Submarine Force Library & Museum

The Ice Diaries

2315 EDT, 3 August, 1958; the world’s first nuclear submarine, USS NAUTILUS (SSN571) became the world’s first ship to reach the geographic North Pole.  The Ice Diaries: The Untold Story of the Cold War’s Most Daring Mission, written by Captain William R. Anderson with Mr. Don Keith chronicles the journey of “The First and Finest” and her brave crew on this historic first.

CAPT William R. Anderson was NAUTILUS’ 2nd Commanding Officer and a visionary who saw the strategic value of being able to operate submarines under the arctic ice pack.  There was also the opportunity for the United States to regain the upper hand; an upper hand that had been lost, some regarded, to the Soviet Union when the Russians launched Sputnik I on October 4, 1957 thus becoming the first in space and literally shocking the US back on its heels.

Now, Nautilus 90 North, co authored by CAPT Anderson and Clay Blair in 1959 shortly after NAUTILUS’ return from the North Pole tells essentially the same tale, but with much detail missing due to the classified nature of the operation at the time, the people involved both on and behind the scene and the revolutionary new capabilities of NAUTILUS.  Additionally, although some used copies are available at various on line purveyors,  Nautilus 90 North is out of print so The Ice Diaries is a must if one wants to read today about this episode of submarine history.

The Ice Diaries begins with an early history of Naval nuclear propulsion and how one visionary, Admiral H.G. Rickover, managed to convince the right people that it was feasible and put teams together, negotiated contracts and made it all happen.  It is an interesting history no matter how many times one may have read it before.  There are of course the obligatory Rickover vignettes including his explosion “you’re going to take that ship up there and get into trouble and you are going to wreck this program!” when confronting Anderson about NAUTILUS’ first planned foray under the Arctic ice pack.  CAPT Anderson was able to make a case for the mission, convince Rickover of the thoroughness of planning and in the end won him over.

NAUTILUS historic crossing of the North Pole actually occurred on her third trip up into the Arctic.  The first mission was an experimental expedition operating with a diesel submarine, USS TRIGGER, and was conducted in September 1957.  Anderson’s orders were to proceed to “approximately” 83 degrees North Latitude with no definition as to what “approximately” meant.  It was Anderson’s intention to proceed as far north as he could safely do and if that got him all the way to the North Pole then all the better.  But, it was not to be.  As expected, the magnetic compass began to swing wildly as the ship proceeded further and further north; however, they were done in by an unexpected loss of power to both gyros.  Even though the gyros were restored to operation, Anderson ordered the ship turned around at about 87 degrees north, approximately 180 miles short of the North Pole.  The trip back out was not without incident and NAUTILUS nearly wound up on the rocks of northern Greenland, a forty nautical mile navigational error having been introduced by the compass problems.  It was following return to port from this trip that the world learned about the launch of Sputnik.

The seed for the ultimate trip across the top of the world grew out of a chance meeting between CAPT Anderson and CAPT Peter Aurand, President Dwight Eisenhower’s Naval Aide.  Aurand pitched the idea of a submerged global circumnavigation to Anderson which would surely steal some lime light from the Russians.  Anderson allowed as how the idea was certainly feasible (but thought to himself “how boring”)  Anderson planted the seed for a submerged Pacific to Atlantic transit via the North Pole, Aurand fed it to the president and Eisenhower instantly seized upon the idea.  Admiral Arleigh Burke was also an early proponent of the idea; interestingly, Rickover was not.  The operation, named Operation Sunshine, was finally authorized in early June 1958 and NAUTILUS departed Puget Sound into the Pacific Ocean on Monday 9 June 1958 “en route Portland England via the North Pole”.  Planning for the mission had been so secretly conducted and controlled that, although many in the crew suspected none outside of CAPT Anderson and a select few knew the mission for sure until Anderson made the announcement after the ship was underway.  The reaction of the crew was ecstatic.  They coined the acronym PANOPO for Pacific to Atlantic via the North Pole and called themselves PANOPOs.

This attempt at trying to penetrate the Arctic via the shallow waters of the Bering Straits and Chukchi Sea would be unsuccessful; seasonal ice keels extending too deep for NAUTILUS to be able to navigate through without either striking the sail on the protruding ice keels or grounding the ship on the shallow bottom.  So NAUTILUS was forced, on June 17 (which by the way was CAPT Anderson’s 37th birthday), to reverse course and abort the mission.

