As daring as it sounds, Commander Anderson's explorations were not unique, nor was the USS Nautilus the first submarine of that name to attempt the Pole. In 1931 polar adventurer Sir George Hubert Wilkins (1888-1958) leased a surplus American World War I submarine, the O-12, renamed it the Nautilus, and announced plans to sail under the polar ice and surface at the Pole.
The Australian-born Wilkins was a colorful character worthy of an Indiana Jones movie. An early movie photographer, during the 1912-1913 Balkan War he filmed the first footage of live combat. He was second-in-command of the Canadian Arctic Expedition of 1913-1916. During World War I he flew with the Royal Australian Flying Corps and was twice decorated for bravery -- once for leading American troops in ground combat. He was knighted for his daring 1928 flight across the Arctic Ocean from Point Barrow, Alaska, to Spitsbergen, Norway.
The Nautilus was Wilkins' most ambitious venture, but the expedition was dogged by mechanical failures and suspected sabotage. The Pole proved to be a goal too far, although the Nautilus managed to operate under the ice up to 82 degrees north during its brief voyage. The sub suffered storm damage on its return voyage, and Wilkins was forced to scuttle her off Bergen, Norway. He ended his career as a cold-weather consultant for the U.S. military and died in Massachusetts.
Captions: Sir George Hubert Wilkins led the first attempt to reach the North Pole by submarine in 1931. Byrd Polar Research Center, Ohio State University, ca. 1930s.
On March 17, 1959, the USS Skate surfaced at the North Pole. After a brief ceremony, her commander, in accordance with Wilkins' wishes, scattered his ashes across the ice. Byrd Polar Research Center, Ohio State University.
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