Nuclear Nautilus Under the North Pole
August 3rd, 1958
Submarine infamy…the world couldn’t wait
Under the North Pole, that was the plan
Man versus nature, with this round to man
The top of the world, covered in snow
Commander Anderson just slipped in below
Nautilus and crew five hundred feet down
Slipping through the icy seas, with barely a sound
Operation Northwest Passage using instruments to see
Submerged from Pearl Harbor to the Greenland Sea
Periscope depth for a picture or two
Nothing too good for that pioneering crew
Point Barrow, Diomedes, and then under the Cap
Discovered a new pathway, drew up some maps
The crew later praised by their boss, the President
For what they had done, for where they had went
The Legion of Merit and a unit citation
Admirals and Officers and a big celebration
Awards never given except in wartime
An achievement by the Navy, front page of the Times
Author’s Note on the Nautilus
The Nautilus was the first nuclear sub in the world. The submarine was commissioned on September 30, 1954, and first ran under nuclear power on the morning of January 17, 1955, ahead of schedule. On August 3rd, 1958, the Nautilus made the first undersea voyage to the North Pole.
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Nicely done Ralph, a piece of maritime history well penned and expressed. Sounds like a very dangerous expedition; I’ll keep my feet on the ground, than you very much. great work
Could you imagine being on board that sub, making marine history. Knowing that possibly you would never surface safely again. I would be stricken with claustrophobia. However they made history and all went well for the Nautilus and it’s crew. I couldn’t even imagine being under ice for 1830 miles of uncertainty. Thanks for sharing this with us Ralph, it indeed has it’s place in history.
Very nicely penned verse on the historical event of the Nautilus. Well done, Ralph.