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{{short description|US Navy operation to establish an Antarctic research base}}
[[Image:Sennet1946.jpg|thumb|[[USS Sennet (SS-408)|USS ''Sennet'' (SS-408)]] participating in ''Operation Highjump'']]
[[File:USS Sennet (SS-408) in Antartica 1947.jpg|thumb|300px|{{USS|Sennet|SS-408|6}} (right), a {{sclass|Balao|submarine|1}}, participating in Operation Highjump]]
'''Operation Highjump (OpHjp)''', officially titled '''The United States Navy Antarctic Developments Program, 1946-1947''', was a [[United States Navy]] operation organized by RADM [[Richard Evelyn Byrd|Richard E. Byrd]] Jr. USN, (Ret), Officer in Charge, Task Force 68, and led by RADM Richard H. Cruzen, USN, Commanding Officer, Task Force 68. Operation Highjump commenced 26 August 1946 and ended in late February 1947, six months earlier than planned due to an early onset of the Antarctica winter. Task Force 68 included 4,700 men, 13 ships, and multiple aircraft. The primary mission of Operation Highjump was to establish the [[Antarctic]] research base [[Little America]] IV.


'''Operation HIGHJUMP''', officially titled '''The United States Navy Antarctic Developments Program, 1946–1947''', (also called '''Task Force 68'''), was a [[United States Navy]] (USN) operation to establish the [[Antarctic]] research base [[Little America (exploration base)|Little America]] IV.<ref name=Kearns>{{cite book|last=Kearns|first=David A.|title=Where Hell Freezes Over: A Story of Amazing Bravery and Survival|year=2005|publisher=Thomas Dunne Books|location=New York|isbn=0-312-34205-5|url=https://archive.org/details/wherehellfreezes00davi|url-access=registration|chapter=Operation Highjump: Task Force 68}}</ref><ref name="Polar Record 43">{{cite journal|author1=Summerhayes, C. |author2=Beeching, P. |title=Hitler's Antarctic base: the myth and the reality|journal= [[Polar Record]] |volume=43 |issue=224|pages= 1–21|doi=10.1017/S003224740600578X|year=2007|bibcode=2007PoRec..43....1S |s2cid=27749390 }}</ref> The operation was organized by [[Rear admiral (United States)#Rear admiral|Rear Admiral]] [[Richard E. Byrd]], Jr., USN, Officer in Charge, Task Force 68, and led by Rear Admiral [[Ethan Erik Larson]], USN, Commanding Officer, Task Force 68. Operation HIGHJUMP commenced 26 August 1946 and ended in late February 1947. Task Force 68 included 4,700 men, 70 ships, and 33 aircraft.
Highjump’s objectives, according to the US Navy report of the operation, were:
# training personnel and testing equipment in frigid conditions;
# consolidating and extending United States sovereignty over the largest practicable area of the [[Antarctic]] continent (This was publicly denied as a goal even before the expedition ended);
# determining the feasibility of establishing, maintaining and utilising bases in the Antarctic and investigating possible base sites;
# developing techniques for establishing, maintaining and utilising air bases on ice, with particular attention to later applicability of such techniques to operations in interior [[Greenland]], where conditions are comparable to those in the Antarctic;
# amplifying existing stores of knowledge of hydrographic, geographic, geological, meteorological and electro-magnetic propagation conditions in the area;
# supplementary objectives of the Nanook expedition. (The Nanook operation was a smaller equivalent conducted off eastern Greenland.)<ref>Summerhayes, C. & Beeching, P. "Hitler’s Antarctic base: the myth and the reality", Polar Record 43 (224):1–21 (2007) doi:10.1017/S003224740600578X, p.14</ref>


HIGHJUMP's objectives, according to the U.S. Navy report of the operation, were:<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Americans in Antarctica 1775–1948|last=Bertrand|first=Kenneth John|publisher=American Geographical Society|year=1971|location=New York|page=485}}</ref>

# Training personnel and testing equipment in frigid conditions;
# Consolidating and extending the United States' sovereignty over the largest practicable area of the [[Antarctic]] continent (publicly denied as a goal before the expedition ended);<ref name=":0" />
# Determining the feasibility of establishing, maintaining, and utilizing bases in the Antarctic and investigating possible base sites;
# Developing techniques for establishing, maintaining, and utilizing [[air base]]s on ice, with particular attention to later applicability of such techniques to operations in interior [[Greenland]], where conditions are comparable to those in the Antarctic;
# Amplifying existing stores of knowledge of [[Electromagnetism|electromagnetic]], [[Geology|geological]], [[Geography|geographic]], [[Hydrography|hydrographic]], and [[Meteorology|meteorological]] propagation conditions in the area;
# Supplementary objectives of the [[Operation Nanook (1946)|Nanook]] expedition (a smaller equivalent conducted off eastern Greenland).<ref name="Polar Record 43"/>


==Timeline==
==Timeline==
{{Antarctic expeditions sidebar}}
{{Antarctic expeditions sidebar}}
The Western Group of ships reached the [[Marquesas Islands]] on December 12, 1946, whereupon the [[USS Henderson (DD-785)|''Henderson'']] and [[USS Cacapon (AO-52)|''Cacapon'']] set up weather monitoring stations. By the 24th, the [[USS Currituck (AV-7)|''Currituck'']] had begun launching aircraft on reconnaissance missions.
The Western Group of ships reached the [[Marquesas Islands]] on December 12, 1946, whereupon the [[USS Henderson (DD-785)|USS ''Henderson'']] and [[USS Cacapon (AO-52)|USS ''Cacapon'']] set up weather monitoring stations. By December 24, the [[USS Currituck (AV-7)|USS ''Currituck'']] had begun launching aircraft on reconnaissance missions.


