THE SECRET LAND ANTARCTICA U.S. NAVY OPERATION HIGH JUMP REEL 2 2497

big penguins and their big black mountains the ships are on 24-hour duty for the first job to secure all mooring lines big Timbers sunk deep in the ice service anchors are called dead men in sea parlance perhaps because they're buried slip toggles are rigged for quick release in case ice forces an emergency get away unloading reconnaissance planes first next hauling equipment the marine corps weasels heavy-duty caterpillars and trucks 40 in all here are no port facilities but the Navy shows its self-sufficiency as it did throughout the war and operating at sea without faces or with improvised bases there are no docks or roads yet all Freight afford three heavily laden ships is hauled two miles over the ice up to little America dogs next barking chugging boatload of Huskies and the plows growing fatter and bigger every day all are happy with the welcome smell of snow in their nostrils this is home this is fun but this is work - for a time is short the dogs must hole their share of the tonnage all trouble ahead pressure ridges blocked away inland - little America even the largest caterpillars are stalled the call goes out for dynamite crews Navy's trained demolition teams seasoned on enemy beaches they must blast the 50-foot ridges squared away to meet the expedition timetable ridges or deep blasting takes hours Seabees and their bulldozers follow smooth out the road for the big cats in two hours they bridge for vassa's a hundred feet deep and so 10,000 tons of gear brought down by the cargo ships start moving up to little America work goes steadily forward Seabees with all hands helping use every one of the twenty-four hours of daylight in the South tolls summer caterpillars with snowshoe oversized treads accomplished in hours the work that in old days hundreds of dogs could do only in weeks air strips moved out with drags take high-priority bird is flashed word from the Philippine Sea now standing by off the pack ice that he's ready to fly as our 4 DS in it's up to the work parties to make up the time lost in the pack ice up to these men to work while gusty winds drive flesh cutting gravel like snow across the open or to dig deep for storehouse foundations food dumps grow steadily here is the favorite hangout of the veteran husky Ricky born at little America twelve years before and still hungry each hour brings other buildings to completion knock down one Egan's grow magically and the air headquarters Quonset is ready snow blocks are dug out for windbreaker walls these blocks are the adobe of little America good idea it's corpses sidewalks superintendent of the base good idea these big penguins do right well to bear in mind that when she blows down here she's liable to floor your eyelashes off the little add Alicia's no fear what smoke silly idea the ships are all but empty the caterpillars and go Devils live up to their wartime good name within 70 hours Seabees are hauling in the last 500 tons of essentials only a few more cases to be broken out the local Water Works is the pride of the Seabees 3 GI cans of snow produce 1 can of water purest in the world to keep your furnace going make steam which melts snow which makes water simple simple once CB engineering and Washington had figured it out before ever the first ship left port and now the ordered streets of a tent city that is little America the fourth come into being we're three days before the primeval snow lay unbroken the church flag on the first Sunday signifies a pause for prayers after the last mass and after the Protestant and Jewish services the off-duty sailors have been one thought transportation has but one sermon the mess hall the best dinner of the week as ancient baby tradition always has decreed Admirals and captain's wait their turn in the chow line with a man inside plates are loaded roast beef rich gravy high mountains of mashed potatoes flaky pie life looks up again a cigarette good cause five miles east of little America a seal herd 500 strong as its feeding ground amongst pressure ridges and in deep crevices Ricky as a pup played the game of runs he'll run they hasn't forgotten the seal Wallops Woody's tail Ricky's twelve-year-old teeth are not so good on the slippery wet hide of the 600-pound Weddell mr. Steele decides he's had enough cuddles Donnie's escape hatch to the water below Chow time the only SEALs killed are for dog meat especially good because it ensures against scurvy the pups Mellor at dinner coming let their handler plainly know they want it right now they're only a few months old and forever hungry yet soon they will be pulling more than their weight in the sledge tracers they like their meat red will fight for it the flagship flashes word by radio to the carrier Philippine Sea Bay's ready weather suitable on the carrier six planes triple-checked are ready for their moment of destiny Admiral Byrd has given the pilots of final briefing everything depends on split-second timing Eric's then your prey no 3,000 foot runway here only a scant 300 feet jet propulsion is their reliance crewman attached jet containers for two applying these jato bottles are packed with