HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. Two crewmen were killed instantly when they were thrown through the propeller blades. Flying out ahead of the icebreakers to search for clear passages through the ice, the helicopters served as the eyes of the fleet. In 1947, as a result of his daring flight, Adm. Richard Byrd left Base Camp Arctic and went north. This was done by establishing permanently occupied bases, carrying out administrative activities such as postal services and undertaking scientific research. However on March 3 1947, the squadron was attacked by the. Two helicopters would be lost during Operation Highjump. As the weather closed in the next day, the remaining four R4Ds followed and reached the base with only an hour to spare before conditions deteriorated. Lieutenant Jim Cornish had the honor of flying the first helicopter in and out of Little America IV. According to people who knew him, he never fully recovered from the time alone on ice in 1934. On January 1, 1947, Lieutenant Commander Thompson and Chief Petty Officer John Marion Dickison [4] utilized "Jack Browne" masks and DESCO oxygen rebreathers to log the first dive by Americans under the Antarctic. The operation also involved several Sikorsky HO3S-1 helicopters, capable of a carrying a pilot, three passengers and cargo, with a 360-mile range. With the assistance of nearly 5000 U.S. military personnel, as well as every resource available to the Navy, the U.S. military performed Operation Highjump (OpHJP). Operation Tabarin was the code name for a secret British expedition to the Antarctic during World War Two, operational 1943-46.Conducted by the Admiralty on behalf of the Colonial Office, its primary objective was to strengthen British claims to sovereignty of the British territory of the Falkland Islands Dependencies (FID), to which Argentina and Chile had made counter claims since the . Determining the feasibility of establishing, maintaining, and utilizing bases in the Antarctic and investigating possible base sites; Developing techniques for establishing, maintaining, and utilizing, Amplifying existing stores of knowledge of, This page was last edited on 1 May 2023, at 22:14. According to the documents, a few prototypes were constructed but later disappeared under mysterious circumstances. [14] In 2007 a group called the George One Recovery Team was unsuccessful in trying to get direct military involvement and raise extensive funds from the United States Congress to try and find the bodies of the three men killed in the crash. The media covered the Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition nearly as thoroughly as the first, but the men from Little America broadcast the radio programs that were played throughout American homes. A rumor has it that the US government dispatched its troops to the South Pole to look for evidence of the German Base 211. Operation Tabarin veterans Reece, White and Russell remained at their bases and continued their work for the FIDS. William Scoresby proceeded through the sea ice and landed a reconnoitering party, but, though urged to follow, the Fitzroy's captain, Keith Pitt, and Captain David Roberts (a representative of the Falkland Islands Company), decided they could not risk the ship. The pilot was rescued but the accident was indicative of the hard lessons learned by pilots and crew in the early days of helicopters. To send an email, enter your email address below. [3], The expedition was relieved in March 1946 by members of the newly formed Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS). [55] The William Scoresby and Fitzroy left the new base on 17 February for Base B, Deception Island, before visiting Signy Island, arriving on 20th. Numerous accounts, in-depth investigations, and genuine testimonies from those who have encountered UFOs come together to explore the enigmatic realm of ufology. In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance. Later on the British expedition paid the Argentine meteorological station on Laurie Island a courtesy visit. In addition, as an island location, it was inferior to Hope Bay, on the Peninsula mainland, from the perspective of strengthening British sovereignty, though this was somewhat mitigated by it being so well known. Training personnel and testing equipment in frigid conditions while also making weapons and snow vehicles. He was formally involved after Feb 1944, when he took up a post at the Foreign Office Research Department. The Eastern, Western and Central group ships departed at different intervals and ports on both coasts. [18], The expedition code name 'Tabarin' was acknowledged in October when departments within the Admiralty were informed,[24] though it is likely to have been in use earlier. Operation HIGHJUMP, officially titled The United States Navy Antarctic Developments Program, 19461947, (also called Task Force 68), was a United States Navy (USN) operation to establish the Antarctic research base Little America IV. Charles W. Thomas, USCG, Commanding, Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film, "Scientific Diving Under Ice: A 40-Year Bipolar Research Tool", "Operation Highjump: The Great Antarctic Expedition", "Operation Highjump: A Philatelic Introduction", "Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature", "Declassified Records on Operation Highjump", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Operation_Highjump&oldid=1152719615, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the United States Coast Guard, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. [38], On 12 November 1943 Bransfield finally sailed from Tilbury, joining a small coastal convoy bound for Falmouth. Why are humans not allowed to explore Antarctica? Facing the prospect of an emergency landing and difficult rescue, Byrd ordered any item that was not bolted down thrown out of the aircraft, save for the photographic material. Based on those documents, we decided to design our own flying saucer with some balance changes. The resupply of the bases