Manitowoc Man Recalls USS Lexington Sinking in 1942

“They were out to get us at all costs. From my post in the wheelhouse, there were many close calls form Jap bombs that came hurling down on the carrier from the Jap planes. Two of three times it seemed as if I could almost reach out and touch some of the bombs as they dropped past our station”, recalled Manitowoc’s Edward Aschenbrenner of the sinking of the USS Lexington during World War II. Edward was 24 years old when he was a wheelmen on the U.S. aircraft carrier Lexington when it sank during Battle of the Coral Sea in 1942.

Aschenbrenner had been aboard the USS Lexington for 2 years when in May, 1942 the USS Lexington, along with 216 of its crew and 35 aircraft, was lost during the Battle of the Coral Sea. The Lexington, also known as Lady Lex, was hit on both sides by multiple torpedoes and bombs and sank on May 8, 1942.

Following the sinking of the USS Lexington, Edward came home to Manitowoc on a short furlough before going back to active sea duty. He was interviewed by the Manitowoc Herald-Times at his parent’s home on Buffalo Street in Manitowoc and shared the story of his last minutes aboard the Lexington.

In the Manitowoc Herald-Times interview, Edward said “there was no panic or fear among the personnel of more than 2,000 aboard the Lexington, despite the pounding the carrier was subjected to for several hours while its own planes were blasting away at Jap carriers 200 miles off. The men, he said, were confident that Lexington could ‘take it’.”

“Bulkheads adjoining the burning sections turned red and layers of paint curled off and began burning to transfer the fires into news areas. To remain aboard the ship would be dangerous. There was no trouble  in getting off. My first job was to get the wounded away and to pick up survivors swimming in the water as best we could.”

“When we pulled away with the first load there were scores of Lexington crew swimming about in the water. We picked up as many as our boat could hold.”

“When we reached the protecting cruiser we had over 60 crewmen aboard. As soon as we unloaded we started back. We made four more trips, until our boat and the other boats had rescued all aboard.”

While working to rescue those in need, Edward was able to bring Commander Fred Sherman’s cocker spaniel to safety. The dog was dropped into the water from the flight deck before being brought into the lifeboat.

Edward told the Manitowoc Herald-Times in this interview that “if the Japs think they have seen the last of the Lexington’s crew, which dealt with them so harshly, they are mistaken. Officers and men of the Lexington have been ordered to reassemble late in June… and it is understood they will be assigned to another airplane carrier.” 

While Edward was home he planned to see the launching of a submarine chaser at the Burger shipyard and the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company’s USS Pogy.

Captain Edward Aschenbrenner retired from the US Navy and also was the captain on the S.S. Badger and S.S. Spartan carferries that served Ludington, Michigan and Manitowoc until he retired in 1975. He passed away in 2004 at the age of 86.