How Germany brought the fighting of World War II to Antarctica
With the exception of u-boats, the German navy doesn’t get a lot of attention for its role during World War II, but the Kriegsmarine brought the war to the most…
5 failed voyages doomed from the start
Who has never been daunted by the idea of packing gear for an extended field op? You have to make a list of everything you will need or you think…
Operation Deep Freeze: How the US military supplies Antarctica
Operation Deep Freeze is one the largest but lesser-known peacetime operations that the U.S. military conducts. Every year, from August to March, the Air Force, Navy, AND Coast Guard conduct…
This sailor got his wallet back after losing it in Antarctica 53 years ago
The recovery of a lost wallet is always a relief. In the case of 91-year-old Navy veteran Paul Grisham, it was nothing short of a miracle. This is because Grisham…
Even more proof the C-130 is the toughest plane ever made
In 1988, a ski-equipped Lockheed C-130 took off some 800 nautical miles northwest of the McMurdo Station Antarctic Research Center. It was the first time the plane had flown since 1971 – because it was frozen in the ice below for the previous 17 y…
You will never be as badass as this explorer who removed his own appendix
Leonid Rogozov was one of 13 scientists and researchers on the Soviet Union’s sixth expedition to Antarctica from 1960 to 1962. One morning in 1961, he woke up feeling general malaise, weakness, and feverish along with pain in his abdomen. He soon …
Why one of the ‘most influential horror movies ever made’ was a flop
Described variously as everything from “the greatest B-movie ever made” to a masterpiece of horror and suspense, John Carpenter’s The Thing, which debuted on June 25, 1982, is a movie that rightfully stands amongst the likes of Alien…
What happened when a Coast Guard icebreaker caught fire near Antarctica
During its return from an annual supply run to the McMurdo research station in Antarctica, the US Coast Guard’s only hea…
Coast Guard turned down an Arctic icebreaker mission
Countries are jockeying for position as the changing climate makes the Arctic more amenable to shipping and natural-resource extraction.
Conditions in the high north are still formidable, requiring specialized ships. That’s felt acutely in th…
This is what troops do when they’re wintered over in Antarctica
Winter sucks everywhere. Sure, the bugs have finally frozen over and you can finally break out that coat you like, but it’s cold, you’re always late because your car won’t defrost in time, and no one seems to remember to tap their brakes when sto…