Air operations, Glaciological Project Dumont dUrvi Ile -Vostok traverse Deep Freeze 73 with enroute logistics support. A summary of support actions appears as tables 1 and 2. Flights began on August 25, when three LC-130s left JOHN B. DANA the Naval Air Station, Quonset Point, Rhode Island, for Christchurch, New Zealand, the forward staging base. Antarctic Development Squadron Six, U.S. Navy During early September, antarctic storms turned back the planes several times in their attempt to reach Mc- Antarctic Development Squadron Six (vxE-6) com- Murdo Station to deliver construction crews and scientists pleted its 18th consecutive season of science and logistics with early season experiments. The weather cleared, and support of the United States Antarctic Research Program on September 7th the three Hercules flew to McMurdo during Deep Freeze 73. The squadron conducted air and back to Christchurch. The following day, each operations as the Naval Air Group 43.2 under the made a second round trip, completing the largest Winfly operational control of the U.S. Naval Support Force, in Deep Freeze history. One hundred passengers and Antarctica, Task Force 43. 22,000 pounds of mail and supplies were delivered. The work was done with the lowest naval aircraft The planes and crews returned to Rhode Island on assets in the history of Operation Deep Freeze. Beginning September 12 for final training before the main de- the season with three ski-equipped LC-130 Hercules and ployment. four UH-1N helicopters, vxE-6 logged 4,464 flight As in recent seasons, most deployment and redeploy- hours during its deployment in Antarctica. The squadron ment flights were by Military Airlift Command C-141A supported the U.S. program and the New Zealand ant- Starlifters and chartered B-707s and DC-8Fs. Also, arctic program and provided the International Antarctic Starlifters from the 438th Military Airlift Wing, Mc- Guire Air Force Base, New Jersey, made round trips between Christchurch and McMurdo from October 10, Commander Dana, U.S. Navy, was commanding officer of 1972, to January 9, 1973. VXE-6 from June 1972, to June 1973. During the early summer season, 17 C-141, B.707, S917 cq: f U.S. Navy A four-member U.S. Geological Survey team and one Soviet scientist and their equipment are deposited near the Ferguson Nunataks on the Lassiter Coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. The team spent 4 months mapping the Weddell Sea coast. The aircraft, LC-130R no. 917, later crashed and was destroyed at South Pole Station. 218 ANTARCTIC JOURNAL and DC-8F missions took 1271 passengers and 115 tons in December. Operations concentrated on movement of cargo from the United States to New Zealand, 1,343 of construction material to Siple and Pole. Extremely passengers and 675 tons of cargo and mail from New bad weather continued at Siple, while Pole had a run of Zealand to Antarctica, and 632 pasengers and 168 tons good weather. In December, the men of vxE-6 rested of cargo back to New Zealand. The January 9 C-141 only on Christmas Day. flight to McMurdo was the latest ever. Two Royal Air Force C-130s and five crews from the The Hercules of vxE-6 again transited from Rhode 46th Group, Upavon, Wiltshire, England, supplemented Island to Christchurch, arriving in New Zealand on U.S. flights between New Zealand and McMurdo Station. October 13. On October 17, two of them flew to Mc- Between November 26 and December 15, 1972, the RAF Murdo to open a new Byrd Station surface camp needed made 20 round trips. About 122 tons of cargo and mail as a way station and emergency airfield for intraconti- and 121 passengers were flown to Antarctica; 15 tons of nental operations. From October 18 to 21, flights to cargo and mail and 106 passengers were flown to New Byrd and Hallett Stations were made in the face of high Zealand. Before returning to England, the two Hercules winds and blowing snow. The planes returned to Christ- followed Captain Robert F. Scotts route to the South church on October 21 for scheduled maintenance. Pole. On November 2, the planes returned to McMurdo. For the eighth consecutive season Number 40 Squad- On arrival, LC-130 no. 320 went to Carrefour, the ron, Royal New Zealand Air Force, flew between Christ- French traverse staging camp in East Antarctica. The church and Williams Field in support of the U.S. ant- first flight of the season to South Pole Station was on arctic program. Ten C-130 flights between November November 3, with the temperature at -42°C. Con- 15 and December 15 carried 183 passengers and over a struction at Byrd Station, hampered