From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - View original article. Operation Highjump's primary mission was to establish the Antarctic research base Little America IV.[1][2]
Highjump’s objectives, according to the U.S. Navy report of the operation, were:[citation needed]
The Western Group of ships reached the Marquesas Islands on December 12, 1946, whereupon the Henderson and Cacapon set up weather monitoring stations. By December 24, the Currituck had begun launching aircraft on reconnaissance missions.
The Eastern Group of ships reached Peter I Island in late December 1946.
On January 1, 1947, LCDR Thompson and Chief Petty Officer Dixon utilized "Jack Browne" masks and DESCO Oxygen rebreathers to log the first dive by Americans under the Antarctic.[4] Paul Allman Siple, Ph.D. 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.[citation needed]
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 crashed during a blizzard. The surviving six crew members, 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,[citation needed] and Mount Lopez, on Thurston Island, was named in honor of killed airman Maxwell A. Lopez.
In December 2004, an attempt was made to locate the remains of the plane.[5] There are ongoing efforts to repatriate the bodies of the three men killed in the crash.[6]
Sometime after December 30, 1946, Vance N. Woodall died during a "ship unloading accident". 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."[citation needed]
Father William Menster served as chaplain during the expedition, and in a service in 1947 he consecrated Antarctica.[citation needed]
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.
Naval ships and personnel were withdrawn back to the United States in late February 1947, and the expedition was terminated due to the early approach of winter and worsening weather conditions.[2]
Admiral Byrd, in an interview with Lee van Atta of International News Service aboard the expeditions command ship, the USS Mount Olympus, discussed the lessons learned from the operation..[7][8]
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 1947-1948. Finn Ronne also financed a private operation to the same territory, until 1948.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
Capt. George J. Dufek, USN, Commanding
Capt. Charles A. Bond, USN, Commanding
Rear Admiral Richard H. Cruzen, USN , Commanding Officer
Rear Adm. Richard E. Byrd Jr. USN, (Ret), Officer in Charge
Capt. Clifford M. Campbell, USN, Commanding
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Coast Guard.
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