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169-510: The Second German Antarctic Expedition of 1911–1913 was led by Wilhelm Filchner in the exploration ship Deutschland . Its principal objective was to determine whether the Antarctic continent comprised a single landmass rather than separated elements, and in particular whether the Weddell Sea and Ross Sea were connected by a strait . In addition, an extensive programme of scientific research

338-422: A Court of Honour which, after hearing the various accusations and testimonies of witnesses, largely absolved him from blame. His opponents continued to denounce him; when von Goeldel, the former ship's doctor, called Filchner dishonourable, Filchner challenged him to a duel, and von Goeldel withdrew the comment. Despite his official vindication, Filchner was wearied of the Antarctic, and never returned. Deutschland

507-559: A Secret Diplomatic Agent"), covering the history of Central Asia since the beginning of the 20th century. This is not an account of personal experiences; it is a semi-fictionalised life of Zerempil, a Buryat monk from Urga . Filchner reissued the book in revised form in 1928, under the title Wetterleuchten im Osten ("Weather Lights in the East"). In 1926, Filchner resumed his prewar survey and observational work in Central Asia. Assisted by

676-488: A bid for the South Pole from there. Scott claimed, in the first of a series of letters to Shackleton, that the area around McMurdo was his own "field of work" to which he had prior rights until he chose to give them up, and that Shackleton should therefore work from an entirely different area. In this, he was strongly supported by Discovery ' s former zoologist, Edward Wilson , who asserted that Scott's rights extended to

845-467: A boy, Wilhelm showed considerable artistic and musical talent, drawing inspiration from, amongst others, Franz von Lenbach , Franz Stuck , and Siegfried Wagner . He might have made his life in the arts, but family traditions drew him towards a military career, and at the age of 15 he was enrolled in the Prussian Military Academy . As a young officer in 1898, Filchner was given leave from

1014-668: A break in Buenos Aires , the expedition departed for South Georgia , arriving late in October. While the ship was reprovisioned, Filchner conducted a survey of the island's coasts. On 11 December 1911 the heavily laden Deutschland began its journey south, to the Weddell Sea. From the outset, progress was slow and uncertain. Brief periods of clear water were interspersed with spells of thick ice that impeded and sometimes prevented movement. However, by 29 January Deutschland had penetrated

1183-521: A caravan of mixed transport groups (motors, dogs, horses), with loaded sledges, travelling at different rates, all designed to support a final group of four men who would make a dash for the Pole. The southbound party steadily reduced in size as successive support teams turned back. Scott reminded the returning Surgeon-Lieutenant Atkinson of the order "to take the two dog-teams south in the event of Meares having to return home, as seemed likely". By 4 January 1912,

1352-510: A chance encounter with Sir Clements Markham , the president of the Royal Geographical Society , and learned of a planned Antarctic expedition, which he soon volunteered to lead. His name became inseparably associated with the Antarctic, the field of work to which he remained committed during the final 12 years of his life. Following the news of his death, Scott became a celebrated hero, a status reflected by memorials erected across

1521-607: A chest measurement of 39¼ inches." In July 1883, Scott passed out of Britannia as a midshipman, seventh overall in a class of 26. By October, he was en route to South Africa to join HMS ; Boadicea , the flagship of the Cape squadron, the first of several ships on which he served during his midshipman years. While stationed in St Kitts , West Indies , on HMS  Rover , he had his first encounter with Clements Markham , then Secretary of

1690-762: A collegial approach. Filchner's work was recognised in 1937 by his award of the German National Prize. He received honorary doctorates from the University of Königsberg (1911) and the Technical University of Munich (1938), and was appointed to an honorary professorship at the University of Berlin. He is commemorated in the various Antarctic features that bear his name: the Filchner Rocks in South Georgia;

1859-558: A collision involving Scott's ship, HMS  Albemarle . Scott was cleared of blame. HMS  Albemarle , a battleship commanded by Scott, collided with the battleship HMS  Commonwealth on 11 February 1907, suffering minor bow damage. By early 1906, Scott queried the RGS about the possible funding of a future Antarctic expedition. It was therefore unwelcome news to him that Ernest Shackleton had announced his own plans to travel to Discovery ' s old McMurdo Sound base and launch

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2028-525: A couple of days what takes you three years". Filchner found his patron in the aged Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria , who readily gave his support to the enterprise. The lack of state funding, however, meant that Filchner's plan had to be scaled back; the Ross Sea component had to be given up. Filchner would take a single ship as far south as possible in the largely unexplored Weddell Sea, and concentrate his investigations in that area. The cost of this revised plan

2197-600: A daring traveller. Back in Germany, Filcher developed his knowledge of geography and geophysics through courses at the Technical University of Munich and other institutions. Between 1900 and 1903, he formed contacts with some of the leading travelling scientists of the day, including the Swede Sven Hedin , and Ferdinand von Richthofen from the University of Berlin . In 1903, with von Richthofen's recommendation,

2366-441: A depot some 600 metres (2,000 ft) from the edge, and about 100 metres (330 ft) above sea level. However, Vahsel was by now insistent that the ship return to South Georgia before being irretrievably frozen in. Filchner reluctantly accepted this; the depot was marked with black flags to await the expedition's return in the following season. On 4 March the ship turned north, and the journey back to South Georgia began. Progress

2535-534: A drink problem and an aggressive manner; he was also ill with an advanced form of syphilis , which may have affected his behaviour. He brought with him several officers and crew from the Gauss , forming a clique that would eventually poison relationships throughout the expedition. Vahsel's position was strengthened by Filchner's agreement to sail under the German naval flag, placing Deutschland under naval regulations that gave

2704-417: A farewell letter to Sir Edgar Speyer , dated 16 March, Scott wondered whether he had overshot the meeting point and fought the growing suspicion that he had in fact been abandoned by the dog teams: "We very nearly came through, and it's a pity to have missed it, but lately I have felt that we have overshot our mark. No-one is to blame and I hope no attempt will be made to suggest that we had lacked support." On

2873-419: A fierce blizzard prevented their making any progress. During the next nine days, as their supplies ran out, and with storms still raging outside the tent, Scott and his companions wrote their farewell letters. Scott gave up his diary after 23 March, save for a final entry on 29 March, with its concluding words: "Last entry. For God's sake look after our people". He left letters to Wilson's mother, Bowers' mother,

3042-636: A good reputation as an ice ship. The price had risen to £12,700 (£1.3 million), which Filchner nevertheless considered a bargain. The sale completed, the ship was renamed Deutschland , and taken to the Framnaes shipyard in Sandefjord for extensive modification. According to measurements supplied by the polar historian Rorke Bryan, Deutschland was 48.5 metres (159 ft) in length, with beam 9.02 metres (29.6 ft), and draught 5.49 metres (18.0 ft) forward, 6.56 metres (21.5 ft) aft. Her gross tonnage

3211-519: A large contingent of dogs in the Bay of Whales , 200 miles (320 km) to their east. Scott conceded that his ponies would not be able to start early enough in the season to compete with Amundsen's cold-tolerant dog teams for the pole and also acknowledged that the Norwegian's base was closer to the pole by 69 miles (111 km). Wilson was more hopeful, whereas Gran shared Scott's concern. Shortly afterwards,

3380-496: A late-season arrival and less time for preparatory work before the Antarctic winter. At Cape Evans, Antarctica, one of the motor sledges was lost during its unloading from the ship, breaking through the sea ice and sinking. Deteriorating weather conditions and weak, unacclimatised, ponies affected the initial depot-laying journey, so that the expedition's main supply point, One Ton Depot, was laid 35 miles (56 km) north of its planned location at 80°S. Lawrence Oates , in charge of

3549-570: A limited extent. When the war ended, he lived in Poona before returning to Europe in 1949, settling in the Swiss city of Zürich . In Zürich he maintained his academic interests through contacts at ETH Zürich and the German Geodetic Commission at Munich . In 1956 he broke his long silence concerning the events of the Antarctic expedition, and prepared an exposé, Feststellungen ("Findings"),

