Operation Highjump (OpHjp), officially titled The United States Navy Antarctic Developments Program, 1946-47, was a United States Navy operation organized by Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd in Antarctica under the command of Richard Cruzen, which was launched on 26 August 1946 and lasted until 1947. The massive Antarctic task force included 4,700 men, 13 ships, and multiple aircraft. The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, collectively called the Antarctic Treaty System or ATS, regulate international relations with respect to Antarctica, Earths only uninhabited continent. ... Discovery Expedition (1901 - 1904) Robert Falcon Scott headed this Antarctica expedition, spending two winters on Ross Island and treks to the South Pole. ... Ernest Henry Shackleton The Discovery Image:Baloonshack. ... The Terra Nova Expedition (1910–1913) was a British expedition led by Robert Falcon Scott with the purpose of undertaking scientific research and exploration along the coast and interior of Antarctica. ... The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition was the fourth British Antarctic exploration of the 20th century, and aimed, but ultimately failed, to be the first to cross the Antarctic continent from one side to the other. ... Shackleton-Rowett Expedition (1921 – 1922) Ernest Shackletons last Antarctic adventure ended in his death by natural causes. ... The British Australian (and) New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition (BANZARE) was a research expedition into Antarctica between 1929 and 1931, funded by the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. ... BGLE stands for the British Graham Land Expedition, a geophysical and exploration expedition to Antarctica from 1934 to 1937. ... During World War II, Operation Tabarin was a small British expedition launched from the UK in 1943 to the Antarctic to to establish permanently occupied bases. ... The 1957–58 Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition (CTAE) was an expedition funded by the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australian and South African governments, as well as private and corporate donations, under the patronage of Queen Elizabeth II. Its primary objective was to complete the first overland crossing of Antarctica, via... French Antarctic Expedition (FrAE) refers to several French expeditions in Antarctica. ... French Antarctic Expedition (FrAE) refers to several French expeditions in Antarctica. ... Erich von Drygalskadekingles or Erich Dagobert von Drygalskadekingles (February 9, 1865 – January 10, 1949) was a German geographer, geophysicist and polar scientist, born in Königsberg, East Prussia, Kingdom of Prussia. ... Wilhelm Filchner (September 13, 1877 - May 7, 1957) was a German explorer. ... New Swabia (German: Neuschwabenland or Neu-Schwabenland) is a section of the continent Antarctica between 20°E and 10°W (overlapping a portion of Norways claim zone Queen Maud Land), which was claimed by Germany between 19 January 1939 and 8 May 1945. ... Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen (1872-1928) Roald Engebreth Gravning Amundsen (July 16, 1872 – c. ... Operation Windmill (OpWml) was a U.S. Navy exploration and training mission to Antarctica in 1947-1948. ... The Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition (RARE) was an expedition from 1947-1948 which researched the area surrounding the head of the Weddell Sea in Antarctica. ... Operation Deep Freeze I was the codename for a series of scientific expeditions to Antarctica in 1955–56. ... The United States Navy, also known as the USN or the U.S. Navy, is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations. ... Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd, USN (October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957) was a pioneering American polar explorer and famous aviator. ... August 26 is the 238th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (239th in leap years). ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...

The stated claims of the operation were as follows

1. to train personnel and test material in the frigid zones
2. to consolidate and extend American sovereignty over the largest practical area of the Antarctic continent
3. to determine the feasibility of establishing and maintaining bases in the Antarctic and to investigate possible base sites
4. to develop techniques for establishing and maintaining air bases on the ice, with particular attention to the later applicability of such techniques to operations in interior Greenland. (where, it was then believed, physical and climatic conditions resembled those in Antarctica)
5. to amplify existing knowledge of hydrographic, geographic, geological, meteorological and electromagnetic conditions in the area.

Timeline

The Western Group of ships reached the Marquesas Islands on December 12th, 1946, whereupon the Henderson and Cacapon set up weather monitoring stations. By the 24th, the Currituck had begun launching aircraft on reconnaissance missions. National motto: Mau‘u‘u ha‘e iti Official languages French, Tahitian Political status Dependent territory, administrative division of French Polynesia Capital Tai o Hae Largest City Tai o Hae Area 1,274 km² ( 492 sq. ... USS Henderson (DD-785) was a Gearing-class destroyer of the United States Navy, the second Navy ship of that name, and the first named for United States Marine Corps Major Lofton R. Henderson (1903–1942), who was killed in the Battle of Midway. ... Launched on September 11th 1943, the USS Currituck was one of four Currituck-class Seaplane tenders, and was nicknamed the Wild Goose. ...

The Eastern Group of ships reached Peter I Island in late December 1946. On December 30, Aviation Radiomen Wendell K. Henderson and Fredrick W. Williams and Ensign Maxwell A. Lopez were killed when their PBM Mariner George 1 crashed during a blizzard. The surviving six crewmembers, including Aviation Radioman James H. Robbins and co-pilot William Kearns, were rescued 13 days later.[1] A plaque was later erected at the McMurdo Station research base, honouring the three killed crewmen, and in December 2004, efforts were made to find their bodies.[2] Fabian von Bellingshausen discovered Peter I Island (in Norwegian ) off West Antarctica on January 21, 1821. ... PBM-3 Mariner of the U.S. Navy. ... McMurdo Station from Observation Hill. ...

