Operation Deepfreeze

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Operation Deepfreeze occured between the years 1957 and 1968, a government project which was dedicated to the Multi-National exploration and surveying of Antarctica.

Operation Deepfreeze Specifics

The United States sent two Destroyers to Antarctica to support the operation. The US destroyers were USS Calcaterra which was in Antarctica from May 1965 to May 1966, and the USS Thomas J Gary which was there between June 1966 and June, 1967. These two ships' primary orders for the mission were as follows:

1. Provide weather, and upper air conditions, for aircraft flying between Christchurch, New Zealand and McMurdo. Station, Antarctica.
2. Provide TACAN navigation beacons for these aircraft.
3. Search and rescue operations in the unlikely event an aircraft experienced problems.
4. Deliver and collect mail at Campbell Island, a sub Antarctic weather station staffed by New Zealand personnel.

The reason these two ships were in close contact with New Zealand is that they operated directly from Dunedin.

The other ships that supported Operation Deepfreeze during the eleven year project were:

• USS Mills
• USS Vance
• USS Peterson
• USS Forster
• USS Durant
• USS Hissem
• USS Brough
• USS Wilhoite
• HMNZS Endeavour
• Pukaki
• Rotoit
• USS ATKA

External Links

• Operation Deepfreeze specifics
• Operation Deepfreeze data
• Operation Deepfreeze Photos

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