Hitler at the South Pole

by Ernst Zündel

Foreword

It is typical of our time that in order to be heard, one must resort to rather unusual methods. One would actually assume that in our age of lightning-fast, wireless communication, through radio, television, teleprinters, and telephones, not too many things could remain secret for long, or even be suppressed. Today, almost everyone knows everything about everyone else. Argentinians know what happens in Germany, Australians know what happens in America, and we, the white people in America, Canada, and Europe, know within a few hours if anything happens to a Negro terrorist in a prison in Africa. So one would think that universal reporting, which has turned the world into a "global village," would be a wonderful tool for raising the general knowledge of all peoples! At least, that's how the liberal dreamer, the uncritical idealist in the West, sees it. The people living under the red terror of opinion control also know this, but they see it less idyllically, and they know that in the communist state, the transmitter of news, i.e., the state itself, controls all the information that the receiver gets. Therefore, they are skeptical and develop an extremely watchful eye to learn to distinguish between lies, half-truths, facts, and propaganda tailored to specific purposes. For the reader in the communist sphere of power, reading between the lines is often more important than reading the actual lines.

In the "free world," where everyone from the rooftops and politicians of all ideological shades loudly proclaims that freedom of speech exists, censorship does not, and everyone is free to express their opinions. It sounds so wonderful and looks so great on paper that almost every state today has included it in their fundamental laws and constitutions. The right to free expression is officially guaranteed to the Chinese in Red China, just as it is to the Soviet Russians and the Palestinians in Israel, the Germans in the "GDR," or the so German and so democratic citizens of the rule-of-law state this side of the minefields and death strips. This sacred right is even enshrined internationally in the United Nations Charter, thus accepted worldwide—on paper, of course!

If you are lucky, you may be able to express your opinion freely, but what good does that do for you or your ideas if (a) no one is present when you express them, or (b) if they listen but don't understand you due to linguistic or content-related reasons, because they lack the necessary historical, scientific, or educational background? Or what happens if the person listening to you understands everything but holds an opinion diametrically opposed to yours? When that happens, there are only three possibilities: (1) They listen to you and simply say, "What nonsense," and that is the end of your freedom of expression. (2) They could cause you trouble because of your statements by slandering, betraying, or even legally prosecuting you for insult, incitement, hate speech, or conspiracy, depending on the content of your expression. So, in the second case, your freely expressed opinion can be quite dangerous! That's why staying silent, often seen today as nearly a "first duty of the citizen," is equally popular in both East and West. (3) But if, against all odds, you find a good and intelligent listener who takes your expressed opinion for what it is—something personally experienced or personally learned—then the course is set, and the possibility exists that the freely expressed opinion will continue to spread, constantly challenged and modified, and finally find a larger audience, becoming an integral part of common knowledge. Wonderful! That's how it used to be, and that's how it could be if we had already arrived in the paradise of liberal dreamers.

In today's world, however, the harsh reality is that certain intellectuals, of particular ideological orientations, have infiltrated the vast majority of mass media and are thus able to sort, edit, condense, and filter everything, heavily influencing—meaning, in truth, manipulating—the media and the information they produce. Press agencies, whose reports are simultaneously sent worldwide via teleprinter, operate in this way. Telegraph agencies work the same way, and thus, news is either transmitted or printed truthfully, twisted, or not at all. If a single ideology dominates or is prevalent at the moment, for example, in today's Germany, only good things about Jews are reported, while only bad things and gruesome stories about the evil Nazis are brought to the public, just as Dr. Goebbels had little good to report about Jews.

In addition, in both the West and the East, the dominant ideology is accompanied by racial elements and religious orientation, or even the economic views of the news transmitter—from the reporter to the newspaper owner, or in North America, the owner of the radio or television network—and it becomes easy to see that free expression of opinion might exist here and there, but there is no free dissemination of opinion, accessible to all and censored by no one, anywhere today, nor is there likely to be in the future.

We are all subject, in the East and the West, more or less openly or covertly, to censorship—sometimes by individuals, sometimes by interest groups, economic blocs, parties, ideologies, or states. To break through this existing censorship, in the case of Germany's Antarctic claims, this book was partly rewritten and reissued. Why a book in the German language had to be published in distant Canada about Germany's territorial claims in the even more distant Antarctica is also a sign of the times.

The deep slumber that seems to have fallen over broad sections of the populace and leadership in the three German states since 1945 is to blame for this. On one side, the over-satiated, intellectually lazy West German citizen, made complacent by the economic miracle, is at fault, and on the other side, the DDR official, who wants to be even more papal than the Kremlin's pope to his red advisors in Moscow, shares the same guilt. The proportional compromiser in Austria also does not seem inclined to let his gaze wander beyond the Alpine mountains to distant continents, even if perhaps the survival of his own people could be decided there.

This world-weariness of the three German states is the true great tragedy of the post-war period and is unfortunately all too characteristic of the last thirty years. This book aims to lift the veil of silence and break through the invisible censorship that, perhaps within a generation, could strangle the life of the Germans due to a lack of raw materials and the need for expansion.

With this book, a new generation asserts its claim to a vast area of Antarctic territory that the Germans explored and mapped in great detail with many dangers and at great expense. Especially now that the great international debate has erupted over how Antarctica should be divided, who owns what, and who has claims to which regions, why, and for what reasons, it is now high time for us Germans, in all three states, to quickly reassert our right to participate in those discussions down there in the last uninhabited continent. The censorship of the Allies has nearly succeeded in denying the Germans the fact of their claims. Through legal, diplomatic, and propagandistic tricks, they want to cheat Germany out of its rightfully earned claims in Antarctica.

Much like tsarist Russia dealt with a weakened China, they want to handle German interests since 1945 in the same way. That the Allied-installed governors of German nationality first dealt with rebuilding after the total collapse is understandable. That, considering the circumstances and the limited manpower and leadership material that survived the war, no grand world politics could be conducted at the time, is also understandable. Today, however, the German states have grown strong again, thanks to the industriousness and work ethic of their citizens, and thus have the right for their economic and political interests to be recognized worldwide by the respective governments in Bonn, Pankow, and Vienna! Just as today's resurgent China actively asserts its interests worldwide through missions, delegations, visits, advisors, trade agreements, and military activities, so too must the Germans learn once again to stand tall with heads held high, as equals among nations.

Take courage brothers, we are not the laggards of history but the preparers of a new era!

How This Book Came About

I am a German, born in 1939. I grew up in a small German village and emigrated to Canada before I was even 19 years old. Until my emigration, I lived like most Germans at the time, always on the brink of hunger, regardless of age. My main focus was on survival, moving forward, and, after completing my apprenticeship, experiencing things for myself!

It was the time of large advertisements in German newspapers and magazines calling for "immigrants wanted" to Canada, America, Australia, Argentina, and South Africa. After reading the colorful brochures that painted a world of endless expanses, wild mountains, shimmering lakes, adventures with Indians, bears, wolves, canoe trips, and campfires à la Karl May, the decision to emigrate was quickly made. Wanderlust drove me, and the eternal dream of youth to conquer the world did the rest.

So, I found myself, wide-eyed, cold, and hungry, one morning at four o’clock, 5,000 kilometers away from home, lonely, a bit frightened, and all alone in front of the main train station in Toronto, Canada. I could only speak a few scraps of English, just what a distance course for tourists had taught me. I had no acquaintances, friends, or relatives anywhere in Canada. I didn’t have a job either. In my suitcase, I carried an axe and work clothes for a lumberjack, in case I couldn’t find work in my trade as a graphic designer. In my pocket, I guarded my $200, which I had painstakingly saved and exchanged ... the dollar was worth DM 4.36 at the time. It was my entire treasure, not even enough to get back home. So, there was no turning back.

After some fears and hesitation, the will to survive quickly took over. Soon, I found a room with "running" water that flowed into old buckets, cans, and bowls from several spots in the ceiling whenever it rained! But the landlady was charming and, most importantly, spoke "German," though in a peculiar dialect I couldn’t place anywhere in the German regions I was familiar with. Later, I learned that what I was muddling through with my landlady was nothing other than Yiddish. Thus, I saw and experienced my first Jews.

I soon found work, thank God, in my profession. My thorough German apprenticeship helped me land a good "job," and learning English posed little difficulty. As I began to understand the new language, a whole new world opened up to me. In further education courses and evening schools, I met young people of other races and nations. In one English class, there were no fewer than 32 participants from 21 nations.

Contact with peers of both sexes brought me into contact with a beautiful French woman, and soon the greatest adventure on earth—marriage—was on the horizon. Communication was in English at first, but soon in French, and more and more horizons and deeper insights into the soul and mindset of my new home opened up to me.

At first, I was astonished, then bewildered, and finally horrified by what I discovered. Canadians and Americans, whose radio and TV programs could be received without any trouble in Toronto, lived in a completely different mental world from us Germans. What I experienced back then is called "culture shock" today.

I couldn’t believe it was possible for adults, seemingly intelligent people, to be so politically naïve and so poorly educated in history. I decided to get to the bottom of it. I began an intensive study and devoured the Toronto library.

Professionally, things were going well. In the meantime, I had a son, and with full confidence, I made the decision at the age of just 21 to start my own business.

By that time, I had mastered the English language, and thus I was drawn to Montreal, the largest French-speaking city outside of France. Without hesitation, we moved to Montreal, in the province of Quebec, and I began my language studies anew while working independently in my profession.

Once again, I experienced a great shock, this time in learning French. Here, the separation from the German worldview and post-war reality that I was familiar with was even more striking, and the gap even wider.

Through my profession, I earned good money and was able to go on study trips by car, often for months, across Canada and America. I got to know the great thinkers, historians, politicians, and church leaders, often in interviews or private meetings. My theoretical history studies, particularly about the period after the turn of the century in Europe and America, were reinforced by several years of studying political science at the University of Montreal.

Alongside this packed program, I wrote articles for Canadian, German, and American magazines. Soon, my book collection needed its own room, and my files required entire rows of folders.

One of those files was on Hitler, and what initially irritated me and later fascinated me was the possibility of Hitler's survival, which was often discussed in the foreign press. Like most post-war Germans, I grew up firmly believing that the "bloody dictator and tyrant met his well-deserved end on April 30, 1945, in Berlin." In all my years, I had never met a German, regardless of age, who didn’t believe the same. Everyone was absolutely convinced of Hitler’s suicide. However, I found the English, French, Canadians, Americans, and especially Jews to be equally convinced that Hitler had escaped from Berlin.

Not a month went by that I didn’t hear on the radio, see on TV, or read in newspapers or magazines that Hitler, Bormann, Mengele, or whoever else was alive and well, living in luxury in hidden haciendas or estates in South America. Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal often made headlines and is still a frequent guest on American and Canadian television. He seemed to have good sources, which often led to the arrest, deportation, abduction, or even assassination of former SS, Gestapo, or Wehrmacht members.

Through reports from—and correspondence with—Germans in South America, my suspicion grew that there might be some truth to the wild stories of the Americans and Jewish Nazi hunters.

Part of my research resulted in the following documents, which I present to the German reader and skeptic only because these articles and reports brought me into contact, for the first time, with the historical fact of the "German Antarctic Expedition," about which I had learned nothing in school or anywhere else in Germany. Now, questions began to arise that sought answers. To save space, I will refrain from a literal translation and will instead translate the content meaningfully, with particular reference to the source and the date of the cited news.

Time Magazine (America’s equivalent of Der Spiegel) published a report on May 7, 1945, on page 70, under the headline "Hitler Story," based on information from the "Free German Press Service" in Stockholm, often cited and printed in America during the war. Figures like Wehner and Brandt were allegedly close to it. The report stated: "The ‘Hitler’ who was in Berlin was not Hitler at all, but a grocer from Plauen named August Wilhelm Bartholdy, whose misfortune was that he looked exactly like Hitler. Bartholdy was well and thoroughly trained for his role and then ordered to Berlin to heroically die on the barricades ... He was Hitler’s trump card, with which he could weave a heroic legend around himself and his death in the ruins, while the real Hitler escaped underground and would carry on."

Reich photographer Heinrich Hoffmann was also mentioned. His task was supposedly to document everything photographically.

Since Time Magazine was one of the most conservative journals in its field and subject to the same American wartime censorship as all other newspapers, it is surprising that such a story was allowed by official censors.

$500,000 Reward for Finding Hitler

Shortly thereafter, an article appeared on the front page of a major daily newspaper in Buffalo, New York, with the headline: "Local Man Sends Truman $5,000 to Start a 'Catch Hitler Reward Fund'." The article further reports: "Attorney William J. Brock, believing that Hitler survived and is being hidden and protected by his followers, today sent President Truman a certified check for $5,000, which was intended as the initial capital for a reward of $500,000 for those who would deliver Hitler to the Allies for trial."

According to recurring newspaper reports, Hitler was still alive and might one day emerge from the underground. This article was circulated worldwide by major news agencies at the time.

Then follows the frequently cited suspicion of all Allied powers that Skorzeny might have contributed to Hitler’s escape, and indeed may have even smuggled the real, genuine Hitler out of Berlin. Skorzeny, by his own account, was in Berlin until April 10, 1945.

In the book by an Englishman, Charles Foley, about Skorzeny, Commando Extraordinary, Ballantine Books, pages 134-135, we read: "Skorzeny voluntarily surrendered to the Americans in the Alpine region after the end of the war. One of his first interrogators was none other than the head of counterintelligence for General Eisenhower’s Supreme Allied Command, personally. For six hours, Skorzeny was cross-examined by him. At the end of this marathon interrogation, the counterintelligence chief suddenly asked Skorzeny: 'What were you doing in Berlin at the end of April?' Skorzeny replied that he wasn’t there. The counterintelligence chief then mustered all his interrogation skills and pressed further: 'Come on, you know full well that you personally flew Hitler out of Berlin on April 30. Where did you take him?'"

Skorzeny denied the whole story. Nevertheless, he was asked the same question hundreds of times, repeatedly, by GIs and generals, reporters and judges, by the British, French, Russians, and everyone else who had the chance to ask. Even up until shortly before his death, thirty years after the war, he was still asked: "Where did you really leave Hitler?"

Skorzeny always answered the same: "I am sure Hitler is dead. If I had brought Hitler to safety, why would I have voluntarily returned to American captivity?"

To which most of his high-ranking visitors and interrogators always replied: perhaps he returned voluntarily precisely to divert Allied search parties from Hitler's real trail? After all, he was a fervent National Socialist and admirer of Adolf Hitler.

From Skorzeny’s own books and articles, we know that the American Counter Intelligence Corps (C.I.C.) repeatedly interrogated him and also Hanna Reitsch after 1947-48 about how, where, and when they smuggled Hitler out of Berlin.

What possibilities still existed at that time for such a deception and escape operation will once again be indicated from several mostly Allied sources. On September 17, 1974, at 7:15 p.m., on the Canadian radio program As it Happens from C.B.C. Radio, a professor from the dental faculty of the University of California in Los Angeles stated that Hitler ordered a special plane to fly to Berlin with the task of removing all X-rays and other documents about the health of the higher party and state leaders to an unknown destination. Therefore, all drawings and documents are recreations by assistants from memory of the originals. From the German side, for the last 30 years, a picture of total chaos has been spread about the events of that time. From the Allied side, it looks quite different. The French flying ace Pierre Clostermann, bearer of the D.S.O. and D.F.C., reports in his book, The Big Show, published by Corgi Books, on page 238, under the heading "The Last Test, May 3, 1945," about the situation in northern Germany and Denmark: "The evacuation of the Luftwaffe was carried out in perfect order. All airfields in Denmark were overcrowded with German transport and fighter planes. There was enough fuel to guarantee effective defense for quite some time."

A large naval convoy from Kiel and an endless stream of airplanes over the Skagerrak, as well as the tenacious defense of the ground troops, were clear witnesses... of the German will to defend."

On page 244, he reports on an air battle that was common only at the beginning of World War II when Germany held air superiority: "Near Fehmarn, close to Heiligenhafen, we suddenly encountered the large airbase of Grossenbrode with its seaplane bases and runways, overflowing with heavy, multi-engine transport aircraft. Several ships were anchored off the coast. As we broke through the clouds in our Tempest machines, we were suddenly surrounded by swarms of German fighter planes, in groups of 30 to 40. About 100 German fighters were in the air. On the airfield or taking off, there were more than 100 large transport planes. I had only 24 Tempests."

He then continues to describe how he saw a whole row of enormous Arado 232 transport machines, with their two decks and 24 wheels, sitting on the runway.

This was the enemy picture, as seen and described first-hand by the world-renowned Frenchman Pierre Clostermann on May 3, 1945. Could Hitler have escaped from Berlin in a jet plane with appropriate fighter protection, if such a wish or plan existed?

But back to other witnesses. H. Trevor Roper, who, as an Oxford professor and Germany expert, was part of British Intelligence, mentions in his book The Last Days of Hitler on page 101, Heinrich Himmler's remark: "The Führer has some sort of plan." Goebbels also expressed himself in similar terms at the end of April with these words: "Germany is still the land of loyalty! It will celebrate its greatest triumph in danger!"

Hitler supposedly committed suicide with Eva Braun on April 30, 1945, at 3:30 p.m.

The book The End of the Hitler Myth mentions on page 339 that Hitler arrived at Tempelhof Airport at 4:15 p.m., so 45 minutes after his death, he was still alive! According to Mattern in his book UFO: The Last Secret Weapon of the Third Reich, on page 48, he cites the Chilean newspaper Diario Ilustrado of January 18, 1948, which prominently reported the following, based on a sworn witness statement:

"On April 30, 1945, Berlin was in full dissolution. But little of this was noticed at the Tempelhof airfield. The ground organization, such as harbor signals, radio, and navigation aids, gave the pilots all the instructions needed for smooth landings. It was very busy. Every six minutes, a plane landed. Ten planes took off every hour, sometimes more. Fast fighters of the German Luftwaffe raced across the horizon, securing the airspace. As a result, the airfield suffered no major damage. Amid the roar of engines, one could hear the harsh hammering of the onboard weapons and the approaching sound of battle. Reports came in that the Russian army had already advanced to Kochstrasse and Oranienstrasse. The connection to the city center was cut off. There was only one escape route left: by air, or capture. In the next few minutes, the feverish pulse of Tempelhof airfield would cease. At 4:15 p.m., a Ju 52 landed, hastily bringing 55 soldiers from Rechlin to defend Berlin. They were all boys under 18 years of age.

On this plane, as a gunner, was Engineer B., whom I had known for years and for whose military exemption I had repeatedly intervened. He was eager to refuel and get out of Berlin as quickly as possible.

While refueling, he suddenly received a sharp nudge from the radio operator, directing his attention to a specific spot. At a distance of 100 to 120 meters, he saw a Messerschmitt turbine jet, Type 332. With an auxiliary tank, this plane had a range of 4,000 kilometers. Engineer B. and his comrade, the radio operator, attentively watched the plane with their sharp eyes. Before it, unmistakably, stood their supreme warlord: Adolf Hitler!

He was in field-gray uniform and was gesticulating animatedly with some party officials, apparently bidding them farewell. For ten minutes, the two men observed the fleeing Führer closely amid the haste of refueling. Then the fuel was loaded. At 4:30 p.m., their plane took off again. Seven and a half hours later, at midnight from April 30 to May 1, 1945, Admiral Dönitz announced over the military radio that Hitler was dead and that he had taken command. A few minutes later, German radio broadcast the same news. Goebbels also announced that the Führer had entered Valhalla. According to a report from the Soviet Union's information office on May 3, 1945, Fritsche stated during his interrogation after his capture that Hitler, Goebbels, and the newly appointed Chief of the General Staff, General of the Infantry Krebs, had committed suicide.

Lieutenant Colonel Heimlich of American Intelligence, who investigated all reports of Hitler's death, concluded that Hitler, Eva Braun, and Bormann were still alive. There was not a shred of evidence that Hitler was dead. The report (INS) also stated that the U.S. Army's investigation into the events of the last days of fighting revealed that it would have been extraordinarily easy to escape from Berlin. Experts also pointed out the impossibility of completely burning a body in the open without leaving remains. A working party of American, British, French, and Russian soldiers discovered a pit containing two hats supposedly belonging to Hitler, as well as a pair of underpants with Eva Braun’s initials; however, no bodies or remains were found.