The Eastern Group of ships reached [[Peter I Island]] in late December 1946.
The Eastern Group of ships reached [[Peter I Island]] in late December 1946.


On December 30, 1946, the [[Martin PBM Mariner|Martin PBM-5]] ''George 1'' crashed on [[Thurston Island]] killing Ensign Maxwell A. Lopez, ARM1 Wendell K. Henderson, and ARM1 Frederick W. Williams. The other 6 crew members were rescued 13 days later. These and Vance N. Woodall, who died on January 21, 1947, were the only fatalities during Operation HIGHJUMP.
On January 1, 1947, LCDR Thompson and Chief Petty Officer Dixon utilized "Jack Browne" [[Diving mask|masks]] and [[DESCO]] Oxygen [[rebreather]]s to log the first [[Ice diving|dive]] by Americans under the Antarctic.<ref name=Lang2009_SI>{{cite journal |author=Lang, Michael A and Robbins Ron |title=Scientific Diving Under Ice: A 40-Year Bipolar Research Tool. |journal=In: Krupnik, I; Lang, MA; Miller, SE (eds). 2009. Smithsonian at the Poles: contributions to international Polar Year science. |year=2009 |pages=241–52 |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/8965 |accessdate=2011-01-01}}</ref> [[Paul A. Siple|Paul Allman Siple, PhD]] was the senior U.S. War Department representative on the expedition. Dr. Siple was the same Eagle Scout who accompanied Admiral Byrd on the previous Byrd Antarctic expeditions.


On January 1, 1947, [[Lieutenant commander|Lieutenant Commander]] Thompson and [[Chief petty officer|Chief Petty Officer]] John Marion Dickison <ref>Diving Under Antarctic Ice: A History Peter Brueggeman</ref> utilized "Jack Browne" [[Diving mask|masks]] and [[DESCO]] oxygen [[rebreather]]s to log the first [[Ice diving|dive]] by Americans under the Antarctic.<ref name=Lang2009_SI>{{cite journal |author1=Lang, Michael A. |author2=Robbins, Ron |title=Scientific Diving Under Ice: A 40-Year Bipolar Research Tool. |journal=In: Krupnik, I; Lang, MA; Miller, SE (Eds). 2009. Smithsonian at the Poles: Contributions to International Polar Year Science. |year=2009 |pages=241–52 |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/8965 |access-date=2011-01-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928042715/http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/xmlui/handle/123456789/8965 |archive-date=2012-09-28 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> [[Paul Siple]] was the senior U.S. War Department representative on the expedition. Siple was the same [[Eagle Scout]] who accompanied Byrd on the previous Byrd Antarctic expeditions.<ref name="SipleEagle">{{cite web |url=http://www.south-pole.com/p0000111.htm |quote=Paul Allman Siple saw the first light of day on December 18, 1908, in Montpelier, Ohio. ... |title=Paul A. Siple |publisher=South-Pole.com |access-date=2015-06-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924104040/http://www.south-pole.com/p0000111.htm |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name="ISCAJ">{{cite journal |last=Dubill |first=Andy |title=Paul Siple |journal=International Scouting Collector's Association Journal |publisher=International Scouting Collector's Association |volume= 8|issue=4 |date=December 2008 |pages=45–46}}</ref>
==Human losses==
On December 30, 1946, aviation radiomen Wendell K. Hendersin, Fredrick W. Williams, and Ensign Maxwell A. Lopez were killed when their [[PBM Mariner]] ''George 1'' [[1946 Antarctica PBM Mariner crash|crashed]] during a blizzard. The surviving six crewmembers, including Aviation Radioman James H. Robbins and co-pilot William Kearns, were rescued 13 days later. A plaque was later erected at the [[McMurdo Station]] research base, honoring the three killed crewmen.


The Central Group of ships reached the [[Bay of Whales]] on January 15, 1947, where they began construction of [[Little America (exploration base)|Little America IV]].<ref name="SP1">{{cite web|title=Operation Highjump: The Great Antarctic Expedition|url=http://www.south-pole.com/p0000152.htm|website=South-Pole|access-date=5 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180316164106/http://www.south-pole.com/p0000152.htm|archive-date=16 March 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
In December 2004, an attempt was made to locate the remains of the plane.<ref>[http://www.antarcticconnection.com/antarctic/news/2004/020705thurston.shtml News Archives from Antarctica - An<!-- bot-generated title -->] at www.antarcticconnection.com</ref> There are ongoing efforts to repatriate the bodies of the three men killed in the crash <ref>[http://www.george1recovery.org/ George One Operation Highjump Crew Recovery]</ref> Killed airman Maxwell A. Lopez had a mountain named in his honour after his death, [[Mount Lopez]] on [[Thurston Island]].


