Due to the manner in which the field ice invaded the region thej^ were 

 evenly distributed from the coast of Newfoundland to the 46th meridian. 

 Figure 3 shows the distribution of bergs and field ice during Alarch. 



APRIL 



During the first part of the month the field ice along the northeastern 

 slope of the Grand Banks deteriorated rapidly. By the 6th of the 

 month the southern limits of the main field ran from 48°20' N., 51°00' W., 

 to 47°35' N., 48°00' W. There w^ere scattered strings of sludge running 

 to the southeast from the main field between the 47th and 49th meridians. 

 After the 6th of the month melting was rapid and this was the last date 

 the field was observed or reported. By the third week in April the Grand 

 Banks area was definitely clear of all field ice. 



Melting of the field ice occurred less rapidly in the St. Lawrence area. 

 At the beginning of the month the outer limits ran from Scatari Island 

 to the northern tip of Burgeo Bank, to Misaine Bank, and thence to 

 Cape Ray. By the 17th of the month the southern and eastern boundaries 

 had receded and the limits now ran from a point 15 miles off Cape Ray to 

 46°43' N., 58°40' W., to 46°00' N., 59°05' W., and thence to Scatari 

 Island. Between the 17th and the last week in April these limits fluctu- 

 ated as much as 30 miles to the east and south. By the 19th of April a 

 vessel had passed through the gulf and up the St. Lawrence River arriving 

 in Montreal on that date. By the 30th of the month, however, the 

 Canadian Department of Transport reported that all ports in the western 

 part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence were open to navigation. Close pack 

 ice still remained to the northeast of Cape Breton Island, the outer 

 Hmits running from Cape North to 46°50' N., 59°30' W., to 46°25' N., 

 58°40' W. 



The melting of the field ice in the Grand Banks area released a number 

 of bergs along the northeastern slope of the Grand Banks. These drifted 

 southward toward the Tail of the Banks and southeastward into the area 

 immediately south of Flemish Cap. On the first of the month the 

 southernmost berg was reported at 46° 16' N., 45°23' W., just south of 

 Flemish Cap. Further to the west, the southernmost of the bergs 

 proceeding southward along the eastern slope of the Grand Banks had 

 reached approximately the same latitude. Between the 1st and the 10th 

 of the month, bergs and growlers were reported as far to the southea.st as 

 45°10' N., 44°50' W. These represented a potential menace to vessels 

 traveling on the scheduled United States-European track B. However 

 the period was one in which conditions permitted frequent aerial recon- 

 naissance of the critical areas. For that reason it was not deemed neces- 

 sary to inaugurate a surface vessel patrol at that time. As the month 

 progressed the potential menace to track B by the bergs in the area south 

 of Flemish Cap lessened. Merchant vessel reports and aerial recon- 

 naissance indicated a northward recession of the southern limits of the 

 bergs in this area. On the other hand, those bergs in the Labrador 



