The USS Lexington (CV-16) is an Essex-class aircraft carrier constructed during World War II for the United States Navy. Originally designated as Cabot, she was renamed Lexington in June 1942 to honor the previous USS Lexington (CV-2), lost at the Battle of the Coral Sea. Laid down on 15 July 1941 at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts, and launched on 23 September 1942, she was commissioned on 17 February 1943 under Captain Felix Stump. Measuring approximately 888 feet in length and displacing around 27,000 tons, Lexington featured the distinctive Essex-class design, optimized for carrier operations with a flight deck capable of supporting a variety of aircraft. Her initial armament included World War II-era gun batteries, which have been partially restored in recent years for historical display. During her wartime service, Lexington played a pivotal role in the Pacific Theater. She served as the flagship for Admiral Marc Mitscher and led the Fast Carrier Task Force through numerous key battles, including the Gilbert Islands, Marshall Islands, Mariana Islands, and the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Her aircraft contributed to major victories, such as sinking enemy carriers and cruisers, and supporting amphibious assaults. Notably, she was hit by a torpedo at Kwajalein in December 1943, which caused damage requiring extensive repairs in Pearl Harbor and Bremerton, Washington. Lexington earned 11 battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation for her wartime heroism. She was actively involved in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and strikes against Japan’s home islands. After World War II, she was decommissioned but later modernized with angled flight decks, steam catapults, and a new island structure to support jet aircraft, reentering service in 1955. Her second career included operations in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Pacific, predominantly as a training carrier at Pensacola, Florida. Decommissioned in 1991, USS Lexington became a museum ship in Corpus Christi, Texas, where she was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2003. As the oldest remaining fleet carrier from the Essex class, she holds significant maritime historical value, having also been used in films and television, and serving as a symbol of American naval aviation prowess.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.