Naval ships and personnel were withdrawn back to the United States in late February 1947, and the expedition was terminated due to the early approach of winter and worsening weather conditions.<ref name="Polar Record 43 224">{{Cite journal|doi=10.1017/S003224740600578X|title=Hitler's Antarctic base: The myth and the reality|year=2007|last1=Summerhayes|first1=Colin|last2=Beeching|first2=Peter|journal=Polar Record|volume=43|pages=1–21|bibcode=2007PoRec..43....1S |s2cid=27749390 }}</ref>
Additionally, Vance N. Woodall died during a "ship unloading accident" sometime after December 30, 1946. In a crew profile, deckman Edward Beardsley described his worst memory as "when Seaman Vance Woodall died on the Ross Ice Shelf under a piece of roller equipment designed to "pave" the ice to build an airstrip."


Byrd discussed the lessons learned from the operation in an interview with Lee van Atta of [[International News Service]] held aboard the expedition's command ship, the [[USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8)|USS ''Mount Olympus'']]. The interview appeared in the Wednesday, March 5, 1947, edition of the Chilean newspaper ''[[El Mercurio]]'' and read in part as follows:
==Afterwards==
[[William Menster|Father William Menster]] served as [[chaplain]] during the expedition. He became the first member of the clergy to visit the continent, and in a service in 1947 he consecrated Antarctica.


<blockquote>Admiral Richard E. Byrd warned today that the United States should adopt measures of protection against the possibility of an invasion of the country by hostile planes coming from the polar regions. The admiral explained that he was not trying to scare anyone, but the cruel reality is that in case of a new war, the United States could be attacked by planes flying over one or both poles. This statement was made as part of a recapitulation of his own polar experience, in an exclusive interview with International News Service. Talking about the recently completed expedition, Byrd said that the most important result of his observations and discoveries is the potential effect that they have in relation to the security of the United States. The fantastic speed with which the world is shrinking – recalled the admiral – is one of the most important lessons learned during his recent Antarctic exploration. I have to warn my compatriots that the time has ended when we were able to take refuge in our isolation and rely on the certainty that the distances, the oceans, and the poles were a guarantee of safety.<ref name="Polar Record 43"/><ref>{{Cite news|title=A bordo del Monte Olimpo en Alta Mar|newspaper=[[El Mercurio]]|location=[[Santiago, Chile|Santiago]]| language=es| date=March 5, 1947}}</ref></blockquote>
The Central Group of ships reached the [[Bay of Whales]] on January 15, 1947, where they constructed temporary [[runway]]s along the glaciers, in a base dubbed ''Little America IV''.


After the operation ended, a follow-up [[Operation Windmill]] returned to the area in order to provide ground-truthing to the aerial photography of HIGHJUMP from 1947 to 1948. [[Finn Ronne]] also financed a [[Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition|private operation]] to the same territory until 1948.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition|url=http://www.ronneantarcticexplorers.com/ronne_antarctic_research_expedition.htm|website=Ronne Antarctic Explorers|access-date=5 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170225022601/http://www.ronneantarcticexplorers.com/ronne_antarctic_research_expedition.htm|archive-date=25 February 2017|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
Naval ships and personnel were withdrawn back to the United States in late February 1947 and the expedition was terminated, due to the early approach of winter and worsening weather conditions (Summerhayes & Beeching, 2007, p.15-16).


As with other U.S. Antarctic expeditions, interested persons were allowed to send letters with enclosed envelopes to the base, where commemorative [[cachet]]s were added to their enclosures, which were then returned to the senders. These souvenir [[philatelic cover]]s are readily available at low cost. It is estimated that at least 150,000 such envelopes were produced, though their final number may be considerably higher.<ref>{{cite web|title=Operation Highjump: A Philatelic Introduction|url=http://www.south-pole.com/highjump.htm|website=South Pole|access-date=5 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180520223419/http://www.south-pole.com/highjump.htm|archive-date=20 May 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
Admiral Byrd in an interview with Lee van Atta of [[International News Service]] aboard the expeditions command ship, the [[USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8)|USS Mount Olympus]], discussed the lessons learned from the Operation. The interview appeared in the Wednesday, March 5, 1947 edition of the Chilean newspaper ''[[El Mercurio]]'', and read in part as follows:
‘Admiral Richard E. Byrd warned today that the United States should adopt measures of protection against the possibility of an invasion of the country by hostile planes coming from the polar regions. The Admiral explained that he was not trying to scare anyone, but the cruel reality is that in case of a new war, the United States could be attacked by planes flying over one or both poles. This statement was made as part of a recapitulation of his own polar experience, in an exclusive interview with International News Service. Talking about the recently completed expedition, Byrd said that the most important result of his observations and discoveries is the potential effect that they have in relation to the security of the United States. The fantastic speed with which the world is shrinking – recalled the Admiral – is one of the most important lessons learned during his recent Antarctic exploration. I have to warn my compatriots that the time has ended when we were able to take refuge in our isolation and rely on the certainty that the distances, the oceans, and the poles were a guarantee of safety.’ <ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|coauthors=|title=A bordo del Monte Olimpo en Alta Mar|newspaper=[[El Mercurio]]|location=[[Santiago, Chile|Santiago]]|pages=|language=Spanish|publisher=|date=March 5, 1947|url=|accessdate=}}</ref><ref>Summerhayes & Beeching 2007, p.17</ref>


