Operation High Jump: Declassified

Key Points and Timeline

Commencement: Operation High Jump began in August 1946.
Scale: Largest and most heavily armed naval task force sent to Antarctica.
Leader: Admiral Richard E. Byrd, a highly decorated and respected naval officer.
Official Purpose: Scientific research and military training, but believed to be a cover story.

Sovereignty: Extend American sovereignty over Antarctica.
Secret Nazi Base: Locate and destroy a suspected Nazi base.
Secret Weapon: Capture the Nazi’s new secret weapon, believed to be flying saucers.

1938 Nazi Expedition:
- SS Schwabenland: Mission to Antarctica with scientists and Thule Society members.
- Objective: Locate a base and contact Aryans believed to live in the Hollow Earth.
- Discoveries: Found a 300-square-mile area, relatively warm, and decided to build Base 211.
- Base 211: Became a large complex potentially used for escape as WWII turned against the Nazis.
- Hans Kamler: Nazi officer involved in secret weapons program; disappeared with a long-range plane, Ju390.
- UFO Sightings: Post-WWII sightings in South America increased speculation about ongoing Nazi operations.

Rank: Rear Admiral by age 41, youngest in naval history.
Decorations: Medal of Honor, Navy Cross, Flying Cross, Silver Life-Saving Medal, among others.

Forces: Almost 5,000 men, 13 ships, planes, bombers, helicopters, destroyers, and an attack submarine.
Arrival: January 15, 1947, initial base named Little America.
Sudden Termination: Mission, meant for 6-8 months, terminated in 40 days.
Byrd’s Statements: Spoke of possible devastating aerial attacks on the US.

Strange Findings: Eyewitness accounts and Byrd’s journal pointed to otherworldly discoveries.
Byrd’s Secret Diary: Claims about flying over green valleys and seeing a mammoth-like animal.
Encounter with Aryans: Byrd’s alleged encounter with beings who warned against the misuse of atomic energy.
Radio Outages: Byrd experienced lost radio contact and control over his aircraft.

Soviet Intel: Soviets believed Operation High Jump aimed to find and destroy a Nazi base.
UFO Battles: Reports of naval engagements with unidentified flying objects.

Secret Diary: Considered false; some parts plagiarized from existing sources.
Lake Discovery: Actual discovery was less dramatic than reported.
Post-Operation: Byrd never spoke about the mission publicly again.
Treaty: 18 months post-operation, the Antarctic Treaty restricted access to Antarctica.

Roswell Incident: UFO crash in 1947 near a nuclear explosion site raises questions.
Fuel Anomaly: Byrd’s unexplained three-hour delay raises further queries.

Despite many parts being debunked, some remain unexplained, fueling continued speculation.
Global agreement to keep what’s in Antarctica a secret.

The secrecy around Antarctica and coinciding UFO sightings suggest there is more to uncover.
Ongoing research and intrigue highlight the need for continued curiosity and investigation.