by severe weather, hundred tons of cargo and mail. was given extra support by the LC-130s in early No- On December 2, four scientists at Cape Byrd were vember. rescued by UH-1N helicopter, having been stranded During the next 10 days, bad weather in the McMurdo for 5 days on an ever diminishing ice flow without food area hampered air operations, with occasional flights reaching Pole, Byrd, and Hallett. After several aborts, the Lassiter Coast geological mapping project was em- placed at 740 30S. 65°05W. LC-130 no. 917 sustained Table 2. Cargo, fuel, and passenger movement by ski damage during takeoff from the Lassiter Coast and military aircraft, Deep Freeze 73. was ferried to Christchurch for repair. As a result of this Type of Cargo Fuel temporary loss, one New Zealand and two United States Aircraft (tons) (gallons) Passengers projects were cancelled. The rest of November was plagued with bad weather New Zealand to McMurdo and low temperatures. A planned visit of an Antarctic LC-130 187.9 199 Treaty delegation to the Russian station Vostok was can- C-141 647.1 1328 RAF C-130 celled due to the extreme low temperature of -55°C. 179.7 121 RNZAF C-130 86.6 79 The cold caused leaks in propeller and landing gear seals, but the squadron was still able to fly 574 LC-130 McMurdo to New Zealand LC-130 hours during November, including the opening of Siple 25.8 763 C- 141 53.9 632 Station on November 24, the earliest opening to-date. RAF C-130 16.8 92 The repaired LC-130 no. 917 returned to McMurdo RNZAFC-130 12.0 106 on December 2. The three planes, operating around the McMurdo to outlying stations clock 7 days a week, logged an impressive 989 hours LC-130 1415.2 1809.7 789 in December. This was the highest average flight-hours UH-IN 72.8 112.1 715 per aircraft over a 1-month period since January 1966. Outlying stations to McMurdo Keeping ahead of the ever-filling cargo yard was the LC-130 246.1 10.2 774 goal, and no. 319 led the way with 361 flight hours UH-1N 73.0 1.6 1532 Table 1. Flight hours by naval aircraft for intra-antarctic and intercontinental flights, Deep Freeze 73. Direct science Mainte- Deploy- McMurdo Flights between McMurdo and- Type of support nance ment/re- logistics aircraft (USARP) (DSIR) Bights deployment flights Winfly Byrd Pole Siple Other Total LC-130 85.4 13.8 90.8 169.6 586.1 300.3 499.6 1127.9 460.4 188.8 3522.8 UH-1N 265.4 280.8 19.1 375.3 940.6 July-August 1973 219 or shelter. Their rescue culminated a 2-day search by Ship operations, Deep Freeze 73 VXE-6 and RAF C-130 aircraft. A U.S. Navy weather/ ice observer finally spotted the party from an RAF C-130 as it departed McMurdo for Christchurch. THOMAS W. KIRKPATRICK In January, LC-130s moved cargo to Siple, Byrd, and U.S. Naval Support Force, Antarctica Pole Stations and resupplied and recovered field parties, including the airdropping of supplies to the French Planning for Deep Freeze ship operations in recent traverse. With each of the VXE-6 planes returning to years has centered around Elliott Quay, the area of fast Christchurch for major maintenance inspections and ice on the Winter Quarters Bay side of Hut Point at minor repairs, January was essentially a two-plane oper- McMurdo Station. When first used in Deep Freeze 64 ation on the continent. In spite of the shortage of this shelf of "permanent" ice extended far enough into planes, the aircrews, maintenance, and supply personnel deep water for two large ships to lie alongside simul- kept the engines humming, and the squadron logged 788 taneously and discharge cargo directly onto trucks and hours in January. trailers in a conventional, efficient fashion. In subse- On January 28, LC-130R no. 917 crashed and was quent years, it became apparent that the edge of the fast destroyed at South Pole Station. No one was injured, ice was far from permanent; it tended to recede under but two-plane operations became a reality with the im- a combination of wave erosion, relatively warm sea mense job of winter over resupply for Siple and redeploy- water in Winter Quarters Bay, and surface erosion from ment scheduled for February. Resupply of Siple Station melt water runoff. More serious than the loss of cargo for winter over operations was completed on February 3; handling area was the reduced depth of water alongside. Pole, on February 13. In a 4-year period ending in Deep Freeze 72, a steel The second full season of UH-1N helicopter opera- and timber facing totalling 464 feet in length was con- tions in Antarctica commenced on October 17 in sup- structed to prevent further erosion and to maintain the port of U.