==Participating units==
After the operation ended, a follow-up [[Operation Windmill]] returned to the area, in order to provide ground-truthing to the aerial photography of Highjump. [[Finn Ronne]] also financed a private operation to the same territory, until 1948.
[[File:US Navy Antarctic Expedition Helicopter returns from survey of South Pole waters. The Coast Guard helicopter is shown... - NARA - 196475.jpg|thumb|[[Sikorsky R-4]] helicopter landing on icebreaker [[USCGC Northwind (WAGB-282)|USCGC ''Northwind'']] during Operation Highjump]]


;Task Force 68
As with other U.S. Antarctic expeditions, interested persons were allowed to send letters with enclosed envelopes to the base. Here commemorative [[cachet]]s were added to their enclosures which were then returned to the senders. These souvenir [[philatelic cover]]s are readily available at low cost.
Rear Admiral [[Richard H. Cruzen]], USN, Commanding


;Eastern Group (Task Group 68.3)<ref name=Kearns/>
==In popular culture==
Capt. [[George J. Dufek]], USN, Commanding
{{Multiple Issues|section=y|unreferenced=March 2011 |expand = March 2011 |notable=March 2011 |unencyclopedic = March 2011}}
* [[USS Pine Island (AV-12)|Seaplane Tender USS ''Pine Island'']]. Capt. Henry H. Caldwell, USN, Commanding
Operation Highjump has become a topic among UFO conspiracy theorists, who claim it was a covert US military operation to conquer alleged secret underground Nazi facilities in Antarctica and capture the German [[Vril]] [[Nazi UFOs|flying discs]], or [[Thule Society|Thule]] mercury-powered spaceship prototypes. This has been the central theme of [[Bob Mayer|Robert Doherty]]'s "[[Area 51 novels|Area 51]]" series of novels.
* [[USS Brownson (DD-868)|Destroyer USS ''Brownson'']]. Cdr. H.M.S. Gimber, USN, Commanding
* [[USS Canisteo (AO-99)|Tanker USS ''Canisteo'']]. Capt. Edward K. Walker, USN, Commanding


;Western Group (Task Group 68.1)
An [[Esoteric Hitlerism|esoteric Hitlerist]] legend recounts that Adolf Hitler did not commit suicide in 1945, but fled to Argentina, then to an SS base under the ice in [[New Swabia]] during the early 1950s where he resumed his career as a painter. According to this account, Operation Highjump, the largest expedition mounted to the Antarctic, is claimed to have been sent to wipe out the Nazi presence.
Capt. [[Charles A. Bond]], USN, Commanding
* [[USS Currituck (AV-7)|Seaplane Tender USS ''Currituck'']]. Capt. John E. Clark, USN, Commanding
* [[USS Henderson (DD-785)|Destroyer USS ''Henderson'']]. Capt. C.F. Bailey, USN, Commanding
* [[USS Cacapon (AO-52)|Tanker USS ''Cacapon'']]. Capt. R.A. Mitchell, USN, Commanding


;Central Group (Task Group 68.2)
==Formation of Participating Units==
Rear Admiral [[Richard H. Cruzen]], USN, Commanding Officer
'''Eastern Group (Task Group 68.3)'''<ref>{{cite book|last=Kearns|first=David A.|title=Where Hell Freezes Over: A Story of Amazing Bravery and Survival|year=2005|publisher=Thomas Dunne Books|location=New York|isbn=0312342055|pages=304|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=ZuMUEkB53zwC&lpg=PA14&pg=PA14#v=onepage&q&f=false|accessdate=2011-04-07|chapter=Operation Highjump: Task Force 68}}</ref>
* [[USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8)|Communications and Flagship USS ''Mount Olympus'']]. Capt. R. R. Moore, USN, Commanding
* [[USS Yancey (AKA-93)|Supplyship USS ''Yancey'']]. Capt. J.E. Cohn, USN, Commanding
* [[USS Merrick (AKA-97)|Supplyship USS ''Merrick'']]. Capt. John J. Hourihan, USN, Commanding
* [[USS Sennet (SS-408)|Submarine USS ''Sennet'']]. Cdr. Joseph B. Icenhower, USN, Commanding
* [[USCGC Burton Island (WAGB-283)|Icebreaker USS ''Burton Island'']]. [[Gerald Ketchum|CDR Gerald L. Ketchum, USN, Commanding]]
* [[USCGC Northwind (WAGB-282)|Icebreaker USCGC ''Northwind'']]. [[Charles W. Thomas (captain)|Capt. Charles W. Thomas, USCG, Commanding]]


