Lake Champlain (CV 39) - Naval Cruise Book

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However, V-J Day found the ship in the Naval Shipyard at Norfolk receiving final material adjustments and stores prior to our schedulgi departure for the Pacific. Under the circumstances, a letdown in your ship spirit might have been expected. Frankly, I feared that the advent of peace might result in an increase in minor disciplinary infractions. Instead, I am proud and happy to say that, even today, ninety-five percent of you have clear conduct records. Nor has any one been able to detect any decrease in your devotion to duty, despite your natural desire to rejoin your families and return to civilian life. Following our shakedown, your courtesy to our quarter million civilian visitors last' September won many friends for U.S.S. Lake Champlain and the United States Navy. Then, when we were assigned to the Magic Carpet, twenty thousand Army men were brought home. On one of these trips, Lake Champlain broke all speed records for an ocean crossing and now holds the Blue Ribbon of the Atlantic. Despite the discomfort and overcrowding, this crew willingly worked many extra hours to ensure the comfort and well being of our Army guests. Although we were scheduled to proceed to the West Coast, the Magic Carpet was destined to be our last task in the active fleet. We are now engaged in the sad task of laying up and preserving this home of ours. Although her service has been moderate, she is just one year old, and is in perfect material condition, economy has dictated the inactiva- tion of the ship. While we cannot but deplore this necessity, we can be glad that the prospects of a lasting and world wide peace are sufficiently rosy to justify this placing of Lake Champlain in a state of suspended animation. V A year ago, during the commissioning' ceremony I stated that, as your commanding officer, I faced the future with pride in this 'mag- nificent ship of ours and confidence in you-its crew. Time has proven that pride and confidence fully justified, for both ship and crew have accomplished efficiently every task assigned them. And if U.S.S. Lake Champlain is ever needed for the combat she never met during this war, I could ask for no higher privilege than to be reassigned as her captain and to be shipmates with you again. Good bye, good luck, and may God bless you. LooAN RAMSEY, Captain, U. S. Navy, Commanding.

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X THE CAPTAIN A lyearcyfago, when U.S.S. Lake Champlain was commissioned, toldtlis crew that it was our job to learn to live and work together, in order that we be able to fight the ship effectively in the battles that loomed ahead. few knew how near was the final victory, and we 'wercgfgdefjlnitely scheiduled to participate in the next major operation- the initialsinvasionfofihe Japanese homeland. - 'x, J in Our shakedowniiwas completed while the war was still being fought, and wetof Lake Champlain have a justifiable pride in the results we accomplished during that period. We flew more hours, landed, catapulted, and flew off more aircraft, fired more gunnery practices, and steamed more miles than had been accomplished during the shakedown of any previous Essex class carrier. On the basis of our oflicial inspection, Lake Champlain was outstanding in ability to control and repair battle damage. We were ready.. g

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OUR AIRCRAFT OVER NEW YORK R a We, the plank owners of the Air Department, will never forget the Great Lake. Many of 'us had never had sea duty, and many of those that did, had never gone through a shakedown cruise, but we of the Air Department knew what our assignment was and we did it well. Our records show that we made the most efficient shakedown ever made at that time, breaking many records, and setting a goal for future ships to aim at. v i V Upon commissioning of the U.S.S. LAKE Cl-IAMPLAIN the Air Department was organized into six groups, namely V-1, Flight Division which consisted of arresting gear and catapult men, plane handling crews, whose job was to spot the deck and prepare the machinery for catapulting before the ship was ready to launch the planes 'on their assigned mission, V-2, Maintenance Division, whose job was to keep the planes repaired and in flying condition, V-3, Combat Information Divi- sion, whose job was to keep communication with the planes while in flight and keep up to date, information on the position of the enemy, V-4, Ordnance Division, whose job it was to arm the planes with bombs, rockets, and other ammunition, along with the fueling 'of the aircraft,