flaming power in the critical 10 seconds to takeoff they give the kickoff of to a detention bird is airborne in exactly 100 feet Admiral Byrd and his companion plane will try the 800 mile flight first the others await his orders at little America cameraman and Admiral cruising wait anxiously there comes bird cruising can relax now skis work perfectly to carefully calculate the drag of the wheels serves only to shoot up a plume of snow bird greets his son Vicky junior first here following dad's footsteps they watch plane number 2 come in safely bird tells cruising good to be home again cruising has urgent news as a terrific storm brewing only 10 hours more of safe flying bird radios the carrier launched all planes as soon as possible by midnight the Philippine Sea has the remaining four planes ready they must risk a takeoff in darkness before the terror of the storm strikes daylight finds the planes over the pack ice with frozen death below and weather closing in navigation becomes tricky this close to the pole the magnetic compass is no help at the base men scan the grey skies looking and finding only the blackness of the approaching storm now visible to the east if the planes don't make it within an hour but then they come one by one to land in the last remnants of clear light each landing is the first on the ice for each pilot these men are the first ever to fly big planes of the Antarctic or on previous expeditions the planes were crated in assembled and only then were they flown these Navy and Marine Corps fliers have been bred on stormy going their long experience and above all the Navy's relentless training in all details brings them in but with little time to spare the blizzard hits 100 miles an hour scouring across the cess routine in storms such as this many brave explorers have died with the first abatement of the storm work parties head for the plains the blizzard is 40 hours old when has become varible the expedition flight schedules are days behind must get the heaters going clean out the frost the Antarctic offers no quick machine service as on standard Navy air peels fuel for the heaters must be hand dragged and pumped and fit with the temperature far below freezing the Chow wagon the never-failing CB tractor gives the work parties a lift back to the mess tent for hot coffee food and warmth only the Navy Marine Corps Coast Guard and army cameramen who made this official record know the price they paid for these Blizzard films they covered the Pacific battles for posterity this cold eh they froze their whiskers to make these first color films of an Antarctic Blizzard little America digs out the plane still stand on the line uninjured icicles and snow to be cleared off but no plane blown away lashings held fence city intact proved out the technique of survival evolved by bird in a lifetime of exploration not one tent went down no matter how great the pressure of work the flag must be raised with the ceremony which is its due Admiral Byrd declares little America the fourth in full operating commission the Admiral in a party right weasels 12 miles south to visit his earliest camp marked by the radio towers little America the first now 40 feet under the snows of 17 years and above it little America the second 25 feet under the snows fallen since 1935 captain Boyd United States Marine Corps ties on a safety line while Admiral Byrd and three veterans of his previous expeditions watch boid inches his carcass down the old ventilating hatch it stood 20 feet in the air when it was put up 12 years before he pokes a stick up as a marker for the main hatch now all hands the Admiral included will have a chance to go look see below the old-timers find a lantern that lights at once no manner of other gear or here in Antarctica there is no decay no rust no dust not even germs fruits vegetables meats all good after 17 years small wonder bird preaches that one day Antarctica may be the world storehouse to keep the seven-year surplus for the 7 lean years bird bringing with him the old corncob he'd forgotten in 1930 comes up last he meets heavy going well he makes it the hard way it seems to like it aboard the Mount Olympus the Navy tries out one of the most important experiments assigned the expedition can men survive in freezing water men from Mars members of a special underwater demolition team wear the new cold water rubber survival suit in contrast to these skylarking youngsters eating ice cream in the ice men in ordinary clothing are paralyzed in six minutes and die very quickly thereafter yet these sailors wearing only underwear beneath their survival suits stay in half an hour and come up chipper and warm on the sunny after deck of the Mount Olympus the expedition's prized penguin catch the big Empress are living the life of penguin riley's they grow four feet tall way up to 80 pounds and are the only creatures who live throughout the year on Antarctica eons ago they flew in time their wings evolved into swimming fins their deep feathers are the warmest known their feet thick leather like pads on these they lay their single egg and tuck it up within the body feathers for warmth to Hatchin in captivity they must have their