introduction 



The U.S. Navy Antarctic Development Project of 1947 

 (Operation HIGHJUMP) was composed of three groups: the 

 Western Task Group, the Eastern Task Group, and the Central 

 Task Group. The Western Task Group of Task Force 68 was 

 composed of the destroyer, the USS HENDERSON (DD785); 

 the oiler, the USS CACOPAN (A052); and the seaplane tender, 

 the USS CURRITUCK (AV7). In order to secure oceanographic 

 data, the author and Herbert J. Mann, civilian representatives 

 of the U. S. Navy Electronics Laboratory, accompanied two of 

 the ships—the USS HENDERSON and the USS CACOPAN--on 

 Operation HIGHJUMP. 



The vessels departed from the west coast of the United 

 States on 2 December 1946 and arrived in the antarctic, in the 

 vicinity of Balleny Island, on 23 December. The vessels 

 then proceeded along the western Pacific and Indian Ocean 

 sectors of Antarctica approximately as far as longitude 30°E 

 (see fig. 1 for a plot of the tracks of the USS HENDERSON and 

 the USS CACOPAN in the antarctic). Backtracking to longi- 

 tude 90°E, the ships departed from the antarctic on 2 March. 

 They reached the port of Sidney, Australia, on 14 March 1947. 

 Departing from Australia on 20 March, they completed the 

 return passage to the west coast of the United States early 

 in April. 



The HENDERSON and the CACOPAN had as their main 

 objective the training of personnel under polar conditions; in 

 addition, these two ships were expected to support the aerial 

 photographic program of the CURRITUCK by serving as 

 weather stations and as emergency airdromes. Oceanographic 

 measurements were made whenever the opportunity presented 

 itself; but, as the two ships were almost continuously under- 

 way, effort was mainly expended in making underway bathy- 

 thermograph (BT) observations. These observations were 

 made to depths of 450 feet when underway and to 900 feet when 

 lying to (see fig. 2 for locations of BT observations in the 

 antarctic). The HENDERSON stopped twice daily en route 

 to the antarctic to permit oceanographic measurements to 

 be made. Both the HENDERSON and the CACOPAN stopped 

 periodically in the antarctic. During such periods, other data 

 and samples were collected (see fig. 3 for locations in the 

 antarctic of data other than BT observations). 



