6. The US Navy’s Contribution to Magic Carpet
The WSA’s supply of readily convertible cargo ships could not keep up with the demand of repatriating servicemen from both Europe and the Pacific. So the US Navy chipped in. In an act of improvisation, naval combat ships were designated as troop transports. Thus, by administrative fiat, the Navy diverted for use in Operation Magic Carpet battleships such as the Washington, West Virginia, and Maryland, and aircraft carriers such as the Enterprise, Saratoga, and the newly commissioned Lake Champlain. Aircraft carriers, with their massive and open hangar decks, proved well-suited for the task. Among such vessels, the Saratoga brought home a total of 29,204 troops during her Magic Carpet service – more than any other individual warship. Such naval giants were joined by numerous smaller vessels, ranging from cruisers to Landing Ship Tanks (LSTs) to destroyers.