Engineer B. rules out any mistake on his part and insists emphatically that on April 30, 1945, when he landed at 4:15 p.m. and observed Hitler in the bright light of the setting sun, it was no longer possible to reach the Reich Chancellery. For this reason, it could never be true that he committed suicide in the Reich Chancellery on that day. When Engineer B. heard the radio announcement from Admiral Dönitz, he was extremely surprised and at first thought that the Führer had died in a plane crash."

Probable aircraft used for the escape from Berlin, Me-332, is not known to the author. However, it is entirely understandable that due to the strict secrecy policy of the government, the reporter made an error.

Once again, major American news agencies such as "Associated Press" and "United Press," which were published all over the Western world except in occupied Germany, which was under strict censorship, ran detailed stories about the events in Berlin in late April 1945. On January 16, 17, and 18, 1948, they published the story of a German flight captain, Peter Baumgart. As it was clearly stated under his photo in a leading article in the Chilean magazine Zig Zag on January 16, 1948, Baumgart claimed to have flown Hitler and Eva Braun, along with other loyalists, from Tempelhof to Tondern on April 30, 1945, and from there, with another plane, over the Skagerrak to the Norwegian port of Kristiansund, where a submarine flotilla had been waiting for the Führer since April 24.

The American news agency AP reported on December 4, 1947, from Warsaw, regarding a sworn statement during a trial before a Polish court, that an SS captain, P. Bandgart, testified that Hitler had sailed to South America on a German submarine two days before the fall of Berlin. Whether this was the same Baumgart mentioned in the above article could not be determined after 30 years.

Under the headline, "German Tank Man Claims He Saw Hitler Escape," on January 17, 1948, the American news agency United Press published an eyewitness report in Chile stating that Hitler left the Reich Chancellery on April 29 in a "wounded transport tank."

The American news agency Associated Press, on March 5, 1948, under the headline "Hitler Escaped," mentioned that a German girl denounced a Luftwaffe pilot to American Army Intelligence in Nuremberg, leading to the arrest and interrogation of a Luftwaffe pilot named Arthur Frederick Angelotte Mackensen in Wollfrathshausen near Munich. He claimed that he had seen Hitler and Eva Braun fleeing Berlin by plane to Denmark at the end of April.

The Jewish writer and Ben Gurion biographer, Dr. Michael Bar-Zohar, in his book The Avengers, reports in precise detail that there was an escape or relocation plan at the highest level, which was prepared on August 10, 1944, at the Maison Rouge Hotel in Strasbourg in front of high-ranking Reich officials and German industrialists. The American intelligence service, the "Office of Strategic Services," soon uncovered this. Two main decisions were made: first, that part of the Reich’s wealth should be hidden within Germany, and second, that German capital should be sent abroad and invested there.

A report from the Allied intelligence services, transmitted to the U.S. State Department, detailed the German leadership’s plans for the postwar era. Everything was planned—from the use of German patents, whose registration in neutral countries increased dramatically in 1943-1944, to the establishment of German vocational schools and technical institutes in neutral countries, from where the work on German inventions and weapons technology would continue.

German foreign companies were to continue the Reich's research and production. German companies that had been seized by enemy states at the outbreak of the war were to be reclaimed after the war through legal proceedings financed by this "escape capital" or administered by proxies on behalf of the Germans. The necessary funds were already held in accounts in banks in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Portugal, Spain, and South America.

The Allied intelligence services soon compiled a list of 750 companies headquartered in neutral countries that had been bought with German money. Switzerland accounted for 274 companies, Portugal 258, Spain 112, Argentina 98, Turkey 35, and others in South American countries. There were companies of all kinds—manors, airlines, shipping lines, railways, travel agencies, banks, hospitals, workshops, and more. One marvels at such foresight. Was this plan for the survival of Germany, even after a defeat in Europe, implemented?

Again, our prominent Jew should have his say. In the already mentioned book The Avengers, we read on pages 110-111 about Bormann the following:

"When the fighting ended in Berlin, some men of the Russian Fifth Army came across a burned-out tank at Spandau, and lying near it was the body of a man wearing a long leather jacket. In one of the jacket pockets, they found a small book which turned out to be the diary of Martin Bormann, the Führer’s deputy and one of the most astute of the Nazi Party leaders."

After the battle for Berlin had ended, some soldiers of the 5th Russian Army found a burned-out German tank near Spandau, and next to it lay the body of a man in a long leather coat. In one of his pockets, they found a small book. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Martin Bormann's diary. The dead man was not Bormann, as was soon verified, but an entry in the diary, in Bormann's handwriting, said: "May 1, attempt to break out."

How this relocation maneuver across the ocean to southern regions was supposed to happen is explained by Michael Bar-Zohar in his book The Avengers:

"A telegram that the Reichsleiter had neglected to destroy was found in his office: 'April 22, 1945. Agree with proposal of dispersal in southern zone beyond the ocean. Signed, Bormann.'"

These two sentences clearly conveyed Bormann's intentions to flee to South America and showed that he had begun to put his plans into effect on May 1.

Michael Bar-Zohar repeatedly mentions in his book, The Avengers, that there must have been a plan. He quotes Admiral Dönitz, who, during a speech in 1943, reportedly said: "The German U-boat fleet is proud to have built an earthly paradise, an impregnable fortress for the Führer, somewhere in the world." The Dutch-American writer Michael X, in his early 1960s work We Want You! Is Hitler Alive?, quotes a speech by Dönitz with nearly identical content.

Mattern, in his book UFOs: Last Secret Weapon of the Third Reich, on page 15, quotes Dönitz at a naval cadet ceremony in Kiel at the end of 1944 with the following words: "The German navy still has a great task to fulfill in the future. The German navy knows all the hiding places of the seas, and it will be easy for them to bring the Führer to safety, where he can calmly make his final preparations in case of extreme emergency." Grand Admiral Dönitz denies ever saying such things today and threatens legal action against anyone who claims otherwise.

However, Dönitz has yet to sue Michael Bar-Zohar, Michael X, or Mattern. Publishers are also unaware of any legal proceedings.

Mattern quotes from Erich Kempka’s book I Burned Hitler, on page 190, where Günsche, Hitler’s personal adjutant, allegedly shouted at Kempka with wide-eyed fury: "The boss is dead! I was stunned. Then I hastily asked: How could this happen? I spoke to him just yesterday! He was healthy and completely open."

On page 139 of the same work, we read further: "A German U-boat commander, during an interrogation by the C.I.C., stated that since April 25, 1945, his U-boat had been on standby in Bremen, at the Führer’s disposal. He declared that at least ten other U-boat commanders had received the same order!"

When asked about this, Kempka responded: "I could only smile wistfully." During the C.I.C. interrogation, it was further stated: "We have established that 12 flight captains were ordered to be ready for the escape of Adolf Hitler, under a secret order from the Führer’s headquarters."

In the Spanish book Hitler está Vivo, the escape or strategic retreat of Hitler and his loyalists is written as a fact. Special mention is made of an ultra-secret U-boat convoy that reportedly set sail from Kristiansund on May 2, heading toward South America. The book claims that two German U-boats, U-530 on July 10, 1945, and U-977 on August 17, 1945, surrendered to Argentine authorities. It turned out that these U-boats were crewed by improbably young sailors. Mattern describes this in his book UFOs: Last Secret Weapon of the Third Reich, on page 85.

The Argentine authorities found it interesting and noteworthy that none of the crew members were older than 27, except for the machinist, who was already 32. The captain was 25 years old, and the second officer on board, Felix Schubert, was only 22, while most of the U-boat crew were even younger. Later inquiries with the Reich Naval Ministry in Kiel revealed that Otto Wermoutt was not the correct captain of this U-boat and that U-530, like many others, was a double for the listed units. Otto Wermoutt also remarked that he was completely alone, as his entire family had died during the bombings of Berlin. The family circumstances of the other crew members were similar.

On August 17, five weeks after U-530 surrendered to Argentine authorities, a new sensational news story broke, reporting that another German U-boat, U-977, under Captain Heinz Schäffer, had surrendered at the same location under similar conditions. His crew numbered only 32 men, as 16 married non-commissioned officers had been dropped off in time along the Norwegian coast by order. This was proof that command and oversight extended even into the personal affairs of each individual.

Crew List of U-530

• Officers: Captain Otto Wermoutt (25), Karl Felix Schubert (22), Karl Heinz Lenz (22), Petri Leffler (22), Gregor Schluter (32).

• Non-Commissioned Officers: Jürgen Fischer (27), Hans Setli (26), Johannes Wilkens (30), Paul Hahn (45), Georg Rieder (27), Kurt Wirth (24), Heinz Rehm (24), Rudolf Schlicht (26), Rolf Petrasch (26), Ernst Zickler (24), Georg Mittelstaedt (26), Robert Gerlinger (24), Viktor Wajsick (27), Günter Doll (21), Rudolf Bock (22), Werner Ronenhagen (24), Arny Krause (25), Karl Kroupa (25).

• Crew Members: Herbert Patsnick (22), Sigismund Kolacinsky (22), Friedrich Mürkedick (23), Arthur Jordan (21), Eduard Kaulbach (23), Rudolf Mühlbau (22), Franz Hutter (22), Harry Kolakowsky (21), Franz Rohlenbücher (22), Johannes Oelschlager (20), Willy Schmitz (21), Heins Hoffmen (20), Heins Paetzold (21), Gerhard Nellen (20), Ernst Liewald (21), Reinhard Karsten (22), Hans Wolfgang Hoffmann (22), Arthur Engelken (22), Hans Sartel (21), Erhardt Piesnack (21), Joachim Kratzig (20), Erhardt Muth (25), Friedrich Ourez (21), Werner Zerfaz (20), Erhardt Schwan (20), Hugo Traut (20), Engelberg Rogg (20), Franz Jendretzki (23), Georg Wiedemann (21), Günther Fischer (29), Georg Goebl (24).

Crew List of U-977

• Officers: Captain Heinz Schäffer (24), Karl Reiser (22), Albert Kahn (23), Engineer Dietrich Wiese (30).

• Non-Commissioned Officers: Hans Krebs (26), Leo Klinger (28), Erich Dudek (23).

• Crew Members: Gerhard Meyer (23), Karl Kullack (21), Wilfried Husemann (20), Heinrich Lehmann (21), Rudolf Schöneich (21), Walter Maier (19), Rudolf Neumirther (20), Hans Baumel (21), Hermann Heinz Haupt (21), Hermann Riese (21), Johannes Plontasch (20), Heinz Blasius (21), Alois Kraus (20), Kurt Nittner (21), Heinz Rottger (20), Heldfried Wurker (19), Heinz Waschek (20), Kurt Naschan (20), Gerhard Eofler (19), Harry Hentschel (19), Helmuth Maris (20), Alois Knobloch (19), Karl Homorek (19), Heinz Franke (21), Adwin Baler (19).

None of the massive U-boats, which were under construction during the war and which led Hitler to propose scrapping all large surface ships, ever fell into Allied hands. In contrast, units of this class were handed over to the occupying powers in Japan. The fate of these U-boats occasionally surfaced in the public eye, but they were typically described as "presumably of Russian origin" or as "unknown nationality."

Michael Bar-Zohar, the Jewish Ben Gurion biographer and specialist on Germany, who wrote a book about the Allied hunt for German scientists and had good contacts in both Jewish and National Socialist underground circles in Europe and overseas, reports on page 105 of his book The Avengers that:

"Two more U-boats, according to reliable sources, appeared off an uninhabited stretch of the coast of Patagonia between July 23 and 29, 1945. Two sailors from the Admiral Graf Spee, Dettelman and Schulz, who were sent to Patagonia by Captain Kay with several of their shipmates, later described their 'mission.' They were lodged at an estancia belonging to a German-owned firm, Lahnsen. From there, they were taken to a deserted part of the coast and saw two U-boats surface. The Graf Spee men went aboard the U-boats and collected some heavy crates which they ferried ashore in rubber dinghies. Then the crates were quickly loaded onto eight trucks and taken to the estancia, but very soon afterward, the trucks set off again with their load, heading inland. The rubber dinghies also served to bring about eighty people ashore, a number of whom were in civilian clothes. Judging by their manner of giving orders, they were obviously important people. They got quickly into cars waiting for them with engines running and were driven off."

After the Allied landings in Normandy and then in the south of France, the land route to Spain became impossible for the Germans, and Bormann gave orders for "Operation Land of Fire" to be continued by air. On May 22, 1944, Faupel had already sent the following letter to Dr. Hans von Merkatz at the Latin American Institute in Berlin:

"Reichsleiter Bormann, who has received two reports from von Leute and Argentine General Pistarini, requires the resumption of the transfers to Buenos Aires. Ask General Galland to place two aircraft at our disposal, solely for night flying, and to inform Rudel and Hanna Reitsch. The bearer of this letter, Kuster, must start preparations at once. Kohn must come on the first plane to assist Sanstede, who has been ordered to report here tomorrow."

“The planes took off from Berlin with crack pilots of the Luftwaffe at the controls Galland, Baumbach, Hans Rudel, and Hanna Reitsch, They landed at Madrid and then took off again for Buenos Aires.”

As far as Dr. Michael Bar-Zohar is concerned, regarding the possibility of a German plan: Was it the one that Bormann set in motion as "Operation Feuerland" on April 22, 1945? What role did the German Antarctic Expedition of 1938-1939 play in it?

I’m not sure about that! But one thing I do know is that absolutely incorruptible and highly renowned historians, writers, state officials, and other personalities have been occupied with the subject of a "Hitler escape" since 1945.

Again, let foreign sources and non-Germans speak about the real situation concerning Hitler’s corpse, that of Eva Braun, or even Bormann. First, regarding Reichsleiter Martin Bormann. The oft-declared-dead and much-hated shadow of Adolf Hitler has been circulating in countless articles, books, and press reports for over 30 years. Most of the time, he is said to be alive! Particularly, Jewish Nazi hunters, experts in their macabre trade, seemingly equipped with endless funds and access to the highest offices and most secret documents, insist that Martin Bormann and many of his party comrades and sympathizers not only escaped alive from Berlin and Germany but have also been living without financial concerns in South America for over 30 years. Especially the Hungarian Jew, Ladislas Farago, now living in America, is 100% convinced of Bormann's survival. His most well-known book, Aftermath, published by Avon Books, New York, in 1975, documents in a thick volume of 550 pages, complete with many photos and photographed documents, how Bormann escaped, how he fled to South America, and how he and his friends seem to have been protected by the highest authorities to this day. So, if Bormann managed to escape at such a late stage, is it not possible that Hitler and his loyalists could have also succeeded?

The American monthly magazine The Cross and the Flag, from April 1948 on pages 8 and 9, published a lengthy article written by Pastor Gerald L. K. Smith, in which seven theories about Hitler's death or escape are examined. He concluded that, based on the information available to him in America over three years (from the end of April 1945 to the end of April 1948), he was convinced that Adolf Hitler had escaped from Berlin to Argentina in April 1945!

He points to the book Frankly Speaking, the autobiography of the former U.S. Secretary of State under Truman, Jimmy Byrnes, in which he quotes a conversation with Stalin during the Potsdam Conference: "I asked Stalin, 'Marshal Stalin, what is your theory about the death of Adolf Hitler?' Stalin answered, 'He is not dead. He escaped to Spain or Argentina!'"

This rare book is in my possession. The passage is included in it. I find it unbelievable that such a sensational statement from Stalin, whose troops ultimately captured the Reich Chancellery and Führerbunker and examined them inch by inch, has not become more widely known. It must be emphasized once again that here the U.S. Secretary of State, at one of the most important post-war conferences, recounts a personal conversation with Stalin himself in his own autobiography. How much more official does it have to be for humanity to be convinced of a fact? Are there other ways to shed light on this dark history? Perhaps? Let’s take a closer look at certain details!

The Allies, from 1945 until today, have yet to produce a definitive document that informs all the nations involved in the war against Germany of Hitler’s death through indisputable evidence. This fact alone is unique in history, where the entire world fights a world war against the devil in person, only to move on without ever having proven him to be absolutely dead.

Goebbels was never believed in the enemy camp. He was always suspected as the master of lies, the fabricator of webs of falsehoods, and the orchestrator of the wildest rumors and legends. And yet, this same world accepts the Wagnerian ascension of his operatic hero and Führer, Adolf Hitler, who rises from the smoking ruins of his capital up to Valhalla.

To this day, the world accepts the "Goebbels version" of Hitler's death, with a few cosmetic adjustments, of course. Hitler must not go down in history as a hero but rather as a cornered suicide. Soon after the defeat, they even produce a pair of Eva Braun's panties with her embroidered name and a hat belonging to Adolf Hitler.

Rumors chase rumors, former servants, adjutants, dental assistants, and so on are interrogated and confess. Anyone familiar with the methods of the victors of 1945 won’t be surprised as to why. All more or less agree with the Goebbels legend about Hitler's death. The Russians collect hundreds of corpses in the vicinity of the Führerbunker. Entire battalions of women dig up every inch of ground around the Reich Chancellery, searching for the bodies of Hitler and Eva Braun. Several "Hitler bodies" are found. Several different ones are positively identified as "the Führer" by members of his entourage.

The world-renowned American author Cornelius Ryan, in his book The Last Battle, published by Pocket Book by Simon & Schuster Inc. in 1966, reports on the Russian search for Hitler in 1945 on page 473: "A special team (of the Russians) quickly found Hitler’s body under a thin layer of soil. The Russian history expert, General B. S. Telpuchovskii, felt certain it was Hitler. The body was quite burned, but the head was intact, except for the back of the head, which was destroyed by a bullet. His teeth lay beside his head."

He continues: "But soon, uncertainty began to spread. More half-charred bodies were found; one looked like Hitler but had darned socks, and it wasn’t accepted as Hitler because we didn’t think the Führer of the Third Reich would wear darned socks! Then there was the body of a freshly fallen man, who had not been burned."

"Then two bodies resembling Hitler like twins (two doubles) were found. Hitler’s bodyguards and bunker staff were asked to identify the bodies, but no one could or would."

On page 474, he writes that the Russians showed Hitler’s dental assistant, Käthe Heusermann, Hitler’s lower jaw with a dental prosthesis for identification. She confirmed its authenticity. Shortly afterward, she was arrested and spent the next 11 years in solitary confinement in Russian prisons.

On page 475, Ryan writes, "What happened to Hitler's body? The Russians claim they burned it outside of Berlin, but they won’t say where. They further claim to have found Eva Braun’s body…"

In a footnote on page 475, he also mentions that the Russians remained silent to their Allies about the results of their Hitler investigation for over 18 years. The first proof of Hitler’s death from the Russian side came on April 17, 1963, when Marshal Vasili Sokolovskii confirmed it to Professor John Erickson (as fact?). Ryan, unfortunately, does not inform us which of the many "Hitler bodies" the Russians presented to us as the real one, given that even the Germans couldn’t distinguish them.

William Shirer, the infamous "Germany expert" who reports on Hitler’s table-pounding rages, writes in his book The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, published in New York in 1959, on page 1134: "Hitler's remains were never found, which gave rise to rumors that he had survived the war."

Another foreigner who has written extensively about Hitler also deserves mention. Alan Bullock, in his lengthy anti-German tome Hitler: A Study in Tyranny, writes on page 800 of his revised edition, published in New York in 1962: "It is absolutely true that no incontrovertible proof in the form of Hitler’s own dead body was ever produced."

Lieutenant Heimlich, an American Jew from the Counter Intelligence Corps tasked with investigating all traces of Hitler's disappearance, wrote several times in the U.S. magazine for amateur detectives with millions of copies, Police Gazette, about his investigations into Hitler's whereabouts: "There is no proof that Hitler really died! (There existed not one iota of proof that Hitler had actually died)."

