USS Lake Champlain CV-39

The USS Lake Champlain was the second ship to carry the name for the U.S. Navy. The vessel was built as a Ticonderoga-class aircraft carrier by the Norfolk Navy Yard in Portsmouth, Virginia and was launched in November of 1944.

She weighed just a little over 27,000 tons. Her overall length was 888 feet and she measured 93 feet across at the waterline. With a propulsion system consisting of eight boilers and four propellers, she could reach speeds of up to 33 knots. She could carry up to 100 airplanes and her crew was made up of 3,448 officers and enlisted men. As armament she carried four twin 5 inch 38 caliber guns, four single five inch 38 caliber guns eight quadruple Bofors 40mm guns and 46 single Oerlikon 20mm cannons.

With a propulsion system consisting of eight boilers and four propellers, the Lake Champlain could reach speeds of up to 33 knots. The ship could carry up to 100 airplanes and the crew was made up of 3,448 officers and enlisted men. As armament the ship carried four twin 5-inch 38 caliber guns, four single five-inch 38 caliber guns, eight quadruple Bofors 40mm guns and 46 single Oerlikon 20mm cannons.

The Lake Champlain was launched at the end of World War II and its first mission was to help bring the American soldiers home from overseas. After that, the vessel was put into storage in Norfolk, Virginia until 1952. Once the Korean War began, she was modernized at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Virginia.

After training in waters near Cuba and Haiti, she traveled to Korea. The ship moored in Yokosuka, Japan after traveling through the Red Sea, Indian Ocean and the China Sea. The Lake Champlain later became the flagship for Carrier Task Force 77 and traveled for western Korea. She arrived in the middle of June and immediately launched attacks against Korean forces.

The Lake Champlain's planes ran raids against enemy airstrips and ground forces. The aircraft attacked bunkers and trenches and provided general support for American ground forces fighting against the enemy. They also provided escorts to B-52 bombers on their way to attack enemy forces. When the truce was signed in July, Lake Champlain headed through the South China Sea and stopped at many ports before arriving in Mayport, Florida in December of 1953.

Over the next few years, the Lake Champlain spent a great deal of time in the Mediterranean Sea assisting NATO forces operations in the area. In 1957, the vessel took part in an effort to moderate tensions in the Middle East. Once tensions had eased, she returned to Mayport to be converted to an anti-submarine carrier and was reclassified as CVS-39.

In 1957, a devastating flood hit an area around the city of Valencia on the eastern coast of Spain. The U.S. Ambassador in Spain at the time requested the ship's help and helicopters from the Lake Champlain helped with a large number of rescue missions. She made a few more cruises through the Mediterranean and then was reassigned to a new home port.

In September of 1958,the Lake Champlain returned to Quonset Point, Rhode Island. Once again, the carrier was sent out on patrols through the Mediterranean and around the Caribbean. In May of 1960, the vessel was selected as the recovery ship for the first manned space flight. The Lake Champlain recovered Alan Shepard and the Freedom 7 spacecraft just a few minutes after splash down.

Over the next several years, the carrier's missions and patrol areas varied. She took part in blocking weapons intent on entering Cuba as the Soviet Union was attempting to build offensive bases. She was also sent to Haiti after hurricane Flora caused severe damage in the area. Once again, her helicopters were sent on rescue missions to help the victims of the hurricane. The last major mission of the Lake Champlain's career took place when she was named the primary recovery ship for another space voyage, the Gemini 5 mission. She was decommissioned in May of 1966 and then sold for scrap in April 1972.

As with most ships built for and by the Navy during the 1900s, asbestos was extensively used during ship construction. Used primarily as an insulating and fireproofing material, asbestos can cause a lot of damage to the human body. Dust from the mineral can shake loose during the operation of machinery and float through the air. If inhaled or swallowed, illnesses such as asbestosis and mesothelioma may develop later in life.

If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness as a result of serving on the USS Lake Champlain CV-39 or any other vessel, please fill out the request form on this page to receive a free informational packet.

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