INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ICE PATROL 



Treasury Department, 



Uniti:d States Coast Guard, 

 Washington., Fehruary 4, 192 It. 

 To commanding oificers, " Modoc,'' •' Tampa;' and '' Ossijiee "; 



1. The Modoc and the Tampa are designated to carry out the in- 

 ternational ice patrol during the season of 1924. The Ossipee is 

 designated as stand-by vessel. The senior line officer present is 

 assigned to command the patrol. The commanding officer of the 

 Tampa will command until the arrival on patrol of a senior com- 

 manding officer. Vessels concerned will make the necessary prepara- 

 tions to carry out these orders. 



2. The object of the patrol is to locate the icebergs and ice fields 

 nearest to the trans-Atlantic steamship lanes. It will be the duty 

 of patrol vessels to determine the southerly, easterly, and westerly 

 limits of the ice and to keep in touch with these fields as they move 

 to the southward, in order that radio broadcasts may be sent out 

 daily, giving the whereabouts of the ice, particularly the ice that 

 may be in the immediate vicinity of the regular trans- Atlantic steam- 

 ship lanes. 



3. The patrol will continue until the ice no longer constitutes a 

 danger to navigation in the trans-Atlantic steamship lanes. The 

 ice season is usually three months, April, May, and June. 



4. While on this patrol the Modoc and the Tampa will base tem- 

 porarily and obtain fuel and other necessary supplies at Halifax, 

 Xova Scotia. The two vessels will alternate on patrol, making alter- 

 nate cruises of about 15 days in the ice region, the 15 days to be 

 exclusive of the time occupied in going to and from base. The patrol 

 commander will so regulate the movements of the vessels that on the 

 fifteenth day after reaching the ice region the vessel on patrol will 

 be relieved by the second vessel, if possible, at which time the first 

 vessel will proceed to base, replenish her fuel supply, and return in 

 time to relieve the other vessel at the end of the latter's 15-day cruise. 

 It is important that the patrol be continuous, and the vessel on 

 patrol must not leave her station until relieved by the other vessel, 

 unless it should be absolutely necessary to do so. 



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