vitamins keeping them alive for the return voyage is quite a problem for their blood streams no German sister their necks are ball-bearing strangely enough the smaller captive penguins prefer their fish fillets they won't eat live fish out of a pail rockhopper penguins are the clown's of the NRT 20 inches high cocky yellow eyebrows sassy and forever hungry as the men find out they'll eat their weight in fish every three days the gathering of scientific data ranks high in expedition plans Admiral Byrd says goodbye and good luck to an over ice expedition which is to probe deep into the Rockefeller Mountains 300 miles southeast to LV T's hauling supplies ledges strike out into the white darkness their mileage checked by bicycle wheel counters astern in the mountain rocks they will seek minerals and ancient petrified vegetation hourly they will record important era logical data but exploration by plane has priority what a million and a half square miles are to be explored in maps and the oncoming winter soon will in flying weather the wheels come off before takeoffs and landings on the ice must be made by skis alone delicately balanced to feather in the wind yet strong to stand the shattering shock of landings organized exploration on a scale hitherto undreamed-of calls for precision timing each plane is serviced on exact schedule with 1200 gallons of high test gas and wood preheated oil tested to function at 80 below a pressure tank especially designed for operations in deep cold pumps the oil into the planes daily flights begins each plane has a definite sector to explore a definite timetable a definite radio report scheduled while the weather holds flights operate around the clock for emergencies the LB T's cache provisions and fuel at the limit of their range to aviators forced down to rescue plane sent out to bring them in these Cairns may offer the one hope and may mean ultimate survival 1,200 miles to the east the eastern group vessels and claims are exploring the mysterious phantom coast aboard the destroyer Bahnson the commander of the Eastern Group Captain George defect makes an exploration voyage he sails close in to Mount Erebus 14,000 feet above the sea it is the only known active volcano near the South Pole captain dubeck his mission accomplished returns to rendezvous with the seaplane tender Pine Island personnel transfers to the destroyer must be made by breaches voyage because of rough seas this opposite would probably prefer a boat the deep role in the destroyers outward flaring bow forced the handling prude wait for the exact moment to haul in board lest the man be dashed against the ship's side and kill it is captain do pecks turn next the line is set higher the seas run stronger the ship's roll dangerously upon the lines cracks and snaps taut and break 50 foot points down context disappears men jump to stations lower away hurry hurry eight minutes in this icy water means death speed is the only hope vote she is clear heads are passed to the rescue captain Duprat reappears he has managed to inflate his right jacket seven minutes gone do tech grabs the lifeline demon clutches by a margin of seconds do you say 1,500 miles west of little America the Currituck and her western group are off the Shackleton ice shelf circling the sunset coast the Western group commander captain Vaughn gives pilots and plane cruiser last briefing on Antarctic dangers and the technique of survival are forced down the flight about to start is the longest and most important so far for the Western group before takeoff survival gear is checked here to keep 9 men alive for 100 days food drugs sled sleeping bags on the water the great ppm makes her takeoff run her jet assist bottled blasts she lives quickly into the air and circles the Curt at once jet assist bottles their work done are dropped and make a salvo splash the pilot commander David II bunker wipes his frosted windshield a constant source of trouble in polar flying he is over the Shackleton ice shelf named for the great English explorer who kept returning to the Antarctic until death so often escaped kept its rendezvous with the smooth shelf Ruffins dock rocks called nunataks appear above the ice then rugged mountain ranges as far as the eye can see bunger leans forward in amazement his eyes have caught a sudden and unbelievable change in scenery the Universal White has turned a chocolate brown dotted with blue a cameraman goes into action three hundred square miles of land without snow land that might be a New Mexico or Arizona pictures alone will prove bunger has discovered a warm oasis in the shadow of the pole it is for such supreme moments as this that men braved the hardships of exploration the astounding undreamed of fact is that they are over a chain of warm water lakes whose Shores except for small patches are free of ice and snow commander bunker circles the largest lake in sight five miles long he comes in to make a landing water temperatures must be recorded Santa was taken he finds the water fresh the temperature 38 degrees Fahrenheit on the shores of vast deposits of coal and of minerals of the utmost importance to civilization aside from their headline discovery