In 1931, a decommissioned US submarine, the ex-USS O-12, was leased to Lake & Dannenhower, Inc. The sub, renamed Nautilus, was fitted out for under-ice operations - though neither heaters nor insulation were provided. Hearst offered to pay for the submarine to travel to the North Pole and meet up with the Graf Zeppelin. In OTL, Nautilus only made it up to 82 degrees North, but only started from Plymouth, England on August 5, having been delayed by a storm during the journey from New York to England; could it have done better had it gotten an earlier start?
Wikipedia on the Arctic Expedition of 1931.
Wikipedia on the Arctic Expedition of 1931.