Erickson, Dean L., HMC, NNPUFagg, Leonard E., UT1, ASAFinlaw, Dennis F., CE2, NNPUFinnell, Wayne D., SH3, ASAFischer, John B., RM3, ASAFlint, Robert C., ET1, ASAFogg, Brian K., RM1, ASAFoster, Albert K., SW3, ASAFoster, Michael E., LTJG (CEC), ASAFowler, Garry R. A., LTJG, ASAFrost, Jack R., CMCN, ASAFuchs, George F., RM1, ASAFuller, Harold F., Jr., UH1, ASAGanoe, Roy J., SK2, ASAGarcia, Joseph E., SK2, ASAGay, Donald E., CM1, ASAGold, Fred H., SW1, ASAGraves, Jonathan M., FN, ASAGroover, Edwin D., EOCS, NNPUHackney, Franklin E., CM2, ASAHall, Charles R., EOCN, ASAHammock, Edward, UT3, ASAHarper, Edward L., PCSN, ASAHart, David E., RM1, ASAHayek, Brian G., CE2, ASAHeick, William G., CMCN, ASAHocking, Darrell L., SK3 ASAHolcomb, Harry S., III, LT (MC),

ASAHowell, Marvin, W., CMC, ASAHutton, John M., DC2, ASAJackson, Roy C., PN1, ASAJohnson, Ivan C., BUC, ASAJones, Earl T., Jr., HMC, NNPUJones, Frederick 0., RM2, ASAJones, Gerald M., HM I, NNPUJordan, Michael E., DCFN, ASAKelley, Steven L., RMI, ASAKniess, Robert C., ETC, ASAKoerperich, Dwayne E., CECN, ASA

Labarbera, Anthony (NMN), CS2,ASA

Labbe, Norman P., RM1, ASAMacWatters, Russell H., CE2, NNPUMaines, Ronald E., MSGT, USAF,

NNPUMarthers, Richard A., SK3, ASAMautino, Robert L., CDR, ASA,

Officer in Charge and Commander,ASA Detachment Alpha

Maxey, John T., RM3, ASAMay, Robert B., YN1, ASAMcDaniel, Mitchell K., SKSN, ASAMcGregor, Leonard G., CEC, NNPUMeek, Robert S., UTCN, ASAMeyer, Eugene A., CE1, ASAMilewski, Andrew V., ETN3, ASAMilner, Donald S., CM3, ASAMoss, Max A., CM3, ASAMotley, Morris I., DK1, ASANichols, Terry G., ET1, ASAParcel, James C., UT2, NNPUPavlovec, James R., E01, ASAPeek, Billy L., DT I, ASAPorter, John E., ETN3, ASAProvot, Michael J . , ETN2, ASAReeves, Bruce G., UT2, NNPUReutter, Ronald E., CECS, NNPURickard, Michael D., CE3, ASARivero, Jorge S., UTCN, ASARogers, David L., SK2, ASARogers, Theodore J . , CE3, ASARose, Wallace 0. L., RM2, ASASanchez, Raoul A., SK2, ASASandrowice, Alexander A., UTCN, ASASaphore, Victor C., SFC, USA, NNPUSarday, Donald A., SH1, ASASharrow, Barry E., LCDR (DC), ASASimpson, Robert T., ETN2, ASASmith, Charles E., UT1, ASA

Smith, Eugene R., PH2, VXE-6Snyder, Edward, LT (CHC), ASAStevenson, Wayne W., Jr., AG3, ASAStiles, Wayne K., RM3, ASAStuckenschneider, W. H., UTCN, ASASwearigen, Richard W., MR1, ASASweet, James 0., AG2, ASASykes, Thcmas P., UT1, NNPUTalbert, Roger N., SW I, NNPUTaylor, Huey P., CSC, ASATaylor, Larry K., UTC, ASAThomas, Paul W., SH3, ASATolleson, Steven L., BU2, ASATrainor, Michael, LTJG, ASAUtecht, Kevin P., SN, ASAVan Wey, Larry A., AC 1, ASAVaughn, David A., BU 1, ASAVignary, John L., CECN, ASAViolanti, Arthur M., CE3, ASAWahiman, Kenneth M., SP6, USA,

NNPUWatkins, Robert J., SFFN, ASAWeaver, Gary L., HM I, ASAWeirich, John C., SKI, ASAWelborn, Michael, AG2, ASAWelsh, John E., DCFN, ASAWesterfield, William M., CM2, NNPUWesthall, Christian S., CM3, ASAWerner, Harry 0., ETR2, ASAWeston, Gerald S., EM2, ASAWhite, Earl E., UT1, ASAWilliams, Bunard A., E01, ASAWilliams, Fred R., BU 1, ASAWolfe, Ronald J . , ETN3, ASAWolfinger, Lyle C., CM3, ASAWooldridge, Jack D., CE1, NNPUYarnell, Charles W., HMI, ASAYoung, Gordon F., E02, ASAZinnel, Steven D., CE2, ASA

Antarctic Support Activities inDeep Freeze 72ALFRED N. FOWLER

Captain, U.S. NavyCommander, Antarctic Support Activities

The U.S. air operating facilities, the seaport facili-ties, and the operation of the U.S. stations in Antarc-tica (except Siple) are the responsibility of AntarcticSupport Activities. Captain Eugene W. Van Reeth,USN, held that position until April 14, 1972, whenhe was relieved by Captain A. N. Fowler, USN.