bunker and his men have another good reason for hustling home to the Currituck a long-awaited ceremony is in progress the whole fleet awaits news of the all Western beard dirty the critic skipper captain Clark is judge his salute of the day is right corner mustache first the captain Awards prizes to the winners enlisted men and officers alike the champions in the first Antarctic beard therapy to the most hats for the bushiest to the officer who tried the hardest the neatest to the most unique to the red all Currituck II and to the one with the most sex appeal at little America a warning sounds the fleet is in such invasion it is being frozen in it may be locked within the Bay of whales here is the treacherous foe if caught the ships will be wedged against the barrier crushed there will be the graveyard of the fleet the Coast Guard icebreaker Northwind goes into a ramming back ramming again to break up the crushing blows landing craft worked frantically to loosen the ice around the ships so propellers may turn without sheering off one by one the ships are cleared yet under way bird remains behind with 197 volunteers and grave problems his most important exploration flights will now lack the powerful directional radio of the Mount Olympus to get his men out he must hope the ice breaker can crash her way back in time otherwise he and his men will be frozen in for the nine sunless months of the dark treacherous Antarctic winter marooned Admiral Byrd and his staff planned a big flight to the South Pole and far beyond this is the culmination the last mass flight for planes spanning out over a continent of unknown territory larger than Texas California and Arizona combined over freezing wastes without people without life without vegetation nature's most formidable challenge to man the four planes are gassed up all controls triple-checked motors heated well they face cold as extreme as 60 below unrelenting murderous photographic units lead the parade of science to the flames each is a flying laboratory the cameras are the trimetric guns and the k7 teams that spied out enemy secrets during the war now each plane carries 250 pounds of film to record some of nature's last great mysteries the wars secret radar magnetic detectors are here to bolt it on like bombs in war their electronic impulses potted minefields very deep under the surface now they will read far below the ice detect and identify minerals coal iron precious ores bird gets the words ready served before it's the leading plane the command takeoff crews hasten to rock the ships and thus free the skis frozen to the ice now all the work that has gone before the planning the task of preparing ships of training men the perilous voyage through the ice now all of these investments of time and sometimes of submarines are coming to focus takeoffs were nonstop flights over the desolate danger studded wastes of Antarctica flights of great distance the equivalent of back at home winging nonstop from the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico Aviation is all-important in the Navy's Antarctic exploration just as aviation is all-important in a modern Navy that must be strong under and above the sea as well as on it out over the shelf ice bird leads his four planes in the long climb over pressure rich areas heading for the polar plateau 10,000 feet up below are no landing fields only deep crevices pressure ridges a hundred feet high instant destruction for a plane forced out Byrd pioneered the first South Pole flight in 1929 he applies again the practice of constant vigilance careful calculations that assured his earlier successes over this cruel country bird flies today at three miles a minute in earlier explorations three miles in one day was frequently the utmost for Shackleton and Scott for Britain Amundsen for Norway and Byrd himself for America the Beardmore glacier 200 miles long 50 wide a thousand feet deep who knows bird checks position by the Sun covers the glacier signals the South Pole itself here bird drops the flags of the United Nations carefully pops a symbol of America's goodwill to all nations now beyond the pole bird focuses his cameras and magnetic detectors on land new to him to all mankind in eastern group waters the seaplane tender pine island swings out a plane listed on the fleet's roster as Mariner George one crew members look out no shadow of coming disaster troubles their young faces captain cold wall observer lieutenant JG French ela Blanc pilot in command lieutenant JG bill Kearns co-pilot ensign Lopez navigator and a crew of five take off to map the treacherous phantom coast birds planes deep into the unknown are the eyes of civilization recording evaluating mapping plateaus mountain ranges with Peaks 20,000 feet of sea level the trimetric on lenses clicking overlapping exposures every three seconds photographed from Horizon to Horizon coal a mountain of coal bird later declares Antarctic mines if once tapped could supply the world's coal needs for centuries these official motion pictures can give only a cross-section of the miles of photographic records accumulated on this expedition by the Navy the exposed mapping film will take