The USS Shangri-La (CV/CVA/CVS-38) was a distinguished Essex-class aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, notable for its extensive service during and after World War II. As a "long-hull" Essex-class vessel, she was laid down at the Norfolk Navy Yard on 15 January 1943, launched on 24 February 1944, and commissioned on 15 September 1944. The ship measured approximately 872 feet in length and was equipped with a flight deck designed for launching and recovering aircraft, featuring an angled flight deck after her 1950s modernization, which improved operational capabilities. During World War II, Shangri-La participated actively in the Pacific Theater, earning two battle stars. Her service included launching strikes against Japanese targets, providing combat air patrols, and supporting landings during the Okinawa campaign. She notably took part in bombing Tokyo and other Japanese cities in the final months of the war, contributing to the Allied victory in the Pacific. After the war, she was decommissioned in 1947 but was later recommissioned in 1951 following modernization efforts. Reclassified as an attack carrier (CVA-38) in 1952, she underwent significant upgrades at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, including the addition of an angled flight deck and twin steam catapults. She resumed active service in 1955, operating out of both the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets, with deployments to the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. Her role evolved further in the 1960s, and in 1969 she was redesignated as an anti-submarine carrier (CVS-38). Shangri-La saw combat service during the Vietnam War, earning three additional battle stars. Her operational history includes participation in NATO exercises, Mediterranean deployments, and Yankee Station missions in the western Pacific. She collided with a destroyer in 1965 but was repaired and continued service. The carrier was decommissioned on 30 July 1971, after nearly three decades of distinguished service. She was sold for scrap in 1988, but her legacy persists through memorials, including her bell now displayed at Jacksonville University, and one of her propellers located in Delaware. The USS Shangri-La remains a significant symbol of U.S. naval aviation history.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.