USS Lexington

[Merle]

No Essex Class carriers were lost to enemy action. One almost was, the USS Franklin but they were able to get the damage under control and tow it back. This was late in the war when we pretty much had control of the seas. Several carriers may have survived had we been in this situation earlier in the war but with the threat of Japan capturing them, they chose to skuttle them.

That's really splitting hairs - they ere damaged by enemy action, weren't they?