five years to assemble amplifying these are the radar magnetic detectors accurately recording mineral discoveries of immense value for the future use of all mankind England Norway South Africa Australia New Zealand South American countries and Soviet Russia are claiming Antarctic Territory the United States recognizes no claim and so far has made no formal claims for itself but international policies cannot concern the Admiral now his duty is to keep his flying laboratories functioning to fulfill his dream of a lifetime the word gas half gone sir comes from the engineer tabulating fuel tank readings bird radios is pilots return to base by the third leg of their triangular course the planes head back for little America birds plane takes the widest swing fuel permits as the lenses of the Tri Mets continue recording new territory this is the last big plate bird is determined to record the maximum possible one by one the plane swing in over tent city flight operations checks the men and safely down claim to claim three plane for but not plane one purge plane is yet to be accounted for bird is missing out over the ice bird is in trouble his starboard engine is cutting out now stops is one remaining engine is losing power the altimeter needle starts dropping down the plane is losing altitude all four d1 to base or 41 to base position q5 engine out losing altitude the base prepares for rescue operations and he kept by the partial power of one engine the plane is in jeopardy down she drops needle drops from 3,000 feet down threatening Peaks around a further drop might mean a crash only one who reduce the load line or at once maybe that way maybe if enough weight goes maybe she will hold already the mountains are above his deep in the valley deep in the shadow of disaster the needle drops downward from 1,700 feet jettison all gear only the precious films and records are saved the gamble is life or death the altimeter levels off at around 900 feet slowly she starts to climb she is gaining altitude pilot signals or three hours later at the base crippled plane comes into sight men pair closely tense hushed as they see the Starbuck drop dead one engine landing is tricky at best with skis on ice would your fingers crossed for the pilots save save good going the greatest exploration flight of all history has ended in success the flight beyond the South Pole the flight beyond imagination but over the Pine Island with the eastern group is the shadow of tragedy captain defects flashes the word by radio to Eastern task group from fast group commander Mariner George one overdue this group commence standard search and rescue operations immediately grim men with grave news from captain duplex no time now for jubilation over his own escape no mood for rejoicing bird knows better than any man the tragic import of the message in the freezing danger of the Antarctic seconds or hours minutes are days every resource of the expedition must be mobilized instantly all planes must take the air all men stand alert for emergency duty over the I stack above the open sea across the barrier Mariner George one is down with men no radio signals coming through that means a crash Search Search Search whatever the plane is it must be found for maddening anxious days fog shrouds the area where the acts the most likely took place then our friend get daily at their own request at their edging in fact the crew of the Pine Island gathers for prayer service on the 13th day the weather breaks clear captain duplex ends another PBM into the area heretofore shrouded in fog at last in clear visibility the pilots and men scan water and pack ice along the phantom coast wherever they are the nine men of the George one have been lost almost two weeks Oh his thin five hours out commander hull the pilot spots a single fire some are alive down there how badly hurt how many lived George one smashed the wreckage scattered some of it burn and a message on the wing Lopes Tennessee Williams dead no see plane can land on the ice and the survivors reach open water how almost drop of essence will land barriers edge ten miles north will drop flags to mark fail if you can walk in form circle if not form line how old knows the gravity of the decision captain called will must reach but if the men can walk and they may be saved the precious day for the engine how old flashes the news captain to effect gets the word and gives it to the Pine Island by loudspeaker attention all hands this is the past group commander speaking Mariner George one has been sighted rescue operations are in progress Howl's his PBM over the wreckage he watches for his answer the huddle of men breaks apart they've reached a decision it's a circle they'll try the ten mile trek to board the PBM at the water's edge owls crew have the relief gear ready now for the men below cargo chute spoke the heavy packages down first aid box fresh ski blankets for men hungry cold dirt and losing hope the chutes are as lovely as shining stars symbols of life restored have returned to families who've been waiting and praying now to mark the trail PPM's crew have hundreds of flags each waited to land and stay upright the fog should again