[PSUBS-MAILIST] Nautilus vs Skate

[JimToddPsub@aol.com]

The Nautilus was the first to traverse the polar ice cap.  It's been given credit for being the first to reach the geographic North Pole August 3, 1958.  The Skate was the first sub to surface at the North Pole (geographic?  magnetic?) on August 2, 1958.  The Seadragon surfaced on the same date and exchanged greetings with the Skate.  I don't know why the Nautilus is given credit instead of the Skate.

 

Sometimes confusion enters the picture when establishing dates in the Artic and Antartic because of the International Date Line.  I don't know if that was factor in this situation.  The Nautilus log was 2315 EDST.

 

Jim T

 

In a message dated 9/23/2010 9:25:52 A.M. Central Daylight Time, greg@precisionplastics.com writes:

A few year ago I had some dealings with a former submariner that lived in Deale Md. He told me a crazy story (that is probably not true but I’ll relay it anyway). He “matter of factly” told me that the Nautilus was not the first sub to reach the pole but was given credit as being the first for some sort of political reasons.  He went on to say that a sub called “skate” was actually first. Again, I have no reason to believe this but he sure told the story like HE believed it.

 

Greg Cottrell

Project Manager

 

 

greg@precisionplastics.com

http://www.precisionplastics.com

 

P please consider the environment before printing this email

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From: owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org [mailto:owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org] On Behalf Of Cliff Redus
Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2010 9:47 AM
To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Does anybody have a copy of this book?

 

I don't have the book you reference but in the book titled "The Last Emperor Hubert Wilkins - Australia's Unknown Hero",   http://www.amazon.com/Last-Explorer-Hubert-Wilkins-Australias/dp/0733618316/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1285248073&sr=1-1-spell
 

there is a chapter titled "The voyage of the Nautilus"  that covers this episode in which an old WWI submarine was used in an ill fated expedition to explore below the North  Pole in 1931. 

   

This book  is very good read and a true story.   Even though Wilkins is largely unknown to the world, the US Navy held him in such high esteem that they conducted a covert operation at the height of the cold war in which the USS Skate commanded by Captain James Calvert March 17, 1959 surfaced at the North Pole to deliver the ashes of this man who was neither an American nor ever served in the US Navy. 

 

Cliff