Anderson was able to convince the powers that be that a follow on attempt later in the summer after the ice had a chance to retreat would be feasible and advisable.  NAUTILUS lay over in Pearl Harbor until 22 July using a carefully crafted cover story about a “southern mission” to maintain the secrecy of the real mission. 

On the second attempt NAUTILUS found the ice had retreated significantly in Bering & Chukchi Seas during the month they were at Pearl.  It was still no picnic though with significant zigging and zagging around treacherous ice floes to finally reach the deeper water of the Arctic Ocean on August 1, 1958.  Additional drama was provided by a failed garbage ejector; repairs to the unit required pressurizing the compartment so that both inner and outer doors could be opened at the same time to facilitate repair.

The remainder of the transit to the North Pole was almost anti climatic by comparison.  NAUTILUS crossed the geographic North Pole; “pierced the pole” was the term used, 2315 on 3 August, 1958.  CAPT Anderson prepared his famous “NAUTILUS 90 NORTH” message and it was transmitted when the ship was able to surface in the Arctic Ocean on 5 August.  Anderson was whisked off the ship by helo transfer on August 7 to be transported to a hastily arranged press conference at the White House where the world learned of NAUTILUS’ accomplishment. At the time of the helo transfer, Anderson and his crew were presented with a short message that read “To the officers and crew of NAUTILUS: Congratulations on the magnificent achievement—Well Done.  It was signed Dwight D. Eisenhower.  At the press conference, accolades were heaped upon the ship; a Presidential Unit Citation, the first ever in peace time, was presented to the ship, Anderson was presented with the Legion of Merit by President Eisenhower.  Interestingly Admiral Rickover was not in attendance, an apparent snub.  However, Rickover did accompany Anderson in a ticker tape parade shortly thereafter.

The Ice Diaries is a most interesting read.  There is drama and tension throughout the book.  Anyone who has ever sailed in a submarine, particularly in the arctic region will identify with CAPT William Anderson and his crew of Panopos.  This book should be included in the library of any student of submarine history.

CAPT William R. Anderson passed away February 27, 2007 just as the first draft of The Ice Diaries was being completed.  The Ice Diaries will be released for sale to the public on July 29, 2008 and will be available in the museum gift shop.  Mr. Don Keith, the co-author, will deliver a lecture about the book at the Submarine Museum on Saturday August 2 and will be available following the lecture to sign copies of the book.

As part of the museum’s celebration of the USS NAUTILUS historic North Pole voyage in 1958, a new Association funded temporary exhibit will open on June 27. The museum’s new exhibit traces the voyage where NAUTILUS became the first vessel to cross the Arctic via the North Pole.  Highlights of the trip are revealed through images, film and artifacts.  The nine panel exhibit covers not only the well known events, but also the little overlooked acts such as NAUTILUS’ 1957 initial “forays” under the ice on the East Coast, a full year before the 1958 trips from the Pacific Coast. The exhibit panels are based upon previously unpublished color images made on NAUTILUS during the trip. The artifacts include the ship’s cancellation stamp, made by Nautilus crewmembers which was then used to hand stamp a series of commemorative envelopes as the boat steamed under the Arctic ice.  Showing on the newly installed LCD flat screen in the temporary exhibit gallery will be the 1950s film about “Operation Sunshine”, the code name for the NAUTILUS trip.  As part of an introduction, guest lecturer CDR Al Charette (USN Ret), a crew member on USS NAUTILUS that made this historic voyage, will compliment this event when the museum shows the movie “Operation Sunshine” in the museum’s main theater.  

Friday, June 27, 2008, 2:00 p.m.
NAUTILUS NORTH POLE 50th ANNIVERSARY: Film and Exhibit opening.
The museum’s new exhibit traces “Operation Sunshine”, the first ever ship to cross the Arctic via the North Pole.  A showing of the 1950s film “Operation Sunshine” with guest lecturer CDR Al Charette (USN Ret), a crew member on USS NAUTILUS that made this historic voyage will compliment this event.  The exhibit is based upon previously unpublished color images made on NAUTILUS during the trip. Exhibit opening will follow immediately after the film

Saturday, July 12, 2008, Noon
UNKNOWN WATERS, lecture/book signing, with author: CAPT Alfred McLaren (USN, Ret.)
Relive an under ice adventure by joining the former commander of the USS QUEENFISH (SSN651), CAPT Alfred S. McLaren (USN, Ret.), as he takes you on the Arctic-Siberian Shelf Expedition of 1970.

