LAKE CHAMPLAIN (CV/CVA/CVS-39) Home Page

Dedicated to all those who served aboard "THE CHAMP"

2004 Reunion

Nashville, Holiday Inn on the Parkway, October 14th -> 17th

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UNDERWAY RE-FUELING

ORIGINALLY COMMISSIONED ON 6-3-45 AT THE NORFOLK NAVY SHIPYARD IN PORTSMOUTH VA. THE FIRST COMMANDING OFFICER WAS CAPT. LOGAN C. RAMSEY, USN. ON 7-1-45, CHAMP SAILED TO NAVAL STATION AT GUANTANAMO BAY CUBA WHERE SHE CONDUCTED HER SHAKEDOWN CRUISE. CHAMP DID NOT SEE COMBAT IN WW11 BUT DID PARTICIPATE IN THE MAGIC CARPET RUNS IN LATE 1945 RETURNING THE GI'S TO CONTINENTAL US AFTER THE END OF WW11. SHE MADE FOUR SEPARATE RUNS RETURNING A TOTAL OF 19,259 GI'S. IN NOVEMBER 1945,ON ONE OF THE ATLANTIC CROSSING RUNS, CHAMP SET A RECORD OF 4 DAYS, 8 HOURS, AND 51 MINUTES FOR ONE CROSSING WHICH HELD UNTIL 1952, WHEN A COMMERCIAL OCEAN LINER SET A NEW RECORD. CHAMP WAS DE-COMMISSIONED ON FEB 17, 1947 AND WAS RETIRED TO THE ATLANTIC RESERVE FLEET.
ON 9-19-52, THE CHAMP WAS RE-COMMISSIONED AS CVA-39 (ATTACK AIRCRAFT CARRIER). UPON BEING RECOMMISSIONED, CHAMP RECEIVED THE SCB-27A IMPROVEMENT AND MODERNIZATION PROGRAM WHERE THE ISLAND STRUCTURE WAS STREAMLINED, THE 5 INCH GUN TURRETS ON THE FLIGHT DECK FORE AND AFT OF THE ISLAND STRUCTURE WERE REMOVED AND NUMEROUS DUAL MOUNTED 3IN 50 GUNS WERE ADDED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE SHIP. FIVE INCH GUNS WERE ADDED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE SHIP JUST BELOW FLIGHT DECK LEVEL. CHAMP WAS TO RECEIVE NO FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS AND REMAINED A STRAIGHT DECK CARRIER FOR THE REMAINDER OF HER CAREER
SHE WENT TO NAVAL STATION AT GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA FOR HER SHAKEDOWN CRUISE IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 1952 WITH A PARTIAL AIR GROUP EMBARKED CONSISTING OF VF-22, VF-103 AND VF-104. VF-22 FLEW THE F2H-2 BANSHEE AND VF-103 AND VF-104 BOTH FLEW THE FG1-D CORSAIR. UPON RETURN TO CONUS, THE CHAMP WAS ASSIGNED TO THE MAYPORT, FLA NAVAL STATION AND WAS TO BE HOME-PORTED AT THAT LOCATION UNTIL 1959.

