Submarines Meet Under North Pole

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29909, 24 August 1962, Page 11

Submarines Meet Under North Pole

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) WASHINGTON, August 22. President Kennedy today disclosed a “historic rendezvous” between two United States atomic submarines under the North Pole.

The demonstration could carry great significance in any future war in the Arctic no-man’s-land lying between North America and the Soviet Union, the Associated Press said. The President, announcing the rendezvous at his press conference, said it was an “exceptional tactical feat.” His reference appeared to be to ship-against-ship operations engaged in by the two submarines in an anti-sub-marine warfare exercise carried out in connexion with the rendezvous. The submarines were the Skate, which left a Connecticut port on July 7 and the Seadragon, which sailed from Pearl Harbour on July 12. They met under the pole on July 31. The two are now on their way to the United States. Both submarines are veterans of previous polar trips. The Skate was the first submarine to surface at the North Pole on March 17. 1959 The Seadragon, in transferring from the Atlantic to the Pacific Fleet in August, 1960, travelled by way of the North Pole. The rendezvous and anteceremonial parties, including flag-bearing colour guards, were landed on the ice. Crew members visited each other and took a “walk around the world” on the ice at the spot marking the top of the earth. It was the first time that the United States Navy has sent two submarines under the Arctic ice at the same time, although single-sub-marine operations have been carried out several times.

Russian submarines are known to have made similar polar expeditions, according to United Press International.

These operations have some military significance in that American missile-firing submarines operating in the

polar region would be capable of firing missiles into Soviet territory. Similarly Russian submarines so equipped also would be able to bit the North American continent.

The Skate and Seadragon did not carry any missiles on their trip.