Wreck from second world war’s Battle of the Coral Sea is located off eastern coast of Australia by search team led by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen 
 
 Wreckage from the USS Lexington, an aircraft carrier that sank during the second world war, has been found in the Coral Sea by a search team led by the Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. 
 
 
 
 The wreckage was found on Sunday by the team’s research vessel, the R/V Petrel, about 3,000m (two miles) below the surface and more than 500 miles (800km) off the eastern coast of Australia. 
 
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 The team released pictures and video of the wreckage of the Lexington – one of the first ever US aircraft carriers – and some of the planes that went down with it. 
 
 Remarkably preserved aircraft could be seen on the seabed bearing the five-pointed star insignia of the US navy on their wings and fuselage. 
 
 On one aircraft an emblem of the cartoon character Felix the Cat can be seen along with four miniature Japanese flags presumably depicting “kills”. 
 
 The search team also released pictures and video of parts of the ship, including a nameplate and anti-aircraft guns covered in decades of slime. 
 
 The Lexington and another carrier, the USS Yorktown, fought against three Japanese aircraft carriers from 4 to 8 May 1942 in the Battle of the Coral Sea, the first ever between carriers. 
 
 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Remarkably preserved aircraft could be seen on the seabed bearing the five-pointed star insignia of the US navy on their wings and fuselage. Photograph: Douglas Curran/AFP/Getty Images 
 
 The badly damaged Lexington, nicknamed “Lady Lex”, was deliberately sunk by another US warship at the conclusion of the battle. More than 200 members of the crew died in the battle but most were rescued by other US vessels before the Lexington was scuttled. 
 
 Admiral Harry Harris, who heads up the US military’s Pacific Command (Pacom) – and whose father was one of the sailors evacuated – paid tribute to the successful research effort. “As the son of a survivor of the USS Lexington, I offer my congratulations to Paul Allen and the expedition crew of Research Vessel (R/V) Petrel for locating the ‘Lady Lex’, sunk nearly 76 years ago at the Battle of Coral Sea. We honor the valor and sacrifice of the ‘Lady Lex’s’ Sailors – and all those Americans who fought in World War II – by continuing to secure the freedoms they won for all of us.” 
 
 The Lexington was carrying 35 aircraft when it went down. The search team said that 11 planes had been found including Douglas TBD-1 Devastators, Douglas SBD-3 Dauntlesses and Grumman F4F-3 Wildcats. 
 
 Search teams led by Allen have discovered the wreckage of a number of historic warships including the USS Indianapolis, a US heavy cruiser that sank in the Philippine Sea in July 1945 after being torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. 
 
 • This article was amended on 7 March 2018 because an earlier version said the planes bore the insignia of the US Army Air Forces. AFP issued a notice after publication to correct this to the insignia of the US navy. 
 
 ||||| 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. 
 
 “To pay tribute to the USS Lexington and the brave men that served on her is an honor,” said Paul Allen. “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.” 
 
 As one of the first U.S. aircraft carriers ever built, the Lexington became known as “Lady Lex” and went down with 35 aircraft on board. 
 
 “Lexington was on our priority list because she was one of the capital ships that was lost during WWII,” said Robert Kraft, director of subsea operations for Allen. “Based on geography, time of year and other factors, I work with Paul Allen to determine what missions to pursue. We’ve been planning to locate the Lexington for about six months and it came together nicely.” 
 
 The USS Lexington was originally commissioned as a battlecruiser but was launched as an aircraft carrier in 1925. She took part in the Battle of the Coral Sea (May 4-8, 1942) along with the USS Yorktown against three Japanese carriers. This was the first carrier versus carrier battle in history and was the first time Japanese forces suffered a permanent setback in its advances on New Guinea and Australia. However, the U.S. lost the Lexington and 216 of its distinguished crew. 
 
 The Lexington had been hit by multiple torpedoes and bombs on May 8 but it was a secondary explosion causing uncontrolled fires that finally warranted the call to abandon ship. The USS Phelps delivered the final torpedoes that sank the crippled Lady Lex, the first American aircraft carrier casualty in history. making it the first American aircraft carrier casualty in history. With other U.S. ships standing by, 2,770 crewmen and officers were rescued, including the captain and his dog Wags, the ships ever-present mascot. 
 