In 1968, the Christian Wegner publishing house in Hamburg made headlines with the book by the Russian Jew Lev Bezymenski, The Death of Adolf Hitler*, which was later published in America under the title The Death of Adolf Hitler by Jove/HBJ Books, New York. The book is a typical piece of communist propaganda, vaguely hinting at an axis between fascism, capitalism, and NATO. It is evident that Hitler is being used here to bait the gullible. The Hitler now officially declared dead and dissected by the Russians (with one testicle) supposedly poisoned himself with cyanide. However, on page 96, we read that Günsche saw a gunshot wound in Hitler’s right temple. Linge, on the other hand, saw it in the left temple. Kempka saw it in the mouth.

Since cyanide acts instantly, it is impossible to first poison oneself and then shoot, as even the Russians admit that the dead do not shoot themselves. Therefore, one must assume that Hitler first shot himself in the temple, which again seems odd, as he was said to be trembling like a leaf the entire time. Afterward, he supposedly took the poison. However, Kempka claims that the Führer shot himself in the mouth, so after either killing himself with a head or throat shot, Hitler still had the presence of mind to quickly bite down on a cyanide capsule to ensure his death.

Even the most gullible contemporary would find this suspicious. Therefore, someone must be found to give the dead dictator the "coup de grâce" (the final shot). A few names are mentioned; now Hitler's greatest admirers and closest followers are being turned into accomplices or suicide assistants. On page 90 of The Death of Adolf Hitler, Adjutant Günsche, servant Linge, head of the bodyguard Rattenhuber, Führer-pilot Baur, and Reichsleiter Bormann are all suspected one after the other of having delivered the final shot to Hitler. In the end, Günsche and Linge remain. However, neither of the two later remembers which side of Hitler’s temple they saw the wound on, nor which side they themselves shot into for the coup de grâce. The Soviets still suspect Günsche to this day. On page 100, Professor Smolyaninov insists, "all speculation about gunshots is inconclusive, Hitler died from poison."

According to Father Lamb in his article "Hitler lives in Russia," the three main eyewitnesses changed the confessions they gave to the Russians after being released from imprisonment. Professor Dr. Wilton M. Krogman of the University of Pennsylvania proved that Hitler could not possibly have been burned in the way described by the eyewitnesses.

And to clear up all confusion, the head of the "Autopsy Commission, Chief Expert, Forensic Medicine, 1st Byelorussian Front, Medical Service, Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Faust Shkaravski," the man responsible to Stalin, also insists on page 100 that: "All imaginative reconstructions of a shooting" are nonsense. "The fact of poisoning is indisputably proven. No matter what is claimed today. Our commission could not find any trace of a gunshot wound in May 1945."

They couldn't make sense of Kempner's words back then, and certainly not today. To be honest, I don't fully understand what's going on here either, and I still can’t quite figure it out. But one thing I’ve learned in the past twenty years of political study is that when a Jew of the caliber of Robert Kempner makes such statements in public, we Germans should be on guard.

Of course, I’m personally interested in whether Hitler managed to escape in 1945. It would certainly be an adventurous story, detailing how it was accomplished, where the journey or flight led. What did Hitler do in exile? How long did he live? Did he ever return to Germany incognito? Or does he still live today?

Do you know where? Possibly in NeuSchwabenland.

Hitler, as he was hunted by the Allies in 1945 while on the run, and what he might look like today as an elderly man!

What really happened in the world between 1946 and 1948? In Europe, it was a time of hysterical anti-German propaganda. It was the time of the war crimes trials, of arbitrariness by the victors, and of severe physical and emotional distress for vast segments of the German population. Numbed by the many shocking events, everyone fought for bare survival.

However, in the militarily victorious countries abroad, rumors of German submarines in South America were circulating, often substantiated by facts. For instance, the renowned French newspaper France Soir published a sensational article on September 25, 1946, about a German "phantom submarine": "Nearly 1-1/2 years after the end of hostilities in Europe..."

This prompted the Americans to decide to investigate these rumors. On the orders of U.S. Navy Secretary James V. Forrestal, they undertook the largest Antarctic expedition, officially named "Operation Highjump." In collaboration with U.S. Navy Fleet Chief Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Vice Admiral Forrest P. Sherman, and Rear Admiral Roscoe F. Good, the operation was swiftly implemented. Rear Admiral Richard H. Cruzen handled the detailed planning.

In his nearly 100-page report in National Geographic Magazine, Vol. XCII, No. 4, October 1947, about this U.S. expedition, the famous American Antarctic explorer Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, U.S.N. (Ret.), the actual leader of this largest expedition of all time, wrote that the U.S. Navy was unfortunately severely hindered because "this operation had to be hastily and hurriedly planned." (Page 430)

One might ask: Why did a supposedly scientific expedition have to be organized so hastily? Why the rush? Why the urgency?

It quickly became apparent why such haste was necessary. Shortly before his departure on December 2, 1946, Byrd assured attending reporters, "My expedition has a military character." The expedition participants consisted solely of 4,000 sailors and marines who carried provisions for eight months.

The fleet consisted of an impressive convoy in size and firepower. The lead ship was the Mount Olympus, with Rear Admiral Richard Byrd on board, accompanied by the icebreaker North Wind, the seaplane tender Pine Island, the destroyer Brownsen, the aircraft carrier Philippine Sea, the submarine Sennet, the icebreaker Burton Island, the two support ships Canistead and Capacan, as well as another seaplane tender, Currituck, and a second destroyer, Henderson.

On December 26, 1946, it was announced from England that a British-Norwegian expedition stationed in the polar waters of Bahia Marguerite was available to assist Byrd. Meanwhile, eight other nations, including Russia, were also engaged in "weather studies and climate questions" in Antarctica at the same time.

Although Europe, America, and Russia were already at military odds in the "Cold War," in Antarctica, they were suddenly united.

Byrd’s report is filled with numerous black-and-white and color photographs, all practically military in content, showing soldiers, tanks, snow tractors, bombers, helicopters, and so on.

Under the headline "Encirclement of a Continent Planned," Byrd wrote, on page 437, that his plan was to "attack" the continent from three fronts. On page 432, he claimed that under his leadership, a reconnaissance network would span the Antarctic continent within a few weeks. On page 434, he proposed planning a combined army and navy expedition for next time.

The expedition quickly became active after arriving in Antarctica. Amphibious tanks were landed, bulldozers and other tracked vehicles were unloaded, and with the stars and stripes fluttering, they sped inland through the snow. Where or against whom this was intended, the article does not mention.

However, it is interesting that Byrd's aircraft, in its attempt to reach the pole and fly over certain Antarctic areas, experienced engine failure (page 460). For unexplained reasons, the heating failed, the autopilot malfunctioned, the windows froze over rapidly, and the fuel in the tanks began to evaporate. The entire crew was threatened by oxygen deprivation, and they lost their sense of orientation.

Another aircraft flew into a weather front that resembled a large bowl of milk; there was no horizon, and the experienced pilots didn’t know where they were. None of them could tell whether it was fog, drizzle, water vapor, or snow. Shortly afterward, the plane crashed. Three crew members died when the aircraft exploded.

These and other accidents, along with the experience of simply not being able to break through to certain areas, led to the early termination of the expedition.

It should also be mentioned that on this "purely scientific" expedition, the press was heavily represented, with nine newspaper reporters, two radio commentators, and representatives of the three major news agencies: UPI, AP, and Reuters, as well as several people from the largest daily newspapers and major radio and television networks. But no purely scientific expedition to the eternal ice of the uninhabited Antarctic has ever attracted such "press interest." What news was expected down there?

According to the Spanish book Hitler está vivo (Hitler is Alive), page 161, Admiral Byrd, when pressed by reporters, responded: "He was prepared to break and destroy Hitler’s last desperate stand if he managed to capture him in his 'New Berchtesgaden' within New Swabia, in Queen Maud Land!"

Admiral Byrd concludes his report with a warning to America to prepare for an imminent conflict in the polar regions, which he predicted would be of the utmost strategic importance as battlefields in future conflicts. (Page 520)

How immensely large Antarctica is compared to the U.S.A. can be estimated from the map on the left... the map on the right shows the areas explored by the Allies.

Official map showing the flight routes of the Americans over Antarctica during the 1947 Byrd Expedition. Only one flight took place over German territory, and that only on the periphery. It was cut short due to the pilot’s disorientation and the failure of the instruments.

We leave it to our readers to draw their own conclusions from these thoughts, with one final reference from a book published in America. The authors of the book, a well-known Jewish writer couple, Ralph and Judy Blum, titled Beyond Earth, report an incident of great importance on page 65. An experienced pilot of the 415th Night Fighter Squadron was flying over Hagenau, Germany, at six in the morning on December 22, 1944. Suddenly, he and his co-pilot saw two large, orange, glowing discs rapidly rising from the ground towards them. As soon as the discs caught up with the American fighter plane, "the discs remained at the same altitude and followed me for two minutes through the most difficult flight maneuvers with perfect precision. After a few minutes, they turned away under perfect control and suddenly disappeared."

On page 67 of the same book, they include a report from the Technical Intelligence Division of the U.S. Strategic Air Force in London, 1944. "We received alarming reports from various sources that bombers returning from Germany increasingly complained about mysterious engine failures. Spies and German prisoners reported a mysterious weapon responsible for this.

"After extensive discussion among intelligence experts, we concluded that the Germans were using a new secret weapon that disrupted the electrical systems of our bombers. It gave us great concern because we knew it would take the entire electrical production of Europe to cause a short circuit in a B-29 engine. However, Germany had already lost Europe."

"A special aircraft was equipped with all kinds of measuring instruments. The pilot was a volunteer, and he returned from his mission like a madman. He raged, screamed, was furious and hysterical. No one could find out what had happened to him."

"The next day, he had forgotten everything. The instruments showed nothing. Later flights revealed nothing new."

Is it possible that Admiral Byrd and his pilots in Antarctica fell victim to such weapons? Admiral Byrd returned to America and was shortly afterward admitted to a naval hospital, where he never emerged alive. His papers and records are still treated as classified by the government and his family to this day.

Why? If these were merely scientific documents from a purely scientific expedition, why the secrecy? Or perhaps it wasn’t purely scientific after all?

Do you now know the solution to the mystery?

"Fireland" is the closest to the German territory in Antarctica. Could that have been Bormann’s destination on May 1, 1945?

The American invasion of Greenland occurred when it became clear in Washington that Germany, with its naval and air force bases, which were being further expanded, represented a threat to Canada and America.

There were fierce and bloody clashes between Germans and Americans. Here, the American "Coast Guard Cutter Nordland," which was put out of action in combat by the Germans, is being towed by the U.S. ship "Eastwind."

After the Americans landed at several locations in Greenland, they often only found unmanned weather stations and "provisions that were better than ours." Here, American sailors are feasting on German canned goods.

The Americans discovered this German cargo ship in Greenland's ice. No trace of the crew! No provisions, no ammunition, the ship was empty, but where were the "evil Nazis"?

German prisoners are being transported away.

The English storm a German gun battery and then fire on the base using the German gun

The first prisoners are taken by the Americans. It is the crew of the German base "Little Koldewey Island" far north of the Arctic Circle on the northeast coast of Greenland.

Here, on this map authorized by the expedition leadership, the most important points of German Antarctica are marked. The introduction to the reasons and objectives of the expedition already clearly shows that the highest importance and urgency were attached to this undertaking by the state leadership.

Almost 600,000 square kilometers of explored territory, which "coincidentally" takes the shape of an old Volkswagen. Maps and other documents underpin the German claim to the German Antarctic territories.

An American NATO reconnaissance aircraft, whose shadow can clearly be seen on the water, photographed an unknown submarine just diving. Compare again here the tower and the streamlined shape with the German designs from 1944-45.

Another submarine, without identifying marks, which surprised the Americans on the high seas. Hardly a month passes without sensational sightings of "phantom submarines."

A rare photo, a giant German submarine captured by the Americans in 1945, which had a range of 45,000 km. It was decades ahead of its time.

A "supposedly" Russian submarine in Antarctica, it looks very similar to the German submarines Type XXI, XXX, XXVI, and XXIII.

A German snorkel with anti-radar coating. It helped German long-range submarines achieve complete anonymity.

Before we now come to the super-secret weapons brought up by our opponents, the flying discs, etc., which caused the Allies so much trouble in the last months of the war, we want to briefly convince ourselves of the authenticity of the German Antarctic expedition, and thereby of the right of the Germans to large parts of Antarctica, with its abundant uranium, oil, coal, ores, and fishing grounds.

The report, the photos, and the drawings come from an interim report submitted to the Führer — all are genuine.

The badge specially created for the participants of the German Antarctic Expedition 1938-39 highlights the German claims by precisely indicating the area of the explored territory.

Introduction

This popular work on the German Antarctic Expedition of 1938/39 by Dr. Ernst Herrmann provides a vivid picture of both the course of the 117-day sea voyage, during which the expedition ship reached its working area at the end of the world in front of the ice-covered coast of the Antarctic continent and then returned to the homeland, as well as the multifaceted activities that stood out in the lives of the 82 expedition participants during that time.

The undertaking was commissioned by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, as commissioner for the Four-Year Plan of the German Reich. The aim was to continue earlier German exploratory work (e.g., E. v. Drygalski, W. Filchner) in those distant parts of the world, and at the same time to create a foothold to secure that Germany, alongside other major powers, would secure areas that could one day be of importance. A staff of experienced young scientists, accompanied by experts in transoceanic air traffic, was deployed for the scientific exploration. The Deutsche Lufthansa A.G. contributed personnel and an excellently organized radio crew to accompany the expedition. Captain Alfred Kottas of the expedition ship "Schwabenland," an air base of the D.L.H. for training air transport pilots, was assisted by the renowned whaling captain Otto Kraul as an advisor for ice guidance.

The fortunate circumstance that Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring had taken over the fundamental organization of the undertaking and placed it in the hands of his deputy and with expanding powers appointed Ministerial Director and former State Secretary H. Wohlthat, was to thank for the success of the expedition. State Secretary Wohlthat was the spiritual father of the expedition and its patron until the end. For the timely preparation of the ship, the necessary equipment with nautical instruments, the scientific and flight equipment for the research and the careful collaboration of the seamanship with the scientific staff of the Kriegsmarine, Luftwaffe, and the Ministry of Nutrition and Agriculture, as well as the Deutsche Luft Hansa A.G., the Deutsche Werft Hamburg, and the Norddeutsche Lloyd each provided invaluable assistance. The cooperation and the fortunate selection of participants corresponded to the results of the expedition. The tasks set for them were successfully completed in full.

The publication of the scientific findings will be reserved for the scientific expedition work, the first volume of which is in the press and the second volume will be published after the war. The flight and air exploration success was recorded in the provisional overview map of the explored area included in the appendix, between 11½° W and 20° E and south to 76¼° S latitude, which was found in Antarctica. It has been named "Neu-Schwabenland" and covers an area of more than 600,000 square kilometers, consisting of terrain never seen by human eyes, with mountain ranges, some peaks reaching 4000 meters in height.

Although organic life in Antarctica is limited to the lower regions of the shores, there is an abundance of marine life, penguins, and seals, as well as many whales and other fish species that provide substantial food reserves. The vast, untouched snow-covered landscape, which appeared overwhelmingly impressive under the clear skies, left an unforgettable impression.

Whatever the eye sees, it is overwhelming, the endless expanse of the landscape, the indescribably clear air above the airport often allowing visibility of more than 200 km in all directions, with mountain ranges 200 to 400 km distant, whose pointed peaks reach heights of 4000 meters into the frosty sky. The wide, unbroken ice horizon that arches upwards in the distance, where the giant flat ice dome rises towards the Pole, pierced by storm systems typical of the polar world, unseen in any other place on Earth, painted in a brilliant array of colors, especially at sunrise and sunset.

The letters from expedition participants constantly showed me anew how great an experience the trip was for each of them. None would want to forget this, even if a return trip were to be considered one day.

A. Ritscher, Expedition Leader

An extremely important document. Hermann Göring's letter confirms that the expedition was not a private undertaking, but a state act.

Test Run

Do you know the noise of a steam hammer? Or have you ever been in a boiler forge? That's how you must imagine my first visit to our new expedition ship. A deafening noise, a crashing, clattering, screeching, whistling—Oops! The hat slips off your head, and you suddenly stumble into the dark. "Sorry! Excuse me!" One hears from a great distance, and when you manage to get your hat back on, you see that the man with the 5-meter-long beam on his shoulder is now paying attention again.

You see with some Schadenfreude that the man with the beam also bumps into other people. Then you get hit by a piece of iron. "Hey guys, you need to move, it's dangerous here. There’s a high-voltage line over there." With one jump, you're three steps to the side. Of course, you’re now standing in someone else's way again. You just shake your head. From this mess of iron plates, cables, beams, this almost unimaginable chaos, a ship is supposed to emerge in 14 days. At the moment, it looks like a scrap yard for all screws and junk ships.

We are all very curious to see which phoenix will rise from this pile of dirt and ashes. That is, we already know exactly! One is the chief engineer of the shipyard, and the other is the chief engineer Uhlig from the ship itself. These two men have undertaken the transformation. They stand there quietly and confidently in the midst of the chaos as if this were completely normal. The two know exactly what they are doing! And then no one on the ship believes anything is amiss, as the expedition leader seems to know what he’s doing, having supposedly consulted with all the gods of old and disassembled sewing machines, old plans, and crumpled measurement marks. He stands on top of all this and then makes a brilliant proposal—everything will be finished in two weeks. Also, one stumbles over all the cables, wires, and old screws, but one is grateful for them. Thank God! Thank God! The more wires there are, the more quickly people work, and the sooner the boat is finished and ready to go, the sooner we can depart... The expedition leader seems to believe in using unguarded words to praise all the old companions who were apparently bribed by him... and... indeed they achieved that the entire screw scrap was miraculously removed on the fourteenth day.

But as far as we know today, we fled from all the noise into the "salon," where, fortunately, not much was being riveted and welded, and the dents in our knee-high boots were beaten out again. Along the way, one curses a bit, but then looks at each other in the dim light with Kraul, Pregula, Amelang, and their respective subordinates. With a slight friendly smile, one recognizes each other, as if seeing an old friend in the underground. What is one supposed to say to Mr. X. or Mr. Y. What did the inexperienced man say, the name "Kraul"? It wasn't until 8 days later that we realized that it should actually be "His Majesty" Kraul, as the first person had to learn. But more about that later.

First, the expedition leader, Captain Ritscher, welcomes us all and introduces the expedition plan for the first time aboard the "Schwabenland," the ship that will take us to the Antarctic continent.

At this first meeting, six scientists, the pilots, and all the ship's officers and engineers participate. It is good to hear about the full scope of this well-equipped expedition with the most modern research tools. Each of us knows only a narrow area of our field.

I look at the individual faces, and I can see on each one how a sense of pride and joy rises in them, being part of such a grand undertaking.

Captain Ritscher finishes, and there is a glimmer in his eyes, a joy in leading an undertaking that has significance for the future. The rest of us, too, are excited to be part of something much larger than any of us. Perhaps we will discover something new about the world and, who knows, maybe even change it. I leave with the thought that this expedition might be one of the greatest events in my life, one that I will always remember.

Fourteen days later, the "Schwabenland" is scheduled for its test run. The German shipyard has invited 50 prominent figures, including all the gentlemen from the ministry. No women! Women do not belong in this prominent circle. Even the stewards know the decorum. Every "Dr." today is at least a professor or secret councilor. If he wears a sailor's cap, then he is an admiral.

The weather is not bad; it is not too hot, so it is worth lounging on deck in a deck chair, but unfortunately, there are no chairs available. Even if we had deck chairs, there would be work to do. In addition to everything else, Dr. Todt, the secretary of the expedition, makes a timid attempt to store hundreds of boxes and crates on the ship. No one knows what's inside them, but we are sure that the expedition will manage, even with these unexpected shipments. With a bit of luck, at least some of us might be able to open the first boxes and see what's inside.

Meanwhile, all sorts of meetings are taking place. That's why the gentlemen from the ministries have come, after all. They have some important special requests, mostly for more funding, and they want to see how their money has been spent. The heads of the various scientific institutes also have special requests. Some even receive free refresher courses. There stands Dr. Regula, the meteorologist, blowing into his wind gauge to simulate a 25-meter storm for a finance official. When the finance official blows back into the gauge, he is praised: "Yes, you're doing just fine!"