Saturday, August 2, 2008 12:00 noon
THE ICE DIARIES, lecture/book signing, with author Don Keith.
CAPT William R. Anderson (USN, Ret.),  worked with noted author Don Keith in this updated edition of the Anderson-Blair book “NAUTILUS 90 NORTH”, the original story of the epic voyage of USS NAUTILUS, the first vessel to transit the Arctic via the North Pole in 1958.  This new addition relates more of the impact of the North Pole voyage against the backdrop of the Cold War.

Sunday, August 3, 2008, 2:00 p.m. 
50th Anniversary of the North Pole Voyage Ceremony    
Commemorative Event with remarks by Congressman Joe Courtney and Rear Admiral Bruce Estes Grooms, Commander, Submarine Group II, highlighting the achievements of USS NAUTILUS and US Navy operations in Arctic waters. 

The Submarine Force Library & Museum Association welcomes two new Executive Board Members.  CAPT John Porter and RMCM(SS) John Carcioppolo joined the board at our quarterly board meeting on April 24th.

John Porter was commissioned in the United States Navy upon graduation from Stanford University.  His entire naval career was spent in the Submarine Service.  He commanded USS KAMEHAMEHA, USS TREPANG, and USS FRANK CABLE.  His final active duty assignment was Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics (N4) on the COMSUBPAC Staff.  Following retirement from the Navy, John consulted for the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board and worked for Electric Boat Corporation.  At Electric Boat he served as both an Engineer and Program Manager until his retirement in 2007.

John and his wife, Mary Katherine, reside in Mystic, CT.  There son, Philip, lives in Baltimore, MD and their daughter, Sarah, lives in Austin, TX.

John Carcioppolo is originally from Lake Ronkonkoma, NY. He joined the U.S. Navy immediately following graduation from High School in September 1975.   His first Submarine was USS ARCHERFISH (SSN 678) where he initially qualified in Submarines in July 1977. Other sea duty assignments included a second tour onboard USS ARCHERFISH (SSN 678), USS BILLFISH (SSN 676), and Chief of the Boat USS DALLAS (SSN 700).

His Shore Duty assignments included Instructor Duty at Naval Submarine School New London CT, Enlisted Detailer for Submarine Radiomen at the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Washington DC, and as the Command Master Chief for Naval Submarine Base New London CT

Since retiring from the U.S. Navy in September 1997, John Carcioppolo has been a Project Manager and Labor Analyst for Electronic Data Systems and a logistician for General Physics Worldwide.

John goes by the nickname “Gumba” and has been a member of USSVI since 1981, and was the SUBVETS Groton Base Commander from 1998 - 2007. Carcioppolo was the recipient of the USSVI National Commanders Award in 2002, the Distinguished Joe Negri Award in 2003, and was nominated for the Spirit of Bob Hope award in 2008. He has been serving as the USSVI Eastern Region Director since 2006.

John lives with his wife Dee in Gales Ferry CT. Together they have 3 sons, John Jr., Joseph, and Jeremy, and two grandchildren.

The 35th Annual Meeting of the Submarine Force Library and Museum Association will take place on Friday, May 9 at the Museum.  The museum doors will open at 5:00 p.m. and the meeting will commence at 5:45 p.m.  Nautilus will be open for tours until 7:00 p.m.  A reception will follow the short business meeting from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.  All members in good standing are invited to attend and to bring a spouse or one guest.

Election of Association Officers for 2008 will be held during the short business meeting.  Any member in good standing may submit nominations for the offices of President, Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer.  Each nomination must identify the office for which the individual is being nominated and must include a written statement from the nominee indicating that he/she consents and will accept the nomination and serve if elected.  Nominations will close 72 hours prior to the commencement of the Annual Meeting.  Submit nominations to CAPT Arne C. Johnson USN (Ret), 186 Jerry Browne Rd, #1043,  Mystic, CT 06355-3052.

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