ALMIRANTE IRIZAR
The "Almirante
Irizar" is the main Argentine Antarctic support vessel. She is a fully equipped
icebreaker with the highest possible +1A1 icebreaking classification. She carries a crew
of 135 plus 45 additional passengers and has space for 2 Sea King SH-3D or similar
helicopters.
She was built in Finland in 1978 and since
then the Almirante Irizar has worked every year in the Antarctic supplying scientific
research stations and also being employed as a floating laboratory or carrying out search
and rescue missions. |
|
1999 "ALMIRANTE IRIZAR"
EXPEDITION
While this web page is concerned mainly
with covers from the historic 2002 "CRUZ DEL SUR" rescue expedition we do have
envelopes available for purchase which have been carried by the "Almirante
Irizar"during the 1999 season. These can be seen on our Argentine Jubany
Antarctic Base page here. |
2002 OPERATION "CRUZ DEL
SUR"
The German owned vessel "Magdalena
Oldendorff" was chartered by the Russian
Antarctic Programme in 2002 to resupply the Russian Novolazarevskaya research base when
late in the season the vessel became stuck in thick ice and a rescue mission was called
for.
"Magdalena Oldendorff" stuck in
the ice |
It has been reported that
the "Magdalena Oldendorff" remained later
than normal in the season hoping for the ice to harden enough to allow the unloading of
heavy machinery. When it became apparent in early June 2002 that the vessel would not be
able to free itself plans were made to resupply the vessel and remove most of the crew and
returning Russian base personel. The South African vessel "Agulhas" was first to the rescue and with the use of her helicopters
employed at extreme range all the extra crew and passengers were safely extricated. |
Meanwhile the
"Almirante Irizar" had left her home port of Buenos Aires on the 1st of July and
after picking up two Sea King helicopters at Puerto Galvan finally reached the trapped
vessel on the 6th of August 2002. She transferred much needed supplies and a doctor
and took off further crew members. |
"Almirante Irizar" arrives to
help "Magdalena Oldendorff" |
The "Almirante Irizar" then
took the "Magdalena Oldendorff" in tow (as shown at right) and attempted to
extricate both vessels from the ice. However after several days effort it was decided that
the ice conditions were so severe that it was advisable for at least the "Almirante
Irizar" to escape its clutches and so it was decided to leave the "Magdalena
Oldendorff" to winter over. The "Almirante Irizar" reached open water on
the 7th of August and finally return to a welcome home from 5,000 people at Buenos Aires
on 18th August, 2002. |
|
The "Almirante Irizar" finally
home in Buenos Aires. |
IRIZAR 1. 2002 (August
18th) cover from "Almirante Irizar" with pictorial postmark. Price US$8
Note: The icebreaker has
its own permanent pictorial postmark which has been used above to postmark this airmail
envelope. the cover bears in blue and red the two regular cachets available on board the
vessel plus a special "Operacion CRUZ DEL SUR" cachet applied in green. |
IRIZAR 2. 2002 (August
18th) Signed cover of "Almirante Irizar" with pictorial postmark. Price US$10
|
The above cover has been signed by
Ricardo Miguel Oyarbide, the "Capitan de Fragata, segundo Comandante Rompehielos
A.R.A. "Almirante Irizar".
Comandante Oyarbide is shown at left
applying his signature to one of the above offered envelopes. |
IRIZAR 3. 2002 (August
18th) Cover from "Almirante Irizar" with special postmark. Price US$10
The Argentine Post office
also commemorated the event with a special one day pictorial postmark on the day the
vessel returned to Buenos Aires. There was little if any advance notice given about this
postmark which gave tribute to the part that Almirante Irizar" played in Operacion
"Cruz Del Sur". The above cover also has a Argentine Metrological Service
sticker at top left as well as the ships special rescue cachet at lower left. |
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