DOG
SLEDGE PATROL SIRIUS
The
North Eastern Coast of Greenland is the most deserted part of the island. It
wasn’t until early in the last century that the coast was fully explored. From
1920 to 1960 trappers from Norway and Denmark Roamed the coast each laying claim
to territories. In 1930 the Norwegian Trappers annexed a large part of Greenland
under the Norwegian Kingdom and eventually went to trial at the International
Court in The Haag. In 1933 Norway lost the court battle, but the verdict
states that Denmark should have an official presence on the coast to lay claim
on the entire island of Greenland.
During
the World War 2, trappers were enrolled in the Danish army and given military
rank. Their task was to patrol the coast and report any landings made by the
Germans in order to establish a weather station. The patrol consisted of 9 members the first season and 6 during the last winter.
In
1940-42 two landing attempts were
stopped. In 1942 the Germans succeeded in landing 18 men unnoticed.
On the 11th of March a patrol discovered the weather station, but the
Germans quickly went into the offensive and managed to attack and destroy the
patrol headquarters. All patrol member managed to escape. During the
voyage to another cabin the Germans killed one patrol member, Eli Knudsen.
The US Army Air corps then tried to unsuccessfully bomb the weather
station. In May, commandoes from United States Coast Guard unit "Nortland"
raided the German base only to find one abandoned German who was late for the
evacuation that took place one month earlier. He was taken as a prisoner
of war. In 1943 the Germans managed to land another contingent with 27
members. They were discovered during the winter of 43/44 and in April 1944 the
patrol attempted to stage an attack on the German station. But, they were
discovered before they could carry out the attack thus losing the element of
surprise and the Germans were able to continue transmissions until they were
airlifted out in June, 1944.
In
1950 the Danish government resumed military patrols of the coast and they
initiated Operation Resolute and landed personnel and supplies on Ella.
After a year the patrol moved headquarters to Daneborg. In 1953 the patrol
changed name from operation Resolute to The Sledge Patrol Sirius. The reason was
that a station in Canada had the name Resolute.
The
task of the patrol is to patrol the area between Liverpool land on the East
coast to the Nares Strait on the north coast, a distance of 2100 km of coast
measured in a straight line.
The
unit has 12 members on the coast at any given time. They are recruited from the
three branches of the Danish armed forces and serve a minimum of 26 months at a
time on the coast. During their service on the coast, every sledge team,
consisting of two men and 11 dogs (or dawgs), spend between 8-10 months on
patrol with no other company then the dogs and each other.
PREPARATIONS
The supply ship arrives at the beginning of August and anchors approx. 500m
offshore. In three days the ship discharges all of its cargo of oil and freight.
Apart from the oil, which is pumped ashore through a hose, everything has to be
ferried on lighters from the ship to the wharf.
The huts at the patrol's disposal are maintained and prepared for the coming
winter's sledding. In the early spring the sled teams build their own sleds and
produce bags and boxes to be brought with them on the sleds. As soon as the snow
cover is sufficient, or the ice on the fjords is thick enough, the exercise
trips will start, leading up to the actual patrols, starting around 1st
November. One day's travel will average 30 km, but could be much slower
depending on the suitability of the snow.
PATROLLING
For approx. 8 months of the year, the men are on patrol, during which they work
around the clock - 7 days a week. Patrolling during autumn through to spring is
done on dog sled, where SIRIUS covers approx. 18,500 km. During the summer
period, which is basically the ice-free period, patrolling is done from planes,
cutters, or on foot.
Life at the patrol is mentally and physically demanding, and the many
diversified tasks imposed on the personnel, requires every single person to
contribute his maximum efforts, no matter which day or time it is. Everyone
participates in patrolling and daily maintenance as workmen, engineers, cooks
and sanitation people, irrespective of former education and rank.
THE DOGS AND THE SLEDS
A sled team, two men and their dogs may be traveling by sled for up to 4 months,
during which they may encounter other people only once. During one patrol trip a
distance like the one from the northernmost point in Denmark to Tunisia is
covered. As the sleds carry a heavy load of supplies and equipment, the
patrolmen follow the sled on skis. The men bivouac in their tents and
occasionally stay overnight in huts. The tent is roughly the patrolmen's only
protection when snowstorms prevent any further progress.
The sled, which weighs about 90 kg (200 lb) is built by the servicemen
themselves. Therefore, the patrolman is capable of making repairs en route -
where
temperatures around -50° C (-58 F) are not uncommon! Besides building sled the
drivers also produce harnesses, collars, traces, dog chains, sled bags and boxes
and other items for the equipment. Fully loaded the sled weighs just over 500 kg
(1100 lbs) and all this is pulled by 11 dogs.
The sled dogs originally descend from "The Greenland Dog", but through
crossbreeding SIRIUS has bred a heavier and sturdier dog. It is affectionate and
in its true element, when it toils in front of the sled. Expected duration of a
sled dog's life is 5 years. Only dogs that are not worn out', are allowed to
live past their fifth year and in this case they will be distributed among
Station Nord, Danmarkshavn and Mestersvig. SIRIUS breed their own dogs.
The ideal dog is short-haired, jug-eared, "square", long-legged and
has a body weight of 40 to 50 kg (88 to 110 lbs). When a SIRIUS dog reaches
"retirement" age it will have traveled approx. 20,000 km or 12,500
miles.
NATURE AND WILDLIFE
Conditions in the patrol's theater of operations are rough and require maximum
alertness from the personnel. Extremely low temperatures, hurricane-like
blizzards and excessive snowfalls are conditions which, besides the presence of
animals like polar bear, musk ox and wolf, have to be constantly dealt with
Nature's magnificence and the wide open spaces, however, create the basis for
experiences and impressions, which without exception will stay imprinted in the
memories of the sled patrol for the rest of his life. It is quite simply an
experience without comparison to a modern European for the first time to glide
across the snow-clad ranges, while the overjoyed and laborious dogs in a
co-operative effort pull the sled and its driver toward a distant horizon.
SPARE TIME
At SIRIUS there is no time to get bored. Besides the tasks and chores already
mentioned, every person has certain duties comprising supervision, maintenance
and responsibility for supplies. There are only very few diversions apart from
work. Once a year a supply ship calls at SIRIUS. Mail is delivered 6 or 7 times
a year, out of which 4 or 5 times are during summer, Radio letters, however, may
be transmitted and received all through the year. If time allows, you may enjoy
a few precious moments of relaxation in the living room after your evening
coffee at 10 P.M., watching a video or television transmitted via satellite.
Source.:
Nordoest-Groenland 1908-1960 Fangstmandsperioden. By Peter Schmidt Mikkelsen
Northeast Greenland 1908-1960 The Trapper period.