This is no ordinary expedition! Anyone who did not realize that before can see it now, surrounded by the invited dignitaries, hearing all the formal and special requests. An assistant stumbles and asks: "Are we really going to the South Pole?"

"So? Tell us more about that."

And now, gentlemen, in conclusion, as participants of the German Antarctic Expedition of 1938/39, which, after 26 years, will again try to gather valuable scientific knowledge in this still largely unknown territory, I wish you and our esteemed expedition leader the best of health and work power. Return home safely and bring back excellent results. Heil Hitler!"

These were the parting words of Ministerial Director Wohlthat, the spiritual father of the expedition, after he had gone over all the scientific special tasks with each of us.

After the train journey from Cuxhaven to Hamburg, we had one more opportunity to receive valuable advice from the knowledgeable scientists.

Departure

The "Schwabenland" is now fully prepared for departure. The chief engineer, now called the "chief," is already standing, ready to switch on the diesel engine. But have you ever seen a sailor with a Friday departure phobia? Well, that’s not happening here. So we’ll spend the whole day onshore, finishing up the last little things before we depart.

Now, here we go! The tugboat honks, and slowly our 8000-ton ship moves down the Elbe. When we round the corner near Cuxhaven, we set a direct course for the South Pole, nearly reaching 70 degrees south latitude. The German Antarctic Expedition 1938/39 is now on its way to its destination.

It's getting warmer, day by day. Today, December 21, we pass Cape Finisterre. So, Spain is behind us. A few hundred kilometers inland, people are fighting. Aircraft are dropping 500-kilo bombs on age-old buildings. You are reminded of Fontane's bridge over the river Tay: "Death and the land, the waves of the sea, do not care about the fight above."

We focus on our mission, testing our modern scientific instruments and equipment, trying out new and unknown territories. With Paulsen, the oceanographer, and Braun, the electrician, we get to work on the sounder, measuring the ocean depths. We compare our readings with the nautical charts, and everything seems fine. Each sounding brings back accurate results, which we will later verify with over 6000 data points!

The invention of the sounder is credited to the German engineer Alfred Behm from Kiel. He was the first to think of using underwater sound detection in a new way, which was later implemented during the World War. He managed to measure sea depths using sound. The sound waves bounce off the ocean floor and are detected by a microphone. The time it takes for the echo to return is used to calculate the depth. For instance, if it takes 7 seconds for the echo to return, with sound traveling at 1500 meters per second in water, you can calculate the depth as 5250 meters.

The most important thing is the accuracy of the measurement, which takes less than 7 seconds. Every deviation, whether from water temperature or salinity, is accounted for in the results. We recently discovered that our wire got tangled at 4127.63 meters, nearly causing the oceanographer to be lynched!

Christmas — New Year

On December 22, we pass Cape Roca, the entrance to Lisbon. The weather is as wonderful as ever.

Our electricians have set up a loudspeaker system, and Reich Minister Hess's Christmas speech reaches us even under the Canary Islands. Unfortunately, we have to cut the broadcast short due to atmospheric disturbances. Our second officer, Röbke, leads us as the political officer of the "Schwabenland" with a final "Sieg Heil" to the Führer and the Reich as we celebrate the holiday onboard.

Captain Ritscher follows with a Christmas story, his own. For 26 years, he has celebrated "Christmas Eve" either in ice or snow, something unfamiliar to those who have never experienced it. He tells us what it is like to celebrate Christmas surrounded by snow and ice, setting the tone for our introduction to the Antarctic expedition.

In 1912, Captain Ritscher had the nautical command of the ship "Herzog Ernst," which brought the "German Arctic Expedition" from Schröder-Stranz to the northern coast of Spitzbergen. A series of unfortunate coincidences, financial difficulties, and so on had caused a very late departure for the expedition. Summer came to an end too quickly, autumn lasted only a few days in these latitudes, and winter surprised them, trapping the ship in ice. Since this is the account Captain Ritscher retold, I will recount the whole story of the fear surrounding the ship, the division of the expedition into different groups, one of which perished, and Ritscher’s own march from Schröder-Stranz with three companions in the wild northern part of Spitzbergen, in North-East Land. One group of eight men, under Captain Ritscher’s command, remained from September until December in an abandoned trapper’s hut on Petermann’s Cape near Wijdefjorden. They lacked food and ammunition and could not shoot even a single bird for weeks. They survived by rationing their last provisions. By early December, Ritscher set off alone on foot with his dog Bella to reach the nearest settlement of Longyearbyen. He didn’t know if he would make it, but he walked every day and every night. He had no tent, no map, no cooker, no pot, and not even a piece of bread. He walked and walked... it was a fight for life, a fight of one life against the other. His dog Bella stayed with him, his consolation and comrade. Sometimes she would walk ahead, as if she had scented a fox, but then she would return, too weak to catch any game. Temperatures of minus 30 degrees Celsius meant it was always night. He couldn’t see the moon or stars, just the blackness overhead. For nine days and nights, without eating, he continued. He felt more like a machine than a human, and Bella’s soft footfalls echoed, "trab, trab, trab."

The machine keeps walking, the body too numb to know when to stop. But Ritscher found reserves of strength and moved onward. Ridiculous, he thought, how the body simply must go on, and he went on, step after step, southward, ever southward. Away from the pole star above, through the cold, not toward the North Pole but away, toward warmth. Maybe he would reach the tropics, he thought absurdly, as his body continued, conserving strength, walking mechanically, feeling the first signs of madness creeping in. He began to laugh at his own ridiculousness, but still, he walked.

Ritscher invented a trick: he would lie down, rest his head on his hand, and tick off the minutes on a pocket watch. He slept for 15 minutes, waking when the alarm sounded. This trick helped him avoid freezing, and after a few hours, he would rest again. And Bella kept walking beside him.

Finally, Cape Thordsen came into view. The ice fjord stretched ahead, and on the far side lay the settlement. But the fjord was 25 kilometers wide, and the ice wasn’t fully frozen. It was Christmas Eve. They had waited, hoping the water would freeze solid. By now, Ritscher was ravenous, the hunger unbearable, but still, he marched. Bella walked beside him.

A favorable wind came up, and the ice began to solidify. Ritscher jumped from floe to floe, running southward again. At one point, he fell into the icy water but climbed back out. His clothing, boots, and gloves were soaked. Now walking was no longer fun; it became deadly serious. He continued in a frenzy of fear, until finally, on December 27, he reached the settlement. And Bella was still with him.

The experiences were hard, costing him several toes and fingers to frostbite. But within days, Captain Ritscher led a rescue expedition back to Schröder-Stranz to save the rest of his party, including the group at North-East Land. Everyone was saved except for the Schröder-Stranz group. Even the ship was salvaged.

Captain Ritscher reflected on the joy and relief of that rescue, the sense of triumph. As he recounted the events, we all realized he was no newcomer to the ice and snow. He had been through bitter trials and emerged with life.

We are now in sight of Las Palmas. Twelve nautical miles remain as we push through the current and wind. Despite the holidays, our meteorologists continue working, sending up balloons and tracking the weather.

On the afternoon of the second day of Christmas, we spotted the African coast. The faint line on the horizon is Cape Blanco, the dark landmass that lies ahead.

New Year's Day brings us the first flying fish. Like arrows, they shoot over the water, the size of herring. New Year's telegrams come in and are answered. Business is thriving in the radio room.

On January 2, we reach Ascension, a small volcanic island in the middle of the South Atlantic. At the northwest corner of the island, the small garrison are the only human inhabitants. Otherwise, the island is inhabited by sea turtles that come ashore to lay their eggs. Preussock hammers away at a harpoon and spends four hours in the blue water, not seeing any whales. But the island provides a stunning volcanic landscape, textbook-perfect for a picture book. Everything looks so orderly and proper.

From Ascension, a regular echo-sounding depth measurement is carried out, with Paulsen, Gluer, Barkley, and Todt taking down protocols. Mayer and Schumacher join them. Langes comes an hour later, with his head bent over the hydrographic charts, noting the results. We are now at the equator and continue southward, measuring 12,000 nautical miles of the ocean. After five nautical miles, we take another sounding.

On January 6, we catch our first sunburn. Temperatures hit 90 degrees. No shade left, and we keep moving south under the relentless sun.

The next day brings only one diversion — apart from the previous radio tests — as a rescue exercise is conducted, the lifeboat manned in full Kriegsmarine uniforms, and a well-rehearsed swimming test is carried out.

On January 8, a milestone is reached, 31.5 degrees south latitude. We celebrate with a grand acknowledgment of our homeland.

Another sensation! This time it is with the radiosonde. The balloon climbs higher and higher. Someone exclaims, "The bottle of champagne is due! The 30 km limit has been crossed!" We've heard the transmitter for over an hour and a half! According to Lange’s calculations, the balloon must have nearly reached the moon! All nonsense! The 1.5 hours were correct, but the balloon had burst long ago, and the radiosonde was already on its way back down. The turning point and maximum altitude can easily be determined from the diagram. Lange, however, graciously declines the bottle of champagne at dinner.

The sensations keep coming! On January 9, we spot Tristan da Cunha, a small volcanic island. Most of the islands in the Atlantic were discovered by Portuguese sailors in the early 16th century. Ascension, Fernando Noronha, Trinidade, Martin Vaz, St. Helena, Gough, and Tristan da Cunha were all discovered by these bold men. These islands now serve as strategic positions, especially during wartime, and are the only place where one can find some unique species of birds and plants. We approach Tristan da Cunha and bunker down for three hours in the wind shelter.

The 128 residents of Tristan da Cunha live in peaceful isolation. When a ship comes close, they rush out of their homes to observe. Lights flicker on as we pass by, and someone begins to signal with a flashlight. Our radio operators try to respond. They signal in English, Portuguese, German, French, and all languages possible, but there is no reply. Our crew is always ready to assist, but this time, no aid is needed. So we move on, leaving the island behind.

Tristan da Cunha is known as the most isolated island in the world, a fitting name for such a lonely place.

In 1506, the island was supposedly discovered by the Portuguese admiral Tristan da Cunha, then rediscovered by the Dutch in 1643. The island’s location had been long forgotten by then. In 1767, the French arrived, and in 1790, American seal hunters came. After so many visits by different nations, England annexed the island in 1806. A garrison of 50 Europeans and 50 Hottentots were placed there. A Scot named William Glass remained, became the patriarch of the island, and fathered 16 children. Eventually, more sailors arrived, settling with their families. The island's residents have thrived despite their isolation, with many living into their 80s. Interestingly, the islanders are known for having the best teeth in the world!

Tristan da Cunha and nearby islands, such as Nightingale, are the only known breeding grounds for several species of birds, including the largest albatrosses. The island of Tristan da Cunha is an ideal volcano, with its highest peak, Mount Olav, reaching 2028 meters above sea level.

Preparations for work in Antarctica continued. Captain Ritscher presented an exact organizational plan, and we discussed every detail. The flights that succeed are not the difficult ones; it's those that fail. What if we need an emergency landing on the Antarctic ice sheet? All possibilities must be considered. No group will be left behind. Our one burning desire is for the mission to proceed without incidents. The weather, of course, is the most critical factor, and in Antarctica, it can be even colder and stormier than elsewhere. We need to discuss every possibility — how will the ice hold up, how far we can travel with the "Schwabenland," and the many questions that arise as we look to the future.

Mayer and Schumacher, our two pilots, have spent the last six days inspecting and packing the emergency gear. The sleds are packed and prepared. I’ve made maps for the flight areas, working with various projections. The Mercator projection, with a scale of 1:1 km, seems the best suited for flying purposes.

The first harbingers from Antarctica arrive! A telephone conversation with the whaling ship "Viking," which is near the polar circle and still about 3,000 km away from us. Hooray for technology! Kraut immediately orders some sea cabbage and whale meat, which, when converted into European terms, would be like ordering a few meters of sausage and whale steaks over the phone from a butcher in Venice while sitting in the polar regions. From Berlin, one would have to call Spitzbergen or Cairo on the other side of the globe — those are quite similar distances.

On January 10, right after breakfast, we hold our first major meeting to review the organizational plan. Ship officers, scientists, flight leaders, and pilots all attend. Captain Ritscher presents the full organizational plan. He emphasizes that the key to success will be how well we can realize this plan, which will require significant commitment from everyone. He highlights our diverse tasks and clarifies that if any of us really want to take part, we will need to be ready for hard work. Captain Ritscher conveys his points calmly but with growing excitement. His words become firmer, and his presence exudes confidence. He is a go-getter, no less so than the youngest among us. Each word is well-considered, each suggestion for air reconnaissance carefully evaluated against the fieldwork.

A remarkable "spirit of the household" emerges, one that demands the utmost effort from each of us.

I hope I don’t offend by admitting I want to be honest. The worst thing for a writer is merely recording stories for the sake of it. I’d gladly share as many funny stories as I can, but as we approach this significant task, a lighter tone seems inadequate. No one would appreciate endless cheerful anecdotes when facing such a grand undertaking. Those participating need to smile, but those who are only observing our expedition should see the seriousness that these tasks require.

The members of an expedition form a state unto themselves, with their own laws, which can diverge freely from those of their homeland. The expedition has a specific task, a goal. And the achievement of this goal is the highest law. The ways in which each part of the task is handled are dictated by the expedition leader; he is the absolute ruler. It's like a symphony, with the leader holding the baton. Even the solo by the first violin or the flute must be placed in the right spot by the conductor, and everyone must adjust to his rhythm.

It is self-evident that the greatest danger for any expedition is a loss of unity, and discord is always a sign of weakness. If someone feels out of place or is unable to handle the situation, they seek balance. The expedition leader must have a sixth sense to identify such weaknesses and prevent them from damaging the expedition. Unfortunately, these issues often become visible too late, and recognizing them early would be the greatest accomplishment.

Now it becomes clear why the few individuals who cared for our latest Christmas guest, Captain Ritscher, were concerned about his report on his hesitations. Throughout the literature of expedition history, there are few examples of such committed and relentless work. One would have to look back to Scott's return from the South Pole or Wegener’s 1930 journey from the ice in Greenland to find a similar level of devotion. The word "camaraderie" was rarely used by Captain Ritscher, but—this brings me back to the beginning of this passage—during the discussion of necessary flight preparations, when it was asked what would happen if a plane had to land 500 km away on the ice, Captain Ritscher simply said: "Be sure of yourselves, and everything will go well." His words were spoken in a tone that left no doubt, and from that moment on, any remaining uncertainties were dispelled. No one asked about the potential for failure again, and the trust he inspired in that moment was a greater bond than any other assurance he could have given.

In the meantime, we’ve managed to travel a few more degrees south, reaching about 43° south latitude, and are fully embedded in the southern polar low-pressure zone. This doesn’t affect the sea much, as there is a broad west-to-east current, but we are moving through a barometric trough, with a pressure low moving in behind us. You know the laconic way our meteorologists put it: "A depression is approaching from Iceland." You can tell the atmospheric pressure has narrowed to a deadly tight band. Well, we’re sitting right in one of these pressure lows. The air pressure has dropped to 745 mm, and we’re seeing rain... wind, with an encouraging push, gives us a daily run (what we covered by noon today) of about 20 nautical miles.

Regula gives remedial instruction. Already back during the test run, the gentlemen from the ministries and other departments expressed a desire to learn more about the catapult's function. It’s not just curiosity; a small circle of seven scientists, including engineers, have had to study the knowledge gaps since then. We meet again to analyze, using papers and plans, the catapult's mechanism, before applying the technical knowledge in practice.

I give another lecture, focusing on the specific magnetic challenges involved in the construction of the catapult. Bolle, the master of all catapult systems, has filled in the remaining details with drawings. We run our fingers over the maze of complicated cable systems. Incidentally, a little piece of history comes up: the ten-ton aircraft is launched at a speed of about 150 km/h. I speak of earlier South Pole expeditions, particularly those of Amundsen and Scott. The race to the South Pole will always remain one of the most tragic events in polar exploration. Amundsen reached the South Pole on December 14, 1911. No human foot had ever touched this point before. Just three weeks later, Scott and his team arrived, only to find the flag of their more fortunate rivals. Since then, no one has attempted to walk to the Pole. Byrd, who first flew over the Pole in 1929, didn’t land. Only twelve men have ever stood at the South Pole, and of those twelve, eight had the misfortune of arriving too late. Scott, Oates, Evans, Wilson, and Bowers, known as the "Scott group," perished on their return journey.

January 12. It is noticeably cooler. Air temperature is +6°C. This means that tropical clothing must now be replaced with woolens. The heating is turned on again.

Last night, I had the watch from midnight to 4 a.m. And since the morning began with another watch from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m., we’ve been working in shifts continuously for 24 hours. Now everything revolves around the eight-day period! Our “lotter,” by the way, slightly extends the eight-day shifts to two or three days. On January 15, I have the watch again from midnight to 4 a.m., taking soundings. The profile of the seabed changes frequently, with fluctuations between 2000 and 1250 meters, observed minute by minute. We are swaying between these depths, and I’m curious to see how the profile continues to shift, so I keep sounding until 4:30 a.m. Schumacher, who has the next watch at 8 a.m., doesn’t mind that I keep going, and I let the line run for a while before finally calling it a day. I have to admit, I really enjoy it, even when the line gets stuck, and I have to pull it back up from the seabed.

This mysterious seamount is a result of unknown volcanic eruptions, similar to those in this part of the South Atlantic.

At noon, we approach Bouvet Island, a volcanic island similar to Tristan da Cunha or Gough. Here, the volcanic force is constantly active with an ever-open crater. Lava streams and ash are continuously being pushed up from the depths, creating a cone over time that rises 900 meters out of the water, and now 938 meters above sea level.

When considering islands, one must not be deceived by their true size. After all, the island itself is floating. The 938-meter-high mountain is, in fact, just the peak region of a volcano that extends about 5000 meters down into the ocean. What kind of rock mass would emerge if the sea level were lowered by 5000 meters is shown by this profile. Keep in mind that the mass of the entire volcano is 27 times larger than the part visible above the surface. Moreover, the peak of the volcano was likely much higher in the past.

At the Ice Edge

As we continue to steam toward the Antarctic continent, each turn of the propeller brings us closer. By January 19, the ice drift remains elusive, despite our early morning approach. A brief consultation between Captains Ritscher, Kottas, and Kraul leads to a course change, from south to nearly west. You wonder how long our good fortune will last on this path that so few have ever traversed. We’ve reached a latitude of 69°S and are approaching the impenetrable Weddell Sea to the west, a region where no human has ever broken through the ice, except for Weddell himself, the sea’s discoverer, who in 1823 reached as far as 74°30'S.

Since then, no one has succeeded, despite the most determined efforts, in navigating this fearsome sea. Many names come to mind of ships smashed by ice, including Otto Nordenskjöld’s Antarctic (1903) and Shackleton's Endurance (1915). In contrast, the expeditions of Amundsen, Filchner, and Scott faced the daunting task of simply navigating through the pack ice. Weddell’s feats seem more like a myth or deception, for how could he possibly have ventured south? Surely, it was his only aim to provoke the likes of his American rival Palmer and Professor Hobbs, as Weddell attempted to launch expeditions into what was then a completely unknown Antarctica.

But we don’t intend to venture into the Weddell Sea. That would be foolish and a waste of the "Schwabenland!" This morning, we saw the first ice glinting off low clouds and, by noon, the icebergs began appearing in the southwest. Ice is now upon us.

When the call for "Whale, whale!" was shouted, everyone rushed to the cry of "Ice ahead!" We’ve sighted it! Our excitement soars as we move forward, carefully navigating through the gleaming ice floes, which shine brightly in the sun. No one could have imagined the extent of the pack ice here. Is this the edge of the continent? Are we already entering the ice shelf? Such thoughts have been racing through our minds since we set out from Hamburg.

With "we," I mean the ice-hardened crew, the seasoned men who’ve worked in these conditions, yet even they stand in amazement. Some have never seen ice like this before, and the astonished expressions on Captain Kottas’s face as he surveys the ice are like those of a child seeing something extraordinary for the first time. He loves the ice and finds it fascinating, even if he doesn’t quite understand why we’re trudging over glaciers when there are much warmer places to explore. Still, the 200-meter-thick ice shelf at Bouvet impressed him. Not that he wanted to walk on it, but it certainly made an impact.