included men, supplies and equipment, together with 25 sledge dogs to extend field work on the mainland of the Antarctic Peninsula. [12], Rear Admiral Richard H. Cruzen, USN, Commanding, Rear Admiral Richard H. Cruzen, USN, Commanding Officer, Rear Adm. Richard E. Byrd, Jr. USN, (Ret), Officer in Charge, Capt. The third, Brian Roberts, was an ornithologist on the British Graham Land Expedition, who was working with Wordie in the Admiralty Intelligence Department on cold-climate clothing and equipment. This victory was a key turning point in the war, and ultimately led to the Allied victory. On December 30, 1946, the Martin PBM-5 George 1 crashed on Thurston Island killing Ensign Maxwell A. Lopez, ARM1 Wendell K. Henderson, and ARM1 Frederick W. Williams. A variety of science and mapping work was carried out. A plaque honoring the three killed crewmen was later erected at the McMurdo Station research base,[13] and Mount Lopez on Thurston Island was named in honor of killed airman Maxwell A. Lopez. Indeed, Operation Highjump had suffered many casualties as stated in initial press reports from Chile. M/S Stars and Stripes flag being hoisted over the frozen wastes.Date given on old record is 19/05/1947. This operation was a follow up to the First Antarctica Development Project known as Operation Highjump. Instead it became involved in what is known as an ice blink, with streams of snow reflecting the sunshine and making it difficult to seesimilar to the reflections experienced while driving a car at night through a snowstorm. A second Mariner suffered damage to its nose. L/S one of the ships of the task force. According to legend, he was the first to reach the North and South Poles via airplane. A full programme of science and mapping was undertaken. Aircraft reconnaissance began near Antarctica at the end of January 1947, mostly in the northern area around Queen Maud Land and covered more than 22,000 air kilometers as well as capturing more than 70,000 photographs. An aircraft marked the route with orange flags and then proceeded to parachute drop food, medicine and other supplies. Besides conducting reconnaissance, each was large enough to undertake rescue operations. These and Vance N. Woodall, who died on January 21, 1947, were the only fatalities during Operation HIGHJUMP. Finally a search plane spotted burned wreckage and men on the ground. With its vast mineral deposits amid largely unexplored territory, Antarctica was considered a promising potential repository of those vital resources. exopolitics.org. Instead there was a destroyer named Maddox (DD-731), but it did not serve in Operation Highjump. The HO3S-1 was lost but Dufek and the pilot were saved before freezing to death in the frigid water. That is fact. In 1947, Admiral Richard E. Byrd led 4,000 military troops from the U.S., Britain and Australia in an invasion of Antarctica called "Operation Highjump", and at least one follow-up expedition. At Deception Island upper air observations were made using meteorological balloons. Had the Task Group penetrated the pack without eyes it would have arrived too late in the season to establish a base; then conduct an aerophotographic exploration of a hidden continent. However, in 1930, Byrd and his team were stranded in Antarctica for several months after their plane crashed. An extraordinary 2006 Russian documentary was recently translated into English revealing new information about a US Navy Antarctica expedition in 1946/47. Previously classified files on the mysterious Byrd led naval expedition to Antarctica were released by the KGB following the Soviet Unions collapse in 1991. Chile organized its First Chilean Antarctic Expedition in 19471948. Upon reaching the Ross Ice Shelf, the Central Group ships would disgorge the small aircraft, ice vehicles, supplies, tents and sled dogs. Because of harsh conditions, extreme weather, and a lack of permanent residents on the continent, there are no regular passenger flights to Antarctica. Actually there were at least three American destroyers known by that name (DD-168, DD-622 and DD-731) all of them contemporaneous. [82], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}6449S 6331W / 64.817S 63.517W / -64.817; -63.517. [57], William Scoresby visited Base A twice more before winter set in. So too, the Maddox cited by Soviet espionage was similarly consigned to an official memory hole. In the German archives, our researchers found drawings of the flying saucers series, with innovative electromagnetic gravity engines. Admiral Byrds statements were published in the Chilean Press but never publicly confirmed by US authorities. In the circumstances of war and time constraints it was difficult to find a ship built to navigate through sea ice and with sufficient cargo capacity. Task Force 68 consisted of three separate naval groups, each with a specific mission. The surviving six crew members were rescued 13days later, including aviation radioman James H. Robbins and co-pilot William Kearns. In September a party of four, man hauling two sledges, undertook a topographic survey of Wiencke Island over 25 days, in challenging terrain and poor weather conditions. Tabarin's existence became known to the outside world through a BBC announcement and press releases on 24 April. The helicopters and PBMs also flew photo missions along the coasts. [81], Port Lockroy made the first measurements of the ionosphere and the first recording of an atmospheric whistler (electronic waves). Other operations would follow, including the U.S. Navys Operation Windmill in 1947-48, and eventually treaties were signed by all involved nations to ensure that Antarctica remained a nonmilitary zone. To suit the balance, the flying saucers will be the size of destroyers. However, on March 3 1947, the squadron was attacked by the enemy and forced to flee. Anubis Alkesh and Death Gliders were besieged by Jack ONeills F-302 fighter-interceptors as SG-1 and Bratac were being protected by Prometheus and Jack ONeills F-302 fighter-interceptors. The world' s first