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| Clandestine Voyager |
 In order to understand the underground world of Cold War planning, one must first become familiar with the Queenfish. Alfred S McLaren's new book, "Unknown Waters," documents the voyage of the nuclear submarine and its pioneer expedition to map the Siberian continental shelf.
McLaren studied at Cambridge University and received his Ph.D. in Polar Studies at the University of Colorado-Boulder. During what he described as the "height of the Cold War," McLaren, captain of the Queenfish, and his crew ventured into international waters in a test of navigational rights.
According to The New York Times, the United States supported the expedition "as a clandestine effort to prepare for Arctic submarine operations and to win any military showdown with the the Soviet Union."
The Queenfish departed from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in 1970 and traveled 3,100 miles in twenty days along Russia's Siberian coast. At an average speed of 6.5 knots, the submarine went undetected for the entire duration of the journey.
During the voyage, all of the sub's markings were removed to mask its American identity from the Soviets. When the vessel emerged off the coast of Nome, Alaska, its anonymity caused concern when residents assumed the vessel to be of Soviet origin.
The 117 man crew often had to maneuver the 54 foot vessel through treacherous conditions. One day, while the crew was watching their favorite western film, McLaren received notice that the sub had come to a dead end. With the help of his crew, the captain was able to successfully maneuver the propeller, rudder and stern planes backward. In an interview with Jim Clash, McLaren stated "I still have dreams about that [day]. Nobody would have ever found us for a million years."
According to Alfred McLaren, the ice of the North Pole had thinned 28 inches between his 1958 and 1970 expedition. Today, the continuance of melting polar ice has created new shipping lanes and exposed natural resources, creating a new opportunity to revisit the importance of navigational freedom.
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