USS Lake Champlain (CV-39)

The second "Lake Champlain" (CV-39) was a "long-hull" Sclass|Essex|aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, laid down in drydock by the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth Va., March 15, 1943; launched by float November 2, 1944; sponsored June 3, 1945 by Mrs. Warren Austin, wife of Senator Austin of Vermont, and commissioned the same day, Capt. Logan C. Ramsey in command.

Operational History

Operation Magic Carpet

After shakedown and visits to New York and Philadelphia, "Lake Champlain" was assigned to "Magic Carpet" duty to repatriate US military personnel. She departed Norfolk for England October 14, and arrived Southampton the 19th where she embarked veterans and returned them to New York.

She set a speed record for crossing the Atlantic November 26, 1945 when she arrived at Hampton Roads, Va., having completed a run from Cape Spartel, Africa, in 4 days, 8 hours, 51 minutes. This record stood until surpassed by SS "United States" in the summer of 1952.

Korean War

"Lake Champlain" was mothballed at Norfolk, Va., February 17, 1947. A few years later, the Korean War began and she was needed again. Lake Champlain was reactivated and modernized at Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. and recommissioned September 19, 1952 with Capt. G. T. Mundroff in command.

After shakedown in Cuban and Haitian waters, 25 November through 25 December, the carrier departed Mayport, Fla., for Korea April 26, 1953 via the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and China Sea, becoming the largest ship to transit the Suez Canal. She moored at Yokosuka, Japan, June 9, 1953.

As flagship of Carrier Task Force 77, she sailed from Yokosuka 11 June and arrived off western Korea June 14. The carrier's air group immediately launched sorties cratering runways; assaulting enemy troops; attacking trenches, bunkers, gun positions; and giving close air support to hard pressed ground forces. Her planes also escorted B-29 bombers on their way to enemy targets. "Lake Champlain" continued to strike at the enemy until the truce was signed 27 July. Relieved by "Kearsarge" (CVA-33) 11 October, "Lake Champlain" headed toward the South China Sea arriving Singapore October 24. Bidding farewell to the Pacific Ocean 27 October, she steamed toward home touching at Colombo, Port Said, Cannes, and Lisbon before arriving Mayport, Fla., December 4, 1953.

Postwar Years

NATO, Middle East and reclassification

In the years that followed, "Lake Champlain" made several cruises to the Mediterranean, participating with NATO forces. On April 25, 1957 she joined elements of the fleet in a high-speed run to the scene of tension in the Middle East, cruising in the vicinity of Lebanon and backing Jordan's stand against the threat of Communism. The swift and firm reaction averted a near catastrophe in the Middle East. Tension eased and "Lake Champlain" returned to Mayport 27 July. Converted to an antisubmarine carrier and reclassified (CVS-39) on 1 August, "Lake Champlain" trained off the eastern seaboard to master her new role.

In October 1957, sailing along the Spanish Mediterranean island of Majorca was requested by US ambassador in Spain, John Davis Lodge, to head to the city of Valencia, in the eastern coast of Spain, that has been devastated by floods on the night of October 14 1957, the Chickasaw helicopters of the ship participating in numerous rescue missions, and the ship crew fighting in the "mud battle" that followed the disaster.

She departed Bayonne, N.J., 8 February 1958 for a Mediterranean cruise returning 30 October to Mayport, Fla. After yard overhaul, she departed for the Mediterranean 10 June and visited Spain, Denmark, and Scotland, before returning to Mayport August 9.

The carrier operated off Florida and in the Caribbean until June 15, 1958 when she sailed on another Mediterranean cruise returning to her newly assigned home port, Quonset Point, R.I., 4 September.

The carrier operated out of Quonset Point, R.I., until June 29, 1960 when she made a midshipmen cruise to Halifax, Nova Scotia , returning August 12. Beginning February 7, she made a cruise to the Caribbean, returning March 2.

Project Mercury

"Lake Champlain" was selected as the prime recovery ship for the first manned space flight of the USA. She sailed for the recovery area 1 May, and was on station on the 5th when Comdr. Alan Shepard was recovered along with spacecraft Freedom 7 after splashdown, some 300 miles down range from Cape Kennedy. Helicopters from the carrier visually followed the descent of the capsule and were over the astronaut 2 minutes after the impact. They skillfully recovered Astronaut Shepard and Freedom 7 and carried them safely to "Lake Champlain"'s flight deck.

Caribbean and Cuban Blockade

For the next year the ship operated along the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean. In June 1962, she embarked Naval Academy midshipmen for a summer cruise to Halifax, Nova Scotia , and Kingston, Jamaica, where she represented the United States at the island's celebration of its independence, 3 August.

On October 24, "Lake Champlain" joined in a classic exercise of seapower--the quarantine of Cuba, where the Soviet Union was constructing bases for offensive missiles. To block this grave threat, U.S. warships deployed throughout the western Atlantic, choking off the flow of military supplies to Cuba and enforcing American demands for the withdrawal of the Russian offensive missiles.

After the American demands were substantially complied with, "Lake Champlain" sailed for home 23 November, via St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, and arrived Quonset Point, 4 December 1962. For the next few months the carrier was in New England waters for operations and overhaul. In September 1963, while she was on a cruise to Guantanamo Bay, her training schedule was interrupted when she was ordered to Haiti to relieve distress caused by Hurricane Flora. Her helicopters located homeless victims and flew them food and medical supplies.

North Atlantic and Project Gemini

"Lake Champlain" returned to Quonset Point 9 November for operations in New England waters. She visited Bermuda briefly in spring of 1964 and steamed to Spain in the fall for landings near Huelva. She sailed 6 November from Barcelona for the United States, touched at Gibraltar and arrived at Quonset Point the 25th. The first half of 1965, found the "Lake Champlain" performing training duties and conducting exercises up and down the East Coast. The last major duty of her career occurred on 5 August when she served as the primary recovery ship for Gemini 5. Soon after this duty was completed, she sailed to Philadelphia, where she commenced inactivation. She was decommissioned May 2, 1966.

The 24-year-old "Lake Champlain" was stricken from the Navy List on 1 December 1969, and sold by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping on April 28, 1972.

See also

* List of aircraft carriers
* List of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy
* List of World War II ships

External links

* [http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/ships/carriers/histories/cv39-lakechamplain/cv39-lakechamplain.html History of the Lake Champlain]
* [http://www.hullnumber.com/CV-39 CV-39 Personnel Roster at HullNumber.com]

References

*