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photographed and sketched the area. In subsequent flights in 1949 to 1952 and whose objective was to investigate and verify 1931 and 1936, they uncovered areas unknown and identified the 1938 German discoveries. anomalies that would attract worldwide interest. On 4 February Britain and Norway knew that the area of Queen Maud Land 1936, Lars Christensen dropped the Norwegian flag from his which the Nazis had utilised would be vastly different from that plane, thus claiming the land informally. The maps produced which was mapped in the 1930s and early 1940s. An explosion of from the photographs omitted the dry areas and lakes that had sufficient magnitude could have created a warm front. The been identified, but the discoveries led to private discussions ground could have warmed enough for rising heat to have created between the Norwegian Government and the Monarchy as to precipitation—how much could only be gauged by the velocity of whether Norway should annex the area. the explosion. In all probability, snow would have fallen on areas After much deliberation, on 14 January 1939—six days before that had not seen water for thousands if not millions of years and the first Deutsche Antarktische Expedition flight over Queen the landscape would have changed significantly. Maud Land—the Norwegian Government passed a royal decree When NBSE team members inspected the area, they found the annexing the region between Enderby Land and Coates Land as largest land animal (bar penguins) on the continent: tiny mites. Queen Maud Land. That discovery was an irregularity in itself. The expedition also The Deutsche Antarktische Expedition discoveries were well discovered unusual lichens and mosses in certain areas. However, publicised. Captain Ritscher and his two Dornier Wal flying the lakes that had been so prevalent in reports from previous boats (Boreas and Passat) flew extensively and produced in expeditions were largely not noted; nor were the vast, dry areas. excess of 1,500 photographs that covered an area of over 250,000 Could the lakes have frozen and the majority of the dry areas have square kilometres. However, as with the strange case of the disappeared under a blanket of snow? suppressed Norwegian maps, most of the films, records and Meantime, more and more countries wanted their own bases in research materials were destroyed in Antarctica, and soon skirmishes started. the war, though some have since In November 1948, Britain's Hope resurfaced. Base on the Antarctic Peninsula was During the war and up till the end on, .8 A a suspiciously destroyed by fire; in of the Antaratic summer of 1945-46, Britain halted its Antarctic 1952, Argentinian forces shot at the Britain's RAF was also flying over flights and operations for two British returning from the joint Antarctica to map the area and search expedition. Details of other for suitable places to establish bases. years, giving the United States skirmishes unfortunately have been Iscovre moe aan | alffee hand in Antarctica ff sworesefr coma mas voked Britain's Neuschwabenland with the commencement of war against Argentina over the campaign. i ighi Falkland Islands (the Malvinas). Its Britain's arrogance in committing Operation Highjump. defeat of the Argentinian forces led to troops to Antarctica, independent of the collapse of the fascist military the United States, and in celebrating junta that had dominated Argentina the feat with the release in February for several years. Argentina also had 1946 of a provocative stamp set, woul more than a passing interest in inevitably lead to Britain's claims on Antarctica being contested, Antarctica but, with the deaths of over 2,000 personnel in the even though the stamps commemorated Britain's final fight with Malvinas campaign and facing the possibility of Buenos Aires Nazism rather than being a statement of its Antarctic claims. And being bombed, Argentina had no choice but to admit defeat. Yet, even though Britain expressed outrage publicly when Highjump whilst admitting the battle was lost, Argentina insisted the war was launched, it was just a pretence: privately, Britain knew that was not over. The Malvinas are Argentinian possessions the USA's newfound superpower status meant that it would not according to South American atlases, and who is to say that war permit Antarctica to be utilised by other nations for financial gain. will not erupt again one day? If that were to happen, Britain Britain halted its Antarctic flights and operations for two years, would again send an armada to fight because, quite patently, the giving the United States a free hand in Antarctica with the com- Falkland Islands are still one of Britain's most prized mencement of Operation Highjump. With the Nazi haven dependencies and the reason is quite simple: their close proximity destroyed, there was little need for the British to return: the to Antarctica and all its treasures and mysteries that one day will Americans would not discover anything that had not already been be allowed to be utilised and accessed.“ discovered. Or would they? In the two years they had to discover as much about Antarctica Military Interest in Antarctica as possible, the Americans found dry areas and warm-water lakes Before the Antarctic Treaty was ratified on the 23 June 1961, that provoked immense media interest, but Operation Highjump, the International Geophysical Year (IGY) of 1958 brought which they'd planned to last for six months, ended after just eight | immense international attention and cooperation to the frozen weeks. They received a hostile reaction from other nations, but it continent. The Americans returned in numbers, as did the British, was only after the mission's return that the rumours and theories but the Soviets also began their own experiments. began to abound and the enigma surrounding Highjump really The aim of the IGY was to enable nations to put aside their began. The US conducted another expedition, Operation claims whilst sharing resources and scientific information. The Windmill, in the Antarctic summer of 1947-48 and mapped addi- success of the IGY allowed the Antarctic Treaty to be enacted— tional areas of special interest. but with the USSR stating that it had no intention of leaving The RAF returned in 1948-49 and flew extensively in search of | Antarctica and that it would keep all its bases when the IGY a viable base in Queen Maud Land for the joint Norwegian— ended. However, all claimants deemed that "Antarctica is to be British-Swedish Expedition (NBSE) that was going to last from used for peaceful purposes only", although military personnel and flights and operations for two years, giving the United States a free hand in Antarctica ~ Military Interest in Antarctica Before the Antarctic Treaty was ratified on the 23 June 1961, the International Geophysical Year (IGY) of 1958 brought immense international attention and cooperation to the frozen continent. The Americans returned in numbers, as did the British, but the Soviets also began their own experiments. The aim of the IGY was to enable nations to put aside their claims whilst sharing resources and scientific information. The success of the IGY allowed the Antarctic Treaty to be enacted— but with the USSR stating that it had no intention of leaving Antarctica and that it would keep all its bases when the IGY ended. However, all claimants deemed that "Antarctica is to be used for peaceful purposes only", although military personnel and 28 = NEXUS _ Britain halted its Antarctic with the commencement of Operation Highjump. www.nexusmagazine.com DECEMBER 2005 — JANUARY 2006