panamacanalzone

Nice capture

Sorry, but this not the Lexington, but her sister-ship, the USS Saratoga (CV-3) transiting the Panama Canal, during the carrier's maiden voyage toward her future home port of San Diego/North Island area, on 7Feb1928, after a two-day layover in Gatun Lake basin, after passing thru the Gatun Locks on the 5th. Saratoga has not received her funnel vertical black stripe as of this date (received in early part of 1929 after the Fleet Problem IX exercise), and would take aboard her air squadrons after operating off the lower West Coast during further sea trials, only several of the ship's Utility Unit's aircraft were aboard at the time of the photograph. Lexington had a black horizontal stripe surrounding the top of her funnel stack, as did the Saratoga when first launched, but Sara had her horizontal stripe painted over at Norfolk, VA. (which were used for covering the funnel's exhaust gases along the rim, not for identification as were used later on), before leaving on the ship's transfer to the US Battle Fleet. Hope this Helps! Michael Goforth

Michael Goforth Thanks!

wonderfullllllllllllllllll !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for the exquisite historic photos and especially the views of the lives of the "Silver People." The Silver People Chronicle