Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-23
SUBMARINES
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warfare, rocket-firing by SUBJ
mersibles, creates urgent re-
quirement for conferences
ures. Russia is beginning to
build and send to sea atomic
submarines. One of the logical
launching points for any Soviet
submarine rocket attack on the
United States and Canada
would be the Arctic Ocean.
The United States Navy
maintains a barrier patrol
across one route for Russian
submarines into the Atlantic
That barrier extends eastward
from Greenland to Iceland and
the Farce Islands. But the
Arctic Ocean, on which Russia
borders, is wide open.
If Russia should begin de-
ploying rocket submarines out
under the ice. the United States
must create a defensive system.
And the only apparent means
are attack submarines, per-
haps sent out on weeks-long
patrols to listen electronically
under the ice-a new barrier
line in the Arctic.
Until now. the United States
had no actual experience in
submarine hunting in polar
areas. Although atomic subs
have been exploring and map
ping the ocean floor of the area
since 1858, they have worked
singly and purely on explora-
ton and crew training missions
But on July 81, the Skate
coming up from the Atlantic
and the Seadragon from The
Pacific. received radioed orders
to start hunting each other.
Navy sources said today thil
was a realistic operation, with
each submarine using all its
equipment and technique hol
evasion and search-a duel be-
tween submarines such as
would occur in actual Arctic
engagement.
The conditions were unlike
anything encountered in years
of actual and practice anti
submarine warfare.
In the Arctic. pressure ridges
of ice, extending downward as
we'll as above the surface
create inverted mountains
behind which a submarine car
hide. The normal problem Of
penetrating thermal layers Of
water in vertical probes by
sonar is complicated with the
horizontal blocks imposed by
pressure ridges and occasional
bergs.
Water temperatures, which
affect the performance of both
active and passive sonar, are
far different from even the
cold waters of the North At
lantic.
Escape Unlikely
And here, in the naturally
hostile environment, with the
surface sealed off by ice, there
would be little chance for es-
cape by a wounded submarine
The contest would mean Kill
or be killed.
Both submarines are veter.
ans of previous polar trips. The
Skate was the first submarine
to surface at the North Pole
on March IT, 1859. The Sea
dragon, in transferring from
the Atlantic to the Pacific flee
in August, 1860, travelled b!
way of the North Pole.
Aboard the Skate is DR.. Wal
do K. Lyon, polar research
scientist of the Navy who wa
awarded the Presidents Dis
tinguished Federal Civilian
Service Medal by Mr.. Kennel.
last month. Because DR.. Lyol
was then en- route to the now
disclosed rendezvous, the media
was given to his wife by MI
Kennedy. At the time, tn,
! White House and Navy declined
to say where DR.. Lyon was, o
to indicate precisely the reason
for the award.
Ice Islands Contacted
| On the way to the rendez
vous, the Seadragon made con
tact with the floating icI
islands T3 and Arlis II by un
derwater telephone.
In carrying out the sub
, marine VS.. submarine maneuver
, the two subs were assisted b.
the icebreaker Burton ISlan(