62.5. 708: 661-16 REPORT OF OPERATION NANOOK December 1946 12, j/"«J Si-- c. ~ () ' I() Prepared by Ralph W. Hunt, Captain, CE Arctic Research Section The Engineer School Fort Belvoir, Va . ' ' . • REPORT OF OPE.i.~TION HA.NOOK December 1946 Prepared by Ralph w. Hunt, Captain, CE Arctic Research Section The Engineer School l"ort Belvoir, Va • .. J'. ~ ·'• ... E l.Tl'""'t 't:'fl C:: T i ·r ".'. ,.. ' .Tf ·; • 'M!: 1\"!'T m"i J:S.J •·· ~ h. l L~ t/ .... • l'>:U:.111 •I - ... ., l ;;._...i C0NTEN'l'S Pages Section I. GE J\"IEP.A.L 1. L'ltr oduc·bi on 2 2. Organization of the Expedition 4 3. Accommodations During Voyage 7 Li.. Itinerary and. Timo Schedule 7 5. Terrain 7 6. Weo.ther 9 7. Clothing 9 8 • Wo. ter Supply 10 9. Ho.ti ves 10 Section II. OPERATIONS 10. Landing Problems 11 11. Cargo Ships, Landing Craft, and Landing Equipment 12 12. Construction 12 13. Vehicles o.nd Construction £quipment 13 14. to.nd Transport 14 15. Land No.vigo.tion Instruments 14 16. Ho.rbor o.nd Dock Facilities 14 Section III. RECOI . ~JrnDAT;rmrs FOR FUTURE .ARCTIC OPE&\.TIONS 17. General 17 18. Ore;ar1izatio:nal Planning 17 19. Selecting o.na Training Personnel 17 20. Co.re of Equipment 18 21. Adoquo.to Supply of Spo.re Po..rts 18 22. Additional Landing Craft o.nd Equipment 18 23. Suitablo Docks 18 24. Shore J1..ccommodations 19 25. Improved Methods of Lo.nd 1'Jo.vigo.tion 19 26. Fc.cili ties for Soil Analysis 19 27. Facilities for Crushing and Screening Rock 19 28. Proscribed Bu.5.lding Construction 19 29 • Methods of Water Supply 20 .L\...'1.nex .Li. Devon Is lo.nd 21 Ai.n1.e:x: B Thule and Horth Sto.r Bay, Greenland 41 t, Section I. GENER.AL 1, IKTJ.WDUCTIOH Thia report is a dotr.ilod c,coount of. Operation HCi.nook, o.n o.rctic expedition co ~ A1c-C0 d by No.vy Tc.sk Force f:JJ in which US J.ixrrry, Coo.st Guard, Woo.thor Buroo.u, e.nJ. othor porsonnol po.rticipo.tod to obto.in mili to.ry o.nd scientific information for uso in plo.rutlng future polar oporo.tions. Submitted by o.n observer from Tho Bnginoor School, Fort Bolvoir, Virginia., who o.ccompo.niod tho oxpedi ti on, tho report Sl.UIUno.rizes opcrn.tions and condi tio11s cncounterod, presents problems of o:.',.., cio.l intorost to tho Corps of E;nginoors, c.nd lllD.kos rocommondo.tions. o.. .Authorizo.tion, .A.uthorizo.tion for a roprosox:tati vo of Tho Engineer School ·coUcicor.lpC.nyth.c oxpodition is given in· restricted lotter orders, filo .il.GPC ...Ji.-0 200,4 (25 Jun 46 ), do.tod 27 June 1946, subjoot, Movement Ol:'ders, a.s o.mondocl by restricted lotter orders, file .'l.GPC-..~-0 200.4 (28 Jun 46), do.tad 3 July 1946, from Tho ,4djuto.nt General to Co.ptain Ro.lph w. Hunt, Tho Engineer School, Fort Bolvoir, Virginia. b. Period covered, This report covers tho period from 15 July 1946, when tho USS Doltro.mi sa.ilod from Boston; Mo.sso.chusotts, until it docked at Boston on 3 Sopt0riiber--r946. For itinoro.ry, soc paragraph 4. c. .£1.roa of opora.tions. (1) Shore operations ·worc conducted at Dundo.s Hurbor on~ Isfond in· tho ea.stern Cano.dio.n .41.rchipclago and o.t Horth Star Bc.y in Vfolstonholme Fiord, northvm:rb G1~0011lm1d, noo.r the Do.n.ish villa.go of Thulo. · Se'o .l.\...'moxos A o.nd B for full doto.ils of tho a.roa.s. For maps, soe fig­ tu·os l. 9. io. o.nd 28. (2) Porso:nnol a.boo.rd ship observed the co!'.'.stlino a.long tho south coast of Devon Islo.nd from the ea.stern end to Dundas Ho.rbor, tho north coo.st of Bylot o.nd Dc.ffin Islo.nds in Baffin BD.y, c..nd tho west coast of Groonland from i1olsto:n:1ol.m.o Fiord e.nd u.d,jo.cont islands to Co.po Yorke For description of ter­ rain obsorvod, soo po.re.graph 5. d. Operations co1;iplctode During the expedition, th0 following operations ncro-co!!lp1otod: (1) Boo.ch lo.ndinf; nnd grou.'1'J.d oporo.tions by Marino Corps dcta.chmont. Seo .illnox .J.. (2) Establislmont of a.retie vreo.ther sto.tion by US Vloo.ther Buroa.u. Seo .iu1.no:x: B. (3) Construction of er.1orgoncy landing stri ~) noD.r tho weather stD.tion by .. ·-.~ •. a.