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3718-408: A mirage. On the return journey, through skilful navigation, they intercepted Deutschland on 30 June; it had drifted a distance of 60 kilometres (37 mi; 60 km) since they left. On 8 August, Vahsel died, his health having recently deteriorated. He was buried in the ice two days later, and was succeeded as captain by Wilhelm Lorenzen, the first officer. The atmosphere did not improve; Lorenzen

3887-399: A pity, but I do not think I can write more. R. SCOTT. For God’s sake look after our people. The bodies of Scott and his companions were discovered by a search party on 12 November 1912. Tryggve Gran , who was part of the search party, described the scene as, "snowcovered til up above the door, with Scott in the middle, half out of his bagg [ sic ] ... the frost had made

4056-420: A precipice on 11 March 1902. The expedition also experienced problems with scurvy , which affected Scott's domestic reputation. The expedition had both scientific and exploration objectives; the latter included a long journey south, in the direction of the South Pole. This march, undertaken by Scott, Ernest Shackleton and Edward Wilson , took them to a latitude of 82°17′S, about 530 miles (850 km) from

4225-508: A private luncheon party. She was a sculptor, socialite and cosmopolitan who had studied under Auguste Rodin and whose circle included Isadora Duncan , Pablo Picasso and Aleister Crowley . Her initial meeting with Scott was brief, but when they met again later that year, the mutual attraction was obvious. A stormy courtship followed; Scott was not her only suitor—his main rival was would-be novelist Gilbert Cannan —and his absences at sea did not assist his cause. However, Scott's persistence

4394-615: A public lottery. After leaving Germany early in May 1911, the expedition carried out a thorough oceanographic survey of the Atlantic Ocean before arriving in South Georgia in October. Subsequently, despite being hampered by heavy sea ice, Deutschland penetrated the Weddell Sea beyond the southernmost point reached by James Weddell in 1823. It discovered new land which it named Prinzregent Luitpold Land (otherwise "Luitpold Coast"), and reached

4563-438: A reluctance to make a landing there, arguing that, having passed Weddell's southern limit, the main task of the expedition was now done and they should return to South Georgia. This, as David Murphy in his expedition account observes, was inexplicable since Deutschland ' s equipment, provisions and animals clearly provided for extensive work on shore. On 1 February, hoping to resolve the impasse, Filchner agreed to search along

4732-420: A reputation for vagueness concerning positions and dates, but his claims had remained uninvestigated. Filchner saw an opportunity of adding to his expedition's achievements by proving or disproving the existence of Morrell's Land. On 23 June, about 65 kilometres (40 mi; 65 km) east of Morrell's reported sighting, Filchner, König and Kling set out from Deutschland with supplies, sledges and dogs to find

4901-477: A response to his long-time critics. This revealed for the first time details of the expedition's travails, but at Filchner's insistence, remained unpublished until 1985. Filchner continued to live in Zurich until his death, on 7 May 1957, at the age of 79. Despite his outward formality of manner, Filchner demonstrated an imaginative and adventurous approach in the planning and execution of his various expeditions. In

5070-655: A rumour that they would not be paid, and turned on Filchner. When Larsen's attempts to mediate failed, he housed the more mutinous members in the whaling station before sending them home on a steamer. As replacement captain Filchner appointed Kling, who took Deutschland to Buenos Aires, where she was temporarily lent to the Argentine government to relieve the Argentinian weather station at Laurie Island . Filchner, at this stage, had not given up on continuing his expedition. He informed

5239-504: A scientific research programme that included a detailed study of the nature of the oceans, how they linked together in the southern seas, and how they impacted on the world's climate. Filchner and his backers sought the approval of the Kaiser , necessary if they were to obtain state funding. But when approached, Wilhelm II, who had supported Drygalski's earlier expedition, was dismissive. He thought that Count von Zeppelin 's airships would "do in

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5408-440: A scientific standpoint, the voyage was marred by personal disagreements; Seelheim and Vahsel argued constantly. While en route to Buenos Aires in the steamer Cap Ortega , Filchner received a message that Vahsel was resigning. He then persuaded Alfred Kling, Cap Ortega ' s first officer, to accept the captaincy of Deutschland , but on arrival found Vahsel still in post and Seelheim gone. Nevertheless, Kling agreed to remain with

5577-721: A small grant from the German Foreign Office, he set out in January of that year. After many delays and obstructions, he reached the Kumbum Monastery on the China–Tibetan border, where he spent the winter of 1926–27 in conditions of ill-health and poverty, while awaiting further funds and permission to proceed. In April 1927 he received letters of commendation allowing him to travel into Tibet, and in June he set out, his destination being

5746-528: A string of notables including his former commander, Sir George Egerton , his own mother and his wife. He also wrote his "Message to the Public", primarily a vindication of the expedition's organisation and conduct in which the party's failure is attributed to weather and other misfortunes, but ending on an inspirational note, with these words: We took risks, we knew we took them; things have come out against us, and therefore we have no cause for complaint, but bow to

5915-499: A telegram from Amundsen stating: "Beg leave to inform you Fram proceeding Antarctic Amundsen," possibly indicating that Scott faced a race to the pole. The expedition suffered a series of early misfortunes which hampered the first season's work and impaired preparations for the main polar march. On its journey from New Zealand to the Antarctic, Terra Nova nearly sank in a storm and was then trapped in pack ice for 20 days, far longer than other ships had experienced, which meant

6084-562: A training expedition to Svalbard (Spitsbergen). He and six others crossed the glaciers of central Spitsbergen, in tough conditions. It was also a work-out for the equipment. However, apart from Filchner, only two of the Svalbard party – Przybyllock and the meteorologist Erich Barkow – eventually made the journey to the Antarctic. In early May, 1911, Deutschland sailed from Bremerhaven , bound for Buenos Aires. Filchner remained in Germany to deal with outstanding expedition business, and would join

6253-438: Is a critical position. We may find ourselves in safety at the next depot, but there is a horrid element of doubt." On 2 March, Oates began to suffer from the effects of frostbite and the party's progress slowed as he was increasingly unable to assist in the workload, eventually only able to drag himself alongside the men pulling the sledge. By 10 March the temperature had dropped unexpectedly to below −40 °C (−40 °F). In

6422-620: Is an accepted version of this page Captain Robert Falcon Scott CVO (6 June 1868 – c. 29 March 1912) was a British Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the Discovery expedition of 1901–04 and the Terra Nova expedition of 1910–13. On the first expedition, he set a new southern record by marching to latitude 82°S and discovered

6591-399: Is indicated in his diary: "The worst has happened [...] All the day dreams must go [...] Great God! This is an awful place". The deflated party began the 862 miles (1,387 km) return journey on 19 January. "I'm afraid the return journey is going to be dreadfully tiring and monotonous", wrote Scott on that day. The party made good progress despite poor weather, and had completed

6760-415: Is presumed to have died on 29 March 1912, or possibly one day later. The positions of the bodies in the tent when it was discovered eight months later suggested that Scott was the last of the three to die. In his final journal entry he wrote: I do not think we can hope for any better things now. We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker, of course, and the end cannot be far. It seems

6929-701: The Admiralty and, in August, as flag-captain to Rear-Admiral Sir George Egerton on HMS  Victorious . He was now moving in ever more exalted social circles—a telegram to Markham in February 1907 refers to meetings with Queen Amélie of Orléans and Luis Filipe, Prince Royal of Portugal , and a later letter home reports lunching with the Commander-in-Chief of the Fleet and Prince Heinrich of Prussia . The telegram related to

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7098-610: The Antarctic Plateau , on which the South Pole is located. On the second venture, Scott led a party of five which reached the South Pole on 17 January 1912, less than five weeks after Amundsen's South Pole expedition . On the return journey from the Pole, a planned meeting with supporting dog teams from the base camp failed, despite Scott's written instructions, and at a distance of 162 miles (261 km) from their base camp at Hut Point and approximately 12.5 miles (20.1 km) from

