Arctic Submarine Laboratory

I am current reading: Anderson, William R. with Don Keith; THE ICE DIARIES - The untold story of the USS Nautilus and the Cold War's most daring missions; Thomas Nelson, Inc.; Nashville, TN; 2008

On page 43 He discusses about Sir Hubert Wilkins attempt to reach the North Pole back in 1931. "Wilkins believed that there were enough leads (open expanses of water between large collections of ice) and polynyas ("holes" or areas of relatively thin ice) to enable even a limited-range submarine to make its way across the frozen ocean by steaming beneath beneath the ice from one hole in the ice to another. Wilkins also believed that the underside of the ice would be smooth enough to allow the submarine to ride along just deep enough to push up ;ightly against the icy roof overhead, skating along on inverted skis mounted to the decks of his boat.

Mechanical problems plagued them from the start, but Wilkins refused to be deterred. He made several unsucessful attempts to steer the submarine under the ice pack. As they persisted in their efforts, the crew noted a one-inch layer of frost on the inside hull of the ship. The interior of the submarine was not heated. The crew finally refused to try any longer. The North Pole remained far out of reach."

On page 44 he states " During World War II, reports indicated German submarines occasionally used the edge of the ice pack as a hiding place. Conventional U.S. submarines in the late 1940s and early 1950s had made brief excursions under the fringes of the polar ice,"

The author was the second skipper on the USS Nautilus nuclear submarine.