About this Unit
USS Lake Champlain (CV-39) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier commissioned by the United States Navy in 1945. Although she arrived too late to participate in combat during World War II, she played a vital role in Operation Magic Carpet, repatriating American servicemen from Europe and the Pacific. Reactivated for the Korean War, Lake Champlain provided air support for United Nations forces and later served in the Atlantic and Mediterranean during the Cold War. She was also notable for recovering the Mercury-Atlas 7 astronaut in 1962 before being decommissioned in 1966.
Historical Facts
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Namesake: USS Lake Champlain (CV-39) was named after the Battle of Lake Champlain, a pivotal naval engagement during the War of 1812.
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Essex-class Carrier: She was an Essex-class aircraft carrier, the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s carrier force during World War II and the early Cold War.
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Commissioning: Lake Champlain was commissioned on June 3, 1945, just after the end of combat operations in Europe in World War II.
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Operation Magic Carpet: She played a vital role in Operation Magic Carpet, repatriating thousands of American servicemen from the Pacific back to the United States after WWII.
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Record-Setting Atlantic Crossing: In 1945, she set a record for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic by a naval vessel, making the trip from Gibraltar to Norfolk in 4 days, 8 hours, and 51 minutes.
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Korean War Service: After being modernized and recommissioned in 1952, Lake Champlain served as the flagship of Task Force 77 during the Korean War, launching airstrikes against enemy targets.
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First Angled Deck Carrier: She was the last U.S. aircraft carrier built with a straight flight deck and never received the modern angled flight deck conversion that many of her sister ships did.
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Operation Deep Freeze: In 1957, she participated in Operation Deep Freeze, supporting the U.S. Antarctic program by transporting helicopters and personnel to the region.
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Space Capsule Recovery: Lake Champlain served as the recovery ship for the first manned Project Mercury space mission, retrieving astronaut Alan Shepard and his Freedom 7 capsule from the Atlantic in May 1961.
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Decommissioning and Fate: She was decommissioned on May 2, 1966, and subsequently sold for scrap in 1972, ending her notable service career.
