Background
By the late 1930's the US government was becoming aware that interest in
the Antarctic regions was gaining popular public momentum due to the
successful earlier expeditions of Byrd. President Franklin D. Roosevelt
took an active role in creating the United States Antarctic Service and
pushed for more Antarctic expeditions, one by Richard B. Black and Finn
Ronne, and the other by Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, to be coordinated to
form the US Antarctic Service Expedition.
Byrd’s plans for a third expedition to the Antarctic, like the first two
expeditions, was to be privately funded. Late in 1938 Byrd became aware of
the government’s position and decided to cancel plans for his private
expedition and join ranks with the government. With his extensive
knowledge of the area he was accepted as the leader and was to be actively
involved with the planning and organisation of the expedition. Although a
US Government sponsored expedition, additional support was needed from
donations and gifts by private citizens, corporations and institutions.
The objectives of the 1939-1941 Expedition were outlined in an order from
President Roosevelt dated Nov. 25, 1939. The President wanted two bases to
be established: East Base, in the vicinity of Charcot Island or Alexander
Island and West Base, in the vicinity of King Edward VII Land, but if this
proved impossible, a site on the Bay of Whales at or near Little America
was to be investigated. Two ships with 125 crew and 4 aircraft were used
by the expedition. One was Admiral Byrd's old ship, the
BEAR
OF OAKLAND, and the second the
USMS
NORTH STAR which was a 1434-ton wooden ice ship. Their journey to
the Antarctica included Boston – Philadelphia – Norfolk (Virginia) –
Balboa (Canal Zone) - Pitcairn Island – Rapa Island (French Polynesia) –
Wellington – Dunedin – Antarctica.
The Snow Cruiser
This motorized monster was 55 feet long and 20 feet wide, with sled
runners attached to its bottom. With the wheels extended, it was 16 feet
high. Inside the machine were 4 bunks, scientific and photographic
laboratories, a radio room, a chart room and a galley. Twin 150-horsepower
diesel engines were connected to generators which in turn supplied power
for the 75-horsepower electric motor that drove each wheel. The rubber
tyres were 10 feet in diameter. When a downgrade was reached, the wheels
could be retracted allowing the Snow Cruiser to toboggan down the incline.
Incredibly, the machine was designed to cross crevasses up to 15 feet in
width by raising the front wheels while the rear wheels powered the
cruiser half way across the gap, followed by a retraction of the rear
wheels and a lowering of the front which then pulled the machine the rest
of the way. The Beechcraft monoplane was mounted on skis and designed to
be carried on top of the Snow Cruiser for aerial reconnaissance and
exploration within a radius of 300 miles. Enough food for a year could be
stored inside, along with 2500 gallons of diesel fuel, enough for 5000
miles of travel, and 1000 gallons of aviation fuel. The Snow Cruiser was
designed for a maximum speed of 30 miles per hour on a flat, hard surface.
She could climb grades of 37%, turn in its own length and move sideways at
a 25° angle. View the Snow Cruiser’s infamous arrival visit
here.