close in on this desolate coast there must be no second disaster no one green from the road to rescue the survivors follow the trail markers 5 able to walk 1 on a sled 10 miles to go these men are marching out of the shadow of death into the sunshine of life aboard the rescue plane ready to leave the barrier edge the survivors six thankful men jerk out their story in bits and flashes how Henderson Lopez and Williams died in the crash and explosion when they smashed up milk full disability now they found scattered cans of food stove fuel to keep it going one tube of cell photometers just enough to keep front Sheila blank they gravely injured pilot barely alive proudly they tell how captain cold will consulted them all in dividing their little food how he kept watch inspired their faith how they prayed as men always do when there is no other hope but prayer bill Kearns copilot grins hello first Dorpers Frenchie LeBlanc corpsman carry him tenderly in a Stoke stretcher war and Robbins pulled him out of the blazing nose at the claim but his back hands and face suffered third-degree burns and in the gethsemane of waiting for rescue both legs were frozen to the knees amputation is inevitable but he will live the ship's company of the Pine Island Greeks their skipper captain poll observer on flight he says no ship ever looked so good to him as his own command as again he sets foot on her deck his executive officer greets him with sincere affection captain to effect warmly welcomes the survivor copilot currents broken arm in a sling according photography war the radio operator and smiling shorty Robin the motor mech the head is walked hot bath clean sheets and long hours of restoring sleep and perhaps first a moment to splice the Mainbrace by which good sailors mean a ration of medicinal spirits bourbon to you later in sickbay all but Frenchie and Captain Cold War enjoy their first full meal in two weeks currents will go to Georgetown University to study for a career in diplomacy McCartney who has a wife and two children in Sonoma sunny California beam's happily Robbins was the wheel horse in those desperate days thinkest to keep on flying he still loves it and Bohr knows that he will marry his schoolteacher sweetheart back in Redding Pennsylvania news of the rescue finds the icebreaker with Admiral cruising fighting her way through sickening ice to pick up Admiral Byrd in his minutes of lament third it's radioed for all speed at the base the Admiral supervises operation sea killer all essential records and scientific instruments are to be taken home the planes must remain they are stripped down with the hope that another American expedition in a future year may find them of use supply dumps are marked by polls and now through the capes comes the old reliable workhorse the icebreaker final loading is the order all roads lead to the bay the last fit down the last long trek through the snow for the big co devil sledges loaded with men and equipment the excitement that always comes for sailing infects all hands including the dogs they sniff something important is in the wind but normal quarters 475 the Icebreaker miss Jam aboard the additional 197 men of the base party until after the voids north he can transfer a personnel to the big ships awaiting her as Scott Island bird is among the last aboard he can now report to Admiral Nimitz operation Highjump completed our men have achieved accomplishments unparalleled in the history of discovery our central group has flown far beyond the South Pole mapped 1/3 million square miles never before seen by man our eastern group mapped 3,000 miles of phantom coast and charted 40,000 square miles of coastal ocean areas hitherto unknown our western group flying hundreds of air hours mapped the 4000 mile Sunset coast made the amazing discovery of warm land in Antarctica in all the expedition explored more than a million and a half square miles our scientists by use of the radar magnetic detector have pinpointed fabulous treasures and resources of great significance for all mankind the men who did the job Navy Army Air Corps Marine Corps Coast Guard and scientists are going tired man the rearguard of Admiral Burge and Shepard 4,000 veterans of the Antarctic trained to combat the sub-zero enemy of the polar cotton they're going home to their mothers sweethearts wives children home strong in the knowledge that they have met the Antarctic heaviest Italians and Concord this is to be their lifelong reward this knowledge in the Navy's highest commendation well duh

Channel: PeriscopeFilm

Views: 511,342

Rating: 4.8192873 out of 5

Keywords: Periscope Film, Stock Footage, Operation Highjump, The Secret Land (Film), Antarctica (Continent), Richard Byrd, Admiral Byrd, Unidentified Flying Object (Field Of Study)

Id: H0bX93Snk0M

Length: 41min 25sec (2485 seconds)

Published: Sat Dec 21 2013

Reddit Comments

[u/BigUncleJimbo]

This is an amazing secret that nobody tells us about these days. But this old documentary has survived and if you watch it you will be amazed.

[u/[deleted]]

I want to be amazed

[u/[deleted]]

I will watch

[u/RandomNisscity]

i came for a "the thing" reference...stayed for the facts!