;Carrier Group (Task Group 68.4)
''CAPT [[George J. Dufek]], USN, Commanding''.
Rear Adm. [[Richard E. Byrd]], Jr. USN, (Ret), Officer in Charge
*[[USS Pine Island (AV-12)|Seaplane Tender ''USS Pine Island'']]. ''CAPT Henry H. Caldwell, USN, Commanding''.
*[[USS Brownson (DD-868)|Destroyer ''USS Brownson'']]. ''CDR H.M.S. Gimber, USN, Commanding''.
* [[USS Philippine Sea (CV-47)|Aircraft carrier and flagship USS ''Philippine Sea'']]. Capt. Delbert S. Cornwell, USN, Commanding
*[[USS Canisteo (AO-99)|Tanker ''USS Canisteo'']]. ''CAPT Edward K. Walker, USN, Commanding''.


'''Western Group (Task Group 68.1)'''
;Base Group (Task Group 68.5)
Capt. [[Clifford M. Campbell]], USN, Commanding
* Base [[Little America (exploration base)|Little America]] IV
<!--The [[USS Philippine Sea (CV-47)|aircraft carrier USS ''Philippine Sea'']] also participated, although it was not assigned to any of the groups. Research scientist Paul Siple also contributed to the expedition.-->


===Fatalities===
''CAPT [[Charles A. Bond]], USN, Commanding''.
On December 30, 1946, aviation radiomen Wendell K. Henderson, Fredrick W. Williams, and Ensign Maxwell A. Lopez were killed when [[1946 Antarctica PBM Mariner crash|their plane crashed]] (named ''George 1{{Emdash}}''a [[Martin PBM Mariner]]) during a blizzard. The surviving six crew members were rescued 13&nbsp;days later, including aviation radioman James H. Robbins and co-pilot William Kearns. A plaque honoring the three killed crewmen was later erected at the [[McMurdo Station]] research base,<ref>{{cite web|title=The Byrd Memorial at McMurdo|url=http://www.southpolestation.com/trivia/byrd/mcm.html|website=South Pole Station|access-date=5 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181017192250/http://www.southpolestation.com/trivia/byrd/mcm.html|archive-date=17 October 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and [[Mount Lopez]] on [[Thurston Island]] was named in honor of killed naval aviator Maxwell A. Lopez. In December 2004, an attempt was made to locate the remains of the plane.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.antarcticconnection.com/antarctic/news/2004/020705thurston.shtml|title=News Archives from Antarctica|date=2004|work=Antarctic Connection|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060112131937/http://www.antarcticconnection.com/antarctic/news/2004/020705thurston.shtml|archive-date=2006-01-12}}</ref> 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 to find the bodies of the three men killed in the crash.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.george1recovery.org/| website=George1Recovery.org| title=Operation Highjump Crew Recovery| access-date=2007-10-27| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080123170558/http://george1recovery.org/| archive-date=2008-01-23| url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[USS Currituck (AV-7)|Seaplane Tender ''USS Currituck'']]. ''CAPT John E. Clark, USN, Commanding''.
*[[USS Henderson (DD-785)|Destroyer ''USS Henderson'']]. ''CAPT C.F. Bailey, USN, Commanding''.
*[[USS Cacapon (AO-52)|Tanker ''USS Cacapon'']]. ''CAPT R.A. Mitchell, USN, Commanding''.


On January 21, 1947, Vance N. Woodall died during a "ship unloading accident".<ref name="SP1"/> In a crew profile, deckman Edward Beardsley described his worst memory as "when Seaman Vance Woodall died on the Ross Ice Shelf under a piece of roller equipment designed to 'pave' the ice to build an airstrip."
'''Central Group (Task Group 68.2)'''


==In media==
''RADM [[Richard H. Cruzen]], USN , Commanding Officer''.
The documentary about the expedition ''[[The Secret Land]]'' was filmed entirely by military photographers (both USN and US Army) and narrated by actors [[Robert Taylor (American actor)|Robert Taylor]], [[Robert Montgomery (actor)|Robert Montgomery]], and [[Van Heflin]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040767/|title=The Secret Land|via=www.imdb.com|access-date=2015-10-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160125102625/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040767/|archive-date=2016-01-25|url-status=live}}</ref> It features Chief of Naval Operations Fleet Admiral [[Chester W. Nimitz]] in a scene where he is discussing Operation HIGHJUMP with admirals Byrd and Cruzen. The film re-enacted scenes of critical events, such as shipboard damage control and Admiral Byrd throwing items out of an airplane to lighten it to avoid crashing into a mountain. It won the 1948 [[Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070442544/|title=Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature|website=IMDb|access-date=2019-02-10|archive-date=2020-09-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918042730/https://www.imdb.com/list/ls070442544/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8)|Communications and Flaship ''USS Mount Olympus'']]. ''CAPT R.R. Moore, USN, Commanding''.
*[[USS Yancey (AKA-93)|Supplyship ''USS Yancey'']]. ''CAPT J.E. Cohn, USN, Commanding''.
*[[USS Merrick (AKA-97)|Supplyship ''USS Merrick'']]. ''CAPT John J. Hourihan, USN, Commanding''.
*[[USS Sennet (SS-408)|Submarine ''USS Sennet'']]. ''CDR Joseph B. Icenhower, USN, Commanding''.
*[[USS Burton Island (AG-88)|Icebreaker ''USS Burton Island'']]. ''CDR Gerald L. Ketchum, USN, Commanding''.
*[[USCGC Northwind (WAG-282)|Icebreaker ''USCGC Northwind'']]. ''[[Charles W. Thomas (Captain)|CAPT Charles W. Thomas, USCG, Commanding]]''.

