Isaac Schlossbach
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[edit] Isaac "Ike" Schlossbach (c.August 20, 1891 – August 1984)
Ike Schlossbach was a celebrated American polar explorer, submariner and aviation pioneer.
He was born in Bradley Beach, New Jersey and raised in Neptune Township, New Jersey where he attended Neptune High School.[1][2]
[edit] Military career
In 1911 Schlossbach became the first Jewish midshipman at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, winning letters in football and wrestling. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1915 and volunteered to go to the first submarine school. During World War I he commanded subs in the Mediterranean. In 1921, after World War I, Ike joined the aviation branch of the United States Navy. Ike was first sent to lighter than air flying school (dirigibles). In 1922 he learned to fly fixed wing aircraft. By 1925, then Lieutenant Commander, Schlossbach was leading an aero squadron. First the squadron that flew the record South American flight, and then the first squadron to serve on the first aircraft carrier, the Langley.
Schlossbach had trouble with his left eye, and the Navy assigned him to the Naval Academy, teaching engineering, aviation and coaching the football team. In 1930 at the age of 38, Lieutenant Commander Schlossbach was forced to retire (medically discharged) from the Navy when he lost his eye.
During World War II, Schlossbach came out of retirement and further distinguished himself while assigned to Guadalcanal.
[edit] Arctic and Antarctic exploration
Schlossbach went on twelve Polar expeditions, three to the Arctic and nine to the Antarctic. Ike was on the Wilkins Trans-Arctic Expedition in 1931 and served as navigator on the Nautilus, the first attempt to take a submarine, to the North Pole, under the icepack. Ike commanded Admiral Byrd's ship the Bear of Oakland and was a pilot on Byrd's Second Antarctic Expedition (1933–35). He was the second in command on the MacGregor Arctic Expedition (1937–38) where he accomplished a number of polar aviation firsts. In 1939 Ike accompanied Byrd again to the Antarctic on the United States Antarctic Service Expedition.
After being interrupted by World War II, Ike was second in command on the last privately funded Antarctic Expedition, the 1946-1948 Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition. On that expedition Ike commanded the 1200-ton diesel-powered wooden tug, Port of Beaumont which was frozen into Back Bay through the winter. Ike also accompanied Finn Ronne, to a cape in the Weddell Sea which was named after him.[3] as is a mountain.[4]
Schlossbach accompanied an Australian research expedition to Ellsworth Station Antarctica in 1955 for which he received a letter of commendation from the Australian government.
In 1956 Admiral Byrd selected Ike as his personal representative on Operation Deep Freeze. Ike Schlossbach accompanied Admiral Byrd on several other occasions and made his last trip to the Antarctic as a consultant to the U.S.Navy in 1961 when he was 70 years old.
Ike was awarded three Congressional medals for his contributions to Antarctic exploration.
[edit] Other Accomplishments
Before World War II, Schlossbach founded the Asbury Park Air Terminal, originally known as Schlossbach Field (also known as Gibson Air Academy).
Ike's adventures took him around the world, to the South Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, South America as well as to the Arctic and Antarctica. Ike never married and died in 1984 at the age of 93.
[edit] Time Line
| Years | Age | Activity - Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1891-1911 | 0-19 | Growing up - Neptune City |
| 1911-1915 | 20-24 | Midshipman - United States Naval Academy - Annapolis, Md. |
| 1915-1921 | 23-29 | US Navy Submarine Service – World War I - Mediterranean Sea |
| 1921-192x | 30-x | Naval Aviator – Aircraft Carrier Langley |
| 192x-1930 | x-38 | Faculty - United States Naval Academy - Annapolis, Md. |
| 1930-1931 | 39-40 | Wilkins Trans-Arctic Expedition - Nautilus - Arctic |
| 1932 | 40-41 | |
| 1933-1935 | 41-44 | Byrd’s Second Antarctic Expedition - Antarctica |
| 1936 | 45 | Schlossbach Field |
| 1936-1938 | 46-47 | MacGregor Arctic Expedition Etah, Greenland |
| 1939-1940 | 48-50 | United States Antarctic Service Expedition (Byrd's Third) - Antarctica |
| 1941 | Ungava Bay Expedition - Canada | |
| 1942-194x | 51-x | United States Navy – World War II - Guadalcanal |
| 1946-1948 | 55-57 | Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition - Antarctica |
| 1949-1954 | 58-63 | Asbury Park Air Terminal |
| 1955 | 64 | Australian National Research Expedition - Antarctica |
| 1956-1957 | 65-66 | Operation Deep Freeze I Antarctica |
| 1957-1958 | International Weddell Sea Expedition - Antarctica | |
| 1957-1958 | 66-67 | International Geophysical Year (Deep Freeze II) - Antarctica |
| 1958-1959 | 68-69 | Operation Deep Freeze - Antarctica |
| 1960-1961 | 70 | Consultant to US Navy in Antarctica (Operation Deep Freeze V) - Antarctica |
| 1962-1984 | 71-93 | Retirement |
[edit] References
- ^ "Neptune and Neptune City: A brief history", Asbury Park Press, January 17, 2002. Accessed September 24, 2007. "After World War II, the Asbury Park Air Terminal, later known as the Gibson Air Academy, is founded by one of Neptune's most famous residents, Lt. Cmdr. Isaac Schlossbach, who explored the Arctic three times and the Antarctic nine times with Adm. Richard E. Byrd."
- ^ Summer Newsletter, Bradley beach Public Library, Summer 2003. Accessed September 24, 2007. "Ike graduated from Neptune High School and then, in 1915, graduated from the Naval Academy."
- ^ Australian Antarctic Gazetteer, Cape Schlossbach
- ^ Mount Schlossbach
- Inglis, Robert: "A Scout Goes North", 1938
- MacGregor, Clifford J.: "Monthly Weather Review", October 1939
- Goodrich, Margaret T (Peggy): "Ike's Travels" 1974
- Sallach, David L.: "NJ Historical Commission Newsletter", February 1977
- Vogel, Hal: "Ice Cap News", Nov-Dec 1977
- Vogel, Hal: "They Brought Their Own Storms", 1977
- Inglis, Robert: "Rutgers University Oral History", 1998
- Ayres, Shirley: "Bradley Beach Library, Summer Newsletter, 2003"
[edit] External links
- Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Eastern New Jersey
- Nautilus (Submarine) Photograph Collection Note that his name is spelled Schlossback at one point
- Oral History, Robert Inglis
- Summer Newsletter, Bradley Beach Library