And now, the ice edge! The ice front rises higher and higher. To the left and right, the solid mass stretches into the distance. There seems to be no end to it. A flat, infinitely wide ice surface stretches before us.

It’s getting cooler now, just barely above freezing, although we occasionally see temperatures dipping below. That morning, the plane activity intensified. With the motors unfolded, the Dornier Wal’s cylinder covers glisten as engineers check them over. Bolle waits by the catapult, watching the indicator light as the engines roar to life. In about ten minutes, the engines howl again, and with a signal, the "Boreas" glides smoothly across the launch rail.

The first German aircraft flies over Antarctica!

We look up, somewhat enviously. This is what flying must feel like! A few minutes later, the propellers vanish into the distance, disappearing like an insect into the heavens. Only humans can now escape the bonds of the Earth, rising into the sky as the explorers did before. "Boreas" circles over us, almost as if we were ants below.

Shortly afterward, the first Morse message comes through: "Boreas has successfully launched." Beautiful to know everything is running smoothly!

The Airplane Conquers Antarctica

Meanwhile, Regula beseeches both the good and bad weather gods. At 3 a.m., it is ready, and he’s been able to convince them to promise 15 hours of good weather. The reader may be startled. It really is 3 a.m.! As we know absolutely nothing of the region ahead of us at this longitude and no ship has ever ventured this far south, this first flight over the Antarctic continent may bring surprises we could not foresee. We can’t wait until the evening for takeoff, so we plan for a daytime launch instead.

Regula had already begun speaking about the weather at 3 a.m., and the men from Lufthansa started preparing to refuel and load the plane, aiming to launch between 3 and 4 a.m.

The air is wonderfully clear, the sun hangs in the sky, and at 69°S in late January, the midnight sun is still shining. There’s a bit of envy as Schirmacher and the others climb onto the deck, bundled up in their thick fur coats, clearly brimming with excitement. Every eye shows immense tension. What will the day bring? Schirmacher himself struggles to fit through the door due to the thickness of his coat.

Good advice is heard everywhere. "Godspeed," they say, for no one really knows what lies ahead, but both pilots are full of resolve, not concerned with emotional goodbyes.

"Well then, come back safely!" That suffices, reflecting the mood without costing too many words.

One after another, the four men — Schirmacher as pilot, Loesener as mechanic, Gruber as radio operator, and Sauter as photographer — climb aboard. They stow their gear, and the engines roar to life... the signal light on the catapult comes on... Bolle pulls the lever once more... and the 13-ton aircraft races along the launch rail and shoots into the free air. Naturally, it flies one lap around the ship before setting course to the south and disappearing.

We stand there for a long time... until there’s no longer any sign of the "Boreas" in sight.

With heavy thoughts, we head back to the bridge. Concern for the expedition plan, which is being put into action for the first time today. Concern for the four comrades who are now truly facing danger. The worry isn’t like that of a soldier in the field but rather for the one who is just a step behind. The use of both men and machines must follow a war plan that accounts for every eventuality, so that the numerous factors at play can be regulated in advance. Only with increasing experience will these unknowns become clearer, so that the formula becomes more reliable with each attempt.

It has been tried before to think of everything. The gasoline mixture has often been tested in extreme cold, and each instrument has also been put to the test. The equipment is the result of years of experience — emergency rafts, sleds, sleeping bags, tents, food rations, and even special cigarettes have been carefully accounted for. But...

This is where our concern lies. What if the plane has to land? What would happen if there were an emergency landing 500 km inland? How could we help if the emergency occurred far inland? It is a heavy thought. But our men had already prepared another plane, the "Passat," by 8 a.m. In a few minutes, it is ready for launch, and Bolle stands ready to pull the famous lever when Captain Ritscher gives the signal: "Passat" follows "Boreas," but what if help is needed at a certain latitude and longitude? Could we deliver the necessary parts? Or perhaps... should we have a parachute? Yes, a parachute might come in handy. But to even consider the idea of using one, we need to verify that the team really is in danger. But even if that happened, and even if the machine crashed, couldn’t the men use their resources to survive?

We are of the firm belief that misfortune will not find them! Each plane has strict orders to report its compass course regularly and to communicate any unusual occurrences by telegraph. Any notable observations, such as the crossing of the ice edge or a distinctive chain of mountains, must be noted with exact timing.

If the second plane is necessary, it will fly the exact same course as the first, adjusting its direction after the prescribed minutes to match the variations in the landscape.

We reassure ourselves as we go to the chart room on the bridge. The only positive work we can do is draw a small cross on the snow-white map sheet, marking the ship’s position for today: Flight number 1 from 69°10'S, 42°25'W.

Besides our concern for the well-being of our comrades, we begin thinking about what the expedition will bring. What geographical discoveries will we make?

A knock! Müllerstadt drums on the door, passing between the radio room and the chart house.

"Hey! The first geographical discovery!"

It’s just a simple query about which course should be taken. The answer: rwj 179°.

We now proceed with the full protocol from long-distance flight I.

The airplane returns from its long-distance flight, 500 km inland. A total of nearly 16,000 km of flight distance was covered during the surveying operations.

When the "Boreas" lands near the ship, it is greeted with a festive reception. The entire crew stands at the stern, watching as the airplane is brought in. Hartmann stands by the crane, lifting the 11 tons smoothly from the water. For the newcomers who weren't already in Horta, this is a great moment.

"Children, what did you see?"

"Well, what was it? Is it cold there?"

A thousand questions buzz around, causing even more noise than the humming film cameras trying to capture the moment.

Nonsense! Even at this moment, some crew members are still busy working on the ship!

The first one to make a grim face is Sauter. Indignant, he yells that his cine-camera failed to work. Something broke — maybe the reel — something like that!

We look at him, surprised. A film reel jam? And when? Somehow? Sometime? Nobody even knows exactly when!

"Yes, but what happened?"

"Who knows! I just noticed the machine wouldn't work properly when I tried to film!"

Krüger and Bolle are immediately called in, along with Bundermann, the second onboard photographer. They sit at the workbench, filing and fixing the damage throughout the night so that the machine will run smoothly again by the morning.

At 5 p.m., there is a meeting in the "salon." The first report on the flight is given. The flyers recount their impressions, sharing their experiences and discussing whether the equipment performed well or poorly. This first flight served as a test of materials and equipment. It is important to note that future flights should follow a similar procedure. Due to the failure of a cine-camera, the flight will need to be repeated.

Ready to shoot! At the camera: Bundermann.

The reader will be interested to know what is packed into our two aircraft, "Boreas" and "Passat," for such a long-distance flight. The list is taken from the previously established organizational plan by Captain Ritscher.

Landing in drifting ice is difficult.

Equipment of the Aircraft

Equipment and weights of the two 10-ton Wals, "Boreas" and "Passat," designated for Antarctic flights.

The outfitted weight of "Boreas" is 6336 kg, and that of "Passat" is 6318 kg. Each plane is equipped with maritime equipment consisting of: 1 buoy anchor, 1 buoy anchor line, 1 buoy anchor cable, 1 swivel shackle, 2 drift anchors, 1 inflatable boat, 1 axe, 1 toolbox for repairs during the flight, and 1 onboard medical kit.

Additional weights consist of:

• Fuel for 15 hours (4200 liters): 3150 kg

• Reserve water: 60 kg

• Navigational equipment: 20 kg

• Photographic equipment: 25 kg

• 50 marker poles and 10 flags at 600 g: 36 kg

• Crew of 4 men in polar clothing: 320 kg

• Polar emergency gear for a potential emergency landing: 324 kg
  Total additional weight: 4180 kg

Flight weights are thus as follows:

• "Boreas": 10,516 kg

• "Passat": 10,498 kg

Each plane must take off with an excess weight of half a ton. However, there are no concerns about the 10-ton Wals performing takeoff successfully with this excess load.

Navigational equipment for the flying boat:

• Sextant: 4.7 kg

• Drift meter: 4.5 kg

• Sun compass: 2.8 kg

• Sun pencil: 0.3 kg

• Binoculars: 2.5 kg

• Nautical chart and map (1:250,000): 1.2 kg

• Logbook, compass, dividers, eraser: 4.2 kg
  Total: 19.2 kg

Emergency items per flight boat:

• 2 duffel bags at 10 kg: 20 kg

• Sleeping mats with rubber mattresses at 4.5 kg: 18 kg

• Sled with cover, 20 m of rope and a pulling frame: 15.3 kg

• 4 pairs of skis at 5.7 kg: 23 kg

• Ice picks: 2 kg

• Primus stove with 2 burners and fuel at 2.1 kg: 4.3 kg

• 1 liter of stove fuel: 0.8 kg

• 1 liter of kerosene: 0.9 kg

• Rifle with scope: 3.5 kg

• Ammunition (100 rounds, 50 shotshells): 1.5 kg

• 2 canisters of signal flares (green-white-red) at 4.45 kg: 9 kg

• 1 emergency radio transmitter: 1 kg

• Notepad: 0.2 kg

• Backpack for essentials: 2 kg
  Total: 191 kg

Contents of a backpack:

• 1 knife, 1 sewing kit, 2 men’s snow shovels, 1 eating set, 1 tent (10 men), 1 spare ski binding, 1 roll of macaroni, 1 packet of soap, ski wax, 1 razor, 2 shoe brushes, 1 pair of gaiters, 1 pair of wool gloves, 1 drinking cup, 1 toothbrush.

Emergency food supplies for the flying boats:

56 ration bags with known contents. One bag provides rations for 2 men for 1 day. Bacon is removed from the ration bags (since it doesn't spoil easily). Each flying boat carries a provision of 7 kg of bacon. Additionally, 1 kg of tobacco is added to the provisions.

The weight of the provisions breaks down as follows:

• 56 ration bags: 120 kg

• Bacon: 7 kg

• Tobacco: 1 kg
  Total: 128 kg

Clothing of the crew during the flight:

Woolen undergarments (shirt and pants), long ski pants, linen shirt, woolen pullover (sailor sweater), woolen socks, fleece jacket, fleece gloves, fur cap (leather). For outerwear, the captain and radio operator wear polar suits, and the mechanics and photographers wear fleece suits. Additionally, each member of the crew carries a flotation vest weighing 1 kg.

The weight of the clothing:

• Fleece suit combination: 6 kg

• Leather suit combination: 7 kg

• Each crew member also carries a flotation vest weighing 1 kg.

South Pole Research from the Air:

The "windiest" spot lies at an altitude of 4000 meters! This is clear to all of us now. But perhaps it goes even further...

The next day, "Passat" sets off on a long-distance flight II. Once again, Captain Ritscher stands on the bridge and enters a new geographical point onto the map.

"Ball and bullet shot down!"

"That's huge! So that's where the boys are!"

But south of 74° 40', the heavy machine again does not make it past the 4000-meter level. "Too bad, too bad!"

It crawls a little higher, drags itself another 100, 200 meters up, the view is fantastic, even to the south the terrain can still be seen for another estimated 200 km, but then it's finally over. Return! March, march!

The high alpine mountainous world of the inland: the northeastern part of the Wohlthat Massif in the eastern part of New Swabia. The pointed white mountain is the Zuckerhut (Sugarloaf), to the right of it the peak named after the leader of our expedition, Ritscher Peak, and to the left of it the peak named Zimmermann Mountain, after the Vice President of the German Research Society.

30 km further east, the return flight begins. Every minute brings 200 sq km of new land into our photos. Captain Ritscher smiles. He calculates and adds more zeros behind the conquered land hour by hour.

The next day, January 22, Mayr flies again in "Passat." The previous flight is repeated as far as the control camera failure occurred.

With Barkley, Gburek, and Bruns, I travel to an ice floe to take a photo and make a few ice investigations. Gburek and I, who had already encountered ice several times in Spitsbergen, are happy to finally set foot on the ice again. But no one is happier than Bruns. He sees and experiences ice up close for the first time in his life. He beams in front of all the cameras.

Gburek takes a magnetic measurement. Theodolite is set up. The heavy tripod is firmly anchored. But that's all it is. A deviation is impossible because the magnetic needle swings like a lamb's tail back and forth. The whole story seems funny because our ice floe is built so solidly in a distant place. The tripod sways like a cork on every swell. Our eyes long for the next tabular iceberg. It would hold. But how to get there?

The boat with our technical instruments and equipment is guided as close as possible.

Everyone helps to force the way over the floating ice floes even in unfavorable weather.

Starting today, we will conduct so-called air flights, meaning the second aircraft is allowed to take off once the first one is on its return journey and at most 1 to 2 hours away from the ship. A scientist will accompany the photographer. Captain Ritscher is the first to climb into the aircraft. He returns enthusiastically, remarking that even after years as a war pilot, he still accidentally caught his fingers between the control column and the dashboard.

Pack icebergs! And regular ice floes! It is essential to differentiate between the terms. Everyone recalls the horrific Titanic disaster, where a giant passenger steamer sank within seconds after colliding with an iceberg. The ship had rammed an iceberg in the fog in the northern Atlantic and capsized on its side.

Since then, a security service has been established. Special guards monitor the drifting icebergs and warn nearby radio-equipped ships.

A landing at the low ice edge, which otherwise mostly rises vertically from the sea in a steep slope over 30 meters high. To the left is the shadow of a wing of our "scout."

Where do these frightening fellows come from? They mostly originate from Greenland. Greenland, with a length of 2500 km and a width of 800 km, is covered by a thick ice sheet that reaches to a narrow edge of ice. This colossal ice mass, which would stretch from Paris to Moscow and, in width, from the Baltic Sea to the Alps, grows with every snowfall. The ice expands similarly to plaster or marmalade as it thickens. The glacial runoff flows from higher regions into the lower areas, with the glaciers pushing far out into the sea. The breaking pieces, including dangerous icebergs, are carried out by the current. They float so that only one-eighth of their volume emerges from the water. An iceberg measuring 50 meters above the waterline can extend up to 350 meters below the sea. Icebergs have been measured reaching over 100 meters above the water. Uncomfortable fellows!

The so-called shelf ice of the South Pole continent extends kilometers into the sea. The height of the ice front is 30 to 40 meters.

In Antarctica, we have very similar conditions, only this "island" is twice as long as Greenland and five times as wide. It is, after all, a whole continent, one and a half times the size of Europe. And this huge area is also completely covered with ice. Each new snowfall increases the ice sheet, and the ice overhang advances into the sea. However, the exception is much more powerful than in Greenland. It is not individual glaciers that push through but a massive ice sheet that flows in every direction like cooked pulp, moving hundreds and hundreds of kilometers into the sea. Now, propelled by uplift, breaking parts form sheets that drift for several kilometers into the sea. We have seen sheets 25 km long. The largest freely floating ice sheet ever measured had a length of 70 km. The height of such sheets above the sea is usually between 20 and 50 meters.

The shelf ice slowly rises towards the South Pole plateau, which forms a closed massive dome over the pole and slopes down towards the sea in all directions.

In the thick pack ice, which can present unexpected difficulties for landing.

A narrow belt of drift ice lies ahead of us and is crossed.

These icebergs, both in the Arctic and the Antarctic, are exclusively formed from land ice, through snow, hail, etc., on solid land. In addition, seawater also freezes. The ice surface formed in the winter with calm seas breaks into floes with the next thaw, which are driven in different directions depending on the wind. This is the drift ice that is pushed and pressed together in the northern polar seas by the surrounding land masses and islands into the packed ice. In the Antarctic, however, there is plenty of space for the ice. Here, the drift ice is driven by the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. The ice floes, which are typically 3 to 5 meters thick and up to 40 to 50 meters high, break off and drift with the currents. Often, they are grounded and resist the force of the water, only occasionally pushed onward by deeper currents. Table icebergs float along, usually not in large numbers. Most of them have enough space to drift and turn. They collide and twist so that shapes are formed that are called pancake ice.

At the ice shelf edge. Dense drift ice and massive table icebergs rise about 40 meters above the water.

Some icebergs look like gigantic fortresses

At first, we remain in place. The weather stays terrible. There's no thought of flying. The only change comes from meals: breakfast at 7:45 a.m., morning coffee at 9:15 a.m., lunch at 12:00 p.m., afternoon coffee at 3:15 p.m., and dinner at 6:00 p.m.

How do we protect ourselves against scurvy? One recalls how countless earlier polar expeditions fell victim to this dreadful disease. Scurvy is a deficiency disease caused by a lack of vitamin C. On modern ships, the cold storage rooms are large enough to carry sufficient quantities of fresh vegetables. Daily servings of fresh potatoes are also an excellent remedy. The famous James Cook, from the age of sail, took great pride in ensuring his crew was always healthy and fit to return home. He filled half the ship with sauerkraut. The famous Elisha Kane gave his men raw potatoes in Greenland.

And us? We have fresh meat, fresh vegetables in the refrigerators, and even some fruit. Modern canned vegetables are cooked so carefully that the vitamins are mostly preserved. In addition, we brought along pure vitamin C tablets, available at any pharmacy. We alternate between taking cebion (vitamin C), vogalene (vitamin A), and vigantol (vitamin D), reliable supplements that protect us from scurvy.

Even our daily meals onboard include “anti-scurvy” dishes: raw onions, which appear with the sides of meat, fish, salad, buttered bread, sausage, and Swiss cheese.

Last Flights

January 28 brings only moderately good weather, but January 29 is beautifully clear.

In full vigor, the planes are prepared for takeoff, and the "Boreas," piloted by the Schirmacher team, sets out on its long-range flight IV. The machine has to turn back at the 4000-meter mark once again, but this time even at 73.5° southern latitude. It flies around the entire southern mountain range of Schirmacher and the entire southern mountain mass of the later Ritscher-Land. (See the map at the end of this book.) It is essential for the subsequent cartographic evaluation to photograph the mountains from all sides.

The "pleasure flight" in the afternoon has a particular mission: some previously known locations on the ice shelf edge must be examined to see if they offer a landing possibility. The two locations in question are about 25 kilometers deep into the ice shelf. On flights I, II, and the special flight, it had been confirmed that both bays in this area hadn't changed significantly during the period and still had slightly sloping ice edges compared to the surrounding areas. The assumption is that there could be a landing opportunity here. Captain Ritscher carefully considers leading the flight himself; Mayr sits at the controls of the "Passat."

The two bays are carefully examined. It appears that a waterway with less drift ice is available. After a successful landing, a flight along the 30 km ice edge can be executed to the ice boundary.

A word on "shelf ice". The term originates from the Swedish polar explorer Otto Nordenskjöld and refers to the ice sheet pushed out from the central ice plateau into the sea. The shelf ice edge essentially represents the glacier front, except that this front is very continuous, about 16,000 km long, i.e., from Berlin to San Francisco and back again. The corresponding "glacier" is also the entire Antarctic continent.

The mentioned ice edge belongs to the shelf ice edge, which fills a part of the bay. Behind it, the terrain rises on three sides, flatly lying with a solid land surface – as far as observation permits – with a covering ice sheet. The thickness of the ice cannot be determined. The 50 to 70 m high ice is arched by the glacier ice and through compression. Any cracks are concealed by firn.

The bay is partly filled with completely level shelf ice, the ice edge being about 1 to 2 km away from the hills. An echo sounder reading at the edge shows the relatively shallow water depth of 435 m, also indicating proximity to land.

The ice floe is penetrated by only a few decimeter wide cracks. The slight thickness of the floe is clearly evident here, because the wave goes under the plate and pushes the slit walls vertically against each other. A loading test over an entire 3 to 4 m thick ice plate cannot be carried out.

Investigations in dense pack ice. In the background the "Swabianland".

It seems to me that there is no danger at such a place, except that one must note that the relatively thin ice plate can be broken by the force of breaking waves and the dependent wind in pieces downstream driven. How far it is possible to approach the described bay with a small ship depends on the drifting conditions. On the first attempt within 10 days, both bays were blocked by a few drifting blocks, perhaps even during the whole time; but two days later at the radio message VI already so much ice was present (although we had previously assumed that a water ingress was no longer possible), which came from outside and by ebb and flood and local winds was brought and remained stuck there. Despite occasional cracks, the edges of the bay are only insignificantly involved in the formation of drift ice.

