USS Lexington
A 5-inch gun on the USS Lexington as it is seen at the bottom of the Coral Sea, off the coast of Australia. (Vulcan Photo)

A team led by Paul Allen has done it again at the bottom of the sea, locating the wreckage of another long lost U.S. Navy warcraft.

A crew working with Allen’s Research Vessel (R/V) Petrel found the USS Lexington on Sunday, 76 years after it sank in the Coral Sea, more than 500 miles off the eastern coast of Australia. The aircraft carrier — one of the first ever built in the U.S. — was located about two miles below the surface.

According to a post on the Microsoft co-founder’s website, the ship, which went down with 35 aircraft on board, took part in the Battle of the Coral Sea from May 4-8, 1942. The Lexington was hit by multiple Japanese torpedoes and bombs, in a battle alongside the USS Yorktown and three Japanese carriers. A secondary explosion and fire ultimately led to calls to abandon ship, and 2,770 crewmen and officers were rescued, while 216 were lost.

The USS Phelps delivered torpedoes that sank the crippled ship, the first aircraft carrier casualty in history.

“To pay tribute to the USS Lexington and the brave men that served on her is an honor,” Allen said in a statement. “As Americans, all of us owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who served and who continue to serve our country for their courage, persistence and sacrifice.”

USS Lexington
The USS Lexington off Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, with Diamond Head in the background, on Feb. 2, 1933. (U.S. Navy Photo)
USS Lexington
Damage is shown to the port forward 5-inch gun gallery on USS Lexington during the Battle of the Coral Sea, May 8, 1942. The view looks aft, with the ship’s number two 5/25 gun in the foreground, still manned and in operation. The number four 5/25 gun is immediately beyond, trained out to port and aft. (U.S. Navy Photo)

Robert Kraft, director of subsea operations for Allen, said that the ship was on a priority list of those lost during World War II.

“Based on geography, time of year and other factors, I work together with Paul Allen to determine what missions to pursue,” Kraft said. “We’ve been planning to locate the Lexington for about six months and it came together nicely.”

Underwater images and video taken by a subsea vehicle launched by Petrel show the large guns on the carrier as well as some of the airplanes resting on the ocean floor. The Petrel’s state-of-the-art subsea equipment allows it to dive to 6,000 meters, and since being deployed last year it was active in several missions in the Philippine Sea before moving to the Coral Sea.

Last year, Allen-led expeditions led to the discovery of the USS Indianapolis and USS Ward, as well as the Italian WWII destroyer Artigliere. In 2015, the USS Astoria and Japanese battleship Musashi were located.

Check out more images of the Lexington site, released by Allen’s team on Monday:

USS Lexington
The USS Lexington nameplate. (Vulcan Photo)
USS Lexington
An aircraft on the bottom of the Coral Sea. (Vulcan Photo)
USS Lexington
A blast shield is shown, with writing, on the USS Lexington. (Vulcan Photo)
USS Lexington
The control room onboard Paul Allen’s R/V Petrel. (Vulcan Photo)
Like what you're reading? Subscribe to GeekWire's free newsletters to catch every headline

Job Listings on GeekWork

Find more jobs on GeekWork. Employers, post a job here.