OPENING OF THE ARCTIC OCEAN — STRONG 393 



On August 9, Seadragon entered Baffin Bay, traveling at deep 

 depths and at a speed of 14 knots. Attempts to locate icebergs re- 

 ported to be disintegrating in the warm waters to the south had been 

 unsuccessful. As the ship approached an area where several bergs 

 were reported, speed was slackened. On August 10 Seadragon surfaced 

 on the edge of a large area of loose sea ice which stretched as far as 

 the eye could see to the north. This was what remained of the solid 

 pack which had covered all of Baffin Bay the previous winter. Less 

 than 2 miles away was a small piece of a berg — known as a bergy bit. 

 Small compared to a full-sized berg, this bit was later computed to 

 weigh 2,500 tons. At the limit of visibility to the north was a shape 

 that must be an iceberg. 



The bergy bit was a perfect target to use for final adjustments of 

 the ship's iceberg detection equipment. Carefully the ship was conned 

 under the bit for the first time — then again and again until the iceberg 

 detector and the men who must use it were ready for bigger game. 

 Going deep, the ship then headed in the direction of the full-sized berg. 



Seadragon was surfaced in the open water before the berg, having 

 traveled under 12 miles of loose pack. Slowly she approached the 

 berg like the legendary David must have stalked his giant. Knowing 

 that the underwater size was much greater than apparent, the Captain 

 stopped the ship while still a mile away. The dangers of hitting a berg 

 are well known to seamen. Ships that collide with icebergs are in- 

 variably severely damaged or lost. The above-water portion measured 

 74 feet tall with a 313-foot waterline. The submarine slowly circled 

 the berg, surveying and photographing every angle. The berg was 

 blocky on one side like the breastworks of a fort, while the reverse was 

 hollowed out like the back side of a shield. The berg was clearly 

 weathered, showing the multiple waterlines characteristic of the state 

 of accelerated disintegration. It would not be safe to approach close 

 or send a party to this berg. A huge ice slide or rotation of the berg 

 due to a change in center of gravity might occur as happened later 

 on two other bergs. 



After all possible study had been completed on the surface, Sea- 

 dragon submerged. As expected, the iceberg detector traced out a 

 huge underwater body in the direction of the berg. Except for size, 

 it looked to the sonar no differently than the bergy bit earlier. But 

 could the detector identify the berg as deep draft ice compared to shal- 

 low draft sea ice ? The iceberg detector indicated that the berg was be- 

 tween 100 and 200 feet in draft. One theory held that the draft would 

 be somewhere between one and five time the above-water height. 

 Studying the above-water height and shape of the berg, the ice experts 

 estimated the draft to be between 150 and 200 feet. There was no other 

 way to check the iceberg detector measurement — or the theory — than 

 to pass under the berg and let upward-beamed fathometers measure 