7267-518: The Bay of Whales in Antarctica, prior to their successful attempt on the South Pole. The men from the two ships fraternised well – Deutschland ' s crew contained a number of Scandinavians – and the crew of Fram gave a rousing send-off when Deutschland departed for South Georgia on 4 October. Deutschland arrived in Grytviken , South Georgia, on 21 October, to be welcomed by Carl Anton Larsen ,

7436-544: The Discovery Expedition, was a joint enterprise of the RGS and the Royal Society . A long-cherished dream of Markham's, it required all of his skills and cunning to bring the expedition to fruition, under naval command and largely staffed by naval personnel. Scott may not have been Markham's first choice as leader but, having decided on him, the older man remained a constant supporter. There were committee battles over

7605-618: The Filchner Rocks in South Georgia, charted during the 1911 coastal survey; Cape Vahsel on South Georgia; the König Glacier , surveyed in 1928–29 during an expedition led by Ludwig Kohl-Larson, formerly a member of Filchner's expedition; and Mount Kling in South Georgia, surveyed and named in the period 1951–57. Books Journals Websites Wilhelm Filchner As a young military officer, Filchner gained an early reputation for dash and daring, following his travel exploits in Russia and

7774-696: The First World War he resumed his travels in Asia. He conducted two lengthy single-handed magnetic surveys in China and Tibet, often in difficult and sometimes dangerous conditions, and was continuing this work when the Second World War began, leaving him stranded in India. After years of internment, he returned to Europe and retired to Zürich , where he died in 1957. During his lifetime he received numerous honours, including

7943-552: The German National Prize for Art and Science in 1937, and several honorary doctorates . He is also commemorated in the Antarctic, where a number of geographical features bear his name. Wilhelm Filchner was born on 13 September 1877, the son of Eduard and Rosine Filchner. Sources place his birth variously at Munich or Bayreuth ; it appears that the family moved from Munich to Bayreuth shortly after Wilhelm's birth, but returned to Munich after his father's early death. As

8112-573: The German National Prize for Art and Science . Filchner described this expedition in his book Bismillah (1938), translated into English as A Scientist in Tartary: From the Hoang-ho to the Indus (1939). In 1939 he planned to travel to Afghanistan and Northern Iran, to carry out magnetic work there, but decided instead to go to Nepal. He conducted magnetic surveys in the western and south-eastern regions of

8281-515: The Pamir Mountains range. After further technical studies, he developed expertise in geography and geophysics , before leading a major scientific survey in Tibet and western China in 1903–05. In 1909 he was appointed to organise and lead the forthcoming German expedition to the Antarctic, with both scientific and geographical objectives involving extensive exploration of the continent's interior. During

8450-442: The Pamir Mountains , and after a period of studies in surveying and geography had led an expedition to Southern China and Tibet in 1903–05. Though lacking in polar experience, Filcher resolved to lead an expedition which would determine the truth or otherwise of Penck's hypothesis. Filchner's original plan involved a two-ship strategy, in which one party would establish a base in the south Weddell Sea area, while another would go to

8619-604: The Ross Sea , on the opposite side of Antarctica. Shore parties from each group would then cross the terrain, to rendezvous at the Geographic South Pole or thereabouts, thereby resolving the one-or-two landmasses conundrum. The plan, costed at around two million marks (about £97,500), was received positively by the Berlin Geographical Society in 1909, and was endorsed by Penck. The expedition would also carry out

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8788-531: The Transit of Venus on 6 December 1882. By the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, exploration of the Antarctic mainland had begun in earnest, with expeditions from Belgium, Britain and Sweden. Germany entered the field with the first German Antarctic Expedition , 1901–03, led by Erich von Drygalski in the ship Gauss . Drygalski discovered land south of the Kerguelen Islands , but his ship became trapped in

8957-658: The Admiralty-based appointment of naval assistant to the Second Sea Lord , which placed him conveniently in London. In December, he was released on half-pay to take up the full-time command of the British Antarctic Expedition 1910, to be known as the Terra Nova expedition from its ship, Terra Nova . It was the expressed hope of the RGS that this expedition would be "scientific primarily, with exploration and

9126-474: The American Geographical Society that, after a period in dry dock for essential work, "...the second trip to the newly discovered land can be made again, and the explorations in the Antarctic continued according to the original program". However, the dissident members who had returned to Germany reported poor leadership and morale, and the organising committee ordered Filchner home. There, he faced

9295-599: The Antarctic continent was not achieved until the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1957–58. The co-leaders, Vivian Fuchs and Edmund Hillary , followed Filchner's original two-ship plan: starting respectively at the Weddell Sea and Ross Sea, they met at the South Pole on 19 January 1958. They acknowledged Filchner as "the first to reach the head of the Weddell Sea", but they named their Vahsel Bay base camp after Shackleton who they said had "intended to establish his base there". Notwithstanding

9464-739: The Antarctic was sparked by the theories of Albrecht Penck of the University of Berlin, who considered that the then largely unexplored Antarctic continent comprised two separate landmasses, East and West Antarctica, divided by a strait connecting the Weddell and Ross Seas. Filchner wished to investigate this question, and in 1909, with the support of the Berlin Geographical Society , began preparations for an Antarctic expedition. He would not only test Penck's theory, but would combine geographical discovery with scientific inquiry. Filchner's original plan envisaged two ships, with shore parties advancing inland respectively from Weddell and Ross Sea bases, to meet in

9633-751: The Filchner Mountains in Queen Maud Land ; Cape Filchner; the Filchner Trench in the Weddell Sea; and the Filchner–Ronne Ice Shelf. The Filchner Station operated as a German scientific base on Berkner Island between 1982 and 1999. As well as many volumes of scientific results and books of maps, derived from his various travels, Filchner published popular travel books and expedition accounts. These works included A Scientist in Tartary: from

9802-589: The German army, mainly in military intelligence; in 1916 he was director of the marine interrogation service in Bergen , Norway. In the years immediately following the war he devoted himself to writing. In 1922 he published his account of the Antarctic expedition, Zum sechsten Erdteil: Die zweite deutsche Südpolar-Expedition ("To the Sixth Continent: The Second German South Polar Expedition"). In this book Filchner barely mentions

9971-573: The German naval flag, placing Deutschland and himself under naval regulations that gave the captain supreme decision-making authority on the ship. This created a situation of divided command, with serious consequences for Filchner's authority on the expedition. Deutschland sailed from Bremerhaven in early May 1911. The first stage involved a comprehensive oceanographic study of the Atlantic , covering more than 10,000 nautical miles (12,000 mi; 19,000 km) and extending over four months. After

10140-637: The Hoang Ho to the Indus (English translation 1939); a memoir, Ein Forscherleben ("A Researcher's Life") (1950); and, with Erich Przybyllok , Route-mapping and position-locating in unexplored regions (English translation 1957). An English translation by William Barr of Filchner's 1922 account of the 1911–13 Antarctic expedition, To the Sixth Continent , together with the 1985 exposé, was published in 1994. WorldCat Robert Falcon Scott This

10309-426: The Kaiser's insistence, it was renamed after Filchner. At the conjunction of Luitpold Land and the ice barrier was a small inlet, which Filchner named Vahsel Bay . Behind the bay, nunataks (protruding rocks) confirmed the presence of land south of the bay. Filchner landed survey parties at Vahsel Bay, to examine the location as a possible landing site, and they reported that it looked feasible. However, Vahsel showed

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10478-492: The Northern Indian town of Leh . Despite further privations and hold-ups, he reached Leh on 5 March 1928, before completing his journey at Dehradun . His programme of work for the journey included the first major contribution to the magnetic survey of northern Tibet. He made many topographical measurements and produced detailed maps which transformed geographical knowledge of this region. To this information he added what he termed "cultural-political observations". Much of his work

