Staten Island (AGB 5) - Naval Cruise Book

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L li-u-.. i--..- 'Gr NEW ROUTINES: Life changed swiftly aboard STATEN ISLAND once the ship entered the Ross Sea ice pack. The most popular recreation was undoubtedly Penguin hunt- ing as practiced Irightl by willing assistants to shuffles doctors. For officers of the deck, the pose illustrated by LCDR THGMPSON, XO of STATEN ISLAND, Cleftl became a familiar one. And then finally there was the long-await- ed rendezvous with the GLACIER Ibelowl in the ice-iarn- med area around Coulman Island. 1 ' . .V Eg.

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HOME AT LAST The most famous picture taken of STATEN ISLAND on this cruise one which made the mayor wire services, and showing the ship, ice, penguins, a heli- copter, Coulman Island, in short, the all-inclusive, perfect photo. '1 Q I 3 X at . ' . .,,.--.-rat-Av '- 1 gy CQ MORE ICE THAN YOU COULD SHAKE A SWIZZIE STICK AT... On the 2nd of December, USS STATEN ISLAND re- turned at last to her natural element. Plnwing easily through small belts of scattered brash, the icebreaker sought out the main bulk of the pack, which was con- tacted the following day. Scores of Antarctic newcomers crowded the fo'c's'le to watch the small Hoes disinte- grate under the unerring pressure exerted by the ship. Nighttime disappeared suddenly, and the sun never set. With everyone's hours being disoriented by this abrupt change, it was not unusual to find the mess deck or passage-ways bustling busily at three in the morning. And as far as the eye could see, a white blanket covered the silent sea. Actually it was a tremendous relief fol- lowing the storm-swept trip down from New Zealand, for in ice the STATEN ISLAND rides as smoothly as the Queen Mary Cthat is, except for an occasional jolt as a tough Hoe is jabbed asidel. But now the going was getting rougher, as the pressure thickened and the open water areas became few and far between.

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.f lofi? '7 - ' 'r j fr. J H g aa- , K PENGUINS AND After a few days banging her way including one episodeiof TNT when the give way-STATEN ISLAND made her the GLACIER on 7 December. CAPTAIN NICDOZNALD, CTG 43.1, broke his Hag on our and the transfers of fuel and mail took place. But meanwhile, the pack had been consohdatmg around the two ships, and when we got underway for Mclvlurdo r Sound the going was tougher than it had been earlier. 6 Even the vaunted GLACIER, with twice Olll' horse- ' power, was unable to make much progress against the assemlulecl forces of nature, playing the game in their -s own backyard. it 'W' li' 'fir' 'N I' '. , , ' .. ,, , ., I I ' 'L t ' A t 'K 1- - ' 4 i were is fair .fs -' for r ... is fbi, 7 , ' Y 'Lit ts l M all o'l1l -.I A l - 141 ,J ,... -'ffiix , l -Y., is During the time that the STATEN ISLAND and GLACIER were in the vicinity of Coulman Island, a small party of intrepid explorers, including the Snuffles doctors, New Zealanders and our own ace photographer, PREMZIC PHl, made an overnight sortie to the island to observe a vast icy slopes. A the helicopters men, all over in a two-man worth, seeing Emperor penguin rookery nestled along its change in the weather, however, prevented from returning until the third day, and six six foot, were forced to spend two nights tent! Cleft, belowl. But the sights were 17'-4 -6 chicks, and of Cmiddlel, thousands of the large birds and course an occasional lone wolf hop, leftl. -