USS Shangri-La (CV-38)

History of the USS Shangri-La Aircraft Carrier

The USS Shangri-La (CV-38) , nicknamed “Tokyo Express,” was ordered for the U.S. Navy during World War II. Her keel was laid down at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Virginia on Jan. 15, 1943. She was launched Feb. 24, 1944 and commissioned on Sept. 15, 1944 under the command of Capt. James D. Barner.

USS Shangri-La arrived at Pearl Harbor on Feb. 15, 1945, where she spent two months performing carrier qualifications. In April, she joined Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher’s Fast Carrier Task Force, joining Task Group 58.4. On April 25, she launched her first air strike against the Japanese at Okino Daito Jima. She then flew combat air patrols and provided close air support for operations at Okinawa until mid-May.

On May 18, 1945, the USS Shangri-La became the flagship of Vice Admiral John S. McCain, Sr., Commander Carrier Task Force 2. As part of Task Group 58.4, which became Task Group 38.4, she launched strikes against the Japanese home islands. Her air crew suffered heavy casualties as they met with strong resistance from the Japanese.

The carrier sailed northwest to avoid a typhoon on June 4 and 5, 1945 before returning the next day to provide close air support over Okinawa. She supported operations at Okinawa until June 10 when she moved to Leyte Gulf for upkeep and recreation. The carrier returned to battle on July 1, and she hosted the oath of office ceremony for Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Air John L. Sullivan the following day. This was the first time such a ceremony ever took place in a combat zone.

Throughout July and up until the Japanese surrender in August 1945, aircraft from the carrier conducted a series of air strikes against the home islands of Japan. She struck at Tokyo, Honshu, Hokkaido and Kure. After the surrender on Aug. 15, the aircraft carrier remained to patrol the waters around Honshu and drop supplies to POW camps.

After World War II, the USS Shangri-La operated out of San Diego for carrier qualifications. She took part in the atomic testing at Bikini Atoll called Operation Crossroads in May 1946. The aircraft carrier was decommissioned on Nov. 7, 1947, but she was recommissioned on May 10, 1951 under the command of Capt. Francis L. Busey.

In 1952, the USS Shangri-La was reclassified as an attack carrier, CVA-38. After conducting training exercises, she was decommissioned again to undergo modernization at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Washington from Nov. 14, 1952 until Jan. 10, 1955.

The carrier took part in training exercises and western Pacific deployments until 1960, when she sailed from San Diego to her new homeport in Mayport, Fla. She was deployed to the Atlantic Ocean to participate in NATO exercises. The carrier headed to the Caribbean when trouble began in Guatemala and Nicaragua, returning home on Nov. 25.

Until the 1970s, the USS Shangri-La operated out of Mayport and spent several deployments with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. She was accidentally rammed by destroyer USS Newman K. Perry during war games in 1965. No one on the carrier was injured, but the ship required extensive overhaul. She was redesignated as an antisubmarine warfare carrier, CVS-38, on June 30, 1969.

In 1970, the carrier joined Vietnam War operations and conducted combat sorties from April until November, with occasional logistics trips to Subic Bay. She returned home to be decommissioned on July 30, 1971. The aircraft carrier was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on July 15, 1982 and sold for scrap on Aug. 9, 1988. She earned two battle stars for her service in World War II and three battle stars in the Vietnam War.

Sadly, the use of asbestos was common in shipbuilding components for in the early 20th century because of its resistance to heat, fire, water and corrosion. Because of their asbestos exposure, many Navy veterans are at risk for developing asbestos cancers such as mesothelioma .

Sources include:

John Hedley-Whyte and Debra R Milamed, “Asbestos and Ship-Building: Fatal Consequences,” Ulster Med. J. 77(3):191-200 (Sep 2008)

U.S. Navy, A Brief History of Aircraft Carriers – USS Shangri-La