10647-429: The Polar Plateau stage of their journey, approximately 300 miles (480 km), by 7 February. In the following days, as the party made the 100 miles (160 km) descent of the Beardmore Glacier , the physical condition of Edgar Evans, which Scott had noted with concern as early as 23 January, declined sharply. A fall on 4 February had left Evans "dull and incapable," and on 17 February, after another fall, he died near

10816-440: The Pole as secondary objects" but, unlike the Discovery expedition , neither they nor the Royal Society were in charge this time. In his expedition prospectus, Scott stated that its main objective was "to reach the South Pole, and to secure for the British Empire the honour of this achievement". Scott had, as Markham observed, been "bitten by the Pole mania". In a memorandum of 1908, Scott presented his view that man-hauling to

10985-423: The Royal Geographical Society, who would loom large in Scott's later career. On this occasion, 1 March 1887, Markham observed Midshipman Scott's cutter winning that morning's race across the bay. Markham's habit was to "collect" likely young naval officers with a view to their undertaking polar exploration work in the future. He was impressed by Scott's intelligence, enthusiasm and charm, and the 18-year-old midshipman

11154-404: The Royal Navy however, opportunities for career advancement were both limited and keenly sought after by ambitious officers. Early in June 1899, while home on leave, he had a chance encounter in a London street with Clements Markham, who was now knighted and President of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS), and learned for the first time of an impending Antarctic expedition with Discovery , under

11323-485: The South Pole was impossible and that motor traction was needed. Snow vehicles did not yet exist however and so his engineer Reginald Skelton developed the idea of a caterpillar track for snow surfaces. In the middle of 1909, Scott realised that motors were unlikely to get him all the way to the Pole and decided additionally to take horses (based on Shackleton's near success in attaining the Pole, using ponies), dogs and skis, after consultation with Nansen during trials of

11492-486: The South, the object being to hasten the return of the third Southern unit [the polar party] and give it a chance to catch the ship. The date of your departure must depend on news received from returning units, the extent of the depot of dog food you have been able to leave at One Ton Camp, the state of the dogs, etc ... It looks at present as though you should aim at meeting the returning party about March 1 in Latitude 82 or 82.30 The march south began on 1 November 1911,

11661-400: The UK. However, in the last decades of the 20th century, questions were raised about his competence and character. Commentators in the 21st century have regarded Scott more positively after assessing the temperature drop below −40 °C (−40 °F) in March 1912, and after re-discovering Scott's written orders of October 1911, in which he had instructed the dog teams to meet and assist him on

11830-427: The Weddell Sea became the most favoured area for German polar research. The expedition's personnel are honoured in the naming of various geographical features in the Antarctic region. As well as the Filchner Ice Shelf and Vahsel Bay, these include the Filchner Trench, on the seabed in the south-eastern corner of the Weddell Sea; the Filchner Mountains in Queen Maud Land , named by a later German expedition in 1938–39;

11999-434: The Weddell Sea beyond James Weddell's most southerly point, reached in 1823, and the next day observed an ice-covered coast to the east. Filcher named this "Prinzregent Luitpold Land" (or "Luitpold Coast"), after the expedition's principal patron. Following the coastline, on 31 January, at 77°48'S, Deutschland reached a vast ice barrier , marking the southernmost extent of the Weddell Sea. After much prevarication from

12168-552: The Weddell Sea played a central role. Owing to the commencement of the First World War, and the lack of a formal presentation of the results, the expedition's findings made little immediate impact on the international scientific community. However, the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research later rated the expedition's discoveries as equal with those of James Clark Ross in the 1840s, and in later years

12337-512: The Weddell Sea, came the first intimation of land; seabed samples produced blue clay, remnants of glacial deposits that would not be found far from shore. On 28 January a wide stretch of water appeared, extending southward to the horizon: "No one had expected an open Weddell Sea behind a pack ice girdle of roughly 1,100 nautical miles", wrote Filchner. By 29 January, the ship was beyond the location of Bruce's 1904 sighting of Coats Land , and had passed Weddell's southernmost mark of 74°15'S. The water

12506-415: The animosities that had affected it. He chose to ignore continuing denigration from his opponents, and resumed his travels, leading expeditions to Central Asia in 1926–28 and 1934–38. His last expedition, to Nepal in 1939, was interrupted by illness and the Second World War , after which he retired to Zurich . Shortly before his death in 1957, Filchner wrote an exposé, not published until 1985, which revealed

12675-522: The army gave him leave to assume the leadership of a major scientific survey in Tibet and western China, extending to the upper reaches of the Hwang Ho river. This was a potentially dangerous enterprise, and Filchner found it necessary at times to conceal his activities by disguising himself as a Muslim priest. Filchner's principal scientific assistant on this journey was the geographer Albert Tafel , with whom relations were difficult and often strained. After

12844-600: The army to undertake a seven-week journey in Russia, but had to leave that country when he was suspected of acting as a spy. Two years later he made an expedition to the Pamir Mountains , which included a well-publicised horseback ride, travelling from Osh in the Fergana Valley to Murghab in Tajikistan , and returning by way of Kashgar in Sinkiang . During these travels, Filchner observed much Russian activity and noted

13013-481: The auspices of the RGS. It was the opportunity for early command and a chance to distinguish himself, rather than any predilection for polar exploration which motivated Scott, according to Crane. What passed between them on this occasion is not recorded, but a few days later, on 11 June, Scott appeared at the Markham residence and volunteered to lead the expedition. The British National Antarctic Expedition, later known as

13182-439: The barrier for a better landing place, but none could be found, and by 5 February Deutschland was back at Vahsel Bay. Vahsel wanted the camp placed on a large and durable-looking iceberg attached to the ice shelf, which the ship could reach easily. Filchner preferred to have the camp further from the ice edge, and only agreed to Vahsel's wish after the captain assured him that the expedition's ice pilot, Paul Björvik, had approved

13351-399: The berg containing the base and floated it away. A desperate salvage exercise saved all the personnel and most of the equipment and provisions, though some items were lost. Thereafter, Filchner tried for several more days to re-establish the base, but these efforts proved unavailing. Deutschland began its return journey, intending to try again the following season. By 15 March, the ship

13520-485: The captain supreme decision-making authority. The expedition was thus afflicted from the start by what Roald Amundsen would later describe as a fateful weakness, that of a divided command. Vahsel was quick to flaunt his apparent advantage, boasting while drunk that he would clap Filchner in irons if he didn't toe the line. Filchner chose to disregard this threat as a "tasteless slip". Aware that his scientists lacked experience of polar conditions, in August 1910 Filchner led

13689-427: The captain, Filchner agreed to establish his shore base in a small inlet which he christened Vahsel Bay . The site chosen by the captain was a berg attached to the barrier edge; Filchner was dubious, but Vahsel assured him that his ice pilot, Paul Björvik, had approved the site; Björvik would later deny giving any such advice. By 18 February building was nearly complete, but that night a violent tidal surge detached

13858-594: The cost of the harbour fees for the expedition's anticipated lengthy stays in Buenos Aires . Filchner found a suitable ship, the Norwegian-built whaler and sealer Bjørn . In 1907, Ernest Shackleton had wanted her for his forthcoming Antarctic expedition, but the price, £11,000 (roughly £1.1 million in 2018 terms), was too high. Since then, Bjørn had worked in the Arctic under Captain Bjørn Jørgensen, and had acquired

14027-410: The costs of the expedition were met by the German government. Filchner was required to link his new measurements with those of the earlier journey. There may have been national and commercial dimensions to this second trip; the airline Deutsche Luft Hansa was planning to extend its services in the region. To navigate successfully, pilots would require accurate magnetic data in an area largely devoid of

14196-617: The country, although the British in India were suspicious of his presence there. When the Second World War broke out in September 1939, Filchner decided to remain in Nepal, but in December 1940 his health failed, requiring him to seek medical treatment in India, where he was promptly interned. The circumstances of his confinement in India were not harsh, and he was allowed to continue working and to travel to

