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USS Shangri-La (CV/CVA/CVS-38) was one of 24 s completed during or shortly after World War II for the United States Navy.

Commissioned in 1944 and named after the mythical paradise of the same name, Shangri-La participated in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations in World War II, earning two battle stars. Like many of her sister ships, she was decommissioned shortly after the end of the war, but was modernized and recommissioned in the early 1950s, and redesignated as an attack carrier (CVA). She operated in both the Pacific and Atlantic / Mediterranean for several years, and late in her career was redesignated as an anti-submarine carrier (CVS). She earned three battle stars for service in the Vietnam War.

Shangri-La was decommissioned in 1971 and sold for scrap in 1988.

Name

The naming of the ship was a radical departure from the general practice of the time, which was to name aircraft carriers after battles or previous US Navy ships. After the Doolittle Raid, launched from the aircraft carrier , President Roosevelt answered a reporter's question by saying that the raid had been launched from "Shangri-La", the fictional faraway land of the James Hilton novel Lost Horizon.

Construction and commissioning

Shangri-La was one of the "long-hull" Essex-class ships. She was laid down by the Norfolk Navy Yard, at Portsmouth, Virginia, on 15 January 1943, and was launched on 24 February 1944, sponsored by Josephine Doolittle (wife of Jimmy Doolittle). Shangri-La was commissioned on 15 September 1944.

Service history

World War II

thumb|left|Josephine Doolittle names Shangri-La at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, 24 February 1944Shangri-La completed fitting out at Norfolk and took her shakedown cruise to Trinidad, between 15 September and 21 December 1944, at which time she returned to Norfolk. On 17 January 1945, she stood out of Hampton Roads, formed up with large cruiser and destroyer , and sailed for Panama. The three ships arrived at Cristobal, Panama Canal Zone on 23 January and transited the canal the next day. Shangri-La departed from Balboa on 25 January and arrived at San Diego, California, on 4 February. There she loaded passengers, stores, and extra planes for transit to Hawaii and got underway on 7 February. Upon her arrival at Pearl Harbor on 15 February, she commenced two months of duty, qualifying land-based Navy pilots in carrier landings.) operational U.S. carrier with an angled flight deck. She conducted intensive fleet training for the remainder of 1955, then deployed to the Far East on 5 January 1956. Until 1960, she alternated western Pacific cruises with operations out of San Diego. On 16 March 1960, she put to sea from San Diego en route to her new home port, Mayport, Florida. She entered Mayport after visits to Callao, Peru; Valparaíso, Chile; Port of Spain, Trinidad; Bayonne, New Jersey; and Norfolk, Virginia. The ship itself suffered a bent hull. There were no casualties on the carrier and the hole was quickly patched at sea by the crew of the tender ship . As a result of this incident, Shangri-La underwent an extensive overhaul during the winter of 1965 and the spring of 1966, this time at Philadelphia, then resumed operations as before. On 30 June 1969, she was redesignated an antisubmarine warfare carrier (CVS-38).

One of Shangri-Las four propellers is on display outside Meding's Seafood in Milford, Delaware.

On 6 September 2017, USS Shangri-Las bell was placed on display at Jacksonville University NROTC Building as a permanent loan. The bell was found by a farmer in his field at Hudson, Florida, in June 2017. He notified the USS Shangri La Reunion Group, who repaired and restored the bell before loaning it to the NROTC unit.

Awards

Shangri-La earned two battle stars for World War II service and three battle stars for service in the Vietnam War.

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|colspan="6"| Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation

|colspan="6"| Navy Expeditionary Medal

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|colspan="4"|American Campaign Medal

|colspan="4"|Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal<br>(2 battle stars )

|colspan="4"|World War II Victory Medal

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|colspan="4"|Navy Occupation Medal<br>(with Asia clasp)

|colspan="4"|China Service Medal<br>(extended)

|colspan="4"|National Defense Service Medal<br>(twice)

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|colspan="4"|Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

|colspan="4"|Vietnam Service Medal<br>(3 battle stars)

|colspan="4"|Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

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File:USS Shangri-La (CV-38) underway at sea, circa in January 1945.jpg|Shangri-La in January 1945

File:USS Shangri-La (CV-38) Sydney 1947.jpg|Shangri-La in Sydney, 1947

File:USS Shangri-La (CVA-38) aft view c1957.jpg|Shangri-La in January 1957

File:F9F-8 of VA-63 after barrier landing on USS Shangri-La (CVA-39) c1957.jpg|F9F-8 Cougar of VA-63 after barrier landing on Shangri-La in 1957

File:A-4C of VA-12 launching from USS Shangri-La (CVA-38) 1970.jpg|A-4C of VA-12 launching from Shangri-La in 1970

File:UH-2C of HC-2 on USS Shangri-La (CVA-38) in 1970.jpg|UH-2C of HC-2 on Shangri-La in 1970

</gallery>

See also

  • List of aircraft carriers

References

  • USS Shangri-La Reunion Association homepage
  • Naval History and Heritage Command
  • NavSource - USS Shangri-La