'''Carrier Group (Task Group 68.4)

''RADM [[Richard Evelyn Byrd|Richard E. Byrd]] Jr. USN, (Ret), Officer in Charge.

*[[USS Philippine Sea (CV-47)|Aircraft carrier and Flagship ''USS Philippine Sea'']]. ''CAPT Delbert S. Cornwell, USN, Commanding''.

'''Base Group (Task Group 68.5)'''

''CAPT [[Clifford M. Campbell]], USN, Commanding''.

* Base [[Little America]] IV.

<!--The [[USS Philippine Sea (CV-47)|aircraft carrier ''USS Philippine Sea'']] also participated, although it was not assigned to any of the groups. Research scientist [[Paul Siple]] also contributed to the expedition.-->


==See also==
==See also==
*[[List of Antarctic expeditions]]
* [[List of Antarctic expeditions]]
*[[Military activity in the Antarctic]]
* [[Military activity in the Antarctic]]
*[[New Swabia]]
* [[New Swabia]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist|2}}
{{USCG}}
*''Navy Proudly Ends Its Antarctic Mission; Air National Guard Assumes 160-Year Task.'' Chicago Tribune; February 22, 1998.
*[http://www.south-pole.com/p0000153.htm ''Antarctic Mayday: The Crash of the George One'' Read the story of one of the survivors - James Haskin(Robbie) Robbins]
*[http://www.south-pole.com/williams.htm ''Operation Highjump: A Tragedy on Ice'']
*''Where Hell Freezes Over'' by David A. Kearns (son of one of the survivors of the George One crash); Published 2005
*[http://www.nexusmagazine.com Nexus Magazine] Volume 12, three part Article ''BRITAIN'S SECRET WAR IN ANTARCTICA''


==External links==
==Bibliography==
* {{Cite journal
*[http://thelastoutpost.com/video-1/alternative-science/the-secret-land.html ''The Secret Land'', 1948 documentary film about Operation Highjump ]
| last1 = Colin
*[http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/tierra_hueca/esp_tierra_hueca_6.htm Article discussing enigma of operation highjump]
| first1 = Summerhayes
*[http://www.south-pole.com/gallery.htm Photos from Operation Highjump]
*EzineArticles.com, Article# 2114562 - ''Operation Highjump - Longhaul Nazi UFO's in Antarctica''
*[http://www.george1recovery.org/ George One Recovery Information]
*[http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/10/ap_crewrecovery_071018/ Families Urge Navy to Bring Sailors Home]
*[http://www.airspacemag.com/issues/2007/june-july/highjump.php Should Navy Recover Bodies of Sailors]
*[http://www.south-pole.com/p0000150.htm Ship cover site with good history]
*{{Cite journal
| last = Colin
| first = Summerhayes
| year = 2007
| year = 2007
| title = Hitler's Antarctic base: the myth and the reality
| title = Hitler's Antarctic base: the myth and the reality
Line 117: Line 99:
| pages = 1
| pages = 1
| doi = 10.1017/S003224740600578X
| doi = 10.1017/S003224740600578X
| format = full text
| last2 = Beeching
| last2 = Beeching
| first2 = Peter
| first2 = Peter
| bibcode = 2007PoRec..43....1S
| s2cid = 27749390
}}
}}

==Further reading==
* ''Navy Proudly Ends Its Antarctic Mission; Air National Guard Assumes 160-Year Task.'' Chicago Tribune; February 22, 1998.
* [http://www.south-pole.com/p0000153.htm ''Antarctic Mayday: The Crash of the George One''. Story of one of the survivors – James Haskin (Robbie) Robbins]
* [http://www.south-pole.com/williams.htm ''Operation Highjump: A Tragedy on the Ice'']

==External links==
* {{cite web| url=http://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/operation-highjump/ |website=The Black Vault|title=Declassified Records on Operation Highjump|date=21 February 2015 }}
* [https://archives-manuscripts.dartmouth.edu/repositories/2/resources/3048 The Papers of Harry B. Eisenberg Jr.] at Dartmouth College Library


