Modernisation of American aircraft carriers USS Lexington and Saratoga allowed according to the Dutch magazine Marineblad dated 1939 no. 6

 

USS Saratoga

Lexington-class battle cruisers

An item referred to the magazine R.M. dated April 1939 reporting that a budget of 15.000.000 US dollars was approved to modernize the aircraft carriers Lexington (1) and Saratoga (2) including enlarging the flight deck, replacing the catapults and fitting out with protection against gas attacks.

Notes

1. Lexington ordered as a battle cruiser in 1916 was decided six years later to convert her into an aircraft carrier. Laid down on 8 January 1921 at the shipyard of the Fore River Ship and Engine Building Co., Quincy, Massachusetts, reclassified on 1 July 1922 as aircraft carrier launched on 3 October 1925, commissioned on 14 December 1927 and scuttled by an destroyer on 8 May 1942 to prevent her capture by the Japanese when she was severely damaged during the Battle of the Coral Sea.

2. Saratoga ordered as a battle cruiser in 1917 was decided five years later to convert her into an aircraft carrier. Laid down on 25 September 1920 at the shipyard of New York Shipbuilding Corporation at Camden, New Jersey, reclassified as an aircraft carrier on 1 July 1922, was she launched on 7 April 1925, commissioned in 16 November 1927 and sunk during nuclear weapon tests on 25 July 1946.