On 8 March the NORTHWIND enco\intered 50-knot winds axid 20-foot 

 swells when 80 miles inside the ice. The breaking up of ice by 

 swell action was an unusual phenomenon to witness* Owing to heavy 

 swells and the danger of ice blocks being washed aboard, it was con- 

 sidered inadvisable to take the planned ice-edge stations, and the 

 ship headed into firm ice. Only the northern stations (5 through 8) 

 of the ice-edge penetration track were taken at this time. Taking 

 advantage of the extensive ice breakup, the NORTHWIND proceeded to 

 Cape Romanzof, taking stations 9 through H at 60-mile intervals, and 

 then towards Nome, taking stations 12 through lit every 60 miles. 



The first sea-ice photography flight was made on 18 March, when 

 the ship was approximately 12 miles south of Nomeo While the aircraft 

 made its photo rxms, the ship's photographers took photographs of the 

 ice around the ship with infrared and Ektachrome film, giving a 360° 

 coverage. Progress through the ice in the vicinity of Nome was very 

 slow, as the thickness of the ice was approximately k feet with 1 foot 

 of snow cover. Plans to put in at Nome were given up and the NORTHWIND 

 proceeded to the NEL ice site, Enroute, the second photo flight was 

 made on 22 March, 



The ship arrived at the NEL ice site (a?)proximately UO miles south- 

 west of Nome) on 22 March and was made fast in a Innile ice floe about 

 2^ feet thick where it remained until 5 April, During this period, 13 

 oceanographic casts (stations 15 through 26) and the remaining sea ice 

 photographic flights (2lt March, 1 and S April) were made. Several 

 atten^Dts were made to obtain current measurements with an Ekman current 

 meter, but no revolutions were observed due to the ship's drifting with 

 the ice pack. 



After con5)leting the NEL ice research work on $ April, the NCfflTiHWIND 

 proceeded south towards the edge of the ice pack, taking stations 27 

 through 32 enroute, Oceanographic stations 33 through Uh were taken 

 along the ice penetration track as originally planned. Stations U5 

 through 51 were occupied subsequently, the latter on 18 April before 

 proceeding to Dutch Harbor for a scheduled rendezvous with the BURTON 

 ISLAND. After the transfer of equipment and oceanographic gear to the 

 BURTON ISLAND, the NORTHWIND departed for San Diego, arriving at the 

 Naval Air Station on 27 April 1955, 



2o USS BURTON ISLAND - 5 April to 6 June 1955 



The BURTON ISLAND departed San Diego on 5 April 1955, and arrived 

 at Kodiak on Hi April, One oceanographer from the Hydrographic Office 

 and two civilian scientists from the U. S, Navy Electronics Laboratory 

 were on board. On 17 April the BURTON ISLAND departed Kodiak for Dutch 

 Harbor, Following a scheduled rendezvous with the NORTHWIND at Dutch 

 Harbor on 19 April, the BURTON ISLAND commenced oceanographic operations 

 in the Bering Sea (fig. 2), Stations 1 through 9 were taken daring the 



