Army observers' report of Operation Highjump (1947) War Dept

This showpiece War Department document would have you believe that Operation Highjump was a scientific expedition to "carry out specific projects for training naval personnel, testing materials, and amplifying scientific knowledge of the Antarctic" and "determine the feasibility of establishing, maintaining, and utilizing bases in the Antarctic, and investigate possible base sites." It never mentions the Nazi colony that lived there, the military-industrial manufacturing facilities constructed there during WWI, or the vast fleet of submarines and saucer craft that defended it. During World War II ...major German companies involved in the Nazi’s military industrial complex began moving equipment, resources and personnel down to Antarctica, using Nazi Germany’s vast fleet of submarines, according to William Tompkins. Companies such as I.G. Farben, Krupp, Siemens, Messershmitt, United Steelworks, etc., were just some of many involved in the Antarctica operations using forced labor. Operation Highjump was actually a U.S. effort to locate, take over and/or destroy the Nazi Antarctica bases with a Naval military expedition led by Rear Admiral Richard Byrd in 1946/47. Byrd’s military expedition to Antarctica was comprised of “4700 military personnel, six helicopters, six Martin PBM flying boats, two seaplane tenders, fifteen other aircraft, thirteen US Navy support ships and one aircraft carrier; the USS Philippine Sea.” He had been there a year earlier to attempt to negotiate with the breakaway Fourth Reich, but had failed. He had no bargaining power. The last option was a military confrontation in 1947. ""The Byrd mission was scheduled to last up to six months, but ended in a mere eight weeks because it had, according to initial Chilean Press reports; “run into trouble" and there had been "many fatalities". If the true goal of the mission was to locate and eradicate Nazi bases, the press reports and early end to the mission indicate a dismal failure and a rude awakening for the US Navy." The expedition returned with no aircraft save the plane that Byrd used to fly home. The Fourth Reich militarized saucers wiped them all out. This could be viewed as an extension of World War II from a new stronghold, only this time we lost the war. After the failure of Operation Highjump, the role of German scientists recruited as a part of Operation Paperclip took on an added dimension. "All reports on these men had been altered from a determination of “ardent Nazi” to read “not an ardent Nazi”. These men were granted high level security clearances and offered jobs in leading aerospace companies, like Lockheed, Martin Marietta, North American Aviation, and other defense contractors. Many other hidden deals that compromised U.S. secrets were negotiated with the breakaway Fourth Reich Antarctica colony, "there was an extensive infiltration of the military industrial complex by Nazi sympathizers." "They easily slid into more powerful and influential positions over the massive industrial complex of the USA that they coveted to expand their operations in space." Hitler and Bormann were busy with Nazi business in their Argentina hideaways. Salla's history of Antarctica is an essential read to help fill in the sordid details. Unfortunately this is the tip of the iceberg. After 75 years the Operation Highjump documention is still classified. Do you suppose there is something to hide? Is national pride more important than lifting up the carpet and starting to clean up the mess? This is a very mechanical document about life on the ice, the testing of transportation, communications, and weather equipment, the mapping of the region. No Nazis here, no dead or wounded fighters, no battle reports, no missing planes or sunken ships, just a peaceful jaunt on the ice, if you care to believe that. No mention of embarrassing political consequences. This report says the moral was high!!!