World War II Service
Lexington and Saratoga were both attached to the Pacific Fleet when the war broke out.
Lexington participated in several raids on Japanese bases, but was sunk in May 1942 at the Battle of Coral Sea.
Saratoga served in several battles in 1942 through 1944, and was twice torpedoed by Japanese submarines, but on each occasion reached port under her own power. In September 1944, she was relegated to training duties, but she returned to combat duty in 1945. She was disabled by Japanese bombers in February 1945, and in June returned to training duties and to transporting returning troops to the U.S.
With the development of jet aircraft after the war, Saratoga became obsolete. Her hangar was large enough for jets, but her elevators were too small. In July 1946, she was used as a target for atomic bomb tests in Operation Crossroads, and sank at Bikini Atoll.
Read more about this topic: Lexington Class Aircraft Carrier
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