as far as 77° S. Scattered ice from 3 to 5 feet in thickness, becoming 

 broken with occasional bergy bits and growlers, was passed through on a 

 northerly course along the 163°35' W, meridian as far north as 76° S. 

 Here, close pack prevented further northerly progress. On 25 January, 

 the ship remained stationary in the pack waiting for it to open np. 

 The com'se was shifted more to the westward and followed as far as 

 73° S, 170° ¥. Patches of broken aiid scattered ice and some open water 

 were traversed. On 26 January open water was entered which contintied 

 until ear3^ on the 27th at 75°20' S,, where scattered ice was again 

 encountered. The cotirse was then shifted to the east and northeast 

 through pack 10 feet thick, composed of iinediuin and large floes, 

 Occasiona3. bergs had been sighted throughout the entire open water 

 stretch commencing on 26 January, These became more numerous as an 

 attempt was made at about 75° S. 153° W. to work south and penetrate 

 the heavy ice guarding the entrance to Sulzberger Bay, One large ice- 

 berg over 6 miles long was passed in this area. At about 75° S», the 

 attempt was given up and, in a blinding snow stonti, the ship's heading 

 was changed to the north to get out of rafted and hmranocty ice, which 

 was 10 to l5 feet thick and consolidated. 



Approach to Sulzberger Bay from the north having thvis been de- 

 monstrated to be impracticable within the limited time allowed, the 

 ATM headed northeast, skirting the heavy consolidated pack which 

 existed at that time all along the northern approaches. The icebergs 

 were left behind, and on the morning of 28 January (fig, 8) the ship 

 foxind herself in broken pack with a noticeable swell which caused some 

 rolling. Passing through areas of alternating broken and close ice on 

 28 and 29 January, the ship headed for Cruzen Island, where it was 

 thought that an approach to Sulzberger Bay from the east along the 

 coast might be possible, Hoirever, heavy rafted ice was encountered 

 at approximately 73°U5' S, lU5°30' W, , and the ship again turned north 

 and east. On 28 January at about litli°30' W, , consolidated pack again 

 prevented the ship from reacloing the coast. At noon on 29 January, 

 another attempt to head south for the coast waa made at about ll|0° W,, 

 only to be frustrated by dense, rafted ice. Later on the 29th an 

 unsuccessful attempt was made to head for Shepard Islajid at 72°30' S., 

 but heavy pack forced the ship back at about 2000 LST, On a northeast 

 course, good progress was made through close pack 5 feet thick, which 

 changed to more open ice about 71°30* S, 131° W, and continued to 

 71° S, 127° W, Here, a determined atter?)t to force the ship through 

 to Mt. Siple was made on 31 January. On the evening of 30 January 

 at 71° S,, the sun set for the first time since reaching Little America, 

 At 0530 LST on the morning of 31 January, the ATKA was stopped by 

 heavy, close, rafted, and humraocky pack, 12 to 15 feet thick and studded 

 with nximerous large bergs. Helicopters were sent out but soon returned 

 reporting conditions unfavorable to tte south. This happened to be one 

 of the few bright, clear days experienced in the Antarctic, The ship 

 had penetrated to within 50 miles of Kt, Siple but was forced to turn 



28 