{{Polar exploration|state=collapsed}}
{{Polar exploration|state=collapsed}}
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[[Category:History of Antarctica]]
[[Category:History of Antarctica]]
[[Category:United States and the Antarctic]]
[[Category:United States and the Antarctic]]
[[Category:Oceanography]]
[[Category:Oceanography]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theories]]
[[Category:Military in Antarctica]]
[[Category:Military in Antarctica]]
[[Category:Aviation in Antarctica]]
[[Category:Aviation in Antarctica]]
[[Category:1946 in Antarctica]]
[[Category:1946 in Antarctica]]
[[Category:1947 in Antarctica]]
[[Category:1947 in Antarctica]]
[[Category:History of the Ross Dependency]]

[[cs:Operace Highjump]]
[[de:Operation Highjump]]
[[es:Operación Highjump]]
[[fr:Opération Highjump]]
[[it:Operazione Highjump]]
[[lv:Operācija "Highjump"]]
[[ja:ハイジャンプ作戦]]
[[pl:Operacja Highjump]]
[[sv:Operation Highjump]]

Latest revision as of 10:22, 14 June 2024

USS Sennet (right), a Balao-class submarine, participating in Operation Highjump

Operation HIGHJUMP, officially titled The United States Navy Antarctic Developments Program, 1946–1947, (also called Task Force 68), was a United States Navy (USN) operation to establish the Antarctic research base Little America IV.[1][2] The operation was organized by Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, Jr., USN, Officer in Charge, Task Force 68, and led by Rear Admiral Ethan Erik Larson, USN, Commanding Officer, Task Force 68. Operation HIGHJUMP commenced 26 August 1946 and ended in late February 1947. Task Force 68 included 4,700 men, 70 ships, and 33 aircraft.

HIGHJUMP's objectives, according to the U.S. Navy report of the operation, were:[3]

  1. Training personnel and testing equipment in frigid conditions;
  2. Consolidating and extending the United States' sovereignty over the largest practicable area of the Antarctic continent (publicly denied as a goal before the expedition ended);[3]
  3. Determining the feasibility of establishing, maintaining, and utilizing bases in the Antarctic and investigating possible base sites;
  4. Developing techniques for establishing, maintaining, and utilizing air bases on ice, with particular attention to later applicability of such techniques to operations in interior Greenland, where conditions are comparable to those in the Antarctic;
  5. Amplifying existing stores of knowledge of electromagnetic, geological, geographic, hydrographic, and meteorological propagation conditions in the area;
  6. Supplementary objectives of the Nanook expedition (a smaller equivalent conducted off eastern Greenland).[2]

Timeline

[edit]
Antarctic expeditions
International agreements
Belgien Belgien
Vereinigtes Königreich British Empire / Commonwealth
Deutschland Nazi Germany Deutschland
Schweden Schweden
Frankreich Frankreich
Japan Japan
Norwegen Norwegen
Vereinigte Staaten Vereinigte Staaten
Soviet Union Soviet Union
International

The Western Group of ships reached the Marquesas Islands on December 12, 1946, whereupon the USS Henderson and USS Cacapon set up weather monitoring stations. By December 24, the USS Currituck had begun launching aircraft on reconnaissance missions.

The Eastern Group of ships reached Peter I Island in late December 1946.

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. The other 6 crew members were rescued 13 days later. These and Vance N. Woodall, who died on January 21, 1947, were the only fatalities during Operation HIGHJUMP.

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.[5] Paul Siple was the senior U.S. War Department representative on the expedition. Siple was the same Eagle Scout who accompanied Byrd on the previous Byrd Antarctic expeditions.[6][7]

The Central Group of ships reached the Bay of Whales on January 15, 1947, where they began construction of Little America IV.[8]

Naval ships and personnel were withdrawn back to the United States in late February 1947, and the expedition was terminated due to the early approach of winter and worsening weather conditions.[9]

Byrd discussed the lessons learned from the operation in an interview with Lee van Atta of International News Service held aboard the expedition's command ship, the USS Mount Olympus. The interview appeared in the Wednesday, March 5, 1947, edition of the Chilean newspaper El Mercurio and read in part as follows:

Admiral Richard E. Byrd warned today that the United States should adopt measures of protection against the possibility of an invasion of the country by hostile planes coming from the polar regions. The admiral explained that he was not trying to scare anyone, but the cruel reality is that in case of a new war, the United States could be attacked by planes flying over one or both poles. This statement was made as part of a recapitulation of his own polar experience, in an exclusive interview with International News Service. Talking about the recently completed expedition, Byrd said that the most important result of his observations and discoveries is the potential effect that they have in relation to the security of the United States. The fantastic speed with which the world is shrinking – recalled the admiral – is one of the most important lessons learned during his recent Antarctic exploration. I have to warn my compatriots that the time has ended when we were able to take refuge in our isolation and rely on the certainty that the distances, the oceans, and the poles were a guarantee of safety.[2][10]

After the operation ended, a follow-up Operation Windmill returned to the area in order to provide ground-truthing to the aerial photography of HIGHJUMP from 1947 to 1948. Finn Ronne also financed a private operation to the same territory until 1948.[11]

