Because of this triphibian plane's modifications, it had to fly shorter legs than the long-range Neptunes and R5D Skymasters. This Grumman Albatross started at Moffet Field, California, flew up to Adak, Alaska, hopped across several islands in the Pacific and arrived at the Wigram Air Force Base in Christchurch, New Zealand. Pictured are CDR Ebbe and LCDR Sparks. The ships in Operation Deep Freeze left Boston and Norfolk on 14 November, traveled through the Panama Canal and across the Pacific Ocean to Port Lyttleton, New Zealand. They arrived 12 December. All ships left New Zealand and were underway for Antarctica on 16 December, two days ahead of schedule.