Burton Island (AGB 1) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 18 text:

1 1 P R O J E C T 5 7 2 On 8 July at approximately 1600 it was f'ANcHoRs AWE1cH', for tha BURTON ISLAND fTh 1' ' f h' h . e summer cruise, or W IC the sbipaand the men who would man her, were hurriedly prepared during theshort four weeks in port following the Bering SCH Expedition in the spring, was now beginning. Before it would be over long hours of vigilant watching, skillful towing and maneu- vering through heavy and treacherous ice would prove the durability of the ship and the capabilities of its crew. - After two beautiful days at Seattle, and three days at Kodiak, Alaska, en route 'to the Arctic region where the summer ex- pedition was to center, the BURTON ISLAND never again was rmitted t t k ,pe o a e a breather from her appointed task, that Of escorting ships through ice and water that presented a never-ending source of danger to men and ships. It was approximately 1000 hours on 29 September, that the men of the BURTON ISLAND, those fortunate to 'be in the liberty sections, could g0 ashore for a needed rest from their labors. The 1955 BEAUFORT SEA EXPEDITION given the name PROJECT 572 Q , was to be a newadventure for the intrepid Sl11P and her company of men. It would be a part of a vast operation that would include 117 ships of various sizes and descriptions:- This operation would have as its objective the transportation of over 500,000 tones of vital cargo which would be used ill the construction of the DEW LINE, a series of radar stations- that would stretch from the west coast of Alaska to to the Eastern Coast of Northern Canada. This DEW LINE would provide' a distant early warning in event of attack from that portion of the world by ang enegncy fof the, UNITED STATES or Canada. The above map illustrates the area where this radar '6fence would be H ron 1er o e ense. The DEW LINE, costing billions of dollars, was actuall b g ' ' 1954 h h ' ' ' l S, but, the bulk of the cargo had to come by ships. Like the Silvllzillulh h W en t e AH Force began flying m great Supp le 1 a Cy ad to get through. The portion of the operation that centered in the BEAUFORT SEA area was known as the MONA LISA OPERATION. The Military Sea Transportation Service was in charge of the operation involving Naval vessels and it was Ot until the BURTON ISLAND was released on 18 September at Pt. Barrow, Alaska, after all the other shi s werd f l h nh th ' that she waS operationally under the Commander, Service Forces, U. S. Pacific Fleet. . P Sa e y t mug e Ice, Many lessons were learned by all concerned with this r t . . g ea Operation, and Yet we all feel that l d vital role in H vital operation. The BURTON ISLAND'suHered damage o l ' we p aye 8 t proving her durability and dependability. Her crew proverd iigeskillxllhasggni as she Performed her tasks, but She Came Ou k9 Th a . , , ld anyone as . eir WELL DONE was deserved and appreciated. gmeermg and Seamanshlp' And what else Cou

Page 17 text:

4' i rf 'r ff' 'lf ' A . N ' 1 ' . 'v Q. M 4 Zi a, t 1 . , 9455 ?f 42i5. ' ' 1 ,x i y , f , . in- K.: , 2 'i i i ' if V i of . V a t , ,f.f4 Q. 5 'aaa 'f' , ,h y ', : , f+' i:1T,gffY 15' 4: 5.. . . JAQQV f. A . .Jf f tm' 35' iff. .F ' ,Q It ff , ' fig J M J .- W 5, If ,agp ,f iii? Se, ,y xx, f 5 ffhffai 1' . gf gi fa g if' Mfiii , if -atifkgi J 1 Uv,-5. 'ff , r Lv ' Ml- 4 q ,' 3 '-.--i- f , fa ' ,4- ,, E AERQGRAPHY 'DEPARTMENT The Aerological unit aboard the BURTON ISLAND has three primary objectives. First, the taking of surface weather observations. Second, making periodic soundings of the upper air. Third, the assimilation of weather re- ports from other stations into a usable weather map for local forecasting purposes. - l Surface weather observations are taken once every hour-or more .often if conditions warrant. Such ele- ments as wind direction and velocity, weather f rain, snow, fog, etc.l, visibility, atmospheric pressure, and cloud conditions are observed and recorded'on a daily weather observational log. Every three hours these weather re- ports are transmitted by radio to a Weather Central for rebroadcast to weather stations all over the world. Twice daily, radiosonde transmitters' are sent aloft on helium-filled balloons. Signals from these instruments are picked up by a radiosonde receiver on the ship and enable us to obtain the temperature, pressure, and rela- tive humidity of the air through which the balloon is passing. Balloons from the BURTON ISLAND has gone as high as 76,000 feet. 'However, it is not uncommon for balloons of this type to reach altitudes of over 100,000 feet. Like the hourly surface observations, these reports are also transmitted to the nearest Weatrher Central. Each day synoptic weather reports are received by radio-teletype from reporting weather stations in Alaska, Canada, Russia, the United States, Japan, and from many military and merchant-ships at sea. These-reports are plotted on a weather map and, when properly analyzed, present an accurate picture of the weather over a large area of the globe. By watching the development and movement of various air masses and pressure systems from one map time to the next, and by observing t current weather in our own area, comparatively accurat forecasts of local conditions can be made. Every month the surface weather observational logs and the results of our upper air soundings are sent to the National Weather Records Center in Asheville, North Caroline. There they are compiled with similar reports from hundreds of other weather stations and are used in climatological research. Because of the lack of reporting weather stations in the isolated operating areas of the BURTON ISLAND, weather reports from this ship are exceptionally valuable. -D. R. LAMB, AG1, USN.

Page 19 text:

If S1 E. H J I FI I A I I I H WE MET THE STQRIS ARE You SURE You NEVER PLAYED CRIBBAGE BEFORE? 5 A5-Wg ' N-,XX FN Y TX Eg,-K3 J we R ' ' J g X .Q if 7 - S:-Z-257333-' ...,,q-i BUT THEcAvmm saw ICOULD KEEP A Psr I Q SHE CAME IN FOR A VISIT NE WERE GLAD WHEN SHE LEE-E ONE GOOD INSPECTION DESERVES ANOTHER! I I I!