The Central Group of ships reached the Bay of Whales on January 15, 1947, where they constructed temporary runways along the glaciers, in a base dubbed Little America IV. Vance N. Woodall died during a "Ship unloading accident" sometime after December 30 1946. The Bay of Whales (78º30´S 164º20´W) is an iceport indenting the front of Ross Ice Shelf just northward of Roosevelt Island. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

After the operation ended, a follow-up Operation Windmill returned to the area, citing that a large percentage of the aerial photographs from the earlier mission had been poorly exposed, and needed to be re-shot. Finn Ronne also financed a private operation to the same territory, until 1948. Operation Windmill (OpWml) was a U.S. Navy exploration and training mission to Antarctica in 1947-1948. ... Aerial photography is the taking of photographs from above with a camera mounted on an aircraft, balloon, rocket, kite or similar vehicle. ... The Norwegian-American Finn Ronne (in Norwegian: Finn Rønne) (20 December 1899, Horten, Norway – 12 January 1980, Bethesda, Maryland) was a U.S. antarctic explorer. ...

Killed airman Maxwell A. Lopez had a mountain named in his honour after his death, Mount Lopez on Thurston Island. Mount Lopez ( ) is a peak of the Walker Mountains, located 5 miles (8 kilometres) east of Landfall Peak in the west part of Thurston Island. ... Location of Thurston Island Thurston Island (72°06′ S 99°00′ W) is an ice-covered, glacially dissected island, 215 km long, 90 km wide and 15,700 km² in area, lying a short way off the NW end of Ellsworth Land, Antarctica. ...

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. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A chaplain is typically a member of the clergy serving a group of people who are not organized as a mission or church; lay chaplains are also found in some settings such as universities. ...

Conspiracies

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 the Antarctica and capture the German Vril flying discs, or Thule mercury-powered spaceship prototypes. This has been the central theme of Robert Doherty's "Area 51" series of novels. The Coming Race (original title), also reprinted as Vril: The Power of the Coming Race is a novel published in 1870 by Edward Bulwer-Lytton. ... // The idea that Nazi Germany developed highly advanced aircraft or spacecraft appears in fiction as early as 1947. ... Thule as Tile on the Carta Marina by Olaus Magnus. ...

Involved

Eastern Group

commanded by Captain George J. Dufek

• Seaplane Tender Pine Island
• Tanker Canisteo
• Destroyer Brownson

Western Group A Seaplane tender that participated in the 1946 Operation Highjump in Antarctica. ... USS Brownson (DD-868), named for Rear Admiral Willard Herbert Brownson, USN (1845-1935), was a Gearing class destroyer laid down by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation at Staten Island in New York on 13 February 1945, launched on 7 July 1945 by Miss Caroline Brownson Hart, granddaughter of Admiral Brownson...

commanded by Captain Charles A. Bond

• Seaplane Tender Currituck
• Tanker Cacapon
• Destroyer Henderson

Central Group Launched on September 11th 1943, the USS Currituck was one of four Currituck-class Seaplane tenders, and was nicknamed the Wild Goose. ... USS Henderson (DD-785) was a Gearing-class destroyer of the United States Navy, the second Navy ship of that name, and the first named for United States Marine Corps Major Lofton R. Henderson (1903–1942), who was killed in the Battle of Midway. ...

• Comms-ship Mount Olympus
• Icebreaker Burton Island
• Icebreaker Northwind
• Supplyship Yancey
• Supplyship Merrick
• Submarine Sennet

The 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. USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8) was a Mount McKinley class amphibious force command ship named after the highest peak in the Olympic Range of Washington. ... USS Burton Island (AG-88) was a United States Navy Wind-class icebreaker that was later re-commissioned as a United States Coast Guard icebreaker, USCGC Burton Island. ... The USCGC Northwind was a Wind-class icebreaker used in the Antarctic for Operation Highjump. ... USS Yancey (AKA-93/LKA-93) was an attack cargo ship named after Yancey County, North Carolina. ... USS Merrick (AKA-97/LKA-97) was an Andromeda class attack cargo ship named after Merrick County, Nebraska. ... USS Sennet (SS-408), a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy to be named for the sennet, a barracuda. ... Philippine Sea (CV-47) was laid down by the Bethlehem Steel Company, Quincy, Mass. ... Paul Allen Siple (1908-1968) was an American Antarctic explorer and geographer who took part in six Antarctic expeditions, including the two Byrd expeditions of 1928-1930 and 1933-1935. ...

References

"Navy Proudly Ends Its Antarctic Mission; Air National Guard Assumes 160-Year Task." Chicago Tribune; February 22, 1998.

See also

• List of Antarctica expeditions
• Military activity in the Antarctic
• New Swabia

Territorial claims of Antarctica List of Antarctica expeditions is a chronological list of expeditions involving Antarctica. ... A United States Navy LC-130 Hercules near the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in 1996 An Indian Navy team after sky-diving in Antartica. ... New Swabia (German: Neuschwabenland or Neu-Schwabenland) is a section of the continent Antarctica between 20°E and 10°W (overlapping a portion of Norways claim zone Queen Maud Land), which was claimed by Germany between 19 January 1939 and 8 May 1945. ...

External links

• Ship cover site with good history