Coral Sea, May 8 1942
The USS Illinois at the distance had single-handed destroy the Shokaku and Shoho. Zuikaku was the only one left at the fleet, but Sailor #075 ordered to go back for they were reported of the Japanese bombing USS Lexington. They sped back as they saw USS Yorktown now severely damaged with many fires and damage taken from the squadrons.
They however watched the USS Lexington beginning to crumble. Amid the picturesque turquoise waters a carrier burns, athick plume of oily black smoke rising into the sky. USS Lexington is painted across her stern.
Sailor #075: What happened?
Lieutenant #022: The Lexington was attacked by 19 D3As. One was shot down by fighters before it could drop its bomb and another was shot down by the carrier. She was hit by two bombs, the first of which detonated in the port forward five-inch ready ammunition locker, killing the entire crew of one five-inch gun and starting several fires. The second hit struck the funnel, doing little significant damage although fragments killed many of the crews of the .50-caliber machine guns positioned near there. The remaining bombs detonated close alongside and some of their fragments pierced the hull, flooding two compartments.
Sailor #075: We have to save the survivors, there is a chance that USS Lexington might sink!
All Lieutenants: SIR YES SIR!!!
*BBOOOOOMMMMMM*
A massive explosion at 12:47 was triggered by sparks that ignited gasoline vapors from the cracked port avgas tanks. The explosion killed 25 crewmen.
*BBOOOOOMMMMMM*
Another serious explosion occurred at 14:42 that started severe fires in the hangar and blew the forward elevator 12 inches (305 mm) above the flight deck.
*BBOOOOOMMMMMM*
Another explosion at 15:25 knocked out water pressure in the hangar and forced the evacuation of the forward machinery spaces. The fire eventually forced the evacuation of all compartments below the waterline at 16:00 and Lexington eventually drifted to a halt.
Sailor #075: The USS Lexington has made her final place.
Ad. Frederick C. Sherman: THIS IS MY FINAL ORDER FOR THE CREW ONBOARD LEXINGTON!
Ad. Frederick C. Sherman: ABANDON SHIP!!!
A severly damaged USS Yorktown watched in horror as the USS Lexington began to sink, with fire and smoke coming out of the aircraft carrier, a series of large explosions began around 18:00 that blew the aft elevator apart and threw aircraft into the air.
USS Illinois was now a few kilometers from the sinking carrier, waiting to rescue the evacuated crew of the Lexington.
At USS Enterprise
Ad. William Halsey: We are 24 hours late. Two enemy carriers supoosedly wounded, at the coast of Lexington and severely damaging Yorktown.
Ad. William Halsey: Damn it. Why couldn't we have been here earlier?
Capt. Miles Browning: This leaves us the Hornet and Enterprise as the only carriers we have in the Pacific.
Admiral William Halsey Jr. went down to the Pilot Ready Room, seeing many pilots about to play cards, they all stopped and wait for his orders.
Ad. William Halsey: I want to see Best, McClusky, Ferguson, and then Lieutenant Robinson.
The four were called out as Ad. William Halsey Jr. was smaking a cigar.
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I Once Fought An Alien... A USS Missouri Story
FanfictionIn a normal modern world, a ship named the USS Missouri, fought in the bloodiest war, the 2nd World War. After the War the USS Missouri with their sister ships, USS Iowa, USS New Jersey, and USS Winconsin are all preserved as museum ships, adding a...