14365-519: The course of his journeys he made important and lasting contributions to the cartography and magnetic measurements of Central Asia, and his Antarctic expedition, despite its circumstances, produced significant scientific and geographical results. Filchner's background and military training had instilled a somewhat inflexible attitude, not conducive to successful teamwork, and created difficulties with interpersonal relationships. These were exemplified by his falling-out with Tafel, and by his poor handling of

14534-535: The crew. A laboratory for scientific work was built on the main deck, and electric lighting would be provided by a generator. The expedition attracted a large number of applications. Among the scientists selected were a young geographer, Heinrich Seelheim , as Filchner's deputy; Carl Wilhelm Brennecke, one of Germany's leading oceanographers; the astronomer Erich Przybyllok ; and an Austrian biologist and experienced alpinist , Felix König . Filchner wanted Jorgensen, Deutschland ' s former commander, as captain, but

14703-437: The death toll among the ponies increased to six, three drowning when sea-ice unexpectedly disintegrated, casting in doubt the possibility of reaching the pole at all. However, during the 1911 winter, Scott's confidence increased: on 2 August, after the return of a three-man party from their winter journey to Cape Crozier , Scott wrote, "I feel sure we are as near perfection as experience can direct". Scott outlined his plans for

14872-648: The differences between the Russians and the English in their interactions with the indigenous people: "The Russians manage, in their dealings with Asiatic peoples, to reach out to their hearts, whereas the English, in their relations with natives, make a show of their cultural superiority". Through these adventures, which he recounted in a popular book, Ein Ritt über den Pamir ("A Ride over the Pamirs"), Filchner gained an early reputation as

15041-403: The dogs succumbed to disease in the first season. Nevertheless, the dogs' performance impressed Scott, and, despite moral qualms, he implemented the principle of slaughtering dogs for dog food to increase the others' range. During an early attempt at ice travel, a blizzard trapped expedition members in their tent and their decision to leave it resulted in the death of George Vince, who slipped over

15210-463: The drift, scientific observations continued, and a brief sledge journey showed that the supposed " New South Greenland ", reportedly seen by Benjamin Morrell in 1823, did not exist. Morale had meanwhile collapsed, and by the time the ship was freed and reached South Georgia, the expedition was in considerable disarray. Some members returned to Germany forthwith; Filchner hoped, nevertheless, to reconstitute

15379-462: The entire Ross Sea sector. Shackleton refused to concede. According to a letter written to Stanfords bookshop owner Edward Stanford , Scott seemed to take offence with a map that was published that had shown how far south Scott and Shackleton had travelled during the Discovery Expedition. Scott implied in this letter, dated in 1907 and discovered in the shop archives in 2018, that having

15548-504: The expedition and return to Antarctica in the following season. However, he was recalled to Germany to explain the expedition's failure to its backers. In the subsequent inquiry, Filchner was largely exonerated, but had lost his taste for Antarctic exploration, and never went again. The First World War deflected interest from the Antarctic, but in due course the expedition's geographical and scientific discoveries were acknowledged and respected. Filchner did not reveal in his lifetime details of

15717-458: The expedition as an extra watch-keeping officer. In Buenos Aires, the expedition received a consignment of Greenland dogs, and a number of Manchurian ponies; Filchner had been persuaded by Shackleton of the usefulness of horses as pack animals. While in Buenos Aires, Deutschland was joined by Fram , Amundsen's ship, returning from the Antarctic after depositing Amundsen and his shore party at

15886-462: The expedition could be reconstituted for another attempt, but his backers in Germany summoned him home. In Germany a Court of Honour largely exonerated Filchner from blame for the debacle, but the experience had wearied him of the Antarctic, and he never returned. Instead, he decided he would resume his original field of work, in Central and East Asia. During the First World War , Filchner served in

16055-421: The expedition his ship became trapped in the Weddell Sea ice, drifting for eight months and preventing Filchner from establishing a land base, thus failing in its main objective. Although important scientific results were obtained, the expedition was disrupted by serious interpersonal disagreements and lasting animosities, which harmed Filchner's reputation as a leader and ended his polar career. After service in

16224-596: The expedition in Argentina. Meanwhile, Seelheim acted as scientific director. The voyage extended over four months, and covered 10,000 nautical miles (12,000 mi; 19,000 km) with stops at the Azores , at St Paul's Rocks and at Pernambuco . Around 100 oceanographic studies were carried out, special attention being given to the confluence of the warm Brazil Current and the cold Falklands Current . Deutschland arrived in Buenos Aires on 7 September. Although successful from

16393-470: The expedition was named by Filchner as "Prinzregent Luitpold Land" (or "Luitpold Coast"), after the expedition's principal patron. Following the coastline as it first tended south-westwards, then west and north-west, on 31 January at 77°48'S, they discovered a vast ice barrier, evidently the southern boundary of the Weddell Sea. Filchner christened it the Kaiser Wilhelm Ice Barrier ; later, at

16562-582: The expedition were forgotten with the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914. König's expedition was cancelled, while Deutschland , which König had renamed Osterreich , was requisitioned by the Austro-Hungarian Navy , and used as a minesweeper until she was torpedoed and sunk in the Adriatic Sea . During the war, Filchner served in the German army. Afterwards, he wrote an account of his expedition, published in 1922, in which he barely mentions

16731-555: The expedition, visited the Discovery the day before the ship left British shores in August 1901, and during the visit appointed Scott a Member Fourth Class of the Royal Victorian Order , his personal gift. Experience of Antarctic or Arctic waters was almost entirely lacking within the 50-strong party and there was very little special training in equipment or techniques before the ship set sail. Dogs were taken, as were skis, but

16900-600: The first relief ship in March 1903. Second-in-command Albert Armitage , a merchant officer, was offered the chance to go home on compassionate grounds, but interpreted the offer as a personal slight, and refused. Armitage also promoted the idea that the decision to send Shackleton home on the relief ship arose from Scott's animosity rather than Shackleton's physical breakdown. Although there was later tension between Scott and Shackleton, when their polar ambitions directly clashed, mutual civilities were preserved in public; Scott joined in

17069-509: The glacier foot. Still needing to travel 400 miles (640 km) across the Ross Ice Shelf , the prospects of Scott's party steadily worsened as they struggled northward with deteriorating weather, a puzzling lack of fuel in the depots, hunger, and exhaustion. Meanwhile, back at Cape Evans, the Terra Nova arrived at the beginning of February, and Atkinson decided to unload the supplies from

17238-420: The grounds that Scott was not important or well-connected enough to warrant this. Documents that may have offered explanations are missing from Admiralty records. In 1894, while serving as torpedo officer on the depot ship HMS  Vulcan , Scott learned of the financial calamity that had overtaken his family. John Scott, having sold the brewery and invested the proceeds unwisely, had lost all his capital and

17407-404: The ice at 66°7'S 89°38'E, while still 85 km (46 nautical miles (nmi) from the land. He named this distant coast Kaiser Wilhelm II Land , and an extinct volcano, also observed, was called Gaussberg . Most of the scientific work of the expedition was carried out in a winter station established on the sea ice. When after more than a year Gauss was freed, Drygalski tried but was unable to take

17576-451: The ice. On 10 August Vahsel died (of heart failure likely aggravated by the effects of syphilis) but the poisonous atmosphere continued under his replacement, first officer Wilhelm Lorenzen. The ship was not freed until 26 November 1912, and when she finally arrived in South Georgia on 19 December, the expedition disintegrated. The opposing factions were kept apart before being transferred back to Germany separately. Filchner hoped that

17745-402: The iceberg from the ice barrier and sent it floating into the Weddell Sea. A frantic process of recovery began, as the ship's lifeboats were used to retrieve as much as possible from the base. By this means, most of the material was saved. Filchner continued his efforts to establish a shore base, and on 28 February, Brenneke and the geologist Fritz Heim were landed on the barrier and began to erect