FLIGHT DECK SPOTTED FOR LAUNCH
IN APRIL 1953, CHAMP WITH CARRIER AIR GROUP 4 EMBARKED, DEPARTED MAYPORT FOR A KOREAN WAR CRUISE. AIR GROUP 4 INCLUDED VF-22, VF-62, VF-44, VA-45, AND DETACHMENTS FROM VC-12, VC-4, VC-62 , VC-33, AND HU-2. VF-44 WAS TRANSFERRED TO USS BOXER AND VF-111 WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE CHAMP FROM THE BOXER AFTER WE ARRIVED ON THE LINE IN KOREA. CHAMP THUSLY BECAME ONE OF THE FEW CARRIERS IN THE KOREAN WAR TO OPERATE WITH THREE JET SQUADRONS. VF-22 AND VF-62 FLEW THE F2H-2 BANSHEES, VF-111 FLEW THE F9F-5 PANTHERS, VF-44 FLEW THE F4U-4 CORSAIRS, VA-45 FLEW THE AD-4B SKYRAIDERS, VC-12 FLEW THE AD-4W SKYRAIDERS (GUPPY VERSION), VC-33 FLEW AD-4N SKYRAIDERS (NIGHT ATTACK VERSION), VC-4 FLEW THE F2H-2B BANSHEES AND THE F3-D SKYNIGHTS AND VC-62 FLEW THE F2H-2P PHOTO BANSHEES. HU-2 FLEW THE H03S-1 HELICOPTER
AFTER THE ATLANTIC CROSSING AND TRANSITING THE MEDITERRANEAN, THE CHAMP CALLED AT ATHENS GREECE, THEN TRANSITED THE SUEZ CANAL AND THE RED SEA, MADE A REFUELING STOP AT ADEN, ARABIA, AND THEN TRANSITED THE INDIAN OCEAN BEFORE MAKING A CALL AT COLOMBO, CEYLON. UPON LEAVING COLOMBO, CHAMP TRANSITED THE STRAITS OF MALACCA AND PROCEEDED SOUTHWARD TO A POINT SOUTH OF THE EQUATOR WHERE THE AGE OLD "EQUATOR CROSSING" CELEBRATION WAS HELD. KING NEPTUNE AND HIS CREW HAD A "FIELD DAY" AS THERE WERE NUMEROUS "POLYWOGS" TO BE INITIATED.
UPON COMPLETION OF THE CELEBRATION, CHAMP STEAMED NORTHWARD MAKING A CALL IN MANILA IN THE PHILLIPINES. OUR STAY AT MANILA WAS SHORTENED BY SEVERAL DAYS DUE TO AN ONCOMING TYPHOON. CHAMP THEN STEAMED FURTHER NORTHWARD AND ARRIVED AT THE NAVAL STATION IN YOKOSUKA, JAPAN IN EARLY JUNE. AFTER A SHORT STAY OF SEVERAL DAYS, CHAMP THEN HEADED FOR THE COMBAT ZONE ON THE LINE OFF THE COAST OF KOREA TO JOIN TASK FORCE "77". THE "CHAMP" SERVED AS THE FLAGSHIP FOR TF 77. SHE MADE HER FIRST COMBAT LAUNCH ON JUNE 13TH. FROM THAT DATE UNTIL THE SIGNING OF THE TRUCE ON JULY 27, 1953, CHAMP LAUNCHED HUNDREDS OF COMBAT SORTIES IN SUPPORT OF THE UN GROUND FORCES DURING THAT PERIOD. THERE WERE SEVERAL LOSSES OF AIRCRAFT AND AIRCREW IN THAT SHORT PERIOD.
IN OCTOBER OF 1953, CHAMP MADE A LIBERTY CALL TO THE PORT OF HONG KONG WHICH LASTED FOR 7 DAYS AND WHICH WAS THOROUGHLY ENJOYED BY ALL HANDS. IN LATE OCTOBER, CHAMP LEFT YOKOSUKA FOR HOME RETRACING HER TRIP OVER SIX MONTHS PREVIOUSLY. CALLS WERE MADE AT SINGAPORE, COLOMBO, CEYLON, CANNES, FRANCE AND LISBON, PORTUGAL WITH CHAMP FINALLY ARRIVING AT MAYPORT FLA ON DEC 4 1953.