For the Antarctic Support Activities command, theDeep Freeze 72 summer operating season extendedfrom October 7, 1971, to February 26, 1972, and wassuccessful in meeting the requirements for support ofthe research program. Since most of our work dur-ing the last season was much the same as in recent sea-

sons, the following paragraphs are devoted to signifi-cant, new, or unusual developments.

Byrd Station

On February 19, 1972, Byrd Station was closed asa winter-over station after being occupied continuouslysince February 13, 1962. The original Byrd Stationwas 10 kilometers southwest of the current station andhad been occupied from January 1, 1957, until lateFebruary 1962. An extensive array of historical arti-facts was removed from the station by this year'sNavy crew. One black D-8 low-ground-pressure Ca-terpillar tractor, which made the 1,000-kilometer tra-verse from Little America in 1957, remains at ByrdStation. In the foreseeable future, Byrd Station willbe used as a surface camp with skiways, radar con-trolled approach facilities for all-weather operations,weather observing and reporting facilities, and a depot

July-August 1972 129

or staging location for fuel and supplies being movedto Siple Station. It will serve as an alternate landingsite when planes cannot land safely at Williams Field.

McMurdo Station

The ship mooring facilities at Elliott Quay in Win-ter Quarters Bay adjoining McMurdo Station re-ceived considerable attention during Deep Freeze 72.From November 1, 1971, to February 15, 1972, thePublic Works Department continued to build the steelpier facing that forms ship berths one, two, and three.At the close of the season, the project was 50 percentcompleted. During December, January, and February,five ships—including the usual icebreakers, transports,and tanker—had successfully used the port facility.But by late February a grave concern had developedfor the condition of the shore line and the protectivefacing of the quay wall. Divers of the Coast Guardicebreaker Staten Island had examined underwaterconditions and reported that the ice substructure ofthe shore line at a depth of about 9 meters was beingundercut and penetrated by the melting effects ofocean currents. In addition, the ice backing of therecently constructed pier facing had been weakened,apparently by the combined effects of melting due tooverboard discharges of ships and ocean current ac-tion. As the ship operating and construction seasonwas concluded, and while planning for repair and im-provement of the quay wall was being started, the offi-cer in charge of the wintering-over detachment re-ported that a severe storm ravaged Winter QuartersBay on March 3 and 4. Gale-swept seas pounded intothe bay and utterly destroyed the quay wall, leavinga broken, twisted shambles of the steel pilings andother structural members of the pier facing. The taskof examining the underwater changes in the slope ofthe shoreline, clearing the debris, and preparing asafe place for mooring the ships of Deep Freeze 73must await the natural retreat of the ice in the bayin the coming austral summer.

On February 14, 1972, a new McMurdo Stationfirehouse was occupied by Navy fire department per-sonnel and equipment. It is a Robertson steel frame

two story building with 930 square meters (10,000square feet) of floor space, located just south of thedispensary and across the street from the diesel powerplant. The new firehouse also houses a new automatictelephone exchange system, which became operationalalso on February 14 and significantly improved thetelephone service.

The 1971-1972 season was the first time in manyyears that McMurdo Station did not enforce "waterhours" or resort to trucking fresh water from the meltwater pond behind the station, informally called StarLake. This success was attributed to recent improve-ments in the salt water pumping and increased relia-bility of the nuclear-powered water distillation plant.At McMurdo Station the highest population duringthe 1971-1972 season was 1,013, while the average was857. The average total consumption of fresh waterwas about 75 liters (20 gallons) per man per day,while the average production of fresh water was about25 percent greater.

Hallett Station

The operation of Hallett Station is an annual sum-mer season effort by some 13 men of Antarctic SupportActivities. The station supports scientific programsand is a vital source of weather data. After 15 yearsof use, this station had accumulated a quantity ofworn-out, discarded material and trash. A cleanupwas begun in 1971 and completed during Deep Freeze72 in the interest of ecology and preservation of theenvironment. An amazing total of 50 tons of scrap-metal and other material plus approximately 3,000used 55-gallon drums were collected from the penin-sula and beach areas and staged for removal and dis-posal.

