Historic aircraft carrier pays visit to N.Z.,

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32461, 23 November 1970, Page 1

Historic aircraft carrier pays visit to N.Z.,

(By

C. R. MENTIPLAY.

Wellington reporter of "The Preet" who travelled from Sydney in the Shangri-La)

WELLINGTON, November 22. The 43,000-ton United States aircraft-carrier Shangri-La steamed into Cook Strait at 25 knots today and anchored in the stream in Wellington Harbour soon afterwards.

A year after Pearl Harbour, when the news from the Pacific theatre was still unrelievedly bad, a famous air raid on Tokyo, led by Lieutenant - Colonel James Doolittle, was launched from the air-craft-carrier Hornet. To conceal this, President Roosevelt announced the raid as coming from Shangri-La (the mythical Asiatic Utopia of James Hilton’s novel, “Lost Horizon”). When the Hornet was later sunk in battle, a nation-wide war bond drive was held to replace her. The resulting Essex-type carrier was christened Shangri-La on February 24, 1944. The new ship fought out the rest of the war against Japan, took part in the Bikini atom bomb test in 1946, and has been involved in most of the wars since. She has been refitted several times, and has gained an angled flight-deck, steam catapults, and other modem features, which enabled her to have 75 aircraft in action. Ordered home But today, after more than 26 years of active life, the Shangri-La has been ordered home for “deactivation”— which can mean anything from mothballing to the breaker’s yard. She was withdrawn after some months of action in Vietnam, and will reach her home base of Mayport, on the Atlantic coast, on December 17.

Here a slight difficulty has , been encountered. Like other United States fleet carriers, ’ the Shangri-La is too wide to pass through the Panama Canal. Therefore she has to : go by Cape Hom to reach the Atlantic coast. She will I leave Wellington on Tuesday i morning for Rio de Janiero andhoffie. - It is possible that this will be the last homeward-bound , United States carrier to be ‘ seen in New Zealand waters. I Arrangements have been made for the Royal Australian NaVy, which has built up its fleet replenishment

capacity, to fuel at least one other big carrier at sea this

For operations in the Gulf of Tonkin tite role of the Shangri-La has been that of attack carrier. She has been using three squadrons of Skyhawk A 4 fighter bombers i of an earlier mark than that now in service in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and two squadrons of FBH Crusaders, as well as tanker aircraft. The Crusaders and tankers have left the ship to fly home separately to their base on the Pacific coast, but the single-engined Skyhawks are still with the ship. This means that the total complement has, been je.duced from 3300 to about 2500—which nevertheless is ' likfely to put considerable pressure on Wellington’s resources when leave is granted tomorrow. Skyhawks Present The ship is commanded by Captain Hoyt P. Maulden, himself a fighter pilot who qualified on Grumman Wildcats during World War n , and served in the Pacific ' theatre. He explained that ' the Skyhawks had been most > effective in interdiction i work in Vietnam. “One of our squadrons has the A4E, which is very simi- ’ lar to your A4M. The other two squadrons are A4Cs—--1 quite a bit older but still • very effective as an attack 1 plane. Your aircraft, of course, are fitted out so they 1 can. do both the fighter and J the'attack role. Your model ‘ of the A 4 is very versatile • indeed.” > An exchange of visits has : been arranged. A dozen ' American pilots will go to r Ohakea as guests of the New i Zealand Skyhawk pilots, r while some New Zealanders ‘ are expected to be guests of . the ship.

The recent operations have not been costless. In Vietnam waters the ship lost seven aircraft and three pilots. Other pilots were saved because of their upward ejecting seats, which enabled them to get clear of crashing aircraft as they went over the side. The Shangri-La is only half the displacement of-the nuclear powered U.S.S. Enterprise, but her original cost was $l3l million. Her physical fitness is indicated by the fact that she crossed the Tasman in moderate conditions in two days and a half at an average speed of 25 knots. Her running costs (including wkges) are assessed at $50,000 a day, and on each fortnightly payday, between $300,000 and $500,000 is handed out.