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Saga of the US Navy's Last Operational Axial Flight Deck Aircraft Carrier BY

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Saga of the US Navy's Last Operational Axial Flight Deck Aircraft Carrier BY ike many Sailors, I was in One of the last built of the 24 Soviet ships involved were Atlantic and train with the rest the “Champ,” the first as a Dixon, the popular clairvoyant the Navy for a considerable Essex-class carriers, she also taken by her air group. of the task group, was shared by ready room messenger and the of the time — so it was reported Lamount of time — almost had another distinction: She In 1965, when I reported to two other air groups out of rest as a plane captain on the — predicted on the night of 31 two-years — before I finally was the last operational straight my squadron, she still had not Quonset Point — one embarked flight deck. The highlight of March/1 April 1966, a US Navy reported for sea duty: Boot (axial) deck carrier in the Navy. been modernized. She really aboard the USS Essex (CVS-9) her life at that time was the carrier operating off the east camp at Great Lakes, crash She had been slated for a major didn’t need the steam catapults, also home ported there, and the recovery of astronauts Charles coast of the United States crew duty in Pensacola, and overhaul to upgrade to steam for the fixed wing aircraft she other aboard the USS Wasp Conrad and Gordon Cooper would be lost with almost all electronics school at NATTC catapults, angled deck, and carried, twin-engine Grumman (CVS-18), out of Boston. We from the Gemini 5 space hands (we had a crew of Memphis before reporting to Air many other improvements that S2F Trackers and single-engine would rotate being at sea, mission on 29 August 1965. approximately 2500 when the Anti-submarine Squadron 22 went to other operational radar bearing Douglas picking up our destroyer escort A year would pass, and then air group was embarked). She (VS-22) at Quonset Point, Rhode sisters of her class. She was Skyraiders, did not require out of Newport on the way out would come one of our most could not positively identify the Island, which was a part of about to depart for the them. If the truth were known, the Narragansett River, and memorable cruises. A few days carrier, except to report it had Carrier Air Group 54 that Brooklyn Navy Yard when she she was probably already slated forming up before we sailed, Jeane two hull numbers, the first she operated off the “Champ,” the was suddenly prepared for sea for retirement — for the newer with two sub- couldn’t make out but the USS Lake Champlain (CVS-39). and headed south to join the S-2Es coming into service, marines seconded ended in “9.” In the naval block- heavier and larger versions of as well. Atlantic Fleet at that time (as ade off the Tracker, would probably I would far as we knew) there was only Cuba during have not operated off her deck. make a one such ship, the USS Lake the missile Our mission, to perform anti- number Champlain (CVS-39)! crisis. A number of submarine patrols searching for of cru- pictures shown nationally of the Soviet submarines in the North ises on Flight jacket patch for the “Champ.” Her deck loaded with Sikorsky helicopters, radar-carrying Skyraiders, and Grumman S2F Trackers, USS Lake Champlain sails through the Atlantic on a 1 July 1969 Cold War anti- submarine patrol. Saga of the US Navy’s last operational axial flight deck aircraft carrier BY ROGER H. NORRIS During the Korean War, CVA-39 saw considerable action and two of her McDonnell Banshees were photographed over Hungnam, North Korea, on 26 July 1953, the day before the Korean armistice took effect. 20 SEA CLASSICS/July 2019 seaclassicsnow.com 21.
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