About this Unit
USS Shangri-La (CV-38) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier commissioned by the United States Navy in September 1944. Named after the mythical place referenced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt when explaining the origin of the Doolittle Raid, Shangri-La participated in the final campaigns of World War II in the Pacific, including air strikes against the Japanese home islands. After the war, it was decommissioned but later modernized and recommissioned for service during the Cold War, including deployments in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. The ship was finally decommissioned in 1971 and sold for scrap in 1988.
Historical Facts
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Unique Name Origin: The USS Shangri-La (CV-38) was named after the mythical place "Shangri-La" from James Hilton's novel Lost Horizon. President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously referred to the secret origin of the Doolittle Raid as "Shangri-La", inspiring the ship's name.
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Essex-class Carrier: Shangri-La was one of the 24 Essex-class aircraft carriers built during World War II, becoming a vital part of the U.S. Navy's fast carrier forces.
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Launched in 1944: The ship was launched on February 24, 1944, with Mrs. James H. Doolittle (wife of Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle) serving as the ship's sponsor.
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World War II Service: Shangri-La joined the Pacific Fleet in 1945, participating in the final operations against Japan, including strikes on Tokyo and Okinawa.
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Kamikaze Attack: On May 4, 1945, the carrier suffered a direct hit from a kamikaze attack. Despite damage and casualties, the crew managed repairs, and flight operations resumed within hours.
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Postwar Service: After World War II, Shangri-La was decommissioned in 1947, but recommissioned in 1951 due to the Korean War and Cold War tensions.
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Angled Flight Deck: In 1952, Shangri-La underwent major modernization, receiving an angled flight deck, making it one of the first U.S. carriers with this advanced design for safer jet operations.
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Cuban Missile Crisis: Shangri-La played a role during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, joining the naval quarantine and providing air support.
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Vietnam War Service: The carrier served off Vietnam in the mid-1960s, providing air support and flying combat sorties during the conflict.
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Decommissioning and Fate: USS Shangri-La was decommissioned in 1971 and eventually sold for scrap in 1988, but her legacy is remembered as a unique symbol of World War II ingenuity and Cold War adaptation.