In scientific work, we conquer the land: Gburek at the magnetic theodolite.

May repeatedly measures the sun's height with a spirit level sextant and thus determines exactly the geographical location of our country.

As far as science! Now comes politics! We take an outflow and stake it a few hundred meters inland in the country. That's the day we claimed this land for Nazi Germany and for Greater Germany.

Since we have entered the country, we are in good spirits. From here he starts to run, straight ahead, only a short stretch of land, then downhill again, runs further, falls back onto a small slope, tilts forward or right on his stomach, then with a hop on his feet, further, gesturing, shouting, further... He gets closer in his coat, the white shirt front becoming ever clearer, only the tie is missing, which he forgot in the excitement... He falls on his white shirt front three times... does nothing, slips, comes up again... until finally, a proper stumble, he hugs us excited and curious from all sides... a penguin. We will understand us well with these good creatures. "Good morning, Heil Hitler!" That makes little impression. Then Ruhnke crouches down, that he is as small as the penguin, flapping with his arms like with wings and dancing around it. That pleases him already better. He joins in. That's of course also only a kind of human-related intelligence, which holds itself independently. Like us, who can walk upright on two legs, have a kind of wing, with which we can wrap ourselves. Just something bigger and the beak is not yet very developed, also missing the beautiful shiny black tailcoat. That is the whole difference.

Soon there will be more, all fledgling penguins, who are curious. After a softening another emperor penguin appears, almost twice as big, majestic, full of dignity. He does not run up agitated to us, he walks. The nervous behavior of his smaller relatives does not touch him, he steps closer, examines us closely and the strange guests, turns around and wants to leave again.

The first greeting with the natives of the land: One of the rare emperor penguins, which were brought alive for the first time through the tropics to Europe on this expedition.

Then Mayr takes him by the hand, precisely: the flipper tip, and willingly goes with the big uncle over here and there. Naturally he resists his first steps into the plane, but it doesn't help him, and with his brothers and uncles in his wake, he must lead the class. These are the first flying penguins, which with the wings can only swim in the water but they come not by themselves in the air.

On the ship everything is excited about the new passengers. Quickly a cage is rigged up so that the animals cannot escape again. But what do they feed on?

"Where does a penguin live, Barkley?" "From fish and small crabs, the so-called krill." "Where do we take fish. The kitchen has a small stock of herring, salted and unsalted. They are well watered and then Barkley stops the animals in the beak.

Penguin feeding. From left to right: Ritscher, Mayr, Lange, Barkley, Schirmacher, Paulsen.

The next day on another "air lift" emperor penguins can be caught again. In the pack room of the "Boreas" there is just a mess. As Schirmacher comes on deck, he shouts: "Children, we have a new flight of discovery!" Penguins Schirmacher! Wonderful!

Those two who are most interested, namely Krawl and Barkley, immediately throw themselves on the bird, which is highlighted from the flock with special celebration and carried from the flight deck. Long they stand there stunned before.

The court is quickly finished with the verdict. "Oh, Quatch, we call the flapping, 'Agathe'." "The flight deck, 'Boreas' has namely the number designation D — AGAT."

Under this strange name since then the strange penguin has been running around... The dream of discovering new penguins Schirmacher has been brewing for weeks and now, unexpectedly, he was right, although the bird was not in the cage but on the outer deck. The new fur coat soon became bigger as the day progressed, more mossy, pebbly, as if Agathe, as if the mother in animal fur, then all the penguins except the emperor all embraced.

The penguins become everyone's favorites. As big as the pain is, we must establish that despite the best treatment the first fledgling penguins become slimmer and slimmer and in a few days nothing will improve. They refuse the tenderest herring heads, stand day and night at the railing and look with longing into the blue water. And when an iceberg swims by, unnoticed they almost jump out of their eyes.

They have handsome heads! Shiny pitch-black with pitch-black clever little eyes. The small Adélie penguins wear a white rim around the eye, like glasses, but the big emperor penguins do not have glasses, but instead a golden spot on the throat.

The upright walk and the flapping arms give them something human. We will often have to tell of them because for the entire duration of the trip back they were the declared favorites of the entire crew.

Three expedition members with a swastika flag, used by thousands as a marker from German aircraft over Germany's Antarctic area partly dropped and partly hoisted by landing teams in New Swabia. The expeditions VI, VII will again cover thousands of square kilometers of new land in relation to the rest, so that the expedition leader proudly presents the results of 350,000 sq km cartographically recorded and 600,000 sq km surveyed area. This is almost as large as the whole German Reich.

In detail, flag V later encompasses later dry valley mountain ranges; and flag VI a whole mountain range, the highest in our section determined mountain peak.

First of course, about the highest and oldest mountains, assumptions can be made. As a puzzler, however, who wants the peaks reaching farthest into the blue sky to carry a particularly prominent name, would have to leave this to the pleasure of later cartographers. But we know at least that our whole area now is unexplored territory, which appears to break down into several mountain massifs from west to east, and does not gain more height.

"Have you found gold yet?" Hard to say, dear reader, because it's not so easy to determine. We still do not even know from what rocks these mountains are made up, and if coal or ore can even theoretically be present. Because other subsoil treasures are still to be decided.

Steep rises the massive mountain massif of the Wohlthat Mountains from the polar ice. The mountains reach up to 4000 m in the center of visibility, which may also be 1000 to 2000 m thick in places.

We have found certain types of rocks, and we still do not know them exactly. I am the only geologist on board, but my request to take a closer look at the higher mountains once for a suitable "air lift" from near to inspect in terms of form, color, surface characteristics, decomposition was due to lack of time not met. The photos, especially a few trial bores that look like "Swabia land" only give a few clues, but no more.

Our entire rock collection fits in a dozen smaller boxes housed in the stomach of the return-trip-engaged penguins. The animals take such small stones as so-called gastroliths to aid digestion. The material consists of chunks of granite, quartz, and basalt. Granite and quartz are old rocks, basalt, on the other hand, is a relatively young volcanic rock like lava.

Flight VI for the first time connects the northern frontier explored through a north-south corridor with the continuous west-east crossing. It brings Wohlthat massif and ball and cone together, the responsible geographers but in the brightest confusion. It fits all nothing more. All beautiful mountains, ball and cone, block, Kubus, Matterhorn, Gralsburg look Schirmacher now quite different. Where should the mountains go then?

Finally, only the well-known golden middle remains. With the reduced version of the card once the necessary corrections are made. If I look at it again and again with light discomfort, because nothing fits more as before. Ultimately, the job is done. Practically it serves only as a preliminary work. It should make the marking of characteristic land features easier for those who come after in the main cartographic work. Nothing further!

It is so refreshing that the map constructed later based on the measuring camera recordings in large trains agrees well with this first overview picture!

Deep crevasses in the Penck Trough testify to a massive ice mass.

Fantastic formations present themselves to our eyes.

The Neumayer Wall with the Pole Plateau beginning in the south of Ritscher Land.

The Germans were the first to discover that Antarctica is very mountainous.

Tel.-Nr. Fernflug VII. 3. 2. 39. Ship location 69° 5.5' S, 14° 45.5' O

Time Text 7:18 Completion. Crew: Mayr, Preuschoff, Ruhnke, Sauter. Completion successful.

1 7:19 Ship flown over. 2 7:21 Course rw 180°. 3 7:25 Mountains ahead; altitude 800 m, -5°C. 4 7:32 Shelf edge, altitude 1300 m, -8°C. 5 7:40 2000 m high, -13°C. Flying over the shelf. 6 8:00 2800 m, -20°C, 69° 45' S, 14° 45' O. Since 7:40 22.4 Sm. Flying over the shelf. 7 8:15 3200 m, -22.5°C. Flying even higher over the shelf. 8 8:20 Trimming at -19°C stable. Altimeter reads -24°C still OK. Windows strongly iced. 9 8:25 3450 m, -24°C, before us clouds rise. At the same time, pressure reduces. 10 8:35 3350 m, -24°C. Once a curve made, then gone deeper to stay below the clouds, but we come back above them. Now back on the old course. 11 8:45 3000 m, -23°C, flat, under clouds. 12 8:50 Altitude and temperature the same. In 130° rw we see individual smaller mountains. Far ahead in 170° rw smaller mountain massif. 13 9:00 3150 m, -24°C, 71° 00' S, 14° 45' O, 73 Sm. Near the northern edge of the mountains. 14 9:10 3500 m, -23°C, 71° 13' S, 14° 45' O, 13 Sm. Motors cough. Course changed to 255 rw. Flying along the northern edge of the mountain range. 15 9:20 See Gralsburg ahead. 16 9:59 3900 m, -24°C, 71° 28' S, 12° 18' O, 48 Sm, Course change to 180° until 10:00. Flying along the western edge of the mountain range. 17 10:00 Motors sneeze again and again, the mixture too cold. Outside thermometer doesn't seem to be working properly, as the temperature hasn't changed at all. Outside temperature must be at least -30°C.

18 10:17 3950 m, approx. -30°C, 71° 57' S, 12° 18' O, 29 Sm. Course change to 90° rw. Flying south along the mountain range. 19 10:40 Request to change course to 95° rw as in Nr. 18. 20 10:55 4150 m, -31°C, strong gusts, machine barely stable, also very tail-heavy. Flying this course to the eastern edge of the mountain range, then turn back to the ship. 21 11:15 4100 m, -31°C, 71° 32' S, 16° 10' O, 50 Sm. Reached the eastern edge. Course change back to ship. 22 11:35 2800 m, -25°C, below us for miles of clear ice. 23 11:40 2000 m, -18°C, at shelf edge location, flying further east. 24 12:00 Request opinion about Tel. Nr. 24. 25 12:00 Ship at Passat.

12:12 With Tel. 24 agreement. If otherwise no objections, Dagat starts 12:45. 26 12:17 Trimming at -14°C again OK. 27 12:30 No objections against Dagat start. 28 12:30 Location shelf ice coast, 1000 m, -12°C, course at 90° rw, see the ship. 29 12:37 Course change to 110° rw. 30 12:50 Course change to 115° rw. 31 13:05 Ahead becomes dark like in the Bärena... (?). Will probably return sooner. 32 13:17 Since eastward no further to go, course change to 335° rw, to study ice conditions. 33 13:30 Course to ship. Arrival in about 30 min. 34 14:00 Landing.

The telegrams No. 14, 17, 21 naturally caused us great excitement. Actually, we were expecting the news of an emergency landing at any moment. Bolle keeps the second aircraft ready for takeoff. We also carefully examined the telegrams for any undertones, which quietly shimmer between the lines. Friends speak more quickly about these undertones among close circles than an outsider.

Bolle reads the telegram — and silently goes to the other machine to check it again.
Schirmacher reads and — says nothing.
Gruber reads, thinks for a while, and then just says: "Boy, oh boy."
The rest of the verses we added ourselves!
But it is like a celebration when Telegram 26 reports that everything is in order. And the following Telegram 31 further strengthens the cheerful mood, in which the Passat crew now flies on.

Flight VII is the last long-distance flight. And so, the meeting on Sunday afternoon is the last flight briefing.

Winter is coming with a roar! It can no longer be concealed. Already, new ice is forming between last year's ice floes. The next day, there was still a special flight to determine the ice conditions, precisely to check the channel through which our "Swabianland" would later force its way northward through the pack ice. A small detour to the "lakes" marks the last flight-related task of the expedition. This time Regula flies along to observe the weather around the ship. The departure of the ship from the approaching Antarctic winter marks the start of a successful return journey and the completion of the meteorological work program.

Strange lakes are forming in and on the eternal ice, which, despite the cold, do not freeze over: Schirmacher lake group north of the Wohlthat Mountains. The lakes are in various colors due to algae content, and warm enough to bathe in.

The "lakes"! How could they have formed? Opinions are initially sharply divided. Two groups emerge: one that has seen the lakes, and the other that hasn't. The first are the Plutonians, the others the Neptunians. Not that these would be descendants of those times, but one is reminded of the time of Anton v. Werner over 150 years ago, when a small harmless mountain in the Ore Mountains caused an uproar as to whether it erupted through a mighty volcanic outbreak or simply settled in an aqueous solution. The fact that those who claim to have seen the lakes are weighed down with difficulties, while others from the watery faculty offer only rational reasons, complicates matters.

Now something strange happens: when later the aerial images are examined, the opinions change. I personally lean toward believing the pictures, as their similarity to well-known hot springs in Iceland and elsewhere grows stronger and stronger. The more one looks at the images, the stronger the impression that volcanic forces must be at work, for in this icy landscape, where melting usually occurs only from glacier friction, isolated lakes appeared. Only a detailed analysis of the aerial photographs can determine the correctness of this "volcanic" view. The lakes could also be nothing other than meltwater caused by glacial friction at the front.

In defense of the early followers of Pluto’s volcanic hypothesis—one must not forget that volcanic eruptions occur often enough on the southern polar continent. Erebus, on the Ross Barrier, for example, is a 4000 m high volcanic cone that still regularly shoots pumice and ash into the air. And we have also detected older volcanoes in our region. Such Tertiary-age volcanoes have glowed for centuries. One might think of hot springs, coal baths, etc., in the Taunus and Bohemia, all of which go back to former volcanic activity. We will talk more about volcanism at the South Pole later.

A typical tabular iceberg of the Southern Polar Sea. It rises 40 meters out of the water and plunges 300 meters below. We have seen ice plateaus up to 25 km in length. Occasionally, they drift as far as Cape Town before the tropical sun melts them.

Farewell to the South Pole

On Station

The work in the section of the Antarctic continent assigned to us is finished. We must flee from the bad weather. The weather is coming from the east, so we also pull to the west. Maybe tomorrow, despite the warning headshakes of the professional meteorologists, we will manage another long-distance flight to complete our area on the western edge a bit further.

Unfortunately, the scientific weather forecast is correct. A flight is no longer possible. Instead, at least one more “cultural trip” into the pack ice should be undertaken. We take boats, zigzagging through the pack ice to hunt bigger seals.

Guns? Oh yes, we of course have them, especially since the zoologist has taken a fancy to Geiter’s company and urgently wants to take something home to Lurignac. Barkley is particularly delighted with his little mosquito. And the hunting party is not insignificant. Four seals and four Adélie penguins. Actually, five, but one of the little creatures hops out of the boat again into the water. After much effort in catching it again, another small fellow runs off. So, we are left with only four.

We are quite proud of our catch. Most of all, the schadenfreude is pure joy — the rival boat managed only a miserable seagull. Judging by its beak, it apparently died of lead poisoning.

Gburek and Burghard are suddenly gone. They are tumbling over the ice floes somewhere. On the somewhat daring return trip — they must jump from floe to floe — Burghard falls right into the Southern Ocean. Water temperature around minus 1°C. Gburek pulls him out without later claiming the rescue medal. Both, soaked and dripping, sit on a small ice floe about 50 meters from us. They can’t get across the next stretch of water because the floes are constantly drifting apart. Finally, they find a small floe a bit wider. They climb on it and then hop from floe to floe until they are close to us. For the last stretch, we can throw them a rope and pull them over to us.

Meanwhile, the two carpenters, Schäfer and Wehrend, laboriously build a latched fence on the railing to prevent our new passengers from escaping… but one little Adélie still slips through the fence!

“Well, we’ll have plenty of stories to tell!”
On February 6, 15:10 GMT, we turn back! The “return captain,” the most senior engineer, has to turn the ship around, the first to return home.

Now there’s still a work program consisting of the ongoing meteorological observations and radio measurements, as well as a number of oceanographic and biological stations at 0° longitude.

For the participants, such a station is a scientific event of the highest order. For those not involved, it’s a dreadful necessity lasting several hours. During this time, Barkley’s machine doesn’t stay idle, despite the usual noise of electric winds. “Racing Paula,” the completely unfit, squeaking, whining pilot machine, causes fear among some of the older sailors. They must master the entire middle and main deck for at least four hours. Water temperatures are measured at various depths: 75 m, 300, 400, 500, 800, 1000, 1200 m to the bottom, often over 5000 m. With a counter, the length of the unwound wire is measured, and the next water collector with tipping thermometers is attached. The wire ends in a weight. If you feel the weight, it’s time for breakfast. The thermometers must first adjust to the local water temperature.

The tipping thermometers are refinedly designed, yes, it’s almost a small wonder. When after breakfast the rear running rope automatically triggers the small water collector, the vents on the collectors close, and you pull the whole thing up again with the wire and thermometers attached. This mechanism, by switching, causes mercury columns to separate, and when you wind it up, the temperature of the water at the depth is indicated. So, the water collector measures not only the water temperature at various depths, but also oxygen and salt levels.

As a true scientist, Paulsen doesn’t care when we reach the next station; if it happens to be at night, it doesn’t bother his sleep or that of anyone else. Barkley participates diligently, even if not joyfully, in the work on “Racing Paula.” His nets reach down to depths of up to 500 m, which doesn’t cost him much time.

One good thing about the station! The echo sounder doesn’t need to be heated. It’s pleasant for the observer, because he can sleep, and doesn’t need to press a button every 30 minutes. And for the residents of the intermediate deck, where small cabins are cramped together, it’s wonderful, because for a few hours, they are not disturbed by the constantly recurring rattling of the electric starter, which rings between hatches 3 and 4.

Thus, it seems: our scientific work leads to a bitter, calm, carefully monitored existence.

It all began with some idle activity, and now it takes the form of the best camaraderie and important cooperation. It’s the echo sounder. We must measure the depth of the sea every half hour at night, sometimes even more often. The scientists have taken shifts. And when that wasn’t enough, the two pilots helped eagerly along the way to the ice edge. They were noble and kind.

That Schirmacher did this work without a word, and would take over the commentary, as was not to be expected, did not excite me much. I found the funnier method of "press the button" much more exciting. On the return trip from the ice shelf edge to Cape Town, it was said that once or twice more they requested help for one or two half-hours of work, but this time they delayed the science by half an hour. The aviation team takes over and announces the sounding until Cape Town!

"Dear Lufthansa! We have often been in your service, had a wonderful time, and helped each other mutually. Now we are a 'union' — a pleasant one, indeed. But now, we declare, that on the whole, the worst is behind us, although it seems that you, dear men, understood very well that the feeling of belongingness had to be extended across our entire camaraderie.”

We actual pilots were quite relieved by this discharge, for until Cape Town, we all had our hands full because the first post already carried a preliminary report about the scientific results to be sent to Berlin. From the cabins of the scientists now comes the uninterrupted clatter of typewriters, or the scratching of pens on paper is constantly heard. Naturally, each report is accompanied by many explanatory maps.

Politics at the South Pole

On the horizon, a Norwegian whaling steamer. It looks directly at us, and we seem to appear to it on its horizon as well. We seem to interest it greatly, as it telephones with its invisible galley. In a manner that is not exactly charming, indeed quite anti-German, it avoids "Swabia Land." Our expedition clearly does not sit well with the Norwegians, who see us as robbers and intruders into the South Polar work they consider personally bestowed upon them by God.

The situation concerning ownership rights, for example, on Bouvet Island, was mentioned earlier. The reader might be interested to know how the division of the Antarctic continent is proceeding. One can best see this by looking at a map at the end of Bogen’s book, showing all the best-known Antarctic areas. Even though numerous nations have made claims to ownership, no official recognition of ownership for parts of the South Polar continent has yet occurred. Some countries, like the United States, assert their claims through so-called internal resolutions, while other countries, such as Germany, have not yet officially confirmed such claims. The first such assertion appeared in 1908.

In that year, England declared all territories south of 50° S between 20° and 50° W, and south of 50° between 50° and 80° W as the Falkland Islands Dependency under British possession. These claims are based on the following discoveries:

• 1773-75: James Cook visited South Georgia, already discovered by the Spaniard León in 1756. After this island was discovered, British sailors landed on it.

• 1819: William Smith (whaler) discovered the South Shetland and South Sandwich Islands.

• 1823: James Weddell (whaler) reached the later-named Weddell Sea at 74° 15' S, without seeing land. Further attempts in this vast ice sea were similarly unsuccessful.

• 1831: John Biscoe (whaler) discovered Graham Land.

That’s all! The next English expedition to the Falkland Islands Dependency occurred only in 1908.

