Command of the Seas - Arctic (1952)

[Music] spinning in space the earth carries more than 7/10 of its surface underwater water that provides highways and trade routes for most of the transportation between countries of the world to keep the oceans free for the use of all peaceful nations is the prime mission of the largest and most powerful labor force in the world the United States Navy and to do that she must have command of the Seas the geographical position of the western hemisphere requires sea defense as that more Mahan pointed out in his famous studies of sea power inherent and his theory was the concept that a nation's naval power must provide the first line of defense against aggressor nations by forcing Wars to be fought as far away from the homeland as possible there had been few places where the ships of the United States and Great Britain have not dropped anchor and maintaining their power on the seas but some areas remain untamed the Arctic for instance a vast ocean upon which floats a polar icecap it is the area in which the landmass of our greatest potential enemy lies closest to us man has much to learn about such elemental forces as glaciers the Arctic is a strange area where nature still operates as she did when the world was young where glaciers a million years old still cave icebergs hundreds of feet thick a thousand feet long to become hazards to navigation as they drift in sea lanes to the south the wind and current move the ice packs and birds in opposite directions some to the sea others into the harbor in this stop frame photography [Applause] into this little-known world to the north the Navy extends its command of the seas among the missions of the Navy is that of establishing experimental basis near the Arctic Circle keeping them in supply and proceeding with research and development heading northward toward the Arctic scientists on one of the icebreakers in a Navy expedition test the ocean water a number of these operations have been conducted by the Navy in recent years to various parts of the Arctic scientists from government bureaus and civilian life have been invited by the Navy to accompany them [Music] both ships and personnel can be tested in cold weather operations of this kind the baby is interested in operational facts not in opinions and goes out together [Music] navigation through heavy ice fields is far different from open water movement new techniques are being applied to the problems such as the use of helicopters to scout out advanced areas for open leads and champions [Music] [Music] sometimes the sheer weight of the ship will open a path but even the multiple engines of the icebreaker lack the power to shove the ship through and more drastic methods are applied [Music] it may require days of fighting through the heavy ice but eventually open leaves are found the Navy's theory of operation is learn by going out and doing it the sea ice gives way to more open water as the ships approach a harbor and the first stage of the missions to get there has been accomplished the first to the ship's landing craft heads for the beach four of them follow with more car keys how many trips a hundred 200 [Music] [Applause] [Music] fifty years ago Arctic expeditions operated on dog power today it takes oil and more oil and gasoline to move the mechanized equipment but material can't be left on the beach [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] improving upon the lessons learned during World War 2 and logistical supply the Navy today can transport and deliver almost anything almost anywhere under almost any conditions the Navy's interest in the Arctic was encouraged by the discovery of the North Pole by Commander Perry in nineteen nine among the Eskimo guides who accompanied him to the pole was Ulta he was given a citation for his work and a life membership in the Explorers Club in 1939 it was not until 1947 that they were translated for him the short Arctic summer brings the blossoms of the Arctic cotton plant to the monotone of the brown Sun but during the greater part of the year this is a land of cold white wilderness another operation destined for another part of the Arctic area is being prepared planning has been completed and the ice breakers and other types of ships to be used have taken on their cargo special design track vehicles for ice and snow operation have been stored aboard food clothing lubricants and other requirements for this operation have been adapted to cold weather it is the Navy's answer to taming a wilderness of ice and snow how many months have gone into planning this operation what does a man need to establish a permanent base in the Arctic it had better be here all of it first stage of the operation completed now all we have to do is get to our destination two thousand miles away [Music] destination the edge of the Arctic Circle as the ships move northward the weather and the Seas worse [Music] these ice breakers can carry enough fuel and provisions to circle the world three times without stopping heavy icing can endanger the ship's navigation upper air weather is checked by release of weather balloons the crew must adapt to the intense cold weather condition [Music] lilly fat ice formed by wind and water action makes a bizarre setting for a navy submarine submarine operation is tested under extremely difficult conditions they can operate in pack ice and beneath [Music] wherever we're going that seems to be it over there the test force moves up the coal but friendly shoreline toward our destination near the Arctic Circle this operation will be different from others or a permanent base and airfield will be built here remember when the Navy moved whole cities on the islands out in the Pacific during the war only ships and more ships can move this kind of car [Music] more and more cargo fills the beaches the unloading contingencies [Music] the Quonset hut makes a good home whether in the South Pacific or up here the result of Navy research in portable housing [Music] when the atomic age reaches us perhaps all of this can be carried in campion's in our buckets meanwhile the Navy has developed special types of fuel for cold weather operations of planes and mechanized equipment the Navy also drills for oil near the base buildings have been pre-cut to pattern heavy construction is not practical because of the ever-present permafrost in the ground [Music] the Eskimos solve their transportation problems this way but not many Eskimos interrupted the Navy recruiting stations recently [Music] the Navy finds these wagon trains pulled by snow tractors a satisfactory substitute designed for arctic conditions of weather and surface [Music] during a large part of the year the strong winds of the beach snows block everything but the new airfield is kept clear of snow for the weather planes would circle the pole where much of our weather is made field marker landing lights must be installed [Music] a radar Network protects us against any possible movement by enemy planes the Navy goes into the polar area with strange equipment searching the lands of joining the seas conducting new experiments in survival maintaining defense installations [Music]