USS Nautilus Cruises Under The North Pole
The USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear-powered submarine, made history in August 1958 by becoming the first vessel to cruise beneath the North Pole. Departing from the northern coast of Alaska, the Nautilus successfully submerged and passed directly beneath the pole on August 3, covering 1,830 miles at a depth of approximately 400 feet over the course of 96 hours. This mission, known as Operation Northwest Passage, was conducted under strict secrecy, with the public only learning of its success on August 8, 1958. The Nautilus navigated through varying thicknesses of ice, conducting scientific measurements including water salinity, temperature, and ocean depth, which revealed previously unknown underwater mountain ranges. The mission not only showcased advanced naval technology but also bolstered the United States' prestige during a time of heightened competition with the Soviet Union, who had recently launched Sputnik I. Commander William R. Anderson, who led the mission, was later awarded the Legion of Merit, and the crew received the Presidential Unit Citation for their achievements. The Nautilus's groundbreaking journey marked a significant milestone in naval exploration and scientific research in polar regions.
USS Nautilus Cruises Under The North Pole
The USS Nautilus Cruises Under The North Pole
The first voyage beneath the North Pole, which is essentially one massive icecap floating on the Arctic Ocean and which unlike the South Pole does not rest on any land mass underneath, was made by the nuclear submarine USS Nautilus in August 1958. The Nautilus submerged off the northern coast of Alaska near Point Barrow on August 1, 1958. On August 3, at 11:15 P.M. the ship passed beneath the pole. It was the first time that a ship had reached the North Pole, and the vessel resurfaced on August 5 in the Arctic Ocean between Greenland and Spitsbergen. For 96 hours the Nautilus had cruised under the polar ice cap, covering a distance of 1,830 miles at a depth of approximately 400 feet beneath the ice cap. At times the ice above was 80 feet thick, with the thinnest layer being ten feet thick.
The Nautilus was the first submarine in the world to be propelled by nuclear power. Launched at Groton, Connecticut, in 1954 and commissioned in January 1955, the ship was capable of cruising underwater indefinitely at a speed of more than 20 knots. It was “refueled” with a new reactor core for the first time in March 1957 after cruising over 60,000 miles. In September 1957, on one of three secret trial runs in preparation for the major feat that lay ahead of it, the ship spent five and a half days cruising 1,383 miles under the Arctic ice. By the end of October 1957, it had logged a total of more than 100,000 miles.
A transpolar crossing was first attempted by the Nautilus in June 1958, but at that time the ice in an area north of the Bering Strait had not yet melted sufficiently to allow passage beneath it. The vessel returned to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. On July 23, 1958, it left Pearl Harbor for its subsequent successful crossing under the North Pole. Code named Operation Northwest Passage, the mission was shrouded in secrecy by the United States Navy. The public knew nothing of the history-making voyage until August 8, 1958, when the success of the operation was disclosed by the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration.
During the Nautilus's cruises beneath the ice, various scientific tests and measurements were made. The salinity and temperature of the water were measured, and ocean depths to 13,410 feet were determined by more than 11,000 soundings. In addition, a number of underwater mountain ranges were discovered.
The captain of the Nautilus was Commander William R. Anderson. The success of his pioneering mission enhanced the international prestige of the United States at a time when it had been challenged by the Soviet Union's successful launching in October 1957 of Sputnik I, the first artificial satellite sent into orbit around Earth. President Eisenhower awarded Anderson the Legion of Merit in a ceremony at the White House. In addition, the Presidential Unit Citation, an award never before given in peacetime, was awarded to the ship's officers and men. Anderson later wrote a book entitled Nautilus 90 North about the polar voyage.