1914-16: Ernest Shackleton (polar explorer) ventured into the Weddell Sea. The expedition ship Endurance was crushed by pack ice, and the crew drifted on ice floes until rescued by a passing ship.

In the Order in Council of March 28, 1917, the claim from July 21, 1908, was raised again.

In 1923, England declared all territories south of 60° between 150° W and 160° E under the Ross Dependency, with the administration passed to New Zealand. In this area, numerous expeditions worked from 1839 (Balleny) to 1913.

At this point, the most famous names are those of James Ross (1839-1843), who discovered a 700 km long ice barrier (Ross Barrier), Ernest Shackleton (1907-1909), who first climbed the 4000 m high Mount Erebus and came within 180 km of the South Pole, and Robert Scott (1912), who reached the South Pole but tragically perished on the return journey, shortly after Norwegian Roald Amundsen was the first to arrive at the Pole on December 15, 1911.

It is interesting that all annexed territories were extended to the South Pole, even though the coastal stretches occupied by explorers remained narrow. The Antarctic resembles a proper slice of cake carved out from the South Pole. And when Amundsen, the Norwegian, reached the Pole first on December 15, 1911, he naturally claimed the area around the Pole for King Haakon. However, no one seems to care, as the habit of dividing the "cake slices" remains in force.

The Ross Dependency of 1923 has already been mentioned, and in 1933, the "Australian Sector" was added, encompassing the regions south of 60° S between 160° E and 45° E, except for the French-claimed Adélie Land. “Territory south of 60° S” here clearly also refers to the Pole itself.

France declared its claim to Adélie Land by decree on April 1, 1938, claiming the territory south of 60° S between 136° and 142° E. This was first explored by the Frenchman Dumont d'Urville in 1837-1838. Incidentally, the region is openly claimed, referring to the fact that the "territory south of 60° S" extends to the South Pole. On more recent maps, the 70th parallel is most commonly cited as the boundary for the South Pole.

In addition, France has long claimed the islands of St. Paul, New Amsterdam, Kerguelen, and Crozet, which were discovered in 1771 by Joseph von Kerguelen-Tremarec. Scientific exploration began in 1901 and continued until 1903 by the German Gauss expedition.

Norway claims not only Bouvet Island but also Peter I Island at 68° 50' S and 90° 35' W through a decree on May 1, 1931. This island, to my knowledge, has only been visited twice: first in 1819 by its discoverer, the German-Russian Bellingshausen, and then in 1929 by the Norwegians Nils Larsen and Olstad.

On January 14, 1939, Norway declared a "Royal Resolution" claiming the sector between 45° E and 20° W for Norway.

This claim is based on a series of journeys made almost annually from 1930 to 1937, during which Norwegian whalers extended their reach further along the coast. However, aircraft could not yet penetrate the coast beyond where ships could sail. Expeditions were officially led by Consul Lars Christensen, supported by Norwegian whalers. In 1939, Norwegian whalers extended their claim by aircraft flights, reaching as far as the South Pole. The great Norwegian explorer Lincoln Ellsworth, with flights from Graham Land to the Weddell Sea, also contributed. Despite extensive discoveries, no claims were registered by the United States.

The territorial claims of Argentina are particularly interesting: There is no doubt that with its proximity to the South Pole, Argentina is the nation that extends furthest into Antarctica. The groups of islands like the Falklands, South Georgia, and South Shetland geographically belong to Argentina. Argentina has maintained a meteorological station on the South Orkney Islands for 37 years and also claims the Falkland Islands and surrounding areas.

Recently, Chile and Japan have emerged as competitors in Antarctica. For example, Chile claimed the sector between 53° and 90° W in a decree on November 7, 1940, and in Japan, voices emerged after the expedition of Lieutenant Nobu Shirase on the "Kainan Maru" claiming a share of Antarctica.

And we Germans? We haven’t yet claimed any territory, even though we’ve contributed considerably to the scientific exploration of this legendary sixth continent.

In 1873, Captain Dallmann led the "Greenland" to Palmer Land, confirmed it was an island, and discovered the Bismarck Strait and the Kaiser Wilhelm Island Group. The largest islands in the group were named Booth, Krogmann, and Petermann Islands.

In 1898, the "Valdivia" expedition, under the leadership of Chun, discovered the new island of Bouvet. We’ve continued to contribute to Captain Sachs’ work in oceanographic research. Furthermore, we explored the area near Enderby Land.

In 1903, Drygalski led an expedition aboard the ship Gauss to the South Pole. With the Gauss expedition, the Gauss mountain at 90° E was named, and it thoroughly investigated the islands of Kerguelen, St. Paul, New Amsterdam, Heard, and Crozet. The very rich scientific findings were recorded in extensive volumes.

When the expedition ship and mountain were named after Gauss, they honored the great mathematician and physicist Friedrich Gauss with a monument. Gauss made an important contribution to the exploration of Earth’s magnetic field, which sparked several major expeditions to the magnetic pole in Antarctica. In 1839, James Ross ventured there. He had already discovered the magnetic pole in the Arctic near Felix in Boothia Peninsula, so he wanted to find its counterpart on the other side of the world. He succeeded in this and, after first breaking through the ice belt of Antarctica, he reached the Ross Bay, named after him, and discovered the 700 km long Ross Ice Barrier.

Another great theorist who should be mentioned is the founder and first director of the German Sea Observatory, Georg von Neumayer, and the eminent Berlin geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen. Both, in word and deed, contributed significantly to South Pole research. Richthofen’s last work was a paper on the geographical conditions at the South Pole, examined by Neumayer’s research team, while his student Amundsen, for two years, meticulously observed the magnetic changes at the Arctic magnetic pole. Both men were the intellectual fathers and caretakers of the large Gauss expedition from 1901 to 1903. Its leader, v. Drygalski, was Richthofen’s student.

The work of the Gauss expedition was part of a larger international South Pole research project. At the same time as the Gauss expedition, a Swedish expedition under Otto Nordenskjöld led the Antarctic to the Weddell Sea region, and the Englishman Robert Scott studied the discoveries of his countryman James Ross and the great ice barrier. The Antarctic was crushed in the Weddell Sea, but the expedition brought back abundant scientific and navigational material. Scott reached 82° 16' S, setting a record, only to be surpassed 10 years later by Amundsen, who, along with his student, famously died in the snow.

In 1911, Wilhelm Filchner led the Deutschland to the South Pole. He intended to sail through this "channel" to the Ross Ice Shelf, but the weather was unfavorable. The Deutschland was trapped by ice, and as we previously described in Kunze’s account, for nine months, it was driven about 1200 sea miles through the Weddell Sea. Despite numerous illnesses and mishaps — Captain Vahsel died en route — valuable geographical work was done. The eastern sector of the Weddell Sea was explored, up to 77° 45' S. Luitpold Land was named by Filchner.

Since then, several German expeditions have paid more attention to the Southern Polar Sea, but the findings so far are too modest to allow Germany to claim the economic use of Antarctica.

While the storm clouds of World War II were gathering over Germany, Adolf Hitler's Third Reich was quietly engaged in exploring, mapping, and surveying a vast area at the other end of the world for Germany, and through the physical landing of people and materials, also claiming it once and for all for our people

Another Operation.

14 February. We’re swaying in place, although a station is technically due, but our 15-meter wind turns sounding lines, nets, and possibly even ship’s cleaning tools into a total mess. The barometer continues to drop, and the register strips are running out at the bottom. The days are longer than usual, which makes the waiting more tedious.

The next day brings a great storm. Everything is flying around, and Malyška, our “breakfast steward,” tries to come into my cabin. But the guns leaning against the door have fallen over and are stuck in the door handle. A cigar box with putty drops from above onto the carpet. The barograph, bouncing and shaking, traces 2 mm thick lines. Walking without holding on to something is impossible; you can only progress by carefully feeling along the walls and railings. I visit Captain Ritscher, who’s sitting in his armchair hunched over, half laughing.

“Look at this, look at this!”

With each roll of the ship, all the drawers of his desk slide out, then slide back in when we roll the other way. “Out! In! Out! In! A fun little game! I’m quite interested,” he says.

Bam! Crash! All the drawers fall out, smashing against the wall!

Whoosh! They glide across the cabin, slamming into the left wall!

We’ve seen this before.

On the 16th, we can finally approach the station at 54° S. Thank God. Paulsen braves the storm. The sounding line hangs off at an awkward angle from the ship. How does it look down there in the water? Paulsen climbs up to the bridge and asks the ship to “trim slightly to port.”

54th Latitude! The next day, we make a detour to Bouvet Island. Its geographical latitude corresponds to the northern tip of the island of Helgoland.

The initial fog soon clears, and the beautiful ice cracks come clearly into view. We would love to land, and with all the binoculars, we stand on the bridge, examining each individual spot. But the surf looks terrible through every lens. We don't risk it, especially since we have no surfboats with us, just heavy prams that cannot capsize. Our lifeboats are unsteady, as we will later learn from an accident involving geese.

But Bouvet now looks terribly grim. A huge ice dome, some 100 meters thick, covers most of the volcano. Only the strongest volcanic eruptions from the last century have managed to melt through the ice. But nothing seems to be happening here now, even though the earth below is shaking. The penguins are indifferent, their faces marked by cold.

There are only a few places on Earth where “volcanoes under ice” exist, such as Bouvet, the Erebus on Ross Island, and another in Iceland. In Iceland, I witnessed one of the largest volcanic events, the outbreak of the Grimsvötn under the Vatnajökull ice. In April 1934, the eruption was so strong that the rising smoke and fire could be seen from Reykjavik, some 300 kilometers away. Four months later, I stood on the crater’s edge after hiking 70 kilometers across the ice with a guide. Twenty kilometers before reaching our goal, we had to leave the sledges behind, as the snow was so deep that every trace of a path disappeared. Grimsvötn itself was a hole in the ice, about 7.5 kilometers in size. We could look down into the boiling water, and the ice walls were steep, about 200 meters high. The bluish-black ground, where the actual crater lay, had several holes filled with boiling water. The volcanic crater basin was eerily quiet, with only rising steam breaking the silence. The heat melted the ice, causing glacier water to boil. Hot water springs formed a deep valley, running along the Vatnajökull ice sheet, and eventually created a massive delta before flowing into the sea.

“Volcanoes under ice” are natural phenomena that cannot be easily surpassed.

And Bouvet? Considering the size of the crater and the ice masses, which grow with each atmospheric precipitation, similar processes will occasionally occur there as on Iceland. A longer stay on this great island could significantly enhance knowledge of these unique phenomena.

At 53½° S and approximately 3½° W, there is supposed to be a bank. It would be worth examining it more thoroughly.

Please proceed! The captain is in charge here. We press 'launch' and then 'click' the button.

Since the bank does not interest me much, I remain at the echo sounder. Such work unfolds as follows:

19 February 2:40 PM - Depth 2800 meters, course westwards at N 270°. Then note that 2800 is the average for at least 5 consecutive readings. Measurements proceed as follows:

12:30 PM - 2100 m N 270°
12:35 PM - 2430 m
12:40 PM - 2450 m
12:45 PM - 2460 m, etc.

The machine stops. From the astronomical observations of the next day, it can be calculated that we drifted approximately 5° S that morning, following a course of about N 105°.

At about 4 AM, we crossed a shallow area at 1600, 1640, 1520, 1540, and 1650 meters. The echo sounder reports:

20 February, 5:30 AM - Course to N 180°, 3200 m depth, etc.
21 February, 5:50 AM - Course N 180°, 3200 m, etc.
22 February, 5:10 AM - Course N 40°, 3200 m, etc.

The 1st Officer Amelang kindly helps me calculate the most probable course of our nightly drift, and indicates the respective ship speeds, so that now my primary task can begin: chart drawing. Here’s what it looks like:

Yesterday we stopped the machine at 198°, due to thick fog and complete darkness. The machine was idle, but of course, we did not stay in place. The current carried us towards the east-southeast, as we now know, and the high ship's leadership hopes that the icebergs (which we could still see) drifted in the same direction. The bow is also reinforced, and many sailors keep watch. Every sailor out there is scanning for a dangerous iceberg.

On ocean depths, one word: They are not very accurate. They are merely the numbers the echo sounder displays. To determine true ocean depths, you must frequently recalculate the errors from the instrument's temperature, salinity, etc.

Our discussions now revolve around a new trip to our work area. It always happens like this: at first, you are happy to be on your way home, tired of the whole expedition program, but after eight days, the new expedition is already being organized.

And we will do the same!

There’s talk about next time, perhaps landing on the ice shelf with the ship and unloading equipment.

Lange comments: "It’s a disadvantage of the ice shelf that it doesn’t have a ship's wave!"

Unexpected visit in Neuschwabenland. The Royal Navy.

Geography of Antarctica

The renewed, in-depth consideration of the problems of Antarctica leads to interesting conclusions, which I would like to summarize here. However, I cannot delve into the geographical conditions in detail and must refer the reader to the soon-to-be-published expedition work, which fully contains the work of all collaborators.

The overview map at the back of the book shows the Antarctic continent. We mentioned earlier that it is an area about half the size of Europe. The exact size is still unknown, but the surface area is estimated at 14 million square kilometers (Europe: 10 million square kilometers).

From this giant area, relatively little is known even today. The better-known areas represent parts where humans have landed, walked on, or at least sightings have been made. However, these areas only represent a small portion of the total landmass, which is estimated to be around 2.3 million square kilometers. The rest, about 12 million square kilometers, remains largely unknown.

This data refers only to the solid mainland. Most of Antarctica remains covered by frozen sea or ice shelves for most of the year. The literature notes that the farthest point explored thus far is the frozen sea, or solid pack ice. When the connection line between these points is taken, it marks the boundary of Antarctica. This area encompasses approximately 36.8 million square kilometers.

Beyond this is the so-called Subantarctic, which lies mostly in the sea. Here, drifting ice floes, which are driven by currents and later melted by warmer waters, dominate. Occasionally, these ice floes reach as far as Cape Town.

Since I have personally experienced how difficult it is to get a proper impression of the terrain from maps and pictures alone, I have constructed a relief of the area using our office furniture to create a clear representation of our work area. It is expected that this area will later bear the name "New Schwabenland." Naturally, the scale of the relief has been drastically reduced, as its real width measures around 1200 kilometers. New Schwabenland covers about 600,000 square kilometers, roughly the size of Germany.

From our flights, already described in previous chapters, we are familiar with many details. I would like to summarize the key points as follows:

From the edge of the ice shelf, which stretches east-west and stands 10 to 60 meters high, the ice rises slowly and steadily with a barely noticeable incline. After about 100 kilometers, the ice reaches a height of 1000 meters, and the first mountain peaks begin to appear. Cones and domes form the most distant outliers, with the mountains still rather scattered. After another 100 kilometers, we encounter larger mountain masses, consisting of both isolated mountains and contiguous mountain ranges and chains that extend for 30 to 60 kilometers. The mountains are wild and rugged.

A furious wind—stronger than anywhere else on Earth—howls over the rocks. Snow accumulates only in wind-sheltered hollows and depressions. Steep cliffs are generally free from snow or vegetation. No grass, moss, or algae can grow in this cold. The ridges and peaks rise several hundred meters to as much as 2000 meters above the ice. Beyond the ridges, the ice reaches heights of about 4000 meters, accounting for the wildness of the rock formations in this part of the southern continent.

South of this mountain range, the ice rises more rapidly, forming a step 20 to 50 kilometers away and hundreds of meters high. This step, which rises again evenly, extends immeasurably toward the west and east. At the turning point of Flight II, this "Wegener Inland Ice" could have been flown over for another 200 kilometers southward without any visible rock breaking through the seemingly endless ice.

Several miles above the pole, a breathtaking view would present itself to the sharp-eyed observer!

How mistaken the polar scholars of past centuries were when they assumed that the Earth's surface narrowed toward the poles. The higher one ascends, the wider the Earth appears, and from a height of 1000 kilometers, all of New Schwabenland could still be seen.

To better illustrate the ascent toward the South Pole, we laid out six relief sections along the meridian. The sections (Profiles I to VI) lie between 15° East and 5° West.

These profiles, combined with the photo-rendered relief and the map of our work area at the back of the book, also show the distribution of the largest mountain ranges. In the profiles, from left to right (west to east) and from top to bottom, the highest peaks of the Wohlthat Massif in the east appear. These are the highest mountains observed in our entire work area. The names of these peaks have not yet been assigned. Toward the west, the Drygalski and Mühlig-Hoffmann Mountains gradually decrease in height, culminating in the Ritscher Mountains. This stage leads toward the Wegener Inland Ice, which appears closed off.

We particularly highlight the Wohlthat Massif (as shown in the map at the end of the book), where the underlying mountain chains stretch out in north-south patterns. Narrow valleys, cut 2000 meters deep, run between the ranges. The northern foothills of the Petermann chain and the high peaks of the Ritscher, Mentzel, and Zimmermann mountains, which rise over 3000 meters, are located 30 to 40 kilometers from the Schirmacher lakes group, whose elevation above sea level is between 100 and 150 meters.

A geological profile (see Profile I) has also been established here, which is extremely interesting and unique. Such profiles no longer result from normal mountain building processes, such as uplift and erosion, but are instead due to deep-seated tectonic changes.

It is not sufficient to say that the Earth splits open into crevasses that are 500 kilometers long. Often, the edges of these crevasses shift not only horizontally but also vertically. This causes basins to sink several hundred meters while adjacent areas rise. Likely, the entire region, from the Schirmacher lakes group westward to the ice boundary, sank into the Earth's crust, contributing to the formation of a massive ice channel more than 100 kilometers long and located at 15° East.

This suggests that the ice sheet lies on land, and the subsidence (the so-called faults) took place along the current western edge of the ice sheet.

The rest of our work area shows similar tectonic lines. The enormous Penck depression in the Ritscher Mountains is clearly another collapse basin. This depression is accompanied by the formation of a second 90-kilometer-long channel at 15° East.

Further interesting discoveries about the course of these crevasses and the seabed in front of the ice shelf have been made by the surveys of the "Schwabenland." The deep south-north trench and the 15° East ice channel are particularly noteworthy.

Another crucial insight is the penetration of deep tectonic activity into parts of the Antarctic crust. This activity likely caused magma to rise close to the surface in this region. The Earth's heat is unusually high here, as is the pressure from the overlying rock masses. If the Earth's crust shifts even slightly, crevasses could open, reducing pressure and allowing magma to escape.

Sudden decompression allows the temperature to rise dramatically, causing magma to swell and press into the crevasses from below. Escaping gases force magma upward, creating volcanic eruptions. While active volcanoes like Vesuvius or Etna have not yet been found in New Schwabenland, ancient Earth movements have left behind volcanic debris. Observations of the rock indicate that this material likely originated from volcanic activity during the Tertiary period, between 1 and 2 million years ago.

One knows active volcanoes in Antarctica. Directly opposite our area lies the inner edge of the Ross Shelf, with Erebus, a mighty fire-spitting mountain that still blows smoke into the air despite its immense ice cover. The nearby Mount Terror is also volcanic, and a whole series runs along the edge of the Ross Shelf. This north-south extending rift at the edge of the Ross Shelf was formed by a fault. Similar to the Penck Basin, a giant rift section has subsided here and forms the finished Ross Shelf.

If one travels north from Erebus, one encounters the island groups of the Antipodes, Bounty, New Zealand (North Island). They are all volcanic. The range extends via the Kermadec and Tonga islands to Samoa. These islands are also volcanic. Parallel to the volcanic rows of the Kermadec and Tonga Islands runs a narrow trench at about 2,000 meters wide, which our hypothesis assumes to be an extremely significant tectonic rift.

This rift even extends to the Hawaiian Islands, although this is not yet definitively confirmed. Between Samoa and Hawaii lies a large number of cross-faults, and the volcanoes of Hawaii rise across vast distances, reaching as far as the Hawaiian Islands and extending SSW-NNO, i.e., diagonally across our rift system.

On the New Swabia side of Antarctica, near the 0° meridian, there are also volcanic islands such as Bouvet, Gough, Tristan da Cunha, Ascension. One can even trace the line of volcanoes extending to the north, including the Cape Verde Islands, Azores, and as far as Jan Mayen.