17914-495: The immediate reaction to his expedition was one of a national failure. At that time, little was yet known about the nature of the Antarctic continent – whether it was a single landmass, a group of islands or, as the geographer Albrecht Penck believed, two large landmasses, West and East Antarctica, separated by a frozen strait. This issue interested a young army officer and seasoned explorer, Wilhelm Filchner . Born in 1877, Filchner had visited Russia, had ridden on horseback through

18083-472: The interpersonal difficulties that marred and ultimately overwhelmed the expedition, instead producing a relatively straightforward account of its activities and achievements. In the absence of rebuttal, criticisms from his enemies citing his lack of leadership and deficient exploring ability would continue, unanswered, for decades. In 1924 Filchner published a book, Sturm über Asien: Erlebnisse eines diplomatischen Geheimagenten ("Storm over Asia: Experiences of

18252-665: The intervening years. While the coastal survey progressed, Deutschland went on a journey to the South Sandwich Islands, to test the theory of the British explorer William Speirs Bruce , that the islands in the so-called Scotia Arc were geologically linked with the Antarctic Peninsula and the South American mainland. The trip was blighted by bad weather and rough seas, with waves reaching 20 metres (66 ft) in height. The ship proved her seaworthiness, but no landing

18421-540: The journey, Tafel missed few opportunities for insulting Filchner and undermining his authority as a leader, accusing him of cowardice and questioning the accuracy of his maps. Filchner's military background and formal manner contributed to the problem; as Cornelia Lüdecke puts it in a biographical essay on Filchner, as an officer he was "trained to command and not to discuss". This was a trait that would also be apparent in Filchner's later expeditions. Filchner's interest in

18590-419: The last two four-man groups had reached 87°34′S. Scott announced his decision: five men — himself, Wilson , Bowers , Oates and E. Evans — would go forward; the other three - ( Teddy Evans , William Lashly and Tom Crean ) - would return. The chosen group marched on, reaching the Pole on 17 January, only to find a tent left in place by Amundsen, in it containing a letter dated 18 December. Scott's anguish

18759-415: The manager of the whaling station there. As the seas to the south remained icebound, Filchner embarked on a coastal survey of South Georgia, with the help of Larsen who lent his yacht Undine for this task. In the course of these surveys they revisited the now derelict research station at Royal Bay, reopened it, and kept it manned for a month while taking regular readings to determine magnetic field changes in

18928-413: The meteorological and magnetic readings, however, were later criticised as amateurish and inaccurate. At the end of the expedition it took the combined efforts of two relief ships and the use of explosives to free Discovery from the ice. Scott's insistence during the expedition on Royal Navy formalities had made for uneasy relations with the merchant navy contingent, many of whom departed for home with

19097-507: The motors in Norway in March 1910. Man-hauling would still be needed on the Polar Plateau, on the assumption that motors and animals could not ascend the crevassed Beardmore Glacier . Dog expert Cecil Meares was going to Siberia to select the dogs and Scott ordered that, while he was there, he should deal with the purchase of Manchurian ponies. Meares was not an experienced horse-dealer and

19266-526: The natural geographical features that would enable navigation by sight. It is possible that Filchner was paid by the airline for this purpose. In the course of his travels, Filchner crossed the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts, and arrived at Hotan in Xinjiang in December 1936. It was unsafe territory, with a civil war raging. Filcher did not possess the necessary papers; he was arrested and his passport confiscated. He

19435-472: The naval training ship HMS  Britannia at Dartmouth . Having passed these exams Scott began his naval career in 1881, as a 13-year-old cadet. One of his older sisters was Ettie Ellison-Macartney . In The Worst Journey in the World , author Apsley Cherry-Garrard claims that "physically Scott had been a delicate boy but developed into a strong man, 5 feet 9 inches in height, 11 stone 6 lbs. in weight, with

19604-486: The next depot, Scott and his companions died. When Scott and his party's bodies were discovered, they had in their possession the first Antarctic fossils discovered. The fossils were determined to be from the Glossopteris tree and proved that Antarctica was once forested and joined to other continents. Before his appointment to lead the Discovery expedition, Scott had a career as a Royal Navy officer. In 1899, he had

19773-406: The non-existence of Morrell's "New South Greenland". There were significant scientific findings, including the first evidence of the clockwise Weddell Sea gyre. The detailed oceanographic investigations revealed the temperature distribution in the waters of the southern Atlantic. Four alternating layers were identified, carrying warmer and colder streams south and north respectively, a process in which

19942-464: The official receptions that greeted Shackleton on his return in 1909 after the Nimrod Expedition , and the two exchanged polite letters about their respective ambitions in 1909–1910. Discovery returned to Britain in September 1904. The expedition had caught the public imagination, and Scott became a popular hero. He was awarded a cluster of honours and medals, including many from overseas, and

20111-407: The old Discovery base. For this he was roundly condemned by the British polar establishment at the time. Among modern polar writers, Ranulph Fiennes regards Shackleton's actions as a technical breach of honour, but adds: "My personal belief is that Shackleton was basically honest but circumstances forced his McMurdo landing, much to his distress." The polar historian Beau Riffenburgh states that

20280-558: The perceived failure, Penck and others blamed Vahsel, as did the Kaiser, who had opposed the expedition but now gave Filchner his backing. On the other hand Albert Ballin of the Hamburg America Line , Vahsel's former employers, defended the captain: "The geographical discoveries of the expedition are solely Vahsel's credit, who pursued the goals cited for him with the greatest energy, steadfast loyalty and devotion". Controversies around

20449-424: The personal antagonisms that marred the expedition, but a memorandum or exposé, written just before his death in 1957, was published in 1985. The first German visit to the sub-Antarctic region occurred during International Polar Year, 1882–83 , when a team of scientists established a station at Royal Bay on the island of South Georgia . Over the year they carried out an extensive research programme, and observed

20618-580: The pole. A harrowing return journey brought about Shackleton's physical collapse and his early departure from the expedition. The second year showed improvements in technique and achievement, culminating in Scott's western journey which led to the discovery of the Polar Plateau . This has been described by one writer as "one of the great polar journeys". The scientific results of the expedition included important biological, zoological and geological findings. Some of

20787-610: The ponies he chose proved mostly of poor quality and ill-suited to prolonged Antarctic work. Meanwhile, Scott also recruited Bernard Day, from Shackleton's expedition, as his motor expert. On 15 June 1910, Scott's ship, Terra Nova , an old converted whaler, set sail from Cardiff , South Wales. Scott meanwhile was fundraising in Britain and joined the ship later in South Africa. Arriving in Melbourne , Australia in October 1910, Scott received

20956-421: The ponies, advised Scott to kill ponies for food and advance the depot to 80°S, which Scott refused to do. Oates is reported as saying to Scott, "Sir, I'm afraid you'll come to regret not taking my advice." Four ponies died during this journey, either from the cold or because they slowed the team down and were shot. On its return to base, the expedition learned of the presence of Amundsen, camped with his crew and

21125-419: The promise to Scott "should never ethically have been demanded," and compares Scott's intransigence on this matter unfavourably with the generous attitudes of the Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen , who gave freely of his advice and expertise to all, whether they were potential rivals or not. Scott, who because of his Discovery fame had entered Edwardian society, first met Kathleen Bruce early in 1907 at

21294-560: The return trip. Scott was born on 6 June 1868, the third of six children and elder son of John Edward, a brewer and magistrate, and Hannah (née Cuming) Scott of Stoke Damerel , near Devonport . There were also naval and military traditions in the family, Scott's grandfather and four uncles all having served in the army or navy. John Scott's prosperity came from the ownership of a small Plymouth brewery which he had inherited from his father and subsequently sold. Scott's early childhood years were spent in comfort, but some years later, when he