VF-22 BANSHEE AIRCRAFT FLYING OVER MT FUJIYAMA
CHAMP REMAINED IN THE ATLANTIC FLEET AS A CVA MAKING NUMEROUS TRIPS TO THE CARIBBEAN AND THE MEDITERRANEAN FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS. CHAMP MADE MED CRUISES FOR THE FOLLOWING PERIODS: SEPT OF 54 TO APRIL OF 55, AUGUST OF 55 TO MARCH OF 56 AND JANUARY OF 57 TO JULY OF 57.
SHE WAS DESIGNATED A CVS (ANTI-SUBMARINE WARFARE CARRIER) ON 8-1-57. IN 1959, CHAMP WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE NAVAL AIR STATION AT QUONSET PT, R.I. AND WAS TO REMAIN HOME-PORTED AT THAT LOCATION UNTIL DECOMMISSIONING IN 1966.
SHE MADE NUMEROUS TRIPS TO POINTS ON THE EASTERN SEABOARD, PORTS IN THE CARIBBEAN, AND BERMUDA. IN LATE 64, CHAMP PROVIDED AN ASW SCREEN FOR AN AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT FORCE WHILE CROSSING THE ATLANTIC. UPON COMPLETION OF THAT TASK, CHAMP MADE PORT CALLS AT BARCELONA, SPAIN AND GIBRALTAR.
HER ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER INCLUDED PARTICIPATION IN THE KOREAN WAR AND THE CUBAN BLOCKADE IN 1962. SHE WAS ALSO THE RECOVERY SHIP FOR THE FIRST AMERICAN ASTRONAUT - ALAN SHEPHARD, AND THE GEMINI V SPACE SHOT WITH ASTRONAUTS PETE CONRAD AND GORDON COOPER. THE GEMINI V RECOVERY CRUISE WAS THE LAST MAJOR DEPLOYMENT FOR THE CHAMP.
CHAMP WAS INVOLVED IN SEVERAL MISHAPS DURING HER ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER. ON THE FIRST DAY ON THE LINE IN KOREA, A VF-22 BANSHEE HAD ONE 20MM CANNON MISFIRE ON THE FLIGHT DECK WHICH RESULTED IN A SERIOUS FIRE WHERE SEVERAL AIRCRAFT WERE BADLY DAMAGED. LUCKILY, THERE WERE NO INJURIES ON THIS OCCASION.
ON JULY 3, 1957, WHILE ANCHORED IN MARSEILLE, FRANCE, CHAMP WAS INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS FIRE WITH AN ALONGSIDE FUEL LIGHTER. CHAMP SUFFERED SEVERE DAMAGE AND SEVERAL CREW MEMBERS AND FRENCH CIVILIANS LOST THEIR LIVES.
IN LATE MAY 1964, CHAMP WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION WITH THE USS STEPHEN DECATUR WHILE RE-FUELLING THAT SHIP. THE DECATUR HAD A STEERING CASUALTY WHILE EXITING THE RE-FUELING AREA AND WAS SWEPT INTO THE FORWARD STARBOARD SIDE OF THE CHAMP BY HEAVY SEAS AND SUFFERED SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE EXTENT THAT THE BRIDGE, SUPERSTRUCTURE,AND THE TWO STACKS WERE SWEPT OFF THE SHIP. CHAMP SUFFERED MINOR SUPERFICIAL DAMAGE TO UPPER HULL AND FLIGHT DECK CATWALKS. THERE WERE NO INJURIES ABOARD THE CHAMP AND ONE CREWMAN ABOARD THE DECATUR SUFFERED A MINOR INJURY. DECATUR WAS ABLE TO RETURN TO NOB NORFOLK UNDER HER OWN POWER, UNDERWENT REPAIRS AND WAS DE-COMMISSIONED TO BE LATER RE-COMMISSIONED. CHAMP WENT INTO THE BOSTON NAVY SHIPYARD AND HAD HER DAMAGE REPAIRED.
IN JUNE 64, CHAMP LEFT QUONSET PT R.I. AND PROCEEDED TO ANNAPOLIS MD TO PICK UP MIDSHIPMEN FOR A MIDDIE CRUISE TO THE NORTH ATLANTIC. WHILE PROCEEDING UP CHESAPEAKE BAY AT 3:30AM IN HEAVY FOG, CHAMP WAS STRUCK BY A NORWEGIAN ORE SHIP ON THE STARBOARD SIDE CAUSING A LARGE GASH IN THE SHIP'S HULL BELOW THE WATER LINE. THIS COLLISION RESULTED IN THE MIDDIE CRUISE BEING CANCELLED AND CHAMP SPENT THE ENTIRE SUMMER OF 1964 IN THE PORTSMOUTH VA NAVAL SHIPYARD HAVING THE DAMAGE REPAIRED. AGAIN, THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUFFERED BY THE CHAMP CREWMEN. USS ESSEX (CVS-9) TOOK THE MIDDIE CRUISE FOR US AND BY ALL REPORTS, IT WAS A GREAT CRUISE, WITH PORT CALLS IN LE HAVRE, FRANCE, ROTTERDAM, HOLLAND AND COPENHAGEN, DENMARK.
CHAMP WAS DECOMMISSIONED ON MAY 2,1966, STRICKEN FROM NAVY RECORDS ON 12-1-69 AND WAS SOLD FOR SCRAP IN 1973. THIS FINE SHIP HOLDS MANY MEMORIES FOR MANY PEOPLE AND WILL BE FONDLY REMEMBERED BY ALL. WE SALUTE YOU USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN, CV-CVA-CVS-39 - "THE STRAIGHTEST AND THE GREATEST"

CHAMP OPERATING AS A CVS
USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN ASSOCIATION
THERE IS CURRENTLY A LAKE CHAMPLAIN ASSOCIATION OF WHICH ALL FORMER CHAMP CREWMAN ARE ELIGIBLE FOR MEMBERSHIP. ANY FORMER CREW MEMBER WHO IS NOT ALREADY A MEMBER WHO IS INTERESTED IN JOINING THE ASSOCIATION MAY CONTACT:
MR. DON SCOTT - ASSOCIATION SECRETARY
345 SOUTH OAK ST
COTTAGE HILLS, ILLINOIS, 62018
PHONE - 1-618-259-5773