One can say for certain that this volcanic chain, from Jan Mayen to Bouvet and the other islands from Erebus to Samoa to Hawaii, connects the Antarctic mainland. It is a single, gigantic north-south rift that cuts through the entire Antarctic.

What do the discarded flags mean? Markings for German Antarctic bases? Underground bunkers? Caves?

Almost the entire Earth seems to be involved. The connection piece I see, among other things, in the previously mentioned 500-kilometer rift. In many places, the rift cuts into the deep magma layers, and volcanic eruptions have poured lava and ash masses over these points, forming today's volcanic islands.

Cross-section through the Atlantic Ridge

Also, the so-called Atlantic rise, which we encountered on our echo soundings during the outbound voyage, should be considered in this context: perhaps nothing more than an immense row of volcanoes, a volcano ridge, but of a length never before observed on Earth.

That such an interpretation of the Atlantic Ridge throws new light on the formation of the entire Atlantic Ocean is hinted at here, although the strict proof for this working hypothesis presented in this book must follow later.

A very deep trench runs across the South Atlantic into the Pacific. An ideal camouflage for German submarines on their way south?

We must once again return to the ice. We have already described the various fissures, collapsed basins, and depressions above. If you look at the overview map at the end of the book and examine these depressions a bit more closely, it can be found that their southern edges lie at a high altitude right on the edge of the Ross Shelf. According to one study, the elevation is approximately the same on the east and west sides, with a relatively flat ice surface in between. This ice mass of the so-called Wegener Ice Sheet represents a gigantic accumulation, huge blocks of ice, according to our observations, extend from the pole across the entire Ross Shelf. How far the ice actually extends to the sides is still completely unknown.

Based on the expeditions of Scott, Shackleton, Amundsen, and Byrd, we know that the entire Ross Ice Shelf has a ridge that reaches 4200 to 4300 meters at its northern edge and is supposed to rise even further. A cross-section through the entire Antarctic continent might look like the following illustration.

The summit plateau and thus the ice cover here lies at around 4500 to 5000 meters at about 81° south latitude in the New Swabia sector.

Detailed knowledge of the bedrock profile under the massive central ice cap was obtained through measurements of the ice cover thickness. The cross-section shows how the ice masses of the polar cap represent the largest ice mass on Earth, which still exists and extends much further inland than during the ice ages in northern Europe and America—like a dough that has flowed out in all directions.

New Swabia, despite its width of 1200 km, is only a part of the ice streams flowing in this direction. And our mountains are no more than small reefs, slowly being surrounded by the advancing ice masses.

In the rock cores, smaller and larger basins form, much like in the Alps, where the individual glaciers send their valleys downwards. But all these glaciers flow into the huge ice stream from the polar cap that extends over the entire continent and overflows, so the viewer sees the massive ice sheet, with only small glaciers contributing, playing only a minor role.

In the central Alps, the so-called snow boundary is 2800 meters high, i.e., above this line, any atmospheric precipitation falls as ice instead of rain. The same applies to Antarctica, where the snow boundary lies at sea level, with ice that never reaches the mainland but remains on the coast, where every ice sheet advances outward. Practically the entire Antarctic continent is a single collecting basin.

Further Scientific Work

The prerequisites for so much ice lie partly in the fact that we are in the South Pole region and partly in the fact that it is a connected landmass.

The poles are the regions of our Mother Earth, where Aunt Sun, even when she is standing still in the sky, provides the least warmth. Even though the sun shines as much as it can, it only gives off the least warmth, as the sun stands in the sky for a full half-year, and day and night alternate, but even during the biggest sunlight, the temperature reaches no more than 23 ½ degrees.

Accordingly, it is cold at both poles. The North Pole has the advantage of its large 4000-meter deep water mass, which acts as a heat reservoir, as seawater does not cool down to zero degrees as quickly. The South Pole, on the other hand, lies on a firm landmass, which is larger and also much higher. Both factors push the coldness on the thermometer considerably higher.

So it is astonishing that our flyer could determine a nice "warm" sunny day over the interior of the earth with an air temperature of —35°C through binoculars from airplane VII.

Winter temperatures are generally only measured during overwintering at the shelf ice edge. The lowest values were observed by Amundsen from 1910 to 1912 at —59°C. Byrd read —62°C at a different overwintering station 173 km from the shelf edge.

Apart from Greenland, which in some parts is connected to the Antarctic mainland, there is also a massive ice cap in the center. The thin surface layer separates a layer of warmth under the ice at approximately —15 to —35°C. Due to the vast expanse of this "ice shield" at 81°S in our New Swabia sector, it is quite noteworthy that the temperatures observed there are even colder than what we know from the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf.

For warmth on the ship, Captain Uhlig and his men battled the cold in the air.

Due to extensive observations with hot air balloons (telegraphy, photography, barometer readings, wind direction and speed measurements), they provided a comprehensive view of the atmospheric conditions in the polar region. The largest balloon reached 25,200 meters in the polar zone, a remarkable altitude.

That has nothing to do with the radiosonde, which falls into the "extra special task" by Lange. At precisely 4 p.m., not at night, not in the summer, but in winter, when it's snowing! But the balloon, which has a special radio transmitter, is launched. It transmits air pressure, temperature, and humidity data for the entire duration of the flight.

Receiving the data is not as simple as just putting on headphones or listening to a loudspeaker; rather, it's a small, noisily running rotating roller that stops as soon as the approaching signals can no longer be detected. Misinterpretations, perhaps due to incorrect readings, are ruled out here.

From December 20th to April 7th, in 106 days, a total of 184 radiosondes were released into the air, 36 of which burst high up in the stratosphere above the Polar Region. These radiosondes provided groundbreaking insights into the meteorological conditions of the highest atmospheric layers. The average peak altitude reached 18 km. Only 14 balloons reached the 12 km mark, while 39 climbed above 20 km. The coldest temperature recorded was -79.6°C in the stratosphere at 6°S latitude.

With the special film and launch shaft, Lange's radiosonde achieved its first success on a windy day after 19 failed attempts.

The daily meteorological program also included determining cloud formations, passing through four squares (areas). Additionally, measurements of the angle from the horizon up to the zenith were made using a fixed 180° angle over a full 24-hour period. This angle and wind velocity were consistently measured at three different heights, varying depending on the weather. The lowest layer of wind was often very thick and penetrated far under the surface of the water.

The apparatus was always operated by Gburek. With sophisticated equipment, he also measured the dust content of the atmosphere and the general transparency of the air. This went hand-in-hand with measuring the intensity of sunlight. These observations were also carried out by Gburek. We encountered Gburek’s magnetic determinations earlier, near the edge of the shelf ice. The unstable ice floe did not allow for exact observations. However, we succeeded elsewhere on a larger floating ice field and took multiple measurements at the shelf edge, so that we at least had accurate magnetic deviation data from two locations at our worksite.

The oceanographic work was divided into three parts: soundings, stations, and continuous recordings.

We are already familiar with the soundings. The following illustrations show the profiles of the sea floor from Ascension to the ice edge, from the ice edge to Cape Town, and from Cape Town to Pernambuco.

The first profile is simultaneously the longitudinal profile of the South Atlantic rise, which was systematically surveyed by length for the first time. Bouvet is the last pillar of the inter-American elevation; from there, we travel southward over a trench about 5000 meters deep. The soundings at the ice edge can be seen on the map on page 162, which shows the seabed with contour lines drawn in.

The profiles from the ice edge to Cape Town and from there to Pernambuco are self-explanatory. Interesting in the last profile are the two large 5000-meter depressions of the deep Atlantic, which are separated by a mountain twice as high as the Giant Mountains, our already often mentioned Atlantic rise. The length of this rise alone, from Ascension to Bouvet, is about 50 degrees latitude, or about 5500 km. So far, we have completed little-explored parts of the existing deep-sea valleys and discovered several banks and ridges. The name "Bemm Bank," after the inventor of the echo sounder, and "Atlas Ridge," after the manufacturer of our most-used sounding device, are only suggestions; the final names are yet to be decided.

From the stations, including the "Rasende Paulas," we have learned enough; we know them all from the ice edge to Cape Town. With the 10 stations at the ice shelf, Paulsen was able to carry out 23 in total.

The ongoing work included measurements of water temperature at the surface and the collection of 337 surface water samples to determine the salt content.

At the conclusion of this scientific section, we want to briefly mention Barkley's work. Besides caring for the penguins, he also had to deal with any animal caught under or alongside the "Schwabenland." Even for my small porthole in front of the bullseye in my cabin, I could occasionally observe something of interest. Only the mice, which sought the fat grounds of the ship, and the cockroaches, the "restless Lieschen," drew little energy from their efforts.

It was the whales that particularly stood out. On the whale chaser "Jan Wellem," a biologist spent an entire year in the Southern Ice Sea, researching the whales and catching Finn, Pott, and Blue Whales while also keeping an eye on their feeding behavior. This constant monitoring allowed us to become familiar with the whale species seen from the "Jan Wellem."

The few whales we met during the return trip were unmistakable thanks to their typical appearance. More importantly, the whales we saw were all nourished by krill, which exists in massive quantities in the Southern Ocean. These krill resemble shrimp and are about the size of our crabs. They are referred to as whale crabs. They come into the ice sea in such large numbers that a whale, measuring about 30 meters, can find a rich midday meal.

Naturally, the next question is, what does a whale eat? Its food seems to consist mostly of small green diatoms (according to N. Peters), which in summer grow in incredible quantities and give the seawater its greenish color.

One eats another! Usually, the larger ones eat the smaller ones. The diatoms are the tenderest life forms. They exist to be eaten. They exist only to be consumed by many animals. Many species feed on them. Our whale crab, in particular, feeds with great pleasure on these diatoms, turning its stomach green after feasting on them.

The whale crab, however, is not always small and tender, which gives it a few enemies. It becomes prey for fish, seals, penguins, other birds, and crabs. A seal, for example, enjoys munching on the whale crab as its favorite snack.

Eventually, the whale comes to clean up the area under the whale crabs. It takes a deep dive, and in a blue whale or fin whale’s case, the whale speeds along the surface, opening its mouth like a wide barn door, and swallows enormous quantities of krill.

In conclusion, a word about our pictures:

Of the 82 men on the "Schwabenland," about half of them took photographs. The other half enjoyed seeing the first half photograph everything, as it was often enough to witness the photographing itself. All kinds of devices came into use. Following the "spirit of the times," the most popular small-format cameras were Contax, Kine-Exakta, and Leica. With these, one could even take color photos using the new rasterless method. Even with binoculars, we could evaluate sharp images, and where necessary, telephoto lenses brought distant objects right up to the eye. For the Kine-Exakta, I often used an 18 cm lens, but my special pride was the 30 cm telephoto lens for the Contax. In this massive workshop, my own camera seemed very small and lost.

We also had larger-format cameras available. These included the 6x9 Makina and aerial cameras, such as the Zeiss-Ikon row, which took plates up to 18x18 cm with an f/1.6 lens. Aerial photography from 18x18 cm glass plates became routine, using the most modern techniques and methods in photography.

We haven't yet mentioned the most important piece of equipment on the ship, though: we forgot about the "cannon"!

The "cannon" was a monster of an iron tube, about 1 meter long and 30 cm in diameter. In front was an enormous lens, 30 cm in diameter, and behind it was a small wooden box containing photographic plates and a shutter. It weighed around 1½ quintals.

It was a wonderful camera with an 80 cm focal length! I was lucky to be the first to use it. Later, unfortunately, it wasn't used much because the shutter mechanism failed. However, it worked wonderfully as binoculars, and we used it to photograph distant icebergs, shelf edges, and more. Otherwise, we took these photos with smaller cameras and telephoto lenses.

On March 25th, at 4 p.m., we crossed the equator. Now we are back in our northern hemisphere!

March 29th. It is noticeably cooler. The sun has been taken away from the penguins. The Cape Verde Islands are in sight.

Captain Ritscher pins a notice on the bulletin board with thumbtacks:

Comrades!

The German Antarctic Expedition 1938/39 has come to an end. A loyal team that has come together through shared experiences over the past four months is now disbanding. But as long as it lasted, it proved itself in both good and bad times. The successes of the mission show this. These successes were only achieved because everyone stood by one another and worked together toward the same goal.

As the leader of this dedicated team, it is a great pleasure for me to thank all of you—pilots, crew members, scientists, seafarers, and deck and engine service personnel—for your loyal collaboration. I also wish to express my hope that you will all look back on this completed journey with joy and pride.

For your future work and well-being, I extend to each of you my best wishes!

Ritscher
The Expedition Leader

April 11th, Cuxhaven. A few relatives, along with a few friends, await us at the pier with handkerchiefs.

April 12th. Early in the morning, we reach Hamburg, where guests greet us with a celebratory reception. Many of them were already familiar to us from the test voyage. State Councillor Wohlthat, the expedition's supervisor, welcomes us on behalf of General Marshal Göring. Professor Menzel, the president of the German Research Society, represents Minister of Culture Rust. Rear Admiral Dr. Conrad from the High Command of the Navy, Admiral Dr. Spieß, the president of the German Shipping Association, gentlemen from the Foreign Office, and representatives from various ministries, authorities, and scientific institutions are all present.

The gentlemen travel from Cuxhaven to Hamburg with us. Formal farewell banquet in the communal dining room. The expedition leader gives a report on the preliminary results—tour of the ship.

In the evening, we arrive in Hamburg. The SA is present in formation. Music and a welcome reception at the town hall. Festive dinner at the Hotel "Vier Jahreszeiten."

The next morning, a welcome program from the Führer is scheduled, in which heartfelt congratulations are extended to all participants for the successful completion of the tasks entrusted to the expedition.

It is interesting how cautiously the Americans flew over the entire Antarctic, with the exception of the German territories. Pay special attention to the bright gray section of the 1946-47 hastily initiated "Operation Highjump." An area half the size of the U.S.A. was photographed from the air.

Furthermore, the American geography journal with over three million readers, National Geographic Magazine, repeatedly and clearly mentioned Germany’s claims, which were acquired through the Ritscher Expedition, in articles and maps. Of particular note are the maps from National Geographic Magazine, September 1957, Vol. CXII, No. 3, and maps from the National Geographic Atlas, February 1963, Plate 65, which are worth mentioning.

The official publication of the U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Geography, Antarctica Second Edition, OFFICIAL NAME DECISIONS GAZETTEER No. 14 from August 1966, mentions on page 107 that "Neuschwabenland" is located at 72.30°S 1.00°E.

Is it so far-fetched to think that German scientists continued this UFO work in the safety of South America or Antarctica after the war? Only the future will solve this mystery. For over thirty years, the English-speaking press has been reporting about flying saucers; they describe flying objects of unknown origin. All these reports speak of unknown flying objects, but they fly like German aircraft, they maneuver like the Germans, and they fly in formations like the Germans. What is really behind this?

The German flying saucers launched from underground tunnels or naturally formed caves either vertically out of a shaft or on a horizontally rotating disc, much like a chair lift. Or they launched horizontally out of a mountain or a hillside, always prepared to retreat quickly. The entrance gates to these tunnels or caves in the uninhabited, snow-covered Antarctica are no problem for skilled camouflage experts.

Camouflage is everything. Today, it has become so easy to hide something on Earth, and how much easier is it in the snow, where with a snowblower, entire caves can be carved out in a short time. Even satellites cannot detect these tunnels in the eternal ice.

The German scientists in the Third Reich preferably worked on the new wonder weapon. Here is a report from the German engineer G. Sautier. It speaks volumes and confirms all my research.

Generals observed a test flight of the new wonder weapon, the flying saucers. The D.Z. No. 25, 1957, December 1st issue reported on it; the article was quickly suppressed.

Included are detailed drawings and cross-sections of the German UFO research, side views of the flying saucers, discs, etc., that were tested in Germany during the Third Reich.

How a flying saucer utilizes the laws of nature.

Interior cross-sectional view of a German flying saucer.

Kristall published an interesting article in 1956 that was based on the rumor of German UFOs in American hands.

This is what the flying submarine looks like in cross-section: Schematic representation of the most important components.

“There they are, the “flying saucers,” those mysterious flying objects that have shown themselves for years in formations above our Earth, yet in reality, no human has seen them up close. Leading scientists and high-ranking officers of the American Air Force have long since dealt with the question: Are these strange flying machines from another star? Or have they been built here on Earth?

It is now admitted in the United States that the designs of these flying machines stem from America. At secret conferences, the decision was made to reveal this secret to the world. Without going into detail, it was stated that the construction of “flying saucers,” also called “flying disks” or “flying submarines,” had already been successfully tested several years ago in American laboratories. According to the report, this special case would have almost led to an international sensation. Without hesitation, the conference leadership declared that it was necessary to end the confusion. I have already discussed the basic principles and construction of these aircraft in detail in my previous works. Now, I would like to briefly summarize the facts of this reality.

The flying submarines of the latest construction series differ only in their methods of propulsion from those known in the postwar period. Today, a group of these flying submarines is stationed in a number of air bases of the modern Air Force. All these points — aircraft, jet propulsion systems, and even hovering plates — have been refined and have an astonishing ability to change their shape when switching to their most effective propulsion system. What strikes most is the tremendous speed achieved by the UFOs. While their primary propulsion system relies on traditional jet engines, the specifics of their performance allow them to leave no visible exhaust trails.

Pilots of these crafts receive constant radio transmissions from their control centers on Earth, where they receive precise instructions about atmospheric conditions and any dangerous objects in their flight path. The high altitude flight capabilities of the flying submarines have been subject to numerous tests and demonstrate a strong resemblance to descriptions of extraterrestrial crafts. These are not the flying saucers of science fiction but real, earthbound inventions — the “flying submarines.” "

UFOs repeatedly present a mystery!

Flying Disc
The Flying Saucer

"German researchers and scientists had already taken the first steps toward these 'flying saucers' during the war and built and tested aircraft with almost miraculous flight characteristics. According to reports from specialists and staff members, the first project, called 'flying discs,' began in the year 1941. The plans for these devices came from the German experts Schriever, Habermohl, Miethe, and the Italian expert Bellonzo. Habermohl and Schriever chose a broad ring that rotated around a stationary, dome-shaped cockpit and the adjustable wing blades, which could be positioned for takeoff or horizontal flight. This 'flying disc' had a diameter of 42 meters, and the adjustable blades were set into the ring. The first flying discs (designed by Schriever and Habermohl) that were operational started their first flight on February 14, 1945, with the initial model. The flight reached an altitude of 12,400 meters and horizontal speeds of 2,000 kilometers per hour! It was reported that these flying discs could achieve speeds of up to 4,000 kilometers per hour.

Extensive preparations and research were necessary before the project could be completed. Due to the enormous speeds and the resulting heat demands on the materials, development focused on overcoming heat resistance. This development, which cost millions, was completed shortly before the end of the war, but the flying discs were never deployed.

From 'German Wonder Weapons.'"

German underground UFO control bunker, already equipped with the most modern technology, even back then!

And here is "the final proof"! American and English scientists declared their "astonishment and great surprise" about mysterious X-rays that were recorded from October 28, 1977, to December 31, 1977, which were received by satellites and penetrated from all directions. We have no explanation for how such strong X-rays could be produced, powerful enough to penetrate an object the size of a satellite from such great distances.

"If the X-rays came from space, the satellites would have also 'recorded' them," explained Professor Dr. Walter Lewin from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The X-rays came from somewhere in the South Atlantic, between Brazil and Africa, and from the South Pacific. We invite the reader to investigate "what's down there" by looking at an atlas.

This raises a question: could these already have been Hitler's super-secret weapons planned between 1940-45?

In the book Antarctic Raider by W.R.D. McLaughlin, published in England, the role of the German Kriegsmarine is described, which attacked Allied warships in Antarctic waters throughout the entire war. The cover image speaks volumes.

Hans Ulrich Rudel, the German flying ace, visited Adolf Hitler near the end of the war. Dönitz is seen next to Göring on the right side of the image. Rudel later worked in Argentina on jet fighters for Juan Perón. He visited "friends and comrades" in over 80 South American countries since the end of the war.

What was the reason for this meeting? — Was the plan mentioned by Dr. Michael Bar-Zohar discussed back then?