By Chief Journalist (SW/AW) Mark O. The fast-attack submarine USS Hampton (SSN 767), along with the Royal Navy submarine HMS Tireless, surfaced through the ice at the North Pole April 19. The two vessels surfaced through two naturally occurring leads or �gaps� in the ice about one-half mile from each other, following joint operational exercises beneath the polar ice cap. ”It’s a pretty amazing ship, and I’m happy to be a part of it,” said Cmdr. Robert P. Burke, Hampton’s commanding officer. “A lot of preparations and planning are involved in operating a submarine under the ice.