21463-427: The same day, Oates, whose toes had become frostbitten, voluntarily left the tent and walked to his death. Scott wrote that Oates' last words were "I am just going outside and may be some time". After walking 20 miles (32 km) farther despite Scott's toes now becoming frostbitten, the three remaining men made their final camp on 19 March, approximately 12.5 miles (20.1 km) short of One Ton Depot. The next day

21632-461: The scope of Scott's responsibilities, with the Royal Society pressing to put a scientist in charge of the expedition's programme while Scott merely commanded the ship. Eventually, however, Markham's view prevailed; Scott was given overall command, and was promoted to the rank of commander before Discovery sailed for the Antarctic on 6 August 1901. King Edward VII , who showed a keen interest in

21801-640: The sense of failure and recriminations, the Second German Antarctic Expedition recorded some significant geographical achievements. It found new land, the Luitpold Coast, and reached the southern limit of the Weddell Sea. Its discovery of the Filchner Ice Shelf provided strong evidence, if not outright proof, that Penck's theory of a strait separating two Antarctic landmasses was wrong. The winter journey of Filchner, Kling and König proved

21970-402: The service pay of Scott and the salary of younger brother Archie, who had left the army for a higher-paid post in the colonial service. Archie's own death in the autumn of 1898, after contracting typhoid fever , meant that the whole financial responsibility for the family rested on Scott. Promotion, and the extra income this would bring, now became a matter of considerable concern to Scott. In

22139-447: The ship further south. Hence, when he returned to Germany, in an era when geographical achievements were valued more than scientific results, he found that the expedition was compared unfavourably with Robert Falcon Scott 's concurrent Discovery Expedition, which had achieved a farthest south mark of 82°17'. Drygalski's scientific results, published over three decades, would retrospectively be recognised as of outstanding importance, but

22308-437: The ship lay at Sandejford, Shackleton visited to give further advice on the preparation for a long sojourn in the ice. This included the addition of iron plating to protect the stem , and the construction of a well that enabled the propeller and rudder to be lifted on to the deck when not in use. The ship's interior was rebuilt, with sixteen cabins for officers and scientists, and an enlarged fo'c'sle to provide accommodation for

22477-458: The ship with his own men rather than set out south with the dogs to meet Scott as ordered. When Atkinson finally did leave south for the planned rendezvous with Scott, he encountered the scurvy-ridden Edward ("Teddy") Evans who needed urgent medical attention. Atkinson therefore tried to send the experienced navigator Wright south to meet Scott, but chief meteorologist Simpson declared he needed Wright for scientific work. Atkinson then decided to send

22646-537: The short-sighted Cherry-Garrard on 25 February, who was not able to navigate, only as far as One Ton depot (which is within sight of Mount Erebus), effectively cancelling Scott's orders for meeting him at latitude 82 or 82.30 on 1 March. On the return journey from the Pole, Scott reached the 82°S meeting point for the dog teams, 300 miles (480 km) from Hut Point , three days ahead of schedule, noting in his diary for 27 February 1912, "We are naturally always discussing possibility of meeting dogs, where and when, etc. It

22815-431: The site. The unloading process began on 9 February and continued over the next several days. By 17 February the hut had been erected and most of the equipment and animals had been transferred to the iceberg. Meanwhile, Filchner learned from Björvik that he had not been consulted, and would not have recommended the site which he described as "very bad". On 18 February a high spring tide caused a surge of water, which sundered

22984-471: The situation of divided command that arose on the Deutschland . Murphy describes Filchner as "a bit stiff, something of a cold fish", and lacking the sense of humour and common touch which marked leaders such as Shackleton. Lüdecke points out the marked successes of his later expeditions, which gained lavish praise from the Royal Geographical Society , when he worked alone without the constraint of maintaining

23153-468: The skin yellow & transparent & I’ve never seen anything worse in my life." Their final camp became their tomb; their records and personal belongings were retrieved before the tent roof was lowered over the bodies and a high cairn of snow was erected over it, topped by a roughly fashioned cross, erected using Gran's skis. Next to their bodies lay 35 pounds (16 kg) of Glossopteris tree fossils which they had dragged on hand sledges. These were

23322-455: The southern journey to the entire shore party, leaving open who would form the final polar team, according to their performance during the polar travel. Eleven days before Scott's teams set off towards the pole, Scott gave the dog driver Meares the following written orders at Cape Evans, dated 20 October 1911, to secure Scott's speedy return from the pole using dogs: About the first week of February I should like you to start your third journey to

23491-494: The southern limit of the Weddell Sea at the Filchner Ice Shelf . Attempts to set up their land base at a small inlet which they named Vahsel Bay failed when they chose a site on insecure ice which broke away, taking the camp with it. Although much equipment was salvaged, further attempts to establish a land base also failed. By then, Deutschland was unable to escape from the ice, and began its long drift northwards. During

23660-455: The spot, travelling much of the time by moonlight. The terrain was difficult; shifting ice with open water, and piled-up ice floes. Another problem was that the drifting ship would be in a different position when they returned. As they approached the location of Morrell's supposed sighting, they dropped lead weights to test the sea depth. Finding no evidence of shallowing, and no visible signs of land, they concluded that Morrell had most likely seen

23829-399: The theory and practical examinations. A small blot occurred in the summer of 1893 when, while commanding a torpedo boat, Scott ran it aground, a mishap which earned him a mild rebuke. During the research for his dual biography of Scott and Roald Amundsen, polar historian Roland Huntford investigated a possible scandal in Scott's early naval career, related to the period 1889–1890 when Scott

23998-484: The truth about his Antarctic expedition's failure. Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition , aiming for a transcontinental crossing, had entered the Weddell Sea in January 1915. Before he could land, his ship Endurance was beset, and carried in the ice by the Weddell Gyre until she was crushed and sunk in October 1915. The expedition thereafter became an epic of survival and rescue. The first land crossing of

24167-488: The two men's names together on this map indicated that there was "dual leadership" between Scott and Shackleton which was "not in accordance with fact." After the owner replied with an apology over the issue, Scott expressed his regret at the nature of the previous letter and stated, "I tried to be impartial in giving credit to my companions who one and all laboured honestly and well as I have endeavoured to record....I understand now of course that you had no personal knowledge of

24336-514: The vicinity of the Pole. This proved too costly, so Filchner had to adopt a more modest, single-ship strategy, confining his operations to the Weddell Sea area. A ship, the Norwegian whaler Bjorn was acquired, and her name changed to Deutschland . Her captain was to be a naval officer, Richard Vahsel , who had previous Antarctic experience, but was by reputation a somewhat difficult and truculent character, "greedy for power and an out-and-out schemer". Unwisely, Filchner agreed to sail under

24505-457: The wildlife – penguins, other birds, whales and seals – was observed, recorded and sometimes eaten. A programme of entertainment and sporting activities was maintained on the ship and on the ice, but these diversions could not overcome the increasing divisions and hostility between the opposing groups, worsened by the excessive use of alcohol. The debacle at Vahsel Bay had destroyed morale, and there were long mutual recriminations. In June, Filchner

24674-425: The will of Providence, determined still to do our best to the last ... Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance, and courage of my companions which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. These rough notes and our dead bodies must tell the tale, but surely, surely, a great rich country like ours will see that those who are dependent on us are properly provided for. Scott

24843-515: The wording and I must express regret that I failed to realise your identity when I first wrote." Finally, to end the impasse, Shackleton agreed, in a letter to Scott dated 17 May 1907, to work to the east of the 170°W meridian and therefore to avoid all the familiar Discovery ground. In the end it was a promise that he was unable to keep after his search for alternative landing grounds proved fruitless. With his only other option being to return home, he set up his headquarters at Cape Royds , close to

25012-407: Was 598.2, net 343.8. Built in 1905 entirely of wood, the outer hull was reinforced with 3¼ inch greenheart sheathing , and the inner hull given a further 6 inches of protection. Rigged as a barque , Deutschland was capable of speeds of 9 or 10 knots under full sail. Her auxiliary engine provided 300 horsepower with a maximum speed of 7.2 knots, consuming coal at a daily rate of 6 tons. While

