BYRD COMES NORTH

Wanganui Chronicle, 8 March 1947, Page 5

BYRD COMES NORTH

“OPERATION HIGH JUMP” BACK TO N.Z. FROM ANTARCTICA (Special) Wellington, March 7 Watchers at Wellington Heads just before sunrise to-day saw an unbroken wall of chilly sea-mist, stretching from one end of the strait to the other. In the early morning light it looked so much like a bank of snow cloud that it seemed as though the ships of the Byrd expedition had brought the Antarctic back with them. Then an ice-breaker broke through the mist, followed by two more ships, just before the sun rose and dispelled the iey illusion. The three ships, the Burton Island, the North Wind, and the flagship, Mount Olympus, had one of Wellington's most beautiful days to welcome them. The months of storm and ice and driving snow were ended. “Operation Highjump,” the name given to the U.S. navy’s Antarctic development project is scheduled to return to home ports in April. The first ships left United States ports on December 2, with 4000 men aboard, and in the past two months the expedition has completed extensive Polar training, scientific study, and discovery. Rear-Admiral Richard E. Byrd exercised over-all control of the operation. In tactical command of the task force is Rear-Admiral Richard H. Cruzen, U.S.N., Captain H. R. Horney, U.S.N., is chief of staff to Admiral Byrd, and chief of staff to Admiral Cruzen is Captain Robert S. Quackenbush, Jnr., U.S.N. Operating simultaneously, and nearly circumnavigating the Antarctic continent, the three main groups—central group, east group, and west group—penetrated deeply into previously unknown areas of Antarctica to accomplish their mission. The central group included the icebreakers Northwind and Burton Island, the cargo ships Yancey and Merrick, the submarine Sennet, and the flagship and headquarter ship, Mount Olympus. This group reached the Bay oi Whales on January 15, and the first working party went ashore on January 18. There, inside the bay on the Ross Shelf ice, the 200-man base camp, Little America IV, was constructed. Commanding officer of the base camp was Commander Clifford, M. Campbell, U.S.N. From this camp the six twin-engined R4D transport planes, launched from the carrier Philippine Sea on January 30, made 29 exploratory flights 2C of which were successful photographic missions. On one ot these flights, on February 16, Admiral Byrd made his second flight over the South Pole and dropped the flags of the United Nations.

On February 19, the icebreaker Burton Island, while serving as a weather reporting station, paid homage to Captain Robert Scott, by visiting his camp established in 1901-04, at Hut Point. Captain Scott’s camp appeared to be in surprisingly good condition. No attempt was made to enter the staled building. One trail party was sent out from the base camp under the leadership of Marine Captain Vernon D. Boyd, but was recalled after seven days. Using two LVT's (Alligators) and three cargo sleds, the party reared Mount Helen Washington, where a cache was established. The party, covering a total distance of 245 miles, was recalled because the need for assisting emergency plane landings in that area was reduced by completion of flights in that direction.

The emergency base, capable of subsisting a 35-man rescue group lor at least 18 months, was established according to operational plans at Little America H. Because no rescue operations were necessary’, the camp was not actually used. On February 6. as a safety precaution against the possible early consolidation of the icepack, the Mount Olympus, Merrick, and Yancey, guided by the icebreaker North Wind, left the Bay of Whales for Scott Island to await t he evacuation of the base await the evacuation of the base icepack the Merrick lost her rudder and was subsequently towed to Port Chalmers by the Northwind. The Burton Island returned from McMurdo Sound to the Bay of Whales, and on February 23 the base camp at Little America IV was evacuated as signs began to appear that the icepack was beginning to close in. With all personnel from the base camp aboard, the Burton Island left the Bay of Whales on February 27, and sailed north through the pack to rendezvous with the Mount Olympus at Scott Island. After the transfer of personnel to the Mount Olympus, the two ships sailed lor Wellington, where first liberty is to be enjoyed. The submarine Sennet, after an unsuccessful attempt to make her way through the icepack in company with the other ships of the Central Group, remained in the vicinity of Scott Island, where she conducted navigational operations. Upon completion of her assignments she departed for liberty ports and home. The North Wind was on her way back to the Bay of Whales from Dunedin, when Little America was evacuated. En route to Wellington with the other ships of (he central group, she visited the Antipodes Islands and left supplies for the emergency depot located there.

The east group, with the seaplane tender Pine Island, the destroyer Brovvnson, and the oiler Canisteo, under the command of Captain George J. Dufek, U.S.N., operated outside the icepack east of Little America and around a large portion of the continental coastline which lies within West longitude. , The Martin patrol bombers of ths group are credited with 137 hours of exploratory flight. Fourteen successful photographic missions obtained 15,000 aerial photos and 38,000 feet of moving pictures. It is estimated that 385,000 square miles of unknown areas were charted. It was from this group that three lives were lost on Decmber 30, when the P.B.M. went down on the tip of Thurston Peninsula. The loss of this plane limited the available aircraft tor flight operations to two. The east group terminated operations on March 2, due to adverse weather conditions, and sailed for Rio de Janeiro for six days’ liberty.

Tlie west group, composed of the seaplane tender Currituck, the destroyer Handerson, and the oiler Cacapon, under the command of Captain Charles A. Bond, U.S.N., conducted operations around a large portion of continental coastline which Itos within East longitude. The three P.B.M.s of this group flew a total of 220 hours, and made 35 flights. Of this number 26 were photographic, four weather, four ice reconnaissance, and one a lest flight.