The Bellingshausen-Amundsen Sea Venture'
xploratnomi of Bellingshausen Area Mode
'Grasshopper' Is
Planted on Shore;
Teams Start Work
(Editor! noit: This ii another installment in the account
of an Antarctica expedition in which Herb Grey, Mail Tri
bune advertising manager, wai an observer. Today'i
article discusses the expedition's stay in the Bellingshausen
sea area, and messages of congratulations on the accomplishment.)
By HERB GREY
Mail Tribune Advertising Manager
The following day, Tuesday, Feb. 16, the Navy-NSF Deep
Freeze 60 expedition cruised east along the ice shelf as a
bright polar sun occasionally pierced the overcast and squalls.
Old hands in this part of the world had predicted that it
would take 10 days to penetrate the 80-mile ice pack. It had
been accomplished in 24 hours!
That evening, the Glacier's larger helicopter piloted by
Lt. Comdr. William Kannheiser and co-pilot Sam Rocray flew
through snow flurries and fog to plant a rocket-shaped, battery-charged
instrument called a "Grasshopper" on shore.
Transmit Temperature
This Buck-Rogers-type instrument would automatically
transmit temperature, wind velocity and barometric pres
sure for a period of from three to four months. Photographer's
Mate Robert Henry, Electronics Technician Stephen Sikirski
and Charles Wagoner were on this grasshopper hop.
Progress eastward was halted 50 miles down the coast by
heavy packs of ice, piled high in the vicinity of Fletcher
island as shown on current maps. Prevailing winds noted by
Artowski when beset with the Belgica 62 years ago had
built an impassable ice barrier.
Here the Glacier jammed her nose into an ice pack, open
water and towering icebergs nearby. A big moon, high in
the cold Antarctic twilight, turned the snowfields and ice
bergs to shimmering silver. A little band of penguins stood
silent guard through the night.
The following day, Feb. 17, saw the Glacier's scientific
teams go into action, scurrying out in helicopters and the
ship's Greenland cruiser to explore the mysteries of this
unknown land.
The major reconnaissance
flight, employing two helicop
ters, took Commodore Mc
Donald and a small party ap
proximately 75 miles along
the Bellingshausen sea coast
to see if open water might be
reached along the Eights
coast to the east.
- Oblique aerial photographs
were taken to supplement ex
isting vertical "shots" se
cured on previous flights over
this area. Many deep bays not
yet mapped made it more cer
tain that Thurston peninsula
is not a peninsula at all, but
instead an island or one of a
group of islands with Pea
cock bay ice extending north
east through to Bellingshau
sen sea.
Seems Hopeless
Because it seemed hopeless
to reach open water along the
Eights coast, it was decided to
expend major scientific and
engineering efforts during
the ensuing two or three
weeks in the adjacent Amund
sen sea.
It was during the afternoon
of this day that Bob Miller of
United Press International
and I made the first press
flight over this intriguing and
forbidding Bellingshausen sea
area with Lt. (jg) Sam Rocray
at the controls of the HUL. As
T. J. Baranski, AD2, waved
us into the air with his green
flag, the little orange helicop
ter dipped gracefully toward
the ice, then high into a soft
pastel-blue sky. Visibility was
almost unlimited. .
As far as we could see, un
til the distant horizon melted
into a low hanging bank of
clouds far to the left, there
was ice everywhere, some in
fantastic futuristic shapes,
some spread like frosting on
a great cake as it covered
sweeping hills, more like
giant ice cubes which, from
the sky, appeared like those
in the refrigerator at home.
Smothered in Mantle
We swept up over five jag
ged humps smothered in a
Section B
Medford
Pages 1-6
Tribune
MEDFORD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1960
mantle of ice and snow. This
was probably Durstin island,
first sighted on a flight from
the USS Bear over this area
1040 and named by Ad
miral Byrd for a member of
his expedition. The low-lying
hills beyond seemed to form
a great bay not shown on the
map.
The tiny dot, the shadow of
our helicopter skimming over
the glistening ice below, be
came larger as Pilot Rocray
swooped down along the
coastline where great masses
of towering ice spilled onto
the ice pack and spawned
new icebergs. Deep crevasses
were close, in all their trans
lucent beauty - elusive sap
phire hues changing into the
deepest indigo blue as we
gazed down into semingly
bottomless depths.
Far in the distance appear
ed the Glacier like a tiny toy,
snug alongside an ice pack
and dwaried by nearby ice
bergs. Softly we landed on
the ship's llight deck after
covering several thousand
square miles of wild, lonely
land. Scott or Shackleton
would have faced many long
weeks of toil and hardship to
cover, with dog and pony
sleds or snow tractors, the
area we saw on this flight.
Some of tiie key expanse
would have been impassable.
'Big Eye' No Bother
The "Big Eye," the polar
name for insomnia, did not
bother us. Winter in the Ant
arctic is fast approaching and
already the nights assumed a
subdued twilight dimness. On
board ship, however, it was
no problem to shut out the
light and get a good night's
sleep. Port holes had to be
covered for the evening
movie show so that all might
see news reels showing the
1958 All-Americau football
selections, the last summer
big league games and Ken
tucky Derby. Fast-shooting
Western six-gun thrillers
were most popular.
Cold winds off the Antarc
tic continent shifted around
east the next day, Feb. 18. It
jammed the pack ice into
solid masses and formed high
pressure ridges. Scientific ex
cursions and helicopter flights
were impossible as the ships
backtracked westward to
ward the tip of Thurston
island and Amundsen sea
around it.
Bulldozing her way
through heavy ice, the Gla
ciers' progress was suddenly
halted. Lieut. Roy Gadberry
reported the ship's spring
propellor shaft bearing on the
port side had burned out.