25181-429: Was a lieutenant on HMS  Amphion . According to Huntford, Scott "disappears from naval records" for eight months, from mid-August 1889 until 26 March 1890. Huntford hints at involvement with a married American woman, a cover-up, and protection by senior officers. Biographer David Crane reduces the missing period to eleven weeks, but is unable to clarify further. He rejects the notion of protection by senior officers on

25350-610: Was acquired by König, who was organising an Austrian expedition to complete the work begun by the German expedition. Filchner was invited to join him, but declined; he likewise refused an invitation from Amundsen to accompany him on an expedition to the North Pole . He wrote: "Many experiences had convinced me that truly great successes in the polar ice are granted only to members of those nations where polar research has traditions ... I have decided to return to my original field of work: Central and East Asia". In apportioning responsibility for

25519-441: Was an accident or, as some suspected, a suicide, was never established. Either way, Filchner considered the death a bad omen for the expedition. Having been restocked with equipment, the now heavily loaded Deutschland left Grytviken on 11 December 1911 carrying 35 men, 8 ponies, 75 Greenland dogs, 2 oxen, 2 pigs and several sheep. She first encountered ice three days out from Grytviken, at 57°S, and from then on, progress southwards

25688-461: Was carried out in secret, to avoid the attention of suspicious authorities. The journey became the subject of a film, Mönche, Tänzer und Soldaten ("Monks, Dancers and Soldiers"), a valuable documentary of monastic and other life of that time. In the years 1934 to 1938, Filchner returned to the same region, this time following a route across northern Tibet from Lanzhou to Leh. Whereas on the earlier journey he had largely paid his own way, this time

25857-623: Was desperate to escape from the poisonous ambience of Deutschland . He calculated that the drift was taking them close to where, in 1823, the American sealing captain Benjamin Morrell claimed to have encountered land, known generally as "Morrell's Land" or " New South Greenland ". Morrell described a long stretch of coastline, with distant snow-covered mountains, abundant seal, and "oceanic birds of every description". Morrell's writings were typically full of exaggerations and provable errors, and he had

26026-553: Was detained by the warlord Ma Hushan , in harsh conditions for seven months, before his passport was returned and he was allowed to proceed. He then had to navigate the so-called "route of death" over the Karakoram range. He arrived in Leh in September 1937, finishing his 3,500 km (2,175 miles) journey a month later in Srinigar . On his return, he learned that Adolf Hitler had awarded him

26195-430: Was duly noted. In March 1888 Scott passed his examinations for sub-lieutenant, with four first class certificates out of five. His career progressed smoothly, with service on various ships and promotion to lieutenant in 1889. In 1891, after a long spell in foreign waters, he applied for the two-year torpedo training course on HMS  Vernon , an important career step. He graduated with first class certificates in both

26364-464: Was establishing his naval career, the family suffered serious financial misfortune. In accordance with the family's tradition, Scott and his younger brother Archie were predestined for careers in the armed services. Scott spent four years at a local day school before being sent to Stubbington House School in Hampshire, a cramming establishment that prepared candidates for the entrance examinations to

26533-465: Was estimated at 1.1 million marks (about £58,500), and under Luitpold's patronage an organising committee was set up to raise this amount. The most successful of its activities was a public lottery, and by the end of 1910 the required sum had been secured. Although the German government would not provide funding, they were supportive in other ways, arranging for various agencies and organisations to loan essential scientific equipment, and were willing to meet

26702-464: Was firmly beset in the ice, drifting slowly northwards, and clearly trapped for the winter. By this time the expedition's morale had largely collapsed as a result of the Vahsel Bay fiasco; the party had broken into factions, and hostility, recrimination and drunkenness, with threats of violence, became the norms. Nevertheless, Filchner still sought to continue the scientific work, in stations set up on

26871-403: Was initially minimal; on 6 March, under full steam, Deutschland advanced just 3 nautical miles (3.5 mi; 5.6 km), and by 15 March she was trapped firmly. Efforts to free her with dynamite failed, and Filchner resigned himself to a long winter's drift: "We now devoted ourselves to scientific work", he wrote. A research station was set up on the ice for meteorological and magnetic work, and

27040-432: Was intermittent, with ice-bound periods interspersed with stretches of open water. Between 17 and 31 December, a mere 31 nautical miles (36 mi; 57 km) were covered, and the generator was switched off to save coal. On 14 January 1912, at 70°47'S, the ship was trapped in solid ice, but four days later she enjoyed one of her best day's run, covering 51 nautical miles (59 mi; 94 km). On 27 January, now deep into

27209-545: Was made, and little scientific work could be done. In South Georgia, the expedition suffered two losses of personnel. One of the two medical doctors, Ludwig Kohl , was stricken with appendicitis and had to remain on the island. More tragic was the fate of the third officer, Walter Slossarczyk, who disappeared while fishing in King Edward Cove , off Grytviken. His empty boat was later found in Cumberland Bay . Whether this

27378-417: Was no conciliator, and his relationship with Filchner was no better than Vahsel's had been. The mood rapidly became not merely unpleasant but dangerous; guns were being waved around, with threats of shooting – König claimed he had been shot at. Filchner considered his own life at risk, and slept with a loaded gun by his side. The drift continued; by mid-September, open leads were appearing in the distance, but it

27547-483: Was not until 26 November, with the help of dynamite, that Deutschland finally broke free of the ice. The drift had provided initial evidence for the existence of the Weddell Gyre , a circulating ocean current rotating clockwise round the sea. A slow run through heavy loose pack finally brought Deutschland to Grytviken on 19 December 1912. In Grytviken, open fighting broke out among the two factions. The crew had heard

27716-461: Was now becoming rapidly shallower in depth, showing the imminent approach of land; light surf was visible in the distance to the south. The next day land was observed in the form of ice cliffs, up to 30 metres (98 ft) in height, behind which rose a gentle slope of ice and snow to a height of above 600 metres (2,000 ft). "Under this mass of ice", wrote Filchner, "undoubtedly lay hidden the Antarctic continent". This first geographical discovery of

27885-463: Was now virtually bankrupt. At the age of 63, and in poor health, he was forced to take a job as a brewery manager and move his family to Shepton Mallet , Somerset. Three years later, while Robert was serving with the Channel Squadron flagship HMS  Majestic , John Scott died of heart disease, creating a fresh family crisis. Hannah Scott and her two unmarried daughters now relied entirely on

28054-435: Was pressurised by the German naval authorities to appoint a German to the post. Their choice was Richard Vahsel , who had served as second officer on the Gauss expedition. Although Drygalski strongly recommended him, Gauss ' s former captain, Hans Ruser, warned that Vahsel was "greedy for power and an out-and-out schemer". Filchner's agreement to this appointment was, according to Bryan, "a disastrous mistake". Vahsel had

28223-506: Was promoted to the rank of captain . He was invited to Balmoral Castle , and King Edward VII promoted him to Commander of the Royal Victorian Order . Scott's next few years were crowded. For more than a year he was occupied with public receptions, lectures and the writing of the expedition record, The Voyage of the Discovery . In January 1906, he resumed his full-time naval career, first as an assistant director of Naval Intelligence at

28392-539: Was rewarded and, on 2 September 1908, at the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace , the wedding took place. Their only child, Peter Markham Scott , born 14 September 1909, was to found the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) . Shackleton returned from the Antarctic having narrowly failed to reach the Pole and this gave Scott the impetus to proceed with plans for his second Antarctic expedition. On 24 March 1909, he took

28561-448: Was undertaken. The expedition failed to establish a land base, and the ship became beset in the Weddell Sea ice, drifting north for eight months before reaching open water. The expedition was marred by considerable disagreement and animosity among its participants, and broke up in disarray. The expedition secured the patronage of Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria , who formed a fundraising committee which organised, among other activities,

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