known battle between the United States military and an unknown UFO fleet based near Antarctica very likely occurred in 1947, and the general public has never learned about it until now. Were the UFOs protecting the retreating Nazis and/or their own presence in Antarctica? Writers Harvey S. Haislip William C. Park Stars Robert Montgomery Robert Taylor Van Heflin See production, box office & company info Add to Watchlist 11 User reviews Conducted by the Admiralty on behalf of the Colonial Office, its primary objective was to strengthen British claims to sovereignty of the British territory of the Falkland Islands Dependencies (FID), to which Argentina and Chile had made counter claims since the outbreak of war. [43] The Fitzroy had already collected the cargo carried to Montevideo on other vessels. Even so, 60 minutes of prep time was required to heat the fuel, oil, engine and remove any ice from the rotor blades prior to a mission. There has been no torpedo boat named Maddox in the US Navy. A base hut was built on Coronation Island, South Orkney Islands (Base C) but not occupied. The early Haunebu was 25 meters in diameter, held a team of 8 people, could reach a speed of 4,800 km/h, and its operation time was 18 hours. Task Forces went to Antarctica to destroy the remaining bases of the Fourth Reich and capture a new unique armament - flying saucers. These souvenir philatelic covers are readily available at low cost. Norwegian trawlers in the area reported the ice to be the heaviest in more than 40 years. Then the men would move inland to establish Little America IV, headquarters for Byrd and his six R4Ds. He dropped a small American flag on the pole, and the explorers rode their horses back to Little America, where they landed safely at 10:31 a.m. Other articles where Operation High Jump is discussed: Antarctica: Technological advancements in exploration: Byrd's fourth expedition, called "Operation Highjump," in the summer of 1946-47, was the most massive sea and air operation theretofore attempted in Antarctica. [2], In the Antarctic summer of 1944/45, Captain Andrew Taylor became leader, following the resignation of Marr due to ill health. During the early 1940s, the US Navy embarked on a mission to survey and map the Antarctic coast. The six aircraft disappeared. The Central Group was the command center for the operation. During the mode, 12 ships are to be faced with flying saucers. Consider that in 1946-47, a new chamber was built in the heart of the majestic admirals chamber. HIGHJUMP's objectives, according to the U.S. Navy report of the operation, were:[3]. [15][18][23] Mackintosh prepared a detailed scientific programme for the shore parties. Farrington - senior wireless operator mechanic, Andrew Taylor expedition commander, base leader, surveyor, Thomas Donnachie wireless operator mechanic, This page was last edited on 26 April 2023, at 15:27. George 1s radioman Wendell Henderson, flight engineer Frederick Williams and navigator Maxwell Lopez had been killed. The intelligence report, gathered from Soviet spies embedded in the US, revealed that the US Navy had sent the military expedition to find and destroy a hidden Nazi base. Falkland Island stamps overprinted with the inscription "Graham Land, Dependency of" were used. [5] Paul Siple was the senior U.S. War Department representative on the expedition. In other words, the Central Group would have been obliged to turn about and get out of the pack before being able to erect Little America No. Develop techniques for establishing and maintaining air bases in Antarctic. The carrier was the last to arrive due to the construction of the base and airfield. The Naval expedition was headed by famed polar explore Admiral Richard Byrd, who had been ordered to: to consolidate and extend American sovereignty over the largest practical area of the Antarctic continent. Byrds expedition ended after only 8 weeks with many fatalities according to initial news reports based on interviews with crew members who spoke to the press while passing through Chilean ports. Follow for the best reads from the historians behind World of Warships the free-to-play naval warfare game. [79], Among other accomplishments, it brought Chilean President Gabriel Gonzlez Videla to inaugurate one of its bases personally, and he thereby became the first head of state to set foot on the continent. Port Lockroy was designated a Historic Site or Monument (HSM 61) and is now a museum following a proposal by the United Kingdom to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting. The tail, wings and midsection of each aircraft were painted with bright orange stripes for enhanced visibility in case they went down on the ice. Soon the process began to shut down the operation and leave before the full force of winter set in. [41] Waiting for them, to replace Bransfield, was HMS William Scoresby. In his report, Northwinds commander, Captain Charles W. Thomas, emphasized, Helicopter best piece of equipment ever carried on ice vessels. He further noted that In a well organized ice convoy, the commander needs to know what his ships will encounter within the next day.Hence helicopter reconnaissance within a radius of twenty five miles was essential.Battering a track through 650 miles of ice in eighteen days would not have been possible without helicopter reconnaissance. The operation involved significant planning and equipment, from gloves, coats and provisions to tiny snow boots to protect sled dogs paws, and even a Christmas tree and Santa Claus suit since the ships would be at sea on December 25. Operation "High Jump", which was, basically an invasion of the Antarctic, consisted of three Naval battle groups, which departed Norfolk, VA, on . Released in movie theaters as The Secret Land, it won the 1948 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. An aircraft [Martin flying-boat] from the Currituck that took off just a few moments later was struck with an unknown type of ray from the object, and almost instantly crashed into the sea near our vessel.