 During the Battle of the Coral Sea the Japanese navy sank USS Lexington (CV-2), USS Sims (DD-409), and USS Neosho (AO-23), and damaged the USS Yorktown. The Japanese lost one light carrier (Shōhō) and suffered significant damage to a fleet carrier (Shōkaku). 
 
 “As the son of a survivor of the USS Lexington, I offer my congratulations to Paul Allen and the expedition crew of Research Vessel (R/V) Petrel for locating the “Lady Lex,” sunk nearly 76 years ago at the Battle of Coral Sea,” said Navy Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., head of the U.S. Pacific Command. “We honor the valor and sacrifice of the “Lady Lex’s” Sailors — all those Americans who fought in World War II — by continuing to secure the freedoms they won for all of us.” 
 
 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. This battle ushered in a new form of naval warfare via carrier-based airplanes. One month later, the U.S. Navy surprised Japanese forces at the Battle of Midway, and turned the tide of the war in the Pacific for good. 
 
 Based on some initial success with his M/Y Octopus, Allen acquired and retrofitted the 250-foot R/V Petrel with state-of-the-art subsea equipment capable of diving to 6,000 meters (or three and a half miles). Since its deployment in early 2017, the ship was active in several missions in the Philippine Sea before its transition to the Coral Sea off the Australian Coast. 
 
 Allen-led expeditions have also resulted in the discovery of the USS Indianapolis (August 2017), USS Ward (November 2017), USS Astoria (February 2015), Japanese battleship Musashi (March 2015) and the Italian WWII destroyer Artigliere (March 2017). His team was also responsible for presentation to the British Navy in honor of its heroic service. Allen’s expedition team was permanently transferred to the newly acquired and retrofitted R/V Petrel in 2016 with a specific mission around research, exploration and survey of historic warships and other important artifacts. 
 
 Correction: March 6, 2018 
 
 An earlier version of this article said the USS Lexington was the first aircraft carrier casualty in history. 
 
 Conservation & Exploration Petrel underwater exploration World War II ||||| Published on Mar 5, 2018 
 
 Wreckage from the USS Lexington was discovered on March 4, 2018 by the expedition crew of Paul G. Allen’s Research Vessel (R/V) Petrel. The aircraft carrier, "Lady Lex" was found more than 3,000 meters below the surface, resting on the floor of the Coral Sea more than 500 miles off the eastern coast of Australia. ||||| Washington (CNN) Wreckage from the USS Lexington -- a US aircraft carrier sunk by the Japanese during World War II -- has been discovered 500 miles off the Australian coast by a team of explorers led by billionaire Paul Allen, the Microsoft co-founder announced on Monday. 
 
 One of the first US aircraft carriers ever built, the vessel dubbed "Lady Lex" was located at the bottom of the Coral Sea -- nearly two miles below the surface -- by the expedition crew of Research Vessel Petrel on Sunday, Allen said. 
 
 The Lexington was lost in May 1942 along with 216 of its crew and 35 aircraft during what is considered the first carrier battle in history -- the Battle of the Coral Sea. 
 
 Underwater images of the wreckage are courtesy of Paul G Allen 
 
 "To pay tribute to the USS Lexington and the brave men that served on her is an honor," Allen said in a statement. "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." 
 
 Along with the USS Yorktown, the Lexington and its fleet faced off against three Japanese aircraft carriers and is credited with helping to stop Japan's advances on New Guinea and Australia. 
 
 Read More ||||| Naval officers, personnel and Australian Governor-General Peter Cosgrove commemorated the Battle of the Coral Sea while on board the HMAS Choules on May 1. The conflict, part of the Japanese-Australian engagement during WWII, took place near Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. It was fought between May 4-8, 1942, and marked the first occasion during the war in which Japan experienced failure in a major operation, with the Allies preventing Japan’s navy from invading Port Moresby. According to the Royal Australian Navy: “The Battle of the Coral Sea was the first naval battle in history where the opposing fleets could not see each other, at sea level and yet they inflicted massive damage on each other.” Credit: Royal Australian Navy via Storyful 
 
 IT was the day that decided Australia’s fate. 
 
