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The USS Sargo, a Skate-Class submarine, was designated for an Arctic cruise. She received alterations to strengthen her sail before she left the building yard.
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Passing through the Bering Strait, by the Diomede Islands, and crossing the Arctic Circle, the Sargo arrived at the North Pole at February 9, 1960 ; she began searching for thin ice, and surfaced 25 feet from the pole, through 36 inches of ice.
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The following morning, USS Sargo submerged and departed the pole. The expedition proved the following points:
1. The submarine guidance system could be rated at pinpoint accuracy.
2. The submarine can travel submerged through the ice-locked Bering Straits in midwinter.
3. The submarine can reach the North Pole from east or west at any time of the year.
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