Antarctic Lessons LearnedAt the close of the 1971-1972 summer season the

Commander, Antarctic Support Activities, noted withsome disappointment that we seem to live throughtoo many repetitions of trial and error and of relearn-

Byrd Station, January 1972.U.S. Navy

130 ANTARCTIC JOURNAL

ing old lessons. To halt this cycle, an Antarctic Les-Sons Learned book has been started. This book willbe reproduced in loose leaf and be changed and addedto frequently. The program to produce the first Les-sons Learned is directed to men of Antarctic SupportActivities at the working level. First publication anduse of the book is planned for the concentrated an-nual training cycle of ASA personnel, which comes inJuly and August 1972. All persons who have gainedexperience in antarctic operations are encouraged tocontribute their accounts of lessons learned for inclu-sion in this book. Descriptions should be in working-man's language and accompanied by sketches if appro-priate. Here are some examples of lessons learned:

—Every year metal rods or similar devices are usedto measure the thickness of the annual sea ice. Therods freeze inside the holes cored for the measurementstations, and frustrating difficulties follow. The prob-lem was solved by greasing the rods and pouring anti-freeze in the holes.

—We tried to minimize melting of the annual iceroad on McMurdo Sound by nailing bumper blocksto the bridge that crosses from the shore to the iceover the tidal crack. The blocks were intended toshake the dirt from the vehicle tires so that it wouldn'tbe tracked onto the ice, where it would hasten melt-ing. This scheme was a total failure. Later experi-ments showed that simply leaving a 2- to 3-inch gapbetween the planks of the bridge was effective.

—During March and April 1972 at McMurdo Sta-tion, ice crystals were formed in diesel fuel arctic(DFA) and motor gas. The crystals plugged filtersand froze fuel lines. Experience has shown that thisprocess is likely to occur when a resupply of bulk fuelis cooling from about +30'F. to -20'F: during theannual refueling, ice deposits in the tank bottoms areagitated, and water particles suspended in the newproduct freeze. As the temperatures continue to falland as the fuels settle, the ice resettles on the tankbottoms and ceases to be a problem.

—In the past some of the common causes of fires inAntarctica have been defective exhaust stacks, burn-able materials stored too close to heaters, and smokingin bed. We have learned that to combat potentialhazards, particularly in the older buildings, exhauststacks must be checked frequently to insure that insula-tion is intact and secure and that burnable material isclear of the stack. In the normal use of a building orspace, all persons must take care to keep flammablearticles well clear of heaters or furnaces. Men in alllatitudes have learned the hard way to respect therule that prohibits smoking in bed.

—Lessons involving crevasse problems in surfacetravel have been learned repeatedly since the earliestexplorations. During the Deep Freeze 72 austral sum-mer season, a member of a construction crew near

McMurdo Station left the approved area of travel ina Trackmaster, an over-the-snow tracked vehicle, anddrove toward Castle Rock. The vehicle's right trackfell into a small crevasse, and a low-ground-pressure(LGP) Caterpillar D-8 was sent to retrieve the Track-master. The D-8 fell in a large crevasse, nearly 3meters across and 20 meters deep; fortunately, itsblade and right track kept it from falling more than 1meter. Two LGP D-8s were then sent to retrieve thestranded D-8 and Trackmaster, after a team hadflagged all known crevasses in the area. Two smallcrevasses were found and filled with snow in the im-mediate area of the stuck vehicles, and snow waspushed into the crevasse fore and aft of the D-8. OneD-8 winched and the other pushed the stranded D-8forward to the area filled in with snow, from which itproceeded on its own power. Filling crevasses withsnow, though a long, slow task, does permit a safemeans of retrieving vehicles from crevasses when theyare relatively close to the surface. Work in a knowncrevasse field requires extreme caution. In this case,although a team had flagged the crevasses and probedfor others, a fourth crevasse was discovered later inthe immediate area.

These are random samples from Antarctic LessonsLearned. Readers of the Antarctic Journal are encour-aged to submit their comments and contributions toCommander, Antarctic Support Activities, Construc-tion Battalion Center, Davisville, Rhode Island 02854.

Construction reportDeep Freeze 72

HUGH F. BOYD, IIICaptain, Corps of Engineers, U.S. ArmyU.S. Naval Support Force, Antarctica

JOHN E. PERRY, JR.Lieutenant, Civil Engineer Corps, U.S. Navy

U.S. Naval Support Force, Antarctica

Under the general supervision of the U.S. NavalSupport Force, Antarctica, the Naval Mobile Con-struction Battalion 71 (NMCB-71) deployed fromDavisville, Rhode Island, with eight officers and 216enlisted men and started or finished some 20 projectsthis past austral summer at U.S. stations in Antarc-tica. It was the first season of antarctic constructionfor NMCB-71.

McMurdo Station

The most significant project at McMurdo Stationthis past season was the construction of the fire sta-

July-August 1972 131