| Summary: | AGB, Icebreaker, US Coast Guard, p. 4 Byrd, Richard, Admiral, pp. 7-9, 15 CIC, Combat Information Center Dufek, George, Admiral, pp. 7-9, 15 Kalb, Bernard, reporter, pp. 6, 10 Maher, Patrick, Commander of USS Glacier, pp. 3, 6-7, 9 Shoemaker, Brian, pp. 10, 20 Siple, Paul, p. 8 Tressler, Willis, oceanographer, p. 6 The media can be accessed here: http://streaming.osu.edu/knowledgebank/byrd/oral_history/Robert_Newcomb.mp3 Robert Newcomb served as Navigation Officer on the icebreaker USS Glacier during both Operation Deepfreeze I and II to Antarctica. In 1947 he was commissioned an ensign in the U.S. Navy, and while assigned to the aircraft carrier, the USS Kearsarge, was introduced to the science of navigation, an interest he pursued for his entire career. After one year he was named executive officer and navigator, and later commanding officer, of the minesweeper, the USS Pigeon, during which time he mastered dead reckoning, as well as celestial and electronic navigation. In 1955 Newcomb was named navigator of the USS Glacier, one of the largest and most powerful icebreakers built at the time. Its first assignment was to proceed to McMurdo Sound in Antarctica, with earlier stops en route at Panama and New Zealand. The voyage was very rough in the far southern waters; the ship would roll 65 to 70 degrees, but it performed splendidly. Patrick Maher was the Commanding Officer and was an experienced and effective skipper, well liked by his entire crew. Apart from Captain Maher, few of the crew had had any previous experience in Antarctica. The Glacier also transported several important scientists who planned to study flora and fauna in the oceans and on ocean bottoms. By and large the military and civilian personnel worked well together, although Newcomb noticed occasional minor tension between Admirals Dufek and Byrd. As the ship approached Antarctica, navigation through the ice fields was a great challenge. Celestial navigation was useless in an environment of near or total day light, as were magnetic ...
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