United States Navy — Aircraft carrier
USS Lake Champlain (CV-39) — service history
This is the full service history. For the vessel's particulars, photograph and specifications, see the entry.
In the words of the US Navy. The account below is reproduced verbatim from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command — a work of the United States Government, in the public domain, and the only text on this site not written here.
Before commissioning
A lake in the State of New York which was the scene of Commodore Thomas McDonough's victory 11 September 1814 over a larger and more heavily armed British squadron in the War of 1812.
Second World War 1939–1945
1943
The second Lake Champlain (CV-39) was laid down in drydock by the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth Va., 15 March 1943; launched by float 2 November 1944; sponsored 3 June 1945 by Mrs. Warren Austin, wife of Senator Austin of Vermont; and commissioned the same day, Capt. Logan C. Ramsey in command.
After shakedown and visits to New York and Philadelphla, Lake Champlain was assigned to "Magic Carpet" duty, departed Norfolk for England 14 October, and arrived Southhampton the 19th where she embarked veterans and returned them to New York.
1945
She set a speed record for crossing the Atlantic 26 November 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.
Post-war 1946–1949
1947
Lake Champlain retired to the "Mothball Fleet" at Norfolk, Va., 17 February 1947. After the United States had allowed her active military strength to shrink to the danger point, the Communists struck in Korea. Fortunately, we had ships in reserve, though it took time to obtain and train crews and provide material. Lake Champlain was reactivated and modernized at Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. and recommissioned 19 September 1952, Capt. G. T. Mundroff in command.
Korean War period 1950–1953
1953
After shakedown in Cuban and Haitian waters 25 November through 25 December, the carrier departed Mayport, Fla., for Korea 26 April 1953 via the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and China Sea, becoming the largest ship to transit the Suez Canal. She moored at Yokosuka, Japan, 9 June 1953.
As flagship of Carrier Task Force 77, she sailed from Yokosuka 11 June and arrived off western Korea 14 June. The carrier's air group immediately launched sorties cratering runways; assaulting enemy troops; attacking trenches, bunkers, gun positions; and giving close air support to hardpressed ground forces. Her planes also escorted B-50 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 24 October. Bidding farewell to the Pacific Ocean 27 October, she steamed toward home touching at Columbo, Port Said, Cannes, and Lisbon before arriving Mayport, Fla., 4 December 1953.
Cold War 1954–1963
1957
In the years that followed, Lake Champlain made several cruises to the Mediterranean, participating with NATO forces. On 25 April 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. 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 9 August.
1958
The carrier operated off Florida and in the Caribbean until 15 June 1958 when she sailed on another Mediterranean cruise returning to her newly assigned home port, Quonset Point, R.I., 4 September.
1960
The carrier operated out of Quonset Point, R.I., until 29 June 1960 when she made a midshipmen cruise to Halifax, returning 12 August. Beginning 7 February she made a cruise to the Caribbean, returning 2 March.
Lake Champlain was selected as the prime recovery ship for the first manned space flight. She sailed for the recovery area 1 May and was on station on the 5th when Comdr. Alan Sheppard splashed down in spacecraft Freedom 7, 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 Sheppard and Freedom 7 and carried them safely to Lake Champlain's flight deck.
1962
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 24 October 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 "Jane." Her helicopters located homeless victims and flew them food and medical supplies.
Vietnam War period 1964–1975
1966
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 2 May 1966.
Other photographs
Held for this vessel, and not tied to any part of the account above.
References
Every work this entry draws on. There are no numbered markers in the text above: what we hold is the provenance of the page — this history, this article, these photographs.
- History Lake Champlain II (CV-39) Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Naval History and Heritage Command. A work of the United States Government, in the public domain — the only text on this site reproduced verbatim.
- Facts USS Lake Champlain (CV-39) Structured facts only — dates, dimensions, armament and fate. No wording is taken from it. Harvested 1 August 2026.
- Photograph Uss lake champlain cvs-39 Unknown author — U.S. Navy photo USN 1114106 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph USS Lake Champlain (CVA-39) at anchor off Cannes, France, on 19 June 1957 (NH 97436) Unknown author — U.S. Navy photo NH 97436 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph USS Lake Champlain (CVS-39) at sea in 1960 USN — Official US Navy photo NH 97437 ; U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo No. 1996.488.100.019 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph AD Skyraider approaching USS Lake Champlain (CVA-39) 1957 USN — U.S. Navy photo [1] from the USS Lake Champlain (CVA-39) 1957 cruise book available at Navysite.de — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph Aerial view of Brooklyn Navy Yard c1959 USN — U.S. Navy All Hands magazine May 1959 , p. 1 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph Aft view of USS Lake Champlain (CVA-39) in 1953 U.S. Navy — U.S. Navy Naval Aviation NewsApril 1954 [1] — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph CVA 39 Lake Champlain (19-NN-CVA 39 Lake Champlain-141466) - DPLA - bdfde4fb33bb07f16ece38c8370538fe Department of Defense. Department of the Navy. Bureau of Ships. 9/18/1947-5/1/1966 — This file was contributed to Wikimedia Commons by National Archives and Records Administration as part of a cooperation project. The donation was facilitated by the Digital Public Library of America , via its partner Digital Public Library of America . Record in source catalog DPLA identifier: bdfde4fb33bb07f16ece38c8370538fe National Archives Identifier: 7578464 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph F9F Cougar wave-off USS Lake Champlain (CVA-39) 1957 USN — U.S. Navy photo [1] from the USS Lake Champlain (CVA-39) 1957 cruise book available at Navysite.de — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph F9F-5s of VF-84 over USS Lake Champlanin (CVA-39) c1955 USN — U.S. Navy photo [1] from the USS Lake Champlain (CVA-39) 1954-55 cruise book available at Navysite.de — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph Overhead view of USS Lake Champlain (CVA-39) c1955 U.S. Navy — U.S. Navy photo [1] from the USS Lake Champlain (CVA-39) 1955-1956 cruise book available at Navysite.de — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph Piasecki HUP-2 Retriever (Bu128533) (50341630492) tormentor4555 — Piasecki HUP-2 Retriever (Bu128533) — PDM-owner — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph SH-3A Sea King over Gemini 2 spacecraft 1965 U.S. Navy — National Aeronautics and Space Administration photograph NH 97442 , from the collections of the Naval Historical Center — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph Sikorsky SH-3A Sea King hovers over USS Decatur (DD-936) during trials, 17 May 1961 (USN 710896) Unknown author — U.S. Navy photo USN 710896 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph US Sixth Fleet off Jordan in 1957 U.S. Navy — Official U.S. Navy photograph 80-G-K-22688 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph USS Lake Champlain (CV-39) at Norfolk VA 1945 U.S. Navy — U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo No. 1996.488.100.003 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph USS Lake Champlain (CV-39) underway 1954-55 U.S. Navy — U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo No. 1996.488.100.013 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph USS Lake Champlain (CV-39) underway at sea on 23 June 1945 (80-G-265465) Unknown author — U.S. Navy photo 80-G-265465 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph USS Lake Champlain (CVA-39) and USS Des Moines (CA-134) at Beirut, Lebanon, in October 1955 U.S. Navy — U.S. Navy photo [1] from the USS Des Moines (CA-134) 1955-1956 cruise book available at Navysite.de — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph USS Lake Champlain (CVA-39) at anchor in Aden harbour, 18 May 1953 (NH 95918) Unknown author — U.S. Navy photo NH 95918 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph USS Lake Champlain (CVA-39) off Korea 1953 USN — U.S. Navy photo [1] from the USS Boxer (CVA-21) 1953 cruise book available at Navysite.de — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons