in the wheel well on the connies to get the rafts out of the wing lockers. as fast as the wreckage would sink, one didn't have a lot of time in abandoning the hulk if we survived the ditching. a much better chance of surviving the bailout than a ditching. we lost three 551st warning stars off of cape cod along with crews except for the one guy not in his ditching position who got thrown out of the wreckage. rafts were not recovered. Item one on our preflight crew briefings in the 552nd was we will not be ditching for love or money.