 Japan had crushed the US battleship fleet at Pearl Harbor. It had swept Britain, the United States, the Netherlands and Australia aside in South East Asia. Britain barely held on to Ceylon by the skin of its teeth. 
 
 Now a Japanese invasion fleet was advancing on Port Moresby, on Papua New Guinea’s southern coast. It was feared this would cut Australia off from the United States. 
 
 But the Japanese had another goal in mind. 
 
 It wanted to finish the job it had started at Pearl Harbor. 
 
 We've located the USS Lexington after she sank 76 yrs ago. #RVPetrel found the WWII aircraft carrier & planes more than 3000m (~2mi) below Coral Sea near Australia. We remember her brave crew who helped secure 1st strategic US win in the Pacific Theater https://t.co/20ehjafD7d pic.twitter.com/HIvxNUDbsX — Paul Allen (@PaulGAllen) March 5, 2018 
 
 It wanted to entice the remnants of the Australian and United States navies — along with its aircraft carriers — into an ambush. 
 
 It almost worked. 
 
 A running battle ensued between May 4 and 8, 1942. 
 
 Two US aircraft carriers, USS Lexington and Yorktown, led the Allied resistance. 
 
 The Lexington was critically damaged. Despite the best effort of its crew, it was reduced to a burning wreck. It had to be scuttled. 
 
 Now, 76 years after it settled to the bottom, it’s been found. 
 
 It’s the latest find by billionaire Paul Allen. 
 
 And it’s in a remarkably well preserved condition. 
 
 Soon-to-be US ambassador to Australia, US Pacific Commander Admiral Harry Harris says he is elated at the find. 
 
 “As the son of a survivor of the USS Lexington, I offer my congratulations to Paul Allen and the expedition crew of Research Vessel Petrel for locating the ‘Lady Lex’,” he said in a tweet. 
 
 FINAL BATTLE 
 
 USS Lexington was the first fleet aircraft carrier to be sunk by opposing carrier aircraft in World War II (though Britain’s much smaller HMS Hermes had been sunk by Japanese dive bombers a few weeks earlier). 
 
 It was a totally new concept in warfare. 
 
 While fleets had played war-games involving aircraft carriers in the decades between World War I and II, the reality of their power — and vulnerability — had yet to be felt. 
 
 Britain’s aircraft carrier experience between 1939 and 1942 had been very different. 
 
 It had been fighting against land-based bombes in the narrow waters of the North Sea and Mediterranean. Several valuable ships had been sunk by submarine and warships. HMS Illustrious had barely survived a Stuka dive-bombing attack off Malta. 
 
 But, as neither Germany nor Italy had aircraft carriers of their own, such a clash had not been on the cards. 
 
 So when the USS Lexington and Yorktown went up against the IJN Shokaku and Shoho, it was a fight like no other that had gone before. 
 
 Lexington was big. But she was also relatively old. 
 
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 She had initially been intended to be built as an enormous, fast, battlecruiser. 
 
 But treaties put paid to that idea part way through her construction. 
 
 So, instead of wasting the partially completed hull, she was converted to an aircraft carrier. 
 
 At Coral Sea, both sides detected each other 
 
 Both sides launched strike groups. 
 
 The US aircraft had difficulty finding their targets. 
 
 The Japanese did not. 
 
 USS Yorktown took one bomb hit. 
 
 The Lexington took two torpedoes and two bombs. 
 
 “Lady Lex” was left heeling heavily, with fires raging out of control along her length. 
 
 There was hope to save the ship: her engines remained intact. 
 
 But nothing could stop the fires. 
 
 Eventually the flames found areas filled with fuel fumes that had seeped out of their containers because of the shock of the hits. 
 
 Lexington was rocked by another two explosions, and erupted into a fireball. 
 
 After six hours battling to save the ship, USS Lexington had to be abandoned. 
 
 Some 2770 crew were rescued. But 216 went down with their ship. 
 