-.,ion._ . Engineers. Sec .iumc:x: Be 2 I Figura l. :Mo.p shoY.-ing G:rco:i.lo.nd o.nd Co.no.diem Iu-chipolo.go. 3 0 , Spooio.l reports. Tochnicn.l o.nd scientific reports n.ro boing col:l.piled by n!lito.ry o::..;;r··av1Iio.n roprosontc.tivos of the sovcra.l Govern."'.'lcnt c.gencios who pctrt:i.cipo.tod in tho o:x:podi tion. 2. 0~ "1-'l.N IZ..'i.TIOH ' OF THE E.XPEDITIOlJ c.. Services, Tho follovring services took active po.rt in the operations: (1) Ho.vy (2) Anny (ii.via ti on Enginoors) (3) Marine Corps (li.) US Coo.ct Guo.rd (5) US "ifoo. thor Buroo.u b, Ships. Tho No.vy to.sk for co wns r;iado up of tho follmving ·ships, vri th cissions o.s indico.tod, (1) Seo.plc..no ton<lor USS Norton Sound (fig 2) -vro.n bo.se ship for tho Mo.rtin PBli'l coo.phnos ur:;od in roco11110.issnnco;·- (2 ) Coo.st Guo.rd icobroo.k:or USS l'l'orthwind (fig 3) vms used for roconnais­ sc..nc c~ e.nd study of ico condi tionS.- "· --· (3) Converted not tender USS Ylhitowood i;ro.s also usod for roconnaissrmce r.nd stndy of i co conditions• (J!.) SubLiD.rino USS .t\tulo wo.s used for study of problor.i.s of submarine oporc.­ ti on in ~r cti c vm:bcX.S.-- (5) Cargo ship USS .A.lcono. carried .fi.vio.tion Engineers m1d \"loe.thor i3uroo..u ,e;rcom:.ol, c.nd tro.nsportod supplios and equipncnt fbr co~1struction of the omer­ go;•.cy lo.n cling ancl i;ref\.thor stc.tion ::i.t North Sto.r Bay, Grconlo.nd. ( 6) Cargo ship USS Bel tro.mi (figs 2 and 4) cc.rriod Ma.rine Corp.s personnel I". " .d kvic.tion Ent;inoors.-00Tho1o.t'ter wore transferred from the USS Northwind at Thule on 2 .i'i.ugust. Tho Boltra.r.tl. o.lso transported supplios and equipmont'Tor the Marino Corps opera tio:ri. a. t Durnlo.s Harbor, Devon Is la.nd, o.nd for tho landing strip ('.nd woo.thor stD.tion nonr Thule on North Stc.r BC\.y 1 Groonlund• .5:,• Missions of a."bto.ched units and miscollcmeous personnel. Units o.nd 1:us­ oollu:noou::: pors0in10 i-C.ccornpo.n'Yii:i.g. tho- fo.sl-.: £'or co cci. rrrecl out missions, C\.s dir­ ected by -Choir rospecJcivo co1;ine.nds, through tho coopor:;.tion of Navy personnel. 4 Fit;ul"o 2, USS Horthv'dnd• Boltro.ni, · o.nd Uol."ton Sound a.t 'lUichor ..in North Sto.r Bay, Groonland. Figure 3. Coo.st Guo.rd icobroa.kcr USS Northwind o.t o.nchor in Dundo.s Ho.rbor, Davon Island, 5 Figure L~. ·-----USS Bo l t:ro.mi· in North Sto.r Buy,. Groenla...TJ.d. ll. Opora:bional pla.nning. Bofor0 the expoditi'on loft tho Ste.. tos, tho opor­ r:biou 1n'.~t .. r"c\pidqplun11od with f:roquont chtmgos in pfo.ns. Sovoral orgo.nizo.­ t ions vrore co:r.J.binod. Confusion co.used by tho che.nges o.ffocted the officioncy · of londing oporc.tions o.nd resulted in shortages of po.rts,. lubricants, clothing, D.nd otllor iton.s. In spito of good oooporo.tion botvmen lowor ocholons, souo supp lies ·.-roro rocoi vod too late to bo loaded while o-bhors wore loaded on tho wrong ships. ::!.• Orr;o.nizo.tion of sw.11 doto.clu-:i.ents. (l) Ono group of .o\vio.tion Engi-· ncors vro.s o.ssigno·d fo-constr-uctf0i1"'Qft;h'Q onergency landing strip near Thulo, Groonlc.nd (.Lumox B ). 1i.nothor group wo.s o.ssignod to canp construction o.t tho s o.;'.le 1000..tion. Although tho lD.ttor dota.chmont had boon orgo.nized o.nd trained t~ 0 ;.-orc\to engineer equipment, they wore detailed to carpentry work in which t ,10 :;- kcl:od oxporionce. (2) Tho Mo.rine doto.chmont soomod ov0rstaffod with NCO• Se Tho plan vro.s to f D.r.lilio.rizo o. lergo group of Ncors with o.rctio conditions, but tho arrangement r esul tod in considorc,blc loss of worldng power. 6 3. i~CC0l.i:i'.10D~1.TIOHS DUHIHG VOUGE Tho observer fron Tho Engineer School made tho entire trip o.board the USS BeHr2.~ .u.. ,All persm.u'1ol, o:x:copt tho Marino detacluno::it o.nd observers r~tE'ched ti1orot0, slept o.nd o.to a.boo.rd tho ships di.iring the entire operations. .u though t his e.rrO.n[:; enont clinino.ted tho necessity for setting up tenporo.ry quarters e.s horo1 porsoimol working and observing .on lMd lost considoro.blo time tro.vol­ in p~ be.ck o.nd forth in sno.11 boo.ts.