More than half of the 21.000
horsepower was gone and
every one was neded in this
ice.
A 'round the clock shift im
mediately went into action,
under the supervision of ma
chinist Kenneth Fritsche, to
replace this 1.200 pound
bearing. A difficult task at
sea!
Apprehension Apparent
During this enforced tem
porary besetmcnt, with snow
falling on icebergs and pack
ice, the apprehension of the
crew was apparent. Rumors
were rampant. Many were
convinced that the Glacier
and Burton Island were fac
ing the fate of the Belgica
near these water back in
1898. Smiles appeared the fol.
lowing Sunday, however,
when bearing tests proved
successful and the ice-crushing
course was resumed.
In these polar waters the
sky becomes a giant mir
ror to show, with reasonable
accuracy, what lies ahead. A
glow across the horizon, call
ed a "blink," means pack ice
ahead; dark clouds in the
distance point the way to
open water.
After punching through ice
for miles, there was a "water
sky" ahead for the Glacier
on that day. This time the
promise was fulfilled; the sun
was setting as we emerged
into an expanse of shimmer
ing gold that was ice-free
water. The Burton Island lay
silently off the port bow, that
evening a "painted ship upon
a painted ocean."
Meanwhile the .officers and
men on board the Glacier and
Burton Island were elated
when messages of congratula
tions began to crackle over
the ships' wireless. Here are
a few of them, directed to
Admiral Tyree and relayed to
our icebreakers:
"The penetration to the
Bellingshausen sea by ships
of your command is one of
the great accomplishments
in the exploration of Ant
arctica. It is an outstanding
example of the spirit and
daring which make the
Navy of ours the greatest
in the world. Congratula
tions to you and all the
others who, under your
leadship, made this historic
voyage a possibility. Capt.
McDonald and all those
with him, a hearty well
' done, good luck and good
sailing."
Arleigh Burke, ADM. USN
Chief of Naval Operations
"The penetration of Bell
ingshausen sea by ships of
your command is an his
toric peacetime achieve
ment .... please extend
my congratulations to those
who have participated in
this mission, under your
leadership they have
achieved their goal through
. .
GRASSHOPPER PLANTED Above is a
reproduction of a painting by Arthur Beau
mont, combat artist, of scientists and Navy
personnel installing a "Grasshopper" dur
ing Operation Deep Freeze 60 earlier this
WV. ft " t
year. The instrument automatically trans
mits temperature, wind velocity and baro
metric pressure for a period of from three
to four months.
(Official Navy Photo)
f aw, nsy ' '
5 y ' t , , ... . . .
i
" - -
careful planning, skillful
operation and integrated ef
forts and they have carried
our flag to one of the last
unknown areas of the
earth."
Office of the Secretary of
Defense.
"To Captain McDonald
and the men of his com
mand heartiest congratula
tions and well done on your
outstanding achievement in
penetrating the Belling
shausen sea. The Atlantic
Fleet takes pride in your
accomplishment."
Jerauld Wright. ADM.,
USN, U. S. Atlantic Fleet
"Since my recent enlight
ening visit to Antarctica. I
consider myself to be on
your muster list as a fellow
penguin and I have found a
keener and more profound
understanding of the ar
duous conditions and hard
ships which are endured by
your men. Their efforts, I
know, will continue to in
crease our knowledge for
mankind of these strange
and mysterious continents.
This fact is exemplified by
the recent successful probe
into the far unknown
reaches of the Bellingshau
sen sea by units of your
command. Please convey
my sincere congratulations
and best wishes for contin
ued smooth sailing to Capt,
McDonald and all hands for
their superb and historic
accomplishment."
Herbert G. Hopwood, Rear
Admiral USN.
Commander-in-Chief, Pa
cific Fleet
Capt. Solyankik. flag cap
tain of the USSR whaling
fleet, also noted the success
of the U.S. Task Force in
this expedition with this
wireless message to Comdr.
Philip Porter, Jr., skipper of
the Glacier:
"W i r m nt congratula
tions on successfully carry
ing out Antarctic opera
tions. Please radio informa
tion about ice conditions in
Ross, Amundsen and Bell
ingshausen Seas. If you en
countered whales please let
me know."
The Glacier's captain sent
this acknowledgement to the
Soviets:
"Thank you for your
kind message. Northeast
wind has pressurized the
heavy pack leaving no exit
in our area. There is a not
able lack of marine and
bird life here. We saw a
few whales north of 70 and
one south. Best hunting to
you and your crews."
Eager for any news of the
outside world, the officers
and men of the Glacier and
Burton Island were enthused
over the announcement via
short wave radio that a son
was born to Queen Elizabeth
of Great Britain. In recog
nition of this historic event,
Capt. McDonald, command of
Task Force 43.3.1 sent the
following wireless message to
Her Majesty.
"From the Antarctic
shores of the Bellingshau
sen sea. first penetrated this
week, the scientists, officers
and men of the U.S. Navy
Ships Glacier and Burton
Island send their heartiest
congratulations to Her Ma
jesty Queen Elisabeth II on
the birth of a son and ex
tend to the Royal Family
their best wishes for a long
and happy life."
And, from Buckingham
Palace came the acknow
ledgement: "The Queen and Duke of
Edinborough sincerely
thank you and your ships'
companies for your kind
message of congratulations
on the birth of a son to Her
Majesty and His Royal
Highness."
ICE SHELF The towering ice shelf as viewed from the
Icebreaker, USS Glacier, in the Bellingshausen sea during
Operation Deep Freeze BO this winter. This is the first lime
In history the waters have been penetrated and this portion
of the coast seen. Landings were made on the ice and land
and, near this point, a "Grasshopper" automatic meteoro
logical station, was established. (Official Navy Photo)
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