 An escorting destroyer was given the task of putting the wounded aircraft carrier out of its misery. 
 
 It was the first battle in history where ships of neither fleet had set eyes on each other. 
 
 WATERY GRAVE 
 
 Paul Allen’s research vessel Petrel located the wreck of the USS Lexington yesterday. 
 
 According to a post on the philanthropist’s website, it rests some 800km off the coast of Queensland at a depth of about 3km 
 
 The find was the result of a six month project. 
 
 Photos so far returned by RV Petrel’s submersible show several aircraft that have tumbled out of the carrier and on to the ocean’s floor. Their original markings and paintwork remain remarkably clear. 
 
 The ship itself, while showing heavy scarring from the battle and the stresses of diving 3km to the sea floor, is also well preserved. Gun mounts and other fittings show only little sign of corrosion and deterioration. 
 
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 “To pay tribute to the USS Lexington and the brave men that served on her is an honour,” Allen said in a statement. “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.” 
 
 Allen’s expeditions have returned a haul of discoveries from World War II. 
 
 The cruisers USS Indianapolis and destroyers USS Ward and Italian Artigliere were found last year. The cruiser USS Astoria and Japanese battleship Musashi in 2015. 
 
 SACRIFICE AND GAIN 
 
 Both sides declared the Battle of the Coral Sea a victory. 
 
 Both were right. 
 
 It was a Japanese tactical victory. They had sunk more ships than they had lost. 
 
 But it wasn’t enough. 
 
 Strategically, the US and Australia had turned the invasion force back. But, more importantly, the allies had also inflicted losses on Japanese ships, aircraft and aircrew. 
 
 "Lady Lex" isn't the only discovery @PaulGAllen and his research team have found. Dive into their other undersea explorations https://t.co/neHgapxnVW#RVPetrel pic.twitter.com/A9VP7HD3ID — Vulcan Inc. (@VulcanInc) March 5, 2018 
 
 Japan, for its part, lost the light carrier Shoho. And the fleet carrier Shokaku came out of the clash heavily damaged. 
 
 Significantly, Japan was not in a position to quickly replace them. 
 
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 “As we look back on our Navy throughout its history, we see evidence of an incredible amount of heroism and sacrifice,” retired US Navy Rear Admiral Sam Cox says on Allen’s website. “The actions of Sailors from our past inspire us today. So many ships, so many battles, so many acts of valour help inform what we do now.” 
 
 Admiral Harris said the Lexington represented the strength of the US-Australian alliance. 
 
 “We help secure the peace in the IndoPacific today alongside our allies and partners, including Australia, where I am currently visiting to meet with my counterparts and reinforce our amazing alliance,” he tweeted. 
 
 “I’ll visit the Australian War Memorial to honor those Australians who also paid the ultimate sacrifice in defending freedom across the globe.”
– Badly damaged after four days of battle with the Japanese, "Lady Lex" was deliberately sent to the depths of the Coral Sea with a reported 216 bodies on board. It's there that one of the first US aircraft carriers slumbered undisturbed for 76 years, until a crew led by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen arrived with cameras. Finding the USS Lexington some 500 miles off Australia's eastern coast on Sunday, the crew has recorded the first video of the World War II wreckage, showing what AFP calls "remarkably preserved aircraft" that went down with the ship, as well as anti-aircraft guns with rifling visible in the barrels. Now covered in slime, the weaponry was used to fire on three Japanese aircraft carriers that hoped to catch the USS Lexington and USS Yorktown in an ambush near Papua New Guinea's Port Moresby on May 4, 1942. In the end—in what News.com.au calls "the day that decided Australia's fate"—the US aircraft carriers prevented a defeat that threatened to cut Australia off from the US. Though it meant the USS Lexington had to be scuttled, the battle also damaged two Japanese carriers, "setting the stage for an Allied victory," according to US Pacific Command. Commander Adm. Harry Harris is celebrating the discovery as "the son of a survivor of the USS Lexington," per CNN. "To pay tribute to the USS Lexington and the brave men that served on her is an honor," says Allen, who headed a six-month project to find the carrier. "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." (Allen helped find the wreck of the USS Indianapolis last year.)