The USS Lexington (CV-2): Captain Albert W. Marshall (Sunk in 1942)

The USS Lexington (CV-16): Captain Felix Stump (Retired in 1991)

Note: The CV-16 was created as a replacement for the CV-2; hence the name stay.

The pre-war aircraft carrier, USS Lexington CV-2, was sunk on Aug. 5, 1942 in the Battle of the Coral Sea. Her name sake, Essex Class carrier, USS Lexington CV-16, was commisioned on Mar. 17, 1943, served thru-out the war and is now in a museum in Corpi Cristi, TX.

the blue ghost

In the US Navy, each Class of ship is named for a specific theme, ie Battleships are for states, Cruisers are for cities, etc. During WW 2, Aircraft Carriers (CV) were generally named for famous battles in American History. The following is a short list of the Aircraft Carriers named for battles fought during the American War of Independence. USS Lexington CV-2 USS Saratoga CV-3 USS Yorktown CV-5 USS Ticonderoga CV-14 USS Bunker Hill CV-17 USS Princeton CV-23 USS Cowpens CV-25 USS Bon Homme Richard CV-31 Richard V. Horrell WW 2 Connections.com

USS Lexington CV-2 sank during the Battle of Coral Sea on May 8, 1942