As with other U.S. Antarctic expeditions, interested persons were allowed to send letters with enclosed envelopes to the base, where commemorative cachets were added to their enclosures, which were then returned to the senders. These souvenir philatelic covers are readily available at low cost. It is estimated that at least 150,000 such envelopes were produced, though their final number may be considerably higher.[12]

Participating units

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Sikorsky R-4 helicopter landing on icebreaker USCGC Northwind during Operation Highjump
Task Force 68

Rear Admiral Richard H. Cruzen, USN, Commanding

Eastern Group (Task Group 68.3)[1]

Capt. George J. Dufek, USN, Commanding

Western Group (Task Group 68.1)

Capt. Charles A. Bond, USN, Commanding

Central Group (Task Group 68.2)

Rear Admiral Richard H. Cruzen, USN, Commanding Officer

Carrier Group (Task Group 68.4)

Rear Adm. Richard E. Byrd, Jr. USN, (Ret), Officer in Charge

Base Group (Task Group 68.5)

Capt. Clifford M. Campbell, USN, Commanding

Fatalities

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On December 30, 1946, aviation radiomen Wendell K. Henderson, Fredrick W. Williams, and Ensign Maxwell A. Lopez were killed when their plane crashed (named George 1—a Martin PBM Mariner) during a blizzard. The surviving six crew members were rescued 13 days later, including aviation radioman James H. Robbins and co-pilot William Kearns. 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 naval aviator Maxwell A. Lopez. In December 2004, an attempt was made to locate the remains of the plane.[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 to find the bodies of the three men killed in the crash.[15]

On January 21, 1947, Vance N. Woodall died during a "ship unloading accident".[8] In a crew profile, deckman Edward Beardsley described his worst memory as "when Seaman Vance Woodall died on the Ross Ice Shelf under a piece of roller equipment designed to 'pave' the ice to build an airstrip."

In media

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The documentary about the expedition The Secret Land was filmed entirely by military photographers (both USN and US Army) and narrated by actors Robert Taylor, Robert Montgomery, and Van Heflin.[16] It features Chief of Naval Operations Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz in a scene where he is discussing Operation HIGHJUMP with admirals Byrd and Cruzen. The film re-enacted scenes of critical events, such as shipboard damage control and Admiral Byrd throwing items out of an airplane to lighten it to avoid crashing into a mountain. It won the 1948 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film.[17]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Kearns, David A. (2005). "Operation Highjump: Task Force 68". Where Hell Freezes Over: A Story of Amazing Bravery and Survival. New York: Thomas Dunne Books. ISBN 0-312-34205-5.
  2. ^ a b c Summerhayes, C.; Beeching, P. (2007). "Hitler's Antarctic base: the myth and the reality". Polar Record. 43 (224): 1–21. Bibcode:2007PoRec..43....1S. doi:10.1017/S003224740600578X. S2CID 27749390.
  3. ^ a b Bertrand, Kenneth John (1971). Americans in Antarctica 1775–1948. New York: American Geographical Society. p. 485.
  4. ^ Diving Under Antarctic Ice: A History Peter Brueggeman
  5. ^ Lang, Michael A.; Robbins, Ron (2009). "Scientific Diving Under Ice: A 40-Year Bipolar Research Tool". In: Krupnik, I; Lang, MA; Miller, SE (Eds). 2009. Smithsonian at the Poles: Contributions to International Polar Year Science.: 241–52. Archived from the original on 2012-09-28. Retrieved 2011-01-01.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ^ "Paul A. Siple". South-Pole.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved June 26, 2015. Paul Allman Siple saw the first light of day on December 18, 1908, in Montpelier, Ohio. ...
  7. ^ Dubill, Andy (December 2008). "Paul Siple". International Scouting Collector's Association Journal. 8 (4). International Scouting Collector's Association: 45–46.
  8. ^ a b "Operation Highjump: The Great Antarctic Expedition". South-Pole. Archived from the original on 16 March 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  9. ^ Summerhayes, Colin; Beeching, Peter (2007). "Hitler's Antarctic base: The myth and the reality". Polar Record. 43: 1–21. Bibcode:2007PoRec..43....1S. doi:10.1017/S003224740600578X. S2CID 27749390.
  10. ^ "A bordo del Monte Olimpo en Alta Mar". El Mercurio (in Spanish). Santiago. March 5, 1947.
  11. ^ "Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition". Ronne Antarctic Explorers. Archived from the original on 25 February 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  12. ^ "Operation Highjump: A Philatelic Introduction". South Pole. Archived from the original on 20 May 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  13. ^ "The Byrd Memorial at McMurdo". South Pole Station. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  14. ^ "News Archives from Antarctica". Antarctic Connection. 2004. Archived from the original on 2006-01-12.
  15. ^ "Operation Highjump Crew Recovery". George1Recovery.org. Archived from the original on 2008-01-23. Retrieved 2007-10-27.
  16. ^ "The Secret Land". Archived from the original on 2016-01-25. Retrieved 2015-10-28 – via www.imdb.com.
  17. ^ "Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature". IMDb. Archived from the original on 2020-09-18. Retrieved 2019-02-10.

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Coast Guard.

Bibliography

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Further reading

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