USS Lake Champlain (CV-39)

History of USS Lake Champlain (CV-39)

The USS Lake Champlain arrived late in the battles of World War II (1939-1945), but as part of the most important Essex-class aircraft carriers she had a long service life and won in the Korean War Combat Experience (1950-1953). Her career ran from June 1945 to May 1966, during which time she went through two retirements.

In April 1972, her dismantled hull was sold as scrap.

When built, USS Lake Champlain displaces 27,100 tons under standard loads, has a barrel length of 888 feet, a beam of 93 feet, and a draft of 28.6 feet. She was powered by 8 boilers powered by 4 Westinghouse gear steam turbines producing 150,000 horsepower and driving 4 shafts under the stern. The crew consists of 3,448 officers and armored gunners who leverage years of U.S. Navy wartime experience to achieve a 4-inch belt, 2.5-inch hangar deck and 1.5-inch conning tower.

As many as 100 planes were released. The island's superstructure was relocated to starboard, with a continuous, flush flight deck occupying the center and port surfaces of the ship.

Weapons focus on point defense against incoming enemy aircraft. These include 4 x 5" guns for dual mounts and 4 x 5" guns for single mounts. Also carried a quadruple 8 x 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun and a single 46 x 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft gun.

The Essex-class group of 24 ships (32 originally planned) represents a significant improvement over the earlier types used by the US Navy. "Short" and "long" hull versions of the type were produced, and many of the most famous warships belonged to this category - USS Yorktown (CV-10), USS Intrepid (CV-11), USS Hornet (CV-12), USS Lexington (CV-16). Surprisingly, during the Cold War (1947-1991), none of the class was lost to enemy attack, and the series continued to serve as the vanguard of the U.S.

Navy.

The aircraft carrier USS Lake Champlain was laid on March 15, 1943 and launched on November 2, 1944. Since she was not commissioned until June 3, 1945, she completely missed combat operations during the war.

However, it proved to be indispensable in the "Magic Carpet" operation of the large-scale repatriation of the US military. On February 17, 1947, the aircraft carrier USS Lake Champlain was decommissioned for the first time.

When war broke out on the Korean peninsula in August 1950, the aircraft carrier USS Lake Champlain was drafted into the military. She underwent a modernization phase (SCB-27 conversion) and was returned to service on September 19, 1952.

Her revised features include a new island layout and a new flight deck - although she still retains the continuous deck, unlike some of her sisters who have embraced angled flight decks.

After entering Korean waters, Lake Champlain became part of Task Force 77 (TF77). Their aircraft were tasked with conducting full-scale attacks on enemy infrastructure and supply points, and in support of Allied ground forces and bomber escorts.

She held this role until war operations ceased in July 1953. She returns to Florida waters by the end of the year.

The aircraft carrier USS Lake Champlain continued to operate throughout the Cold War, conducting various deterrence and humanitarian operations. In July 1957, she was converted to an anti-submarine (AS) carrier and was reclassified as CVS-39 in August. She then rescued the Project Mercury capsule and assisted in the Cuban blockade during the Cuban Missile Crisis (16-28 October 1962). She then served as a recovery ship for the "Gemini 5" space mission.

On December 1, 1969, she rejected attempts to modernize her for the new era and was removed from the Navy Register. Her hull was sold in April 1972.

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