RESTRICTED 



landed, a metal landing strip mat would serve very well to make a 

 smooth roadway to the beach. In land-locked areas during the winter 

 months, natural slij^s for unloading can easily be cut out by an ice- 

 breaker thus entirely eliminating the problem of mooring lines or 

 "dead men." It is reconunended that land-locked areas be selected 

 and checked by aerial scout before planning large scale over-ice 

 movements. 



Tracked vehicles can carry cargo over most shore-fast ice shelves 

 and onto the frozen ice or snow-covered beach with no prior road 

 construction. "Weasel (M29C) cargo carriers were found satisfactory 

 over solid pack and were used extensively in tows with one or two 

 1-ton sleds. Cargo and passenger off-loading was conducted at King 

 Island, Nome, and St. Lawrence Island onto shore-fast ice shelf with 

 ease. Summer open water conditions at these ports, however, are 

 hazardous and difficult, unloading being often delayed by high seas. 



WATER SUPPLIES 



It is important to a ship's economy to be familiar with various 

 sources of water supply in polar regions. Clean snow, of course, is 

 a source of pure fresh water; but if a large quantity is to be thawed, 

 it will be more economical of fuel to use ice, on account of the poor 

 heat-conducting properties of snow. Choose the clearest, most brittle 

 ice. such as is to be found in hummocks and pressure ridges. This 

 will be the oldest ice and most nearly free of salt. 



Sea ice more than 2 years old is generally salt-free enough for 

 drinking purposes. The pools that form on the surface in summer 

 contain water suitable for cooking purposes, which can be pumped 

 aboard with handy -billy pumps at a distance of 30 or 40 feet from 

 the edge of a floe to avoid the admixture of salt spray. 



Fresh- water streams can frequently be found on land in the sum- 

 mer. They generally occur in association with glaciers and are 

 caused by thawing of the ice in contact with bare rock masses. There 

 is genei'ally an alluvial deposit at the mouth of glacial streams with 

 steep shelving offshore. Such streams should be approached with 

 caution. It is advantageous for vessels to carry 1,000 feet of fire 

 hose with suction attachment and two portable pumps for use in 

 shipping water. The procedure is to anchor a suitable distance off 

 the mouth of the creek, plant an anchor on shore, warp stern in, 

 and run the fire hose buoyed, if necessary, with damage-control tim- 

 bers. A pump should be placed at the suction and another on deck. 



58 RESTRICTED 



