Originally designated Cabot, her name was changed to commemorate the recently-lost USS Lexington (CV-2) – sunk at the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942. CV-16 was the fifth ship to bear the ...
The USS Lexington was found 3km (2 miles) underwater in the Coral Sea, about 800km off Australia's east coast. The ship was lost in the Battle of the